What's your favorite Russian Food?

[irish44 0]

I thought that the Seafood I had there was fantastic.

However, one might want to be careful about the "Atlantic Net-Caught Herring" that comes in cans.

I know in the US there is an occasional thumb or molar found inside frozen Burrito's, but seeing this picture made me swallow hard a couple of times.

I will offer a free trip for two to Las Vegas to anyone who can identify the type of Herring seen in this can. And yes, to qualify for the trip you must also participate in a 5 hour timeshare presentation.

[Scott and Iryna 2]

I absolutely love the borscht!

I prefer it without the Sour Creme though...

[mox 298]

Man that's some tasty lookin' fish.

I gotta go with pelmeni though. Takes forever to make but it's a quick and tasty meal once it's done and you just have to pop some out of the freezer.

[shikarnov 7]

Ira's Mom makes a fantastic potato and chicken meal. Basically it's just sliced potatoes and chicken pieces with onions and spices, drenched in mayonnaise. 30 minutes in the oven.

Palmeni is great too, depending on the brand you get, and the sauce you make

Z

[mox 298]

Ira's Mom makes a fantastic potato and chicken meal. Basically it's just sliced potatoes and chicken pieces with onions and spices, drenched in mayonnaise. 30 minutes in the oven.

That sounds pretty good actually.

Palmeni is great too, depending on the brand you get, and the sauce you make

I don't live near any Russian stores, so I don't know about any brands. I make my own. I use about 2/3 beef, 1/3 pork and some garlic salt. For sauce, I just use sour cream. Takes about 4 hours but the resulting batch makes a bunch of future meals.

[Kazan' Tiger 1]

Three things: for quick and easy, the standard pelmeni, my future mother-in-laws fried fish (cannot remember the variety right now), and Alla's fried potatoes.

Oh, yes, and anytime: Alla's blinis!

Edited March 15, 2008 by Kazan' Tiger

[Jason-Sasha 1]

Man that's some tasty lookin' fish.

I gotta go with pelmeni though. Takes forever to make but it's a quick and tasty meal once it's done and you just have to pop some out of the freezer.

I actually cant stand this stuff. Well, that's a bit too harsh maybe. I just dont fancy poor grade meats in watery pasta balls. They have to be the blandest food I've had in Russia. They do not make this stuff because its sooo tasty. No. they make it because its very cheap and will sustain life. Nothing more. Its like frozen raviolis without any nice sauces.

I love most Russian soups. Even the quick stuff. Sasha lives and works in Moscow (well, for one more week, anyway ) and she doesnt have much time for cooking. She's quite metropolitan and eats out when she can. Fortunately her taste for food ventures outside the borders of Russia. We both love all types of Asian food and fresh seafood.

I really enjoy almost all other Russian food, but this pelmeni, they can keep. I like this about as much as a nice slab of cold, hairy pork fat. Mmmm. I'm sure some of you have had this too. I'm not really impressed with Russian seafood. I live on the Chesapeake Bay and am a bit spoiled perhaps.

I like to cook with plenty of fresh herbs and spices and this seems to be nonexistant in Russia. As is good sauces. Though they never have a shortage of ketchups and mayos in jars. Yum.

[shikarnov 7]

I don't live near any Russian stores, so I don't know about any brands. I make my own. I use about 2/3 beef, 1/3 pork and some garlic salt. For sauce, I just use sour cream. Takes about 4 hours but the resulting batch makes a bunch of future meals.

Stateside I don't know any brands either. But in Ivanovo there were, literally, dozens to choose from. Boil for 10 minutes, and done. Then lightly fry with some garlic, onions, and peas for 5 minutes and you're set. Ira likes to eat them with a spiced tomato and mayonnaise sauce -- or when that's not available, a ketchup and mayonnaise mixture.

Sour cream is an interesting sauce choice. I'll have to try it sometime.

Do you think you can PM me with your specific recipe? I do adore palmeni, but can't find any here in the states. And neither Ira, nor her mom, know how to make it from scratch.

Thanks!

Z

[slim 1,514]

Sour cream is an interesting sauce choice. I'll have to try it sometime.

Do you think you can PM me with your specific recipe? I do adore palmeni, but can't find any here in the states. And neither Ira, nor her mom, know how to make it from scratch.

I find it amazing that you've been living in Russia for a while and never used sour cream as a sauce on pilmeni.

I find it SUPER amazing that neither Ira, nor her mom, know how to make pilmeni from scratch.

Are you sure you're not a VJ troll? You're not just posting this to get us worked up, are you?

(Actually, I can believe it since there are many kinds of pilmeni readily available in Russian supermarkets. So, maybe they just never made it themselves, only using the store-bought stuff.)

[shikarnov 7]

I find it amazing that you've been living in Russia for a while and never used sour cream as a sauce on pilmeni.

I find it SUPER amazing that neither Ira, nor her mom, know how to make pilmeni from scratch.

Are you sure you're not a VJ troll? You're not just posting this to get us worked up, are you?

(Actually, I can believe it since there are many kinds of pilmeni readily available in Russian supermarkets. So, maybe they just never made it themselves, only using the store-bought stuff.)

Honest to goodness! Palmeni, to me, comes in a frozen box, or bag, and goes straight into boiling water, or into hot oil. I haven't seen sour cream once (and I wanted to introduce French Onion Dip to Ira one day and I combed two of the largest grocery stores there) during my time in Ivanovo.

Hehe. And if I got you all worked up, I apologize. Now go find your wife to help work off the extra energy

Z

[visaveteran1 33]

I like many Russian foods but I have to watch the high fat foods. I had a heart scare last year that turned out OK but now I must diet. Russia is no place to be to watch the fat count.

One issue my wife and i will have to address when she comes to the USA is eating low fat foods. I'm not sure it's actually possible for Russians to understand the concept of low fat low calorie cooking. I'd say most of their food is high fat high calorie...and very tasty as a result.

We'll have to ease in to a new eating lifestyle but I think it will be difficult for both of us.

PS: I love the soups and they do a lot with potatoes in soups. Russian yogurt is very good. And there's always champagne and caviar (red)

[Bobalouie 0]

I like pretty much every type of Russian Salad that I have tried. I eat things in Russian salads that I would never eat at home. I had a beet salad when I was in St. Pete and I loved it. I would not touch a beet with a 10 meter cattle prod at home.

[mox 298]

Sour cream is an interesting sauce choice. I'll have to try it sometime.

Do you think you can PM me with your specific recipe? I do adore palmeni, but can't find any here in the states. And neither Ira, nor her mom, know how to make it from scratch.

Wow, I thought knowing how to make pelmeni was a right of passage or something. Bizarre! Here's my pelmeni recipe:

For the dough:

1.5 cups flour

2 eggs

1/2 cup water

1/2 tsp salt

Mix all the ingredients and then let it sit. If you're not used to making dough (and I'm not) then you'll notice it's a sticky, gooey mess. Use plenty of extra flour to coat your rolling surface and pin.

While you're waiting for the dough to set, make the filling:

1 pound of meat. I prefer a mixture of 2/3 beef, 1/3 pork. The pork gives it a really nice flavor.

Salt and pepper to taste

Minced garlic to taste (at least a tbsp, more if you really like garlic)

1 or 2 small onions, diced super fine

Mix the filling ingredients together. Now roll out your dough as thin as you can make it without it tearing. Using 2-inch diameter cookie cutter or a metal shot glass (mine is 2" exactly in diameter), cut out a bunch of circles from your dough. Drop some filling into the middle (not too much or the dough will tear, but not too little or it'll taste too doughy) and then fold the dough in half and pinch the edges closed. Then join the two corners and pinch them together. You'll end up with a little flying saucer shaped pel. Now make about a thousand more of those.

I find it easiest to sit them on wax paper, and put them in the freezer. Once they've hardened you can move them to a bag or tupperware or whatever.

When you're ready to eat them, drop them into lightly salted boiling water for about 7-10 minutes. Drain, put in a bowl, and top with salt, pepper, and sour cream. You can also boil them in a chicken broth and eat like a dumpling soup.

[mnieto 2]

I thought that the Seafood I had there was fantastic.

However, one might want to be careful about the "Atlantic Net-Caught Herring" that comes in cans.

I know in the US there is an occasional thumb or molar found inside frozen Burrito's, but seeing this picture made me swallow hard a couple of times.

I will offer a free trip for two to Las Vegas to anyone who can identify the type of Herring seen in this can. And yes, to qualify for the trip you must also participate in a 5 hour timeshare presentation.

:o

[slim 1,514]

Mox, you should have a cooking show.... "cooking with mox" or "mox-imize your diet!" You know, something to that effect.