Russian Cuisine

[ashbyclarke]

Just taking a little look around the web and came across this site, aimed at our US friends, anyone opinions on these recipes?

http://www.ruscuisine.com

Also looking for some more traditional Russian produce, anyone suggestions on how get typical Russian goods here in the UK?

Stupidly I'm trying to get Cottage Cheese, any idea's?

[Larry]

Stupidly I'm trying to get Cottage Cheese, any idea's?

I'm not in the UK, so my advice might not be helpful. But where I live there are no Russian markets, but we can get some Russian products in the Polish markets. I went out with one FSUW here who tipped me off to that.

Also, have you looked for a cheese called "Farmer's Cheese"?

[ashbyclarke]

Been to one of the larger Polski shops here, apparently they're not quite on the grade for cottage cheese lol


I think "Farmer's Cheese" would perhaps have a different meaning here Larry, we're quite a countryfied bunch, farmers anything tends to mean it's local......

I'll keep looking, there has be something here that's similar, can't believe the local russian cottage cheese that's so delicious isn't a european product !!! (guessing)

[Manny]

The polish shops are usually a good source. The one we use is part owned by a Ukrainian guy, so they have everything. I'd try another Polish shop; there is no shortage of them......

[Volshe]

Stupidly I'm trying to get Cottage Cheese, any idea's?

Aghh, it's not stupid, but the most elaborate decision, cottage cheese is great for you  If you don't find any in shops, i can give you the recipe how my mother makes it from milk and kefir, it's delicious

[ashbyclarke]

The polish shops are usually a good source. The one we use is part owned by a Ukrainian guy, so they have everything. I'd try another Polish shop; there is no shortage of them......

I'll try that, I had assumed (stupidly!) they'd stock pretty much similar stuff, there's plenty around here, keep me busy!

Aghh, it's not stupid, but the most elaborate decision, cottage cheese is great for you  If you don't find any in shops, i can give you the recipe how my mother makes it from milk and kefir, it's delicious

Now there's an offer I can't refuse!! Yes I'd love to try and make something authentic like this, if you'd like to share it I will post a picture of my efforts?!

[Volshe]

Now there's an offer I can't refuse!! Yes I'd love to try and make something authentic like this, if you'd like to share it I will post a picture of my efforts?!

Mama Volshe will be more than happy, she loves participating at the forum indirectly Let me "interview" her, write down the instructions and i'll post them latest tomorrow morning 

[Chris]

The polish shops are usually a good source. The one we use is part owned by a Ukrainian guy, so they have everything. I'd try another Polish shop; there is no shortage of them......

Yes the Polish shops are usually a good bet, but you might have to try a few to find a good one. My wife buys cottage cheese from one near us, but it took a few attempts at others to find one she likes.

[GuppyCaptain]

The polish shops are usually a good source. The one we use is part owned by a Ukrainian guy, so they have everything. I'd try another Polish shop; there is no shortage of them......

Yes the Polish shops are usually a good bet, but you might have to try a few to find a good one. My wife buys cottage cheese from one near us, but it took a few attempts at others to find one she likes.

Same here with Polish shops. The one closest to me has a Ukie chic working there and lots of EE "stuff". They're a little pricy though because I think they think they've got you by the balls if you want that kind of stuff in my area. They'd be right :-)

[rosco]

Just taking a little look around the web and came across this site, aimed at our US friends, anyone opinions on these recipes?

http://www.ruscuisine.com

Also looking for some more traditional Russian produce, anyone suggestions on how get typical Russian goods here in the UK?

Stupidly I'm trying to get Cottage Cheese, any idea's?

We must be talking about different products because I know for a fact, cottage cheese is widely available in all supermarkets??

Edit - try twarog cheese in the polish sections of Sainsbury etc.

[Manny]

The polish shops are usually a good source. The one we use is part owned by a Ukrainian guy, so they have everything. I'd try another Polish shop; there is no shortage of them......

Yes the Polish shops are usually a good bet, but you might have to try a few to find a good one. My wife buys cottage cheese from one near us, but it took a few attempts at others to find one she likes.

Same here with Polish shops. The one closest to me has a Ukie chic working there and lots of EE "stuff". They're a little pricy though because I think they think they've got you by the balls if you want that kind of stuff in my area. They'd be right :-)

I'd wager that the import costs to the US for the real stuff makes it pricey. Rather like the 'British' shops here and there in the US, where expats can buy Branston, Marmite and Brown Sauce, etc. Yes, a jar of Marmite may cost $3 in the UK, but by the time someone has taken it to the US it is quite rightly $10.

[Manny]

The polish shops are usually a good source. The one we use is part owned by a Ukrainian guy, so they have everything. I'd try another Polish shop; there is no shortage of them......

Yes the Polish shops are usually a good bet, but you might have to try a few to find a good one. My wife buys cottage cheese from one near us, but it took a few attempts at others to find one she likes.

Yes, I think we are on our 4th. The one we have now the staff speak Russian/Ukrainian, they have the 'proper' cottage cheese I am told, and also the 'proper' pelmeni that apparently comes from Germany with meat that can actually be identified.

[GuppyCaptain]

The polish shops are usually a good source. The one we use is part owned by a Ukrainian guy, so they have everything. I'd try another Polish shop; there is no shortage of them......

Yes the Polish shops are usually a good bet, but you might have to try a few to find a good one. My wife buys cottage cheese from one near us, but it took a few attempts at others to find one she likes.

Same here with Polish shops. The one closest to me has a Ukie chic working there and lots of EE "stuff". They're a little pricy though because I think they think they've got you by the balls if you want that kind of stuff in my area. They'd be right :-)

I'd wager that the import costs to the US for the real stuff makes it pricey. Rather like the 'British' shops here and there in the US, where expats can buy Branston, Marmite and Brown Sauce, etc. Yes, a jar of Marmite may cost $3 in the UK, but by the time someone has taken it to the US it is quite rightly $10.

Yes and no. That's probably part of it. The other factor is that the one in question is well over an hour west of NYC and thus consumers don't have the option to be fussy. It's a "take it or leave it" scenario. Oh well, I don't go in there often but when I do it's partly to just flirt with the Ukrainian chic anyway.

[Manny]

It's a "take it or leave it" scenario.

No, that cant be true in an Eastern European shop can it? 

[Fashionista]

Keep trying regular supermarkets, and have a Russian person who have lived where you are for a long time identify it for you. The western food industry supplies plenty of foods that would fully satisfy Russian customers or those who like Russian food. Unfortunately, sometimes you can only discover them by trying. There is only very few items left that I buy in Russian/Polish stores nowadays. "Tvorog" (Russian-style cottage cheese) is not one of them. In the US it is indeed called Farmer's cheese, while in Canada (Quebec, to be specific) it is sold under the name "fromage frais", smooth variety, or something like that, can't remember with 100% certainty. There must be something in UK too.

Making it from Kefir is a good option, but too much hassle for something that is readily available anywhere I've lived. Kefir is expensive, by the way, unless you make it yourself, which takes two days.

[GuppyCaptain]

It's a "take it or leave it" scenario.

No, that cant be true in an Eastern European shop can it? 

  Yeah, typical eh?

[Lon]

  Uh, no.  Not at the Russian grocery store the Mrs. and I frequent   http://www.marvelfoodanddeli.com/   .  The girls are always very polite and relatively cheerful.  Besides, for every $30 spent there, you can get a free cappoccino or a ice cream 

It's a "take it or leave it" scenario.

No, that cant be true in an Eastern European shop can it? 

  Yeah, typical eh?

[GuppyCaptain]

Ah, I see that you live in the PNW, Lon. Lovely 

[Chris]

Keep trying regular supermarkets, and have a Russian person who have lived where you are for a long time identify it for you. The western food industry supplies plenty of foods that would fully satisfy Russian customers or those who like Russian food. Unfortunately, sometimes you can only discover them by trying. There is only very few items left that I buy in Russian/Polish stores nowadays. "Tvorog" (Russian-style cottage cheese) is not one of them. In the US it is indeed called Farmer's cheese, while in Canada (Quebec, to be specific) it is sold under the name "fromage frais", smooth variety, or something like that, can't remember with 100% certainty. There must be something in UK too.

Making it from Kefir is a good option, but too much hassle for something that is readily available anywhere I've lived. Kefir is expensive, by the way, unless you make it yourself, which takes two days.

We have fromage frais here too, but its not the same as the Polish sold cottage cheese.

[ashbyclarke]

We must be talking about different products because I know for a fact, cottage cheese is widely available in all supermarkets??

Edit - try twarog cheese in the polish sections of Sainsbury etc.

Tried all of the cottage cheese types available in my local sainsbury's, not quite up to rusky standards apparently, will take a looking the larger sainsbury's store...

Like most things in our supermarkets they're never quite as good as those available in russian supermarkets, strawberry's for example aren't even put in the trolly nowadays as they don't have any taste LOL

Yes, I think we are on our 4th. The one we have now the staff speak Russian/Ukrainian, they have the 'proper' cottage cheese I am told, and also the 'proper' pelmeni that apparently comes from Germany with meat that can actually be identified.

There's quite a growing population of russian's around where i live with many a polski shop opening here and there, never quite in the area's I'd normally stop and take a look round, i'll get myself one of those crook locks and see what we can find.

Didn't realise Cottage Cheese was so popular, never even tried it before ! Cheers all.

[Chris]

Like most things in our supermarkets they're never quite as good as those available in russian supermarkets, strawberry's for example aren't even put in the trolly nowadays as they don't have any taste LOL

Tell her it depends on when you buy them, we went through that, but if you buy British strawberry's (not Spanish) at the right time of year, early May to July and sometimes depending on the weather conditions, you can still get good ones through to September, (can you see I have already done the strawberry hide and seek!  ) then they are as good as you can get anywhere and certainly pass the FSUW test 

[Volshe]

they have the 'proper' cottage cheese I am told, and also the 'proper' pelmeni that apparently comes from Germany with meat that can actually be identified.

Oh well, I don't go in there often but when I do it's partly to just flirt with the Ukrainian chic anyway.

 

[ashbyclarke]

Like most things in our supermarkets they're never quite as good as those available in russian supermarkets, strawberry's for example aren't even put in the trolly nowadays as they don't have any taste LOL

Tell her it depends on when you buy them, we went through that, but if you buy British strawberry's (not Spanish) at the right time of year, early May to July and sometimes depending on the weather conditions, you can still get good ones through to September, (can you see I have already done the strawberry hide and seek!  ) then they are as good as you can get anywhere and certainly pass the FSUW test 

Interestingly a friend of mine grows strawberry's for the supermarkets, I asked him why our strawberry's don't taste as good as those in other countries....

His answer was that in order for a strawberry to taste sweet they require plenty of sunshine, the more sunshine the sweeter tasting strawberry, so in times when we have a late starting summer the strawberry's are not going to be as sweet as perhaps the later crops.

What my other half says about our fruit and veg is that they're all force grown and this is why they don't taste as good as the locally produced stuff they have in Russia, as her family grow much of what they eat, old habits die hard.

I again asked my farmer friend about this and he said that they are technically force grown in tents, although he thought that with the appropriate amount of sunshine they'd be very little difference in taste. It's that little bit that matters ha ha.

Still, she does enjoy those strawberry's available during summer months, she's a keen eye for those that are ripe and tasty and those that have zero flavour, of course I agree and move on, everyone's happy!

[Chris]

Like most things in our supermarkets they're never quite as good as those available in russian supermarkets, strawberry's for example aren't even put in the trolly nowadays as they don't have any taste LOL

Tell her it depends on when you buy them, we went through that, but if you buy British strawberry's (not Spanish) at the right time of year, early May to July and sometimes depending on the weather conditions, you can still get good ones through to September, (can you see I have already done the strawberry hide and seek!  ) then they are as good as you can get anywhere and certainly pass the FSUW test 

Interestingly a friend of mine grows strawberry's for the supermarkets, I asked him why our strawberry's don't taste as good as those in other countries....

His answer was that in order for a strawberry to taste sweet they require plenty of sunshine, the more sunshine the sweeter tasting strawberry, so in times when we have a late starting summer the strawberry's are not going to be as sweet as perhaps the later crops.

What my other half says about our fruit and veg is that they're all force grown and this is why they don't taste as good as the locally produced stuff they have in Russia, as her family grow much of what they eat, old habits die hard.

I again asked my farmer friend about this and he said that they are technically force grown in tents, although he thought that with the appropriate amount of sunshine they'd be very little difference in taste. It's that little bit that matters ha ha.

Still, she does enjoy those strawberry's available during summer months, she's a keen eye for those that are ripe and tasty and those that have zero flavour, of course I agree and move on, everyone's happy!

That probably is true, but you would think Spanish ones would be much better in that case, but I can assure you they aren't, not compared to the British ones as I described above anyway, but as long as the other half is happy that's all that matters hey Ash 

[ashbyclarke]

That probably is true, but you would think Spanish ones would be much better in that case, but I can assure you they aren't, not compared to the British ones as I described above anyway, but as long as the other half is happy that's all that matters hey Ash 

I did think that as I wrote, there's a good answer for it but it escapes me.

Same as Broccoli, that's grown in Lincolnshire start of year, then Cornwall later, then comes via Spain, that latter being less tasty than the locally produced stuff, I got the same answer, must be something in it.

Likewise majority of fruit & veg is grown by same suppliers for likes of Sainsbury's, ASDA, Tescos etc as Aldi, ones cheaper than the other (same product) but the Sainsbury's version is preferred, you have to laugh.