Line a basket or pretty dish with a gingham napkin and fill with muffins-hot, tender, and a little sweet. Breakfast is a delicious meal and muffins are one of the best things about it.
Banana Oat Bran Muffins with Flax, Sesame Seeds
Turkey Soup with Mushrooms - Simple but Flavorful Recipe for Leftover Turkey
In our time the turkey is generally served on holidays, and I think this practice is very wise. The meat is lean, low in fat, high in protein, delicious in flavor, and terrible versatile. You are probably just as good as I am at thinking up ways to use leftovers, but I really do like this simple but flavorful solution to using turkey "again."
Russian Monday: Honey Poppy Seed Roll - Bread
From ancient time collection of honey and poppy in Russia began on the same day - August 14, the day of the First Savior, first day of the harvest season. This day was celebrated with honey cakes, pancakes with poppy and honey, buns and pirogues with poppy seeds. Special pancake dipping was made of finely grinded poppy seeds and honey. If poppy seeds were sprinkled around the house on that day, house would be protected from evil eye for the whole year. Girls used to weave poppy flowers into their hair in order to make hair strong and beautiful.
Almond Linzer Cookies with Cranberry Jam
Squares, stars, circles, hearts and diamonds, whatever the shape, these rich almond, crumbly cookies are a treat with coffee, tea or hot cocoa. My children love to help by sprinkling the tops with powdered sugar and then placing them on the jam-filled bottoms, pressing just hard enough to squish the jam up through the hole. Try to make these cookies with my homemade cranberry jam, perfect for any holiday!
Beet Soup with Sweet Potato & Meatballs
Thanksgiving is a wonderful Holiday full of family, friends, love, and lots and lots of delicious food! This year, I am planning to create these wonderful postcard invitations for the people I love. I would love to hear your opinion. Every comment is welcome!-)
Russian Monday: "Blintzes" with Cabbage - Stuffed Pancakes
A blin, blintchik or blintz is a type of thin pancake.
Pancakes are considered one of the most popular dishes in Russian cuisine. The story of their origin is shrouded in mystery. Some historians claim that yeast pancakes appeared in Russia at the very beginning of 11th century (years of 1005-1006). In according to one of the versions first pancake came out as a result of overheated oatmeal pudding, which turned flat and browned. According to another version by historian Prof. Pokhlebkin, pancakes have appeared much earlier, even before 9th century. Russian word for pancake, “blyn” seems to be corrupted version of “mlyn” - archaic word meaning “to grind” or “to mill” in Russian, as well as in number of other Slavic languages. Until Christening of Russia by King Vladimir in 988, pancakes were used as sacrificial bread during pagan rituals. Often those rituals were very cruel and violent when not only animals but sometimes people too were slaughtered as offering to the gods.
Roasted Butternut Squash Bisque with Almonds
Roasted Butternut Squash Bisque with Almonds is a fragrant, creamy and delicately flavored soup. I hope you will enjoy this soup as well as we are.
Oat Bran Pancake Cake with Mushroom Caviar
These oat bran pancakes are often served with caviar and sour cream in our house. Here is a vegetarian savory alternative that uses a selection of delicious mushrooms in place of fish roe. The pancakes can be made ahead of time and warmed in the oven before topping. Perfect for lunch with fresh salad.
Russian Monday: "Shuba" - Beet Salad with Herring or "Herring under a fur coat"
Authorship of this wonderful salad is attributed to Anastas Bogomilov - merchant, the owner of network of popular canteens and restaurants in Moscow at the beginning of 20th century. During late 1910’s Russia has been going through a lot of political and social turmoil eventually manifested in two revolutions of 1917. It has been very common for patrons of his restaurants adhering to opposing political views to get drunk and get into argument about fate of the country. Arguments eventually were growing into a fights accompanied by broken plates, glasses and even furniture. Clever businessman and patriot, Anastas came up with the idea of good hearty snack which could represent a notion of national unification.
“Herring under a fur coat” has been served for the first time on New Years Eve of 1919. The main ingredient of this dish was herring – favorite treat of the working poor, or “proletarians”. With addition of onions, potatoes and carrots, covered by layer of grated beets symbolizing red banner of the revolutionaries the salad was a sure hit. In order not to forget the enemies of the Soviets, the salad has been generously seasoned with Western invention – mayo. New dish has been a blast with Bogomilov’s restaurants patrons and in a very short time the fights her become significantly less frequent while number of patrons has increased and profits grew as a result.
Rolled Pumpkin Spice Cake with Cranberry Jam, Grand Marnier Syrup & Cream Cheese Filling
Inspiration for this cake came from American holiday traditions. All favorites (pumpkin, cranberries, cream cheese and liqueur) in one cake. It's a wonderful dessert for a holiday party and can be made a day ahead of time.
Sweet Recipe: Apple Tarte Tatin - Reliving the sweet taste of historical success
Prior to the opening of their Hotel Tatin in Lamotte-Beuvron, France in 1894, Stephanie and Caroline Tatin discovered a sweet treat that will soon lead to one of the most favorable desserts in history. It all started when Stephanie was creating an apple pie in 1880. Accidentally, she left the apples cooking in sugar and butter. What she did next changed the history. Stephanie put the pastry on top and baked it down facing, just to save the pie – and that’s how this sweet success story started.
Soon, Stephanie and Caroline opened their hotel that led to the dessert’s solid following. In this post, I want to relive the success of Tarte Tatin by providing you the steps in making one.
Apple Tarte is a great companion to strong Folgers, afternoon tea, or M&S Wine for dessert like their Pink Port NV or Rich Cream Sherry.
Russian Monday: Roasted Marrow Bones on Toast with Onion-Capers Salad
Every ethnic Russian has an opinion about this drink, but let’s not rush with naming vodka a “national drink”, since it has been introduced in Russia by foreigners. The only justification for the term “national” is the level of this drink consumption. Usually opinions about vodka differ drastically – some people like it and some can’t stand it. There is a view out there that vodka is a rough drink not suitable for ladies and it has to be drunk in one gulp after getting it freezing cold. Unfortunately, this view is quite wide-spread, but it is nevertheless completely wrong.
Tomato Soup with Meatballs, Carrots & Parmesan Cheese
What is the better way to persuade picky children or uneasy adults to eat a healthy portion of vegetables than to make a superb soup? Tomato soup is an old favorite, but it can be made special by an addition of fresh parsley and parmesan cheese. Sweet tender carrots find their moment of glory in this scrumptious dish. Deliciously smooth texture of the soup and rustic meatballs makes it very desirable.
