What is your favorite Russian/Ukrainian dish?

[Shadow]

I can not help to add Seliodka pa Chuboi here.... the Dutch and Russians love it...hehehehe

[LatinSwede]

Shadow,
I'll be in your country for a week before I get the Mrs.  I learned to enjoy is Indonesian food.  I found a couple good ones in Utrecht, and hope I can still find them.  It's also been a good while since I've had herrring (I like onions on mine), and big greasy heart clogging fries from the snack bars.  On my last evening as a single man, I'm going out with freinds to a nice Panakoeken Haus.  The next day, I'm leaving with a rediculously large amount of drop!

[Shadow]

If you can not find them in Utrecht be welcome to find some in The Hague where a lot of Indonesians found their home away from home. And careful feeding the drop to the Mrs.... mine used it to play tricks on her colleagues

Anyway if you need to fill the schedule PM me.

[prince_alfie]

Please to the Table is a wonderful Russian cookbook that includes recipes from all FSU countries.

[Manny]

My lady has rattled up some pretty mean steak goulash recently which is served sat on buckwheat - awesome! 

[Son of Clyde]

I have noticed from eating at Indian restaurants that the chicken is not cut the same way as we Americans are used to. The pieces are very small and you are not likely to find a chicken breast or leg that is like anything you have seen before. Probably like what was mentioned about the butchering of beef in Russia. If we lived in India or Russia it would be normal for us.

[Shadow]

The difference in butchering is because the way of cooking.
In my country, and presumably the US as well, we are used to buy ready meat, that we can put in a frying pan directly. In countries like Russia, Turkey and India people do a lot more processing with the meat while cooking, and will buy more big, uncut pieces. This in one of the things I found different.
I am a lazy cook who will put together pre-processed things to make a dish. My fiancee will start from the basics.
Can be a money saver by the way 

[BC]

My wife loves the butcher shops here.. old style where you ask for which part you want, the butcher scratches his chin and pulls out a whole side of beef, lamb, pork, whatever and whittles away.  If you want anything processed, ground, or cut in special ways he does it right then with the meat you choose.  Even hamburgers are ground and made into patties on the spot.

Most of the time she buys a huge chunk of meat and cuts it up at home in different ways for different dishes.

[prince_alfie]

Da, the art of butchering is important. I prefer fresh meat which is then processed on the spot. It helps because the iron in the meat won't oxidize as quickly if it is straight raw materials.

That extra pre-processing changes up the taste in fact. Iron oxidation of the meat will cause a slight reduction in the richness as I have noticed. That is unless you're having sloppy joes for dinner tonight. And try translating "Sloppy Joes" into Russian. Hmm...

[LatinSwede]

And careful feeding the drop to the Mrs.... mine used it to play tricks on her colleagues

Do you mean the kind of salty tasting drop like Boerderij?  Those are actually my favorite kind.  Usually other Americans (except my dad)  think it's horrible.  Everytime, I've returned from Holland I've brought my own personal stash, and an extra zakje to give people the 'taste test'.  If that's what you mean by your lady using it to play tricks, I think I know what you're on about.  I love this stuff! It gives me a false sense of superiority being one of the few non-Dutch that can handle it.  Maybe I'm being selfish, but I hope my fiance's nephew and niece finds my special Dutch candy revolting.  Then I don't have to share. 

The last time I was in Holland was July 2001.  On my last evening in the Netherlands, I had 100 guilders left (right before the Euro was in full effect).  I went to the local Albert Heim and spent all of it on Drop.  The woman at the cash register looked at me like I was insane.