Russian Monday: "Kissel" - Fruit Drink, Dessert

Hello everyone! Today we are learning how to make kissel.

Word “kissel” (pronounced in Russian as “kee-sel”) originates from Russian verb “kvasit”, which means “make sour”. Kissel has been integral part of traditional Russian cuisine for a long time. Before 19th century kissels were usually grain-based and thick. Popular oatmeal kissel while cooled off has been so thick that it could be cut with knife! Such thick kissels were usually served with hemp or sunflower oil.

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.

Apricot Blackberry Shortbread Tart & Basil Cream

I wanted to bake this tart for quite some time. It has a special crust and the recipe is by pastry genius Pierre Herme. Ingredients include hardboiled egg yolk, so the crust comes out very tender and simply extraordinary. I have been waiting for the first apricots of the year and now they are finally in season. I have gotten ten of them - just enough for the tart. They have been sitting in a brown paper bag in order to get some more color and ripeness, but before starting to bake I put them out on counter top to get some extra inspiration.

Gluten-Free Seeded Honey Bread

This gluten-free bread is full of earthy flours and healthy seeds. Hearty yet surprisingly light, it make delicious toast for breakfast or croutons for soups and salads.