LUNCH!?

[el_guero]

OK, without the thread falling into a pit of arguments.

What is your usual Breakfast, Lunch, or Supper in the FSU?

What would FSU food would you never try again?

[el_guero]

Me?

So far, I would never try caviar again.   

And unfortunately, the only thing I have eaten I can remember is Bortsch (sp?).  I had some really good salad stuff .... Have no idea what was in it.  I just ate it.

 

[Manny]

I generally have a stock of English sausages and bacon for breakfasting (the butcher vac packs it for me in the UK).

If at home, then barbeque is usual. If out, it will be a restaurant. I don't do so much Russian food any more save black bread and some pre-made salads and kapusta you can buy (unless wifey cooks it of course - then we know what's in it).

If we are honest, much of the stuff you get in local cafes and such is really pants. "Cutlets" made from gawd knows what, borscht, shee and various dishwater soups that vary from bad to worse and whats with that grim stuff that is something that was once meat floating in a sea of congealed lard? 

I can see why many Americans head to McDonalds in some of these places. I wouldn't dream of frequenting one at home, but I have been known to stray into one (or a Hesburger) when in the FSU.

[BC]

I generally have a stock of English sausages and bacon for breakfasting (the butcher vac packs it for me in the UK).

Oh gosh.. the bacon I was able to deal with, but the sausage - or facsimile thereof had to be the greatest looking but worst tasting 'sausage' I ever had in my entire life....  The baked beans reminded me of Campbells... Fire in the Hole~!!  Maybe because it was in Manchester?

[Manny]

I generally have a stock of English sausages and bacon for breakfasting (the butcher vac packs it for me in the UK).

Oh gosh.. the bacon I was able to deal with, but the sausage - or facsimile thereof had to be the greatest looking but worst tasting 'sausage' I ever had in my entire life....  The baked beans reminded me of Campbells... Fire in the Hole~!!  Maybe because it was in Manchester?

You have to know where to buy sausages in the UK. Most supermarket ones are grim and full of unmentionables. And Heinz are the only beans worth having IMO.

I bought some sausages in Estonia a few times, lumps of bone in there and "meat" of indistinguishable origin. 

[Vinnvinny]

OK, without the thread falling into a pit of arguments.

What is your usual Breakfast, Lunch, or Supper in the FSU?

What would FSU food would you never try again?

Fair questions Wayne but why do you want to know? 

[Larry]

1. What is your usual Breakfast, Lunch, or Supper in the FSU?

Breakfast: either a) an omelette, preferably stuffed with cheese and mushrooms, or b) blini (I prefer the savory blini fillings rather than the sweet).

Lunch or Supper:  Shashliki, vareniki, draniki, or pelmeni.  As has been mentioned, a lot of the soup is fairly tasteless and visually unappetizing, but sometimes you can find a restaurant that serves good soup.  I've had amazing mushroom soup in FSU; it looked like a bisque with a velvety-smooth texture and marvelous taste, not at all watery.

I've been in some markets that had a wide variety of sausages that looked good but I didn't try them.

2. What would FSU food would you never try again?

Salo.  The appearance, the texture, and the taste are all objectionable.

[mendeleyev]

Except for dinner which is planned, many Russians generally are going to eat whatever is in the fridge. Dinner is the one planned meal in most households, everything else flows from leftovers which given small kitchens, small shelf space and small refrigerators are usually consumed within 24 or so hours.

The planning however will vary if a lady is expecting a guest, like a suitor from the West, and then much more planning of each meal goes into making the guest feel comfortable.

I've had anything from roast beef to pizza to blini with ice cream for breakfast. I do well with Russian foods so other than something cold to drink, McD is just not an desirable option unless youngsters are with us...I'll do one of the little blini kiosks before a McD meal. I like Russian sausages but am familiar with what we're buying and don't have to do meat by the trial and error method.

Just like at home, think of those kiosks when first exiting the Metro or along the streets as buying groceries at the gas mart back home. You pay way too much for the convenience and the quality & hygiene is low. A supermarket along a large street will dramatically elevate the quality while simultaneously lowering the price very quickly.

[Muzh_1]

For breakfast I normally had blini with caviar or homemade preserves. For lunch, if I was at home, I normally had a couple of slices of bread with kielbasa, cheese and greens from the garden. For dinner, as Mendy mentioned above, it was planned ahead of time and it could have been anything from soup to roasted goose.

[el_guero]

Just like at home, think of those kiosks when first exiting the Metro or along the streets as buying groceries at the gas mart back home. You pay way too much for the convenience and the quality & hygiene is low. A supermarket along a large street will dramatically elevate the quality while simultaneously lowering the price very quickly.

Well down south, we don't have Metros .... At least none that I have heard of ....



But, I love the comparison. 

You pay way too much for the convenience and the quality & hygiene is low. A supermarket along a large street will dramatically elevate the quality while simultaneously lowering the price very quickly.

I don't like low quality ....

[nicknick]

1. What is your usual Breakfast, Lunch, or Supper in the FSU?

Except for dinner which is planned, many Russians generally are going to eat whatever is in the fridge. Dinner is the one planned meal in most households, everything else flows from leftovers which given small kitchens, small shelf space and small refrigerators are usually consumed within 24 or so hours.

The planning however will vary if a lady is expecting a guest, like a suitor from the West, and then much more planning of each meal goes into making the guest feel comfortable.

I've had anything from roast beef to pizza to blini with ice cream for breakfast.

From the few times that I've spent the night in Russian homes I really would agree with the above.  Breakfast really is whatever is in the fridge.

However, as a guest, I was asked what I wanted and was given some absolutely excellent syrniki with a large dollop of smetana.  Now, being a typical Brit, I really do believe that nothing beats a ''Full English'' for breakfast.  But, actually, a nice plate of syrniki does run it very close.

Talking of a ''Full English Breakfast'', as Manny says above, you can't get British style sausages or bacon there at all.  However, German bratwurst sausages were more available and they are generally very good.  However, you just cannot get get good bacon.  This isn't just in Russia, but in most countries all you can seem to get is horrible thin streaky bacon that tastes of nothing.

I don't know about the US or Canada - do you guys have proper bacon there or just the manky streaky stuff?

Talking about syrniki as I was earlier, I've found a number of cheese products in Russia that are absolutely delicious.  As well as syrniki there are also vatrushki - which are similar to the English 'Yorkshire curd tart' but made with a dough base rather than pastry.  You also get them filled with poppy seeds and other fillings, but the cheese ones are my favourite.

You can also find in quite a few places a cheese pastry called khatchapuri, which I believe is Georgian.  It's sort of like a cheese pizza calzone.

I've been down to the south of Russia a couple of times -  Stavropol, Pyatigorsk etc - and had from street vendors a sort of deep-fried piece of dough or batter with meat in the middle of it that was surprisingly tasty.  I couldn't remember the name, but asking a couple of Russian friends, they thought it was probably called either somsa or prashka.


While I was there I would generally be cooking for myself or eating in restaurants so I generally was eating the same food as I do in England.  However, when I was invited to eat at a Russian's home, in summer it would generally be cold meat and salad or in winter something like meat stew and boiled potatoes.

This would be followed by a dessert and then tea with sweets, or I think Americans call them candies.  Actually I got quite a liking for chocolate waffle cake, which was almost a sort of chocolate waffle biscuit

2. What would FSU food would you never try again?

I hate to say this, but I really don't like many Russian salads.  For me there is just far too much mayonnaise.  Also, add to that fish - as in a fur coat, I forget the exact name and that really wasn't nice.

Another thing that I really wouldn't try again is holodets - meat in aspic.  Not nice.

[Larry]

You can also find in quite a few places a cheese pastry called khatchapuri, which I believe is Georgian.

I just had khachapuri for the first time last month in Odessa.  It was very nice.

I'm curious, since I'll be in Stavropol soon I think what foods and restaurants do you recommend there?

[Manny]

However, you just cannot get get good bacon.  This isn't just in Russia, but in most countries all you can seem to get is horrible thin streaky bacon that tastes of nothing.

I don't know about the US or Canada - do you guys have proper bacon there or just the manky streaky stuff?

They have the nasty, thin, fatty, streaky stuff too. 

Its only us and the Danes that understand bacon.

[Paul]

Breakfast = coffee and maybe a croissant (I do not know what a traditional Romanian breakfast would be).

Lunch = usually vegetarian ciorbă (sour soup) or some other kind of soup, veggie pizza, whatever.

Dinner = meatless sarmalute (cabbage rolls), mămăligă (polenta), breaded eggplant or squash, pasta, whatever as long as it's vegetarian.

2. What would FSU food would you never try again?

I hate to say this, but I really don't like many Russian salads.  For me there is just far too much mayonnaise.  Also, add to that fish - as in a fur coat, I forget the exact name and that really wasn't nice.

Herring salad? It's disgusting  Worse thing I ever ate in Russia.

[mcs]

However, you just cannot get get good bacon.  This isn't just in Russia, but in most countries all you can seem to get is horrible thin streaky bacon that tastes of nothing.

I don't know about the US or Canada - do you guys have proper bacon there or just the manky streaky stuff?

They have the nasty, thin, fatty, streaky stuff too. 

Its only us and the Danes that understand bacon.

Manny, Manny , Manny

This will be one of the first and possibly the only time I may have to disagee with you.  Have you never had maple cured bacon our the one and only Canadian back bacon that we are known around the world for. I have some family in Scotland and I have to buy both types in bulk because they just can't find anything like it in Britain.

As for in the FSU, blini and ice cream was for lunch and maybe a salad. For supper, fish, soups and borsht and salads.
Smitty

[d672]

However, you just cannot get get good bacon.  This isn't just in Russia, but in most countries all you can seem to get is horrible thin streaky bacon that tastes of nothing.

I don't know about the US or Canada - do you guys have proper bacon there or just the manky streaky stuff?

They have the nasty, thin, fatty, streaky stuff too. 

Its only us and the Danes that understand bacon.

I have to disagree too Manny

 We have quite a few private butchers around here where I live that make excellent hams, sausage and bacon. Costco here even carries some slab bacon from a small butcher shop which is some of the best I've ever tasted.

[mendeleyev]

I also struggle with the холодец, but understand how it would be useful if one planned to work outside all day in the freezing cold. The term describes a yucky meat jelly but can also be used in connection with a deep water well and well, perhaps most of us would rather pour that jelled fat down a well. 

But guys, Сельдь под шубой (herring under a fur coat) is great! It is made of pickled herring, shredded potatoes, beets and mayo. Great stuff! 

[el_guero]

 

Sorry Mendy, anything close to "fish bait" is not for me.

"Fish bait" is body parts and strong fishy stuff (great for getting good fish to bite!).

[el_guero]

OK, without the thread falling into a pit of arguments.

What is your usual Breakfast, Lunch, or Supper in the FSU?

What would FSU food would you never try again?

Fair questions Wayne but why do you want to know? 

I thought knowing what the cuisine would be like before going would be a good topic for those who haven't been.  And a neutral topic for those who have been ....

[nicknick]

You can also find in quite a few places a cheese pastry called khatchapuri, which I believe is Georgian.

I just had khachapuri for the first time last month in Odessa.  It was very nice.

I'm curious, since I'll be in Stavropol soon I think what foods and restaurants do you recommend there?

To be honest, it was 5 or 6 years ago that I was there so what I can remember probably wouldn't be of much use now. 

Stavropol is a fairly typically regional Russian city with a huge central square and a tiny airport.  It used to have just two flights a day, but I think it's changed since then.

If you get the chance then it's definitely worth having a visit to the nearby cities of Pyatigorsk or Mineralnye Vody.  These are the nearest that Russia has to spa towns - think Bath or Baden-Baden - and people still go there to bath in and drink the waters.  It's an interesting experience.

[fireeater]

But guys, Сельдь под шубой (herring under a fur coat) is great! It is made of pickled herring, shredded potatoes, beets and mayo. Great stuff! 

Mendy - you forgot the carrots and onion. 

In my opinion until you hit the herring, it reminds me of something tasting like a potato salad or coleslaw, due to the mayo. Try making one with a RW, it is an experience you will not forget.     

[Muzh_1]

But guys, Сельдь под шубой (herring under a fur coat) is great! It is made of pickled herring, shredded potatoes, beets and mayo. Great stuff! 

Mendy - you forgot the carrots and onion. 

In my opinion until you hit the herring, it reminds me of something tasting like a potato salad or coleslaw, due to the mayo. Try making one with a RW, it is an experience you will not forget. 

I agree with the onions and I believe they are shown in the picture, but carrots? I've never had them in this fur coat.

Also, guess who grates the potatoes and beets?

[MBS01]

Sometimes you can get it there similer to here (Canada) as well:
Breakfast = cornflakes (Nestle makes them in for the FSU), coffee, cheese, bread, sometimes pork loin can be cooked somewhat similer to "Canadain Bacon" and is taste too.

Lunch, perhaps cold cuts, bread and cheese, vegatables like cucumbers and the like.  Very rare to find lettice but sometimes it is now available.

Dinner, may include pork or beef roasted or fried etc.  also cold cuts, bread, cheese, salads etc.

However there are a number of large food stores available locally now as well as the typical open market so a lot of variety of food now.  Also with the large typical separately housed outdoor kitchen cooking and dining area away from the amin house as well as a well stocked storage pantry there is usually a wide selection of items to choose from.  The closest supermarket is now about a 5 minute walk away while "Billa" and others are a short drive away.  So shopping can be done when required for fresh produce, bread and cold cuts.  Almost as easy as here in the west, except the supermarkets are a little smaller still in the FSU, but even there they are getting larger too.

The bigger thing at home in Ukraine is the hours of eating.  Father-in-law and Brother-in-law rise early to take part in the morning service at their Sobor and the rest of us get up later and breakfast accordingly.  Then the first meal of the day takes place when they return home.  Another meal takes place in late afternoon before they return for the evening service at the Sobor.  Late in the evening the main dinner meal takes place once everyone is once again at home.  Meantime if Lora and I are out we too may visit McDonald's for a quick fix.  Thensometime Shaslik is ordered in from a local cafe for a special meal at home like when we arrive or depart from our visit there.

[fireeater]

I agree with the onions and I believe they are shown in the picture, but carrots? I've never had them in this fur coat.

I would say you could leave them out or add them. Some recipes do call for them, personal choice if you do or not. I just followed any instructions I was given, plus running around to two stores to obtain what she wanted. 

Also, guess who grates the potatoes and beets?

In my case I only got to peel them, the grunt work was my job. 

You may have been allowed, by now to actually grate.   

[MBS01]

Mendy:
Lora just walked by and remarked that there were no marinated onions on your furry herring dish.  To her they should be marinated for at least 1 day before added to what someone else called fish bait!  Seems some FSUW can see right through food photos here on the internet.