Pan-fried Lemon Bluefish with Caper-Tomato Salsa & Thyme - a simple, yet colorful presented recipe with enough acidity of lemon juice and white wine, to cut the richness and enhance the flavor of the bluefish.
Pan-fried Lemon Bluefish with Caper-Tomato Salsa
Friday Night Feast: Hot & Juicy Crawfish with Beer
Whether you refer to them as crawfish, crayfish or craw-daddies, these 3 to 5 inch crustaceans, the small fresh water version of a lobster, make a perfect picnic dinner with friends when paired with cold beer. For dark beer lovers I suggest Samuel Smith Imperial Stout - strong in taste, may be a little overwhelming for crawfish, but still good. For girls who like something nice and soft - Italian Ale is a perfect match. Contessa Italian Pale Ale is my favorite, it is bit fruity and very smooth.
Green Curry, Coconut, Garlic & Ginger Clams
This recipe is one of my favorite spicy seafood dishes - there's nothing better than eating this with your family for a relaxing night at home. Serve with chilled white wine. I personally like it with good riesling like Zind Humbrecht or Richter Veldenzer Elisenberg. Enjoy!
Russian Monday: Sour Cherry Vareniky
This recipe comes to me from childhood. My family lived in St. Petersburg which used to be called “Leningrad” at the time and every summer I used to visit my grandma’s in the village far out of town. She had log house with nice garden and lots of fruit trees. One among them was a cherry tree bearing a lot of small sour cherries. What’s interesting about my grandma’s house is that kitchen was completely separate in the small log cabin in the middle of the fruit garden. I vividly remember my grandma making berry and apricot jams, pressing apple juice and molding her cherry “vareniky” (pronounced as “va-re-ne-key”, i.e. dumplings). She has never been taking cherrystones out so dumplings were usually large and plump. I remember myself sitting on the kitchen windowsill and watching my grandma’s fast hands working the dough. I loved to spit those cherrystones out and never had a chance for it when my mom used to make vareniky with cottage cheese because cherries were not always easy to get in the city.
Radish Salad with Greens From Our Garden
This is the first year when I can proudly say I am a gardener. Everything you see on this plate comes from my backyard veggie garden. Sweet peas and beautiful radish are fully ripened. Carrots are still very small but there are plenty of herbs. There is no real recipe for this salad. It is just whatever you desire to put on a plate, sprinkle it with lemon juice, add oil and a pinch of salt. My lunch today was very simple and healthy at the same time. Today I did not feel like cooking anything complicated, it was “take it easy” day. I wish you to have an adventurous weekend - spend more time outside, go to a park, bike, garden. The summer is here and weather is beautiful!
Mulberry & Strawberry Galette
Summer is the perfect time to enjoy berry tarts and galettes, when berries are flooding the farmers' markets. If you can't find the mulberries, use what you have for this recipe. Let the berries you find in the market or in your garden determine what you will bake tonight.
Russian Monday: Sharlotka - Apple Cake
Dear readers, today in “Russian Monday” I would like to introduce popular dessert dish named “Charlotte”, or in Russian pronunciation “Sharlotka” – apple cake. The recipe is very simple and cake can be served either warm or cold. I must warn you in advance – it is very hard to limit yourself to only one piece, you may not notice how fast the whole cake might be gone.
BBQ Roast Chicken with Carrot Puree
Creamed carrot puree is scarcely an inspired choice for any meal, and the eternal combination of carrots and peas is, to my taste, better forgotten. Serve puree with butter or with herb butter. Parsley, chives, chervil, and oregano will enhance the flavor.
Orange Panna Cotta - Light & Delicate Dessert
Orange panna cotta is simple and refreshing dessert, light and delicate. It has an exquisite flavor and the color is beautiful.
Russian Monday: Vinegrette - Vegetable Salad
Vinegrette (pronounced as “vee-ne-gret”, from French “vinaigrette”) is widely popular in Europe as well as in tsars time Russia salad dressing made of vinegar, olive oil and mustard. The name originates from diminutive form of word vinegar (or in French “vinaigre”).
Chicken Dumplings
These dumplings, when shallow-fried, make a good first course to a multi course meal. The can also be steamed and served as a snack or poached in large quantities for a complete meal.
Barbecue Turkey Burger with Lettuce, Tomato & Mustard Coleslaw
This is an ultimate burger with "the works", all in one plate. You have to spoil yourself occasionally-))
Yogurt Strawberry Cake - The Perfect Dessert
No-Bake Yogurt Strawberry Cake is a light and refreshing dessert for a summer's day. The simple, fresh taste of berries combines with creamy yogurt, and the color contrast looks wonderful, too. Blueberries or raspberries make equally delicious alternatives to strawberries.
Russian Monday: "Kulebyaka" - Authentic Russian Pie with Salmon, Rice, Mushrooms, Onions and Dill
Today in our Russian section we present “Kulebyaka”. This traditional pie is an ideal dish for special occasions and it makes a perfect brunch. My daughter helped me to make it – we’ve been preparing dough, making crêpes used in stuffing and decorated the pie together. As we were cooking, I have shared with her the story of this dish and how it should be served. I hope you are interested too, so here it is.
Mushrooms with Garlic & Parsley - Spicy & Succulent Appetizer
Here is a good and simple mushroom dish to keep in mind when planning company meals. Mushrooms are particularly attractive set around the roast chicken as a garnish. The mushrooms can be prepared ahead of time and serve at room temperature.
