Russian Food, Yum or Yuck

[Kunstkammer]

Didn't you test drive him by inviting to dinner at your house when he was in your city?

What's his problem? Does he say it's not spicy and salty enough for him?

When I was in Saint Petersburg, I found a nice cafe near the Hermitage with pirogi. Very yummy! Does you husband ignore them?

By "nice cafe" do you mean Stolle, a national chain, that is like a McDonald's for pies?

[Kunstkammer]

I'm so sick of pancakes right now, overkill this week... especially at work 


Russian food is so intermixed with every other kind of food I eat I don't ever think about it, and I don't understand how someone can call cutlets some unique to Russia food.  It is fried ground meat with spices. 

[OlgaH]

Russian food is so intermixed with every other kind of food I eat I don't ever think about it, and I don't understand how someone can call cutlets some unique to Russia food.  It is fried ground meat with spices.

The first cutlets came to Russia during the reign of Peter the First.

I don't fry cutlets. I cook them in the oven, such way is much healthier.

Here is a recipe http://www.funrussian.com/2011/08/05/russian-cutlets-or-kotleti-recipe/

[ECOCKS]

Yum mostly.

I didn't care for what they called salads or the borscht but loved varenikiy and potato dishes.

After we got away from the silly cutlets and began grilling and baking more it got a lot better. The amount of chicken and fish we ate went up significantly as well. We finally began serving real hamburgers with kitchen fries and I noticed my brothers-in-law began dropping by more on weekends at lunchtimes. The Gals were sticking with the salmon that we kept in the fridge.

Mayonnaise was never a problem, we barely used it.

In the US her staples have been salmon, tilapia and plates of fresh-cut vegetables with artisan whole-grain breads and fruit. She has been ecstatic at the rye, pumpernickel and other bread options in the US but was a bit shocked that most restaurant "black bread" was molasses or sorghum-sweetened. Similarly, the salmon here has spoiled her for the salmon back home. Stock the fridge and freezer with salmon boys, it's difficult to go wrong there.

With the restaurant running full-tilt we ate there all the time but occasionally picked up some frozen vareniks from the Russian food store.

Desserts were pretty good in Ukraine although I hated all the sugar that gets dumped in their Kyivskiy torte thing as well as a couple of their other desserts.. I'd buy some of the others for the relatives but they always were worried that I never wanted any, preferring napolean cake, medavik and smetanik instead.

Breakfast was my biggest source of frustration in both Ukraine and now Azerbaijan. Aside from no one being awake on weekend mornings to fix it, it's  just not their thing. Finally though my MIL got to where she would have fried eggs, kolbasa and hot, buttered toast ready on the table every morning. I did find one place near the Radisson that served an omelette with ham, cheese and cottage cheese that was pretty good and started many weekday mornings at Puzata Hata (Bessarabski) where they would fry eggs and serve warm toast if you stood there and gave directions.

My wife never understood pancakes and soft waffles until we got to the US, now she is committed to her weekend breakfast treats, particularly the IHOP whole-grain pancakes with just a bit of honey.

[Aloe]

Vincenzo, I congratulate you for your diet choices.


IIRC the Japanese (in Japan) have the lowest obesity rate in the developed world (an America among the highest rate).  Plus the Japanese diet (not Diet as that is another matter) is rich in fish oil, good for the heart.

Your photo shows how the Japanes eat with their eyes (small, well presented portions).  And the cuisine is not bland to me.  Not as tasty as other Asian cuisines, yet still satisfactory.   

WOW, you found that portion small? :O  On the photo is a normal euro portion, i'd say. Lots and lots of rice too