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Author Topic: Russian Cuisine  (Read 10332 times)

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Offline Chris

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Re: Russian Cuisine
« Reply #25 on: March 11, 2015, 04:37:46 AM »
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  :-X

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.

Sometime its easier to just agree  :-X  :ROFL:
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Offline NS1

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Re: Russian Cuisine
« Reply #26 on: March 11, 2015, 07:24:32 AM »
Keep in mind some ladies need to have something that is not as good as home.
Regardless of what it may be. Best to agree and do what you can to help her find the products she wants.
I am fortunate to this point no real complaints, the wife has figured most of it out and found different products to make what she wanted.
There is nothing permanent except change.

Offline Volshe

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failproof recipe for cottage/ curd cheese (tvorog)
« Reply #27 on: March 11, 2015, 07:44:31 AM »

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

True :(

Even our tomatoes and cucumbers (i think the seed is different too), they aren't that tasty AND all my American friends were swooning, while visiting, how tasteful those were... :( I love these tomatoes (сливовидные помидоры) http://eda.ru/wiki/ingredienty/vegs/16362/pomidori-palchikovie, but we don't have them at all *sighs*

Ok, on to the lighter topics ;)

So, you need 1l milk (the fatter, the better, mother usually uses 2,8 % or even 3,2 if we find it), if you can get the one that is in "paketah" (молоко в пакетах), so it's not in touch with aluminium, then great, but if you can't, it's not that important; you warn it up until temperature of baby bath, then add 1l kefir* to the same pan in which milk is warmed. (Don't remove it from the stove.) Stir and leave on low heat for ten minutes (my stove goes from 1-6, we leave it on 2), it mustn't boil. After 10 min, switch off the stove, but leave the pan there until it's cold (1h approximately), then strain it through марля (i don't know the word in English, looked it up, en.bab.la  ru-english dictionary says it's gauze or cheesecloth :biggrin: ) and you got curd cheese and the remaining liquid is whey/ milk serum, which is great for your health as well (to drink and/or for Mrs ashbyclarke to apply on skin).

Of course, you can make bigger quantity from 2l milks/ 2l kefir, if you'd like and...

* if kefir is not available where you are, i have a recipe for that one too (i posted it on the forum earlier ;))

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Offline Fashionista

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Re: Russian Cuisine
« Reply #28 on: March 11, 2015, 10:50:17 AM »
Fortunately I have eventually found almost everything I needed. Tomatoes sometimes have some flavor, which is fine by me. Unlike in Montreal, small town pastries on West Coast-USA are dismal, but I can bake and not in a need of sweets so much.

For those who don't understand, you can laugh of course, but if steaks started to taste like cardboard everywhere, it would start eventually getting to you too. Maybe this analogy will explain damn foreigner's constant annoyance with subpar food.   :8) My understanding is that British would not be too happy if forced to drink Budweiser instead of the one they like.

Volshe, марля is cheesecloth, it is sold in many supermarkets.   :)

Offline Volshe

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Re: Russian Cuisine
« Reply #29 on: March 11, 2015, 10:54:21 AM »

Volshe, марля is cheesecloth, it is sold in many supermarkets.   :)

Thank you  :) There are too many Russian products i miss ... Tvorog and kefir i learned to make, some kind of buckwheat is sold here, i manage to make something like pelmeni, but... It's not the same. AND, i'd kill for Russian selyodka/ herring  :duh:
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Offline Fashionista

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Re: Russian Cuisine
« Reply #30 on: March 11, 2015, 10:57:41 AM »

Volshe, марля is cheesecloth, it is sold in many supermarkets.   :)

Thank you  :) There are too many Russian products i miss ... Tvorog and kefir i learned to make, some kind of buckwheat is sold here, i manage to make something like pelmeni, but... It's not the same. AND, i'd kill for Russian selyodka/ herring  :duh:

Being from Siberia anything other that home-made pelmeni would be an insult. We can compare notes, I could give you a few tips on that if you like. Pickled herring? Yeah that could be quite a problem...If it's any consolation the Dutch suffer too, they know everything there is to know about pickled herring.

Offline Volshe

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Re: Russian Cuisine
« Reply #31 on: March 11, 2015, 11:03:13 AM »

Being from Siberia anything other that home-made pelmeni would be an insult. We can compare notes, I could give you a few tips on that if you like.

Thank you so much!!! I really appreciate it!
Pickled herring? Yeah that could be quite a problem...If it's any consolation the Dutch suffer too, they know everything there is to know about pickled herring.

I know... We have Dutch one here, it's huge and smoked, very different taste, i don't really like it. I am a dummy when it comes to that, so i am not sure, is the fish different or it's how they prepare it, but Dutch one to me tastes... eew   :duh:
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Offline Larry

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Re: failproof recipe for cottage/ curd cheese (tvorog)
« Reply #32 on: March 11, 2015, 11:22:39 AM »
Even our tomatoes and cucumbers (i think the seed is different too), they aren't that tasty AND all my American friends were swooning, while visiting, how tasteful those were...

Tomatoes sometimes have some flavor...

I stopped buying tomatoes here except during the months of August and September, and even then only from certain markets. The rest of the year they are almost completely flavorless.


Offline ashbyclarke

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Re: Russian Cuisine
« Reply #33 on: March 11, 2015, 02:52:23 PM »

Being from Siberia anything other that home-made pelmeni would be an insult. We can compare notes, I could give you a few tips on that if you like. Pickled herring? Yeah that could be quite a problem...If it's any consolation the Dutch suffer too, they know everything there is to know about pickled herring.

How do you find Cucumbers? I've decided growing our own is the only reasonable option here!!!

My other half is from Siberia too, I've tried making pelmeni on several occasions, never quite the same as those made by locals..... although i'm not so keen on it, i prefer my own fillings to the more traditional mixed beef and pork minced meat? Hope i'm right on that.

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Offline ashbyclarke

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Re: failproof recipe for cottage/ curd cheese (tvorog)
« Reply #34 on: March 11, 2015, 02:53:40 PM »

So, you need 1l milk (the fatter, the better, mother usually uses 2,8 % or even 3,2 if we find it), if you can get the one that is in "paketah" (молоко в пакетах), so it's not in touch with aluminium, then great, but if you can't, it's not that important; you warn it up until temperature of baby bath, then add 1l kefir* to the same pan in which milk is warmed. (Don't remove it from the stove.) Stir and leave on low heat for ten minutes (my stove goes from 1-6, we leave it on 2), it mustn't boil. After 10 min, switch off the stove, but leave the pan there until it's cold (1h approximately), then strain it through марля (i don't know the word in English, looked it up, en.bab.la  ru-english dictionary says it's gauze or cheesecloth :biggrin: ) and you got curd cheese and the remaining liquid is whey/ milk serum, which is great for your health as well (to drink and/or for Mrs ashbyclarke to apply on skin).

Of course, you can make bigger quantity from 2l milks/ 2l kefir, if you'd like and...

* if kefir is not available where you are, i have a recipe for that one too (i posted it on the forum earlier ;))

I'll give it a try... thanks for the recipe  :smokin:
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Offline Manny

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Re: Russian Cuisine
« Reply #35 on: March 11, 2015, 05:19:32 PM »
anything other that home-made pelmeni would be an insult.

My wife used to say that, but much as she likes to cook and make 'cozy home', real life and parenting takes over. As our dochka likes pelmeni so much after school, a compromise on time had to be made. Hence we seek out the best frozen stuff we can find, which is found in Polish shops (here) and comes from Germany.
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Putin often threatens to strike US with nuclear weapons.

Offline Fashionista

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Re: Russian Cuisine
« Reply #36 on: March 12, 2015, 07:07:54 AM »

Being from Siberia anything other that home-made pelmeni would be an insult. We can compare notes, I could give you a few tips on that if you like.

Thank you so much!!! I really appreciate it!
Pickled herring? Yeah that could be quite a problem...If it's any consolation the Dutch suffer too, they know everything there is to know about pickled herring.

I know... We have Dutch one here, it's huge and smoked, very different taste, i don't really like it. I am a dummy when it comes to that, so i am not sure, is the fish different or it's how they prepare it, but Dutch one to me tastes... eew   :duh:

So... pelmeni :)

I assume you already know how to knead dough. It should not be too tough, just enough to not stick to hands.  If you freeze pelmeni before you cook, and then thaw, well made dough will not crack or fall apart while you boil them, or all juices are gone.  It is generally better to not freeze them at all...

The filling is the most important part. Minimum two types of ground meat, as already been said, beef and pork is a cookie-cutter starter. The taste will majorly depend on the quality of meat you choose and where it came from. If it's average or cheap ground meat from a supermarket, it's been frozen and thawed perhaps a couple times, and there is no juice left. They'll taste like McBurgers :). So you have to find a good source or grind it yourself. Some delis will do it for you if you choose a piece of meat (make sure it has some fat on it :) ). I even go as far as memorize the producers that supply meat that I like. Whenever possible, I add about third of a third type of meat, typically lamb or even better, horse meat. Canada sells horse meat, but I haven't seen it in the States. Slice by hand and add A LOT OF onions, don't just process them into onion juice. Some people add garlic, but I find it detrimental to taste if the quality of meat is good. Add salt and water to the filling, or replace water with non-fat milk. Boil in chicken broth. You can even use broth cubes, pelmeni will still have great taste. I typically save wings and other pieces of chicken that I don't cook, freeze them and use them later to make stock.

Anyhoo, that about covers it :)

As for Dutch herring, if it's not sold in Amsterdam or anywhere else in Holland, it's probably garbage  :8). It just like ours but BETTER :). Over there they eat it like here people eat hotdogs, on a bun with sliced onions and oil. MMMMM. :loving:

Offline Fashionista

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Re: Russian Cuisine
« Reply #37 on: March 12, 2015, 07:10:18 AM »

Being from Siberia anything other that home-made pelmeni would be an insult. We can compare notes, I could give you a few tips on that if you like. Pickled herring? Yeah that could be quite a problem...If it's any consolation the Dutch suffer too, they know everything there is to know about pickled herring.

How do you find Cucumbers? I've decided growing our own is the only reasonable option here!!!


I buy English cucumbers, they are the same everywhere. I like them. Got a lot of criticism for that  :laugh:


Offline Fashionista

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Re: Russian Cuisine
« Reply #38 on: March 12, 2015, 07:17:18 AM »
anything other that home-made pelmeni would be an insult.

My wife used to say that, but much as she likes to cook and make 'cozy home', real life and parenting takes over. As our dochka likes pelmeni so much after school, a compromise on time had to be made. Hence we seek out the best frozen stuff we can find, which is found in Polish shops (here) and comes from Germany.

Europe and Russia generally has much better food (Siberia has restored its self-sufficiency pretty quickly after the USSR died) and probably better processed food. Haven't been to UK yet, but I assume it's the same there. Here processed food is dreadful, I can only do what they call "perimeter shopping" - buy ingredients to start from scratch.

Offline Manny

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Re: Russian Cuisine
« Reply #39 on: March 12, 2015, 05:30:38 PM »
anything other that home-made pelmeni would be an insult.

My wife used to say that, but much as she likes to cook and make 'cozy home', real life and parenting takes over. As our dochka likes pelmeni so much after school, a compromise on time had to be made. Hence we seek out the best frozen stuff we can find, which is found in Polish shops (here) and comes from Germany.

Europe and Russia generally has much better food (Siberia has restored its self-sufficiency pretty quickly after the USSR died) and probably better processed food. Haven't been to UK yet, but I assume it's the same there. Here processed food is dreadful, I can only do what they call "perimeter shopping" - buy ingredients to start from scratch.

As you know, we are a small island with over 60m people on it. Our processed food is appalling (not as bad as America and not so much GM and Monsanto stuff here) and some of our 'fresh' stuff isn't much better. However, over time, one finds what stuff is alright. Usually the organic stuff at the better places. We have a lot of Poles here (Polish people) and they eschewed much of our food and started importing their own. Even stuff like eggs and basics they carry with vans coming from Poland each day. Like you, and like my wife, a lot of the Polish people here are quite discerning when it comes to food quality and provenance. Hence the little processed/frozen stuff you will find in Polish shops here is often alright. If it wasn't, people wouldn't buy it. Stuff like kapusta is *really* nice from Polish shops here. Supermarkets carry low end German sauerkraut which isn't the same.

My wife used to complain that the meat here didn't "smell right" and was tasteless. Eventually she found meat that she liked - organic and three times supermarket money. But yes, it tastes like meat did when I was a kid.  :biggrin:
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Offline Volshe

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Re: Russian Cuisine
« Reply #40 on: March 12, 2015, 05:48:58 PM »

So... pelmeni :)

I assume you already know how to knead dough. It should not be too tough, just enough to not stick to hands.  If you freeze pelmeni before you cook, and then thaw, well made dough will not crack or fall apart while you boil them, or all juices are gone.  It is generally better to not freeze them at all...

The filling is the most important part. Minimum two types of ground meat, as already been said, beef and pork is a cookie-cutter starter. The taste will majorly depend on the quality of meat you choose and where it came from. If it's average or cheap ground meat from a supermarket, it's been frozen and thawed perhaps a couple times, and there is no juice left. They'll taste like McBurgers :). So you have to find a good source or grind it yourself. Some delis will do it for you if you choose a piece of meat (make sure it has some fat on it :) ). I even go as far as memorize the producers that supply meat that I like. Whenever possible, I add about third of a third type of meat, typically lamb or even better, horse meat. Canada sells horse meat, but I haven't seen it in the States. Slice by hand and add A LOT OF onions, don't just process them into onion juice. Some people add garlic, but I find it detrimental to taste if the quality of meat is good. Add salt and water to the filling, or replace water with non-fat milk. Boil in chicken broth. You can even use broth cubes, pelmeni will still have great taste. I typically save wings and other pieces of chicken that I don't cook, freeze them and use them later to make stock.

Anyhoo, that about covers it :)

Thanks, dear!  It is more or less how i make them, spare the pork because i don't eat it - the rest is the same... It reminds me of that joke:
A guy (insert any nationality) lurks looks at his British neighbor's grass - it is greener indeed, more neat, everything more than his own... So, he chats up the Brit and says: look, i feed the lawn the same way you do, i cut the grass properly, i water it at the same time you do, more so, i use the same chemicals for weeds and insects, so how come yours is greener?
The Brit looks at him and says: the thing is that we've been doing it for hundreds of years...  :duh:

The same with you and i and pelmeni  ;D


 :-X i really don't like NL herring, last time i was in Amsterdam, mother dearest got the most expensive brands ... it's not the kind i like, it's very different from Russian  :(
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Offline Manny

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Re: Russian Cuisine
« Reply #41 on: March 12, 2015, 06:00:51 PM »
A guy (insert any nationality) lurks at his British neighbor's grass -

I suspect he looks. Although he may lurk depending on his motives......
Read a trip report from North Korea >>here<< - Read a trip report from South Korea, China and Hong Kong >>here<<

Look what the American media makes some people believe:
Putin often threatens to strike US with nuclear weapons.

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Re: Russian Cuisine
« Reply #42 on: March 12, 2015, 06:43:33 PM »
A guy (insert any nationality) lurks at his British neighbor's grass -

I suspect he looks. Although he may lurk depending on his motives......

I stand corrected ;)
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Offline Chris

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Re: Russian Cuisine
« Reply #43 on: March 13, 2015, 01:35:33 AM »
My wife used to complain that the meat here didn't "smell right" and was tasteless. Eventually she found meat that she liked - organic and three times supermarket money. But yes, it tastes like meat did when I was a kid. :biggrin:

That's so true, if you buy meat at the usual large supermarkets it can be pretty much like that for the most part, but, if you know where to look and to buy from, you can get the good stuff that does, taste like it did when we were kids.
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Offline Volshe

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Re: Russian Cuisine
« Reply #44 on: March 13, 2015, 01:56:33 AM »
Btw, the meat in Moscow is awful, i can hardly imagine it tasting and smelling worse than it does there  (:) I was buying only the most expensive one (Halal), and still throwing it away half of the times... The non-Halal can't be eaten at all, both chicken and veal downright stink when prepared. The only safe bet, where all foreigners (non Muslims) get their meat is the Mosque in the center of Moscow, on Fridays after the "namaz".
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Re: Russian Cuisine
« Reply #45 on: March 13, 2015, 03:04:47 AM »

A guy (insert any nationality) lurks at his British neighbor's grass -

I suspect he looks. Although he may lurk depending on his motives......

I stand corrected ;)

Said the man in the orthopaedic shoes....


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Re: Russian Cuisine
« Reply #46 on: April 23, 2017, 10:18:05 AM »
I'm willing to try anything once.

7 Russian dishes that you probably don’t want to try

http://rbth.com/russian_kitchen/2017/04/21/7-russian-dishes-that-you-probably-dont-want-to-try_748031
Don't shoot the messenger, links to articles posted, don't necessarily reflect my personal opinion.