
My kids love waffles - making them in a cast iron waffle-maker on the stove is very unique experience. Waffles come out very crispy outside and nice and soft inside with the earthy aroma of home ground flour.
Buckwheat Waffles Sweet and Savory
Labels: Breakfast, Buckwheat flour, cast iron, grain mill, Healthy, Pleasant Hill Grain, Recipes, Savory, Sweet, waffles
4 Exciting Ways to Use Coffee in Recipe

Think coffee is just a beverage? If so, you are missing out on the wide array of unique dishes you can create using coffee. From breakfast all the way to dessert, this much-loved drink can add extraordinary flavor to many of your favorite foods. Coffee is also highly versatile, making it an exceptional pairing with a range of other flavors.
If you’ve been looking to add a bit of excitement to mealtime, check out several of the unique ways you can use coffee in recipes.
Orange Apricot Biscotti with Pistachios & Hazelnuts - Perfect Cookies for the Mothers Day
My new Still live with flowers and butterflies - prints are available for sale!
When you are a mother, you are never really alone in your thoughts. A mother always has to think twice, once for herself and once for her child.
— SOPHIA LOREN
Happy Mothers Day!!!

Great to have these tasty crispy cookies on hand when guests stop by during the Mothers day, these biscotti also make lovely gifts. You can substitute dried apricots for the cherries, if you like.
Labels: Biscotti, Cookies, Dessert, Dried Apricots, Hazelnut, Mothers Day, Pistachio nuts, Recipes, Sweet
Russian Monday: Cheese & Garlic Salad

Although, today is not a Monday but I feel this post is very appropriate for Easter. It was my husband’s idea to make a post about this salad. He loves it and remembers eating it back home on every holiday. The dish is very simple, but I am sure you will love the taste. Pick your favorite cheese or combination of cheeses. Amount of garlic is totally up to you, our family loves a lot of it-)) Also you can serve it on top of cherry or plum tomatoes, and fresh spring herbs would be a wonderful addition.
Labels: Appetizer, Cheese, Easter, Garlic, Recipes, Russian cuisine, Russian Monday, Salad, Spring
Roasted Spiral Root Vegetable Salad with Citrus Dressing

Earthy beets, rutabagas and slightly sweet carrots are a winning combination, especially when they are tossed with a citrus dressing with the bright flavors of orange and lemon juice. This salad is also tasty if a green apple spirals are tossed with the roasted vegetables.
Labels: Dressing, Garlic, Healthy, Lemon, Orange, Oxo, Recipes, Root Vegetable Salad, Sesame seeds, spiral, Vegetables
Irish Barm Brack Bread with Dried Apricots Perfect for St.Patrick's Day

Barm Brack is a yeast bread with added raisins (I added dried apricots) - it is sweeter that standard bread but not as rich as cake. Although, it is traditionally eaten around Halloween, when charms are baked into the dough as part of an ancient fortune-telling ritual, I think it is perfect for those who celebrate St.Patrick’s day.
Labels: Barmbrack Bread, Bread, Breakfast, celebration, Dessert, Dried Apricots, Irish, Party, Recipes, St.Patrick's Day
Whisky Marinated Flank Steak Broiled with Mushrooms & Onions

If you celebrate St. Patrick’s day here is a recipe you will not regret to cook. Tasty and absolutely stress free dish. Very few ingredients are needed and only few minutes takes to prepare it. Please enjoy our second video. I am looking forward to your comments.
Labels: Dinner, Flank Steak, magazine, Marinade, Meals, Mushrooms, Onion, Party, publications, Recipes, St. Patrick's Day, video, Whisky
Russian Monday: "Blini" - Vanilla Crepes with Berries

“Maslenitsa” is a Russian carnival week originating from pre-Christian times. It was celebrated around spring solstice and was dedicated to the boy-Sun named Xors becoming a man-Sun named Yarilo. The main dish of the holiday week are pancakes (or “blini” in Russian) in all their varieties. Their round shape symbolizes the Sun.
Labels: Berries, Breakfast, Crepes, Dessert, Fruit, magazine, Maslenitsa, Photography, publications, Recipes, Russian cuisine, Russian Monday, Still Life, Vanilla extract
Victoria Sandwich - Get ready for Downton Abbey's final episode this Sunday!

America's love affair with the show about the lives and loves of family and servants in an aristocratic home across the pond is coming to an end as the series Downtown Abbey wraps it's sixth and final season.
Labels: After-dinner dessert, Dessert, Downton Abbey, Jam, Raspberry, Recipes, Sweet, Victoria Sandwich, whipped cream
Russian Monday: "Kurnik" - Chicken Pie with Mushrooms, Kasha, Eggs & Homemade Chicken Broth
This is not your everyday meal, but rather a very special occasion one. If you have invited dearest friends for dinner or perhaps you’d like to spoil your family with a great dish, this is what you need to cook! It is complicated and time consuming, but it is worth every minute of your time.
Labels: Celery, Chicken broth, Crêpes, Dinner, Fennel, Healthy, Kurnik, Main dish, Mushrooms, Onion, Pie, Recipes, Russian cuisine, Russian Monday, Turnips, Vegetables
Baked Brie with Wild Mushrooms, Garlic & Fresh Parsley - Video Post
Today I have a video recipe for you. This is my first attempt, hence please treat it kindly-)) I would love to hear your thoughts, impressions and what other recipes you would like to see on video. Thank you for visiting Cooking Melangery!
Labels: Appetizer, Brie, Cheese, Egg, fresh parsley, Garlic, Mushrooms, Puff pastry, Recipes, video
Flourless Honey-Orange Chocolate Muffins - Perfect Breakfast for your Valentine

How could you go wrong with muffins that marry the best flavors: orange, honey and chocolate? These are divine with a delicate cup of Café au lait and freshly whipped cream cheese.
Labels: Almond, Breakfast, Chocolate, Dessert, Eggs, Flour less, Honey, Muffins, Recipes, Valentine's Day
Lemon & Poppy Seeds Meringue Cake

The flavors of lemon and poppy seeds complement each other beautifully in this cake. I used the Meyer lemons for this recipe, but if they are not available, ordinary lemons will do just as well.
Labels: After-dinner dessert, Cake, Dessert, Lemon, lemon curd, Meringue, Poppy seeds, Purple, Recipes, Sweet, Vanilla
Russian Monday: Yellow Split Pea Soup with Smoked Ham Shank - "Gorochovy Soup"

I recall this soup from my childhood, my school and even kindergarten years. Pea soup is very rich, fragrant and delicious. It is also very good in cold weather. The cooking of it is quite simple and fast. 20-25 years ago you could get peas at any store in Russia in few varieties – yellow, green, whole or halves. The halves were especially popular for some reason, they were cheap and in demand.
Pea soup in Germany is practically a national dish and usually is served with smoked pork. Similarly, in Netherlands pea soup is cooked from crushed green peas with pork. Russian version of this soup is cooked with potatoes and served with crackers or toast.
This recipe is my grandma’s – she used to make pea soup with smoked ribs and served it with garlic croutons made in the oven. Fantastically delicious!
Labels: ham, homemade croutons, Onion, Parsley, Potatoes, Recipes, Russian cuisine, Russian Monday, Smoked meat, Soup, Split peas, Winter
Oyster-Corn Chowder & Garlic-Rosemary Biscuits

Nowadays, we think of oysters as a luxury food, but a few centuries ago they where in such bountiful and accessible supply that people actually complained of having to eat too many. Too many oysters - can you imagine?
"Peach" Cookies with Dulce de Leche-Butter Cream

You probably know these cookies or have seen them all over Pinterest, in fact I have few different recipes of them in my folders. They have attracted my attention quite some time ago and I’ve been thinking of one day making an effort to bake my masterpiece. Now I am glad I did. So, the holidays may be over, but this seriously impressive dessert is giving me a reason to bake and celebrate winter. I was very surprised by the ease of the process and deliciousness of the end result. My daughter has helped me a great deal and we had a lot of fun baking. These “peach” cookies are beautiful, and Cooking Melangery is all about beautiful food. Lets start new year with creatively delicious treat!
Labels: Butter, Caramel, Cocoa powder, Cookies, Cream, Dessert, dulce de leche (milk caramel), Grand Marnier liqueur, Peach, Recipes, Sugar, Sweet
Russian Monday: Top 8 Russian Appetizers for New Year's Eve Celebration

New Year in Russia is considered to be a family holiday, but many choose to have their New Year’s party in clubs or restaurants, or while being away on exotic beach vacations, or in the country setting with the company of friends. However, most often, it is still celebrated at home at the festive table.
Labels: Appetizer, Holiday, New Year's Eve, Photography, Recipes, Russian cuisine, Russian Monday, Still Life, Zakuska
Luxury Chocolate Fruit Cake with Rum - Best wishes for a Happy Holiday Season!

ChristmasEve may be the most enchanted evening of all. So much legend, myth, and mystery, both religious and secular, are part of the night of December 24. And for those who celebrate Christmas, there are more personal and family traditions attached to this night than to any other night of the year.
Roast Leg of Lamb with Rosemary Marinade & Roasted Vegetables
Lamb leg is considered the choicest cut for roasting, although a boned shoulder or a rack of lamb is also delicious. Legs are usually sold range in weight from 5 to 10 pounds. You may have the leg prepared couple different ways for your cooking. A French way - leg has the shank bone left in and trimmed. An American way - the shank bone is removed, and the meat turned under and either tied or secured with a skewer. If you have trouble carving a leg of lamb, have the shank bone left in, the other bones removed, and the roast rolled and tied. This gives you even slices and presents no trouble at table to the carver.
Russian Monday: Roasted Lemony Duck with Buttery Quince - “Utka & Aiva”

Many people, when they think of duck, think only of roast duck. In reality there are so many interesting ways to prepare duck that, with the real connoisseurs, roast duck often takes a a back seat. For instance, steamed or boiled duck may be attractively combined with vegetables in Chinese-style recipes. Or duck may be braised and served with any one of a number of delicious sauces. But, personally I always come back to roasting the duck, with different herbs, spices, fruits and grains. Here is a recipe I created for upcoming holidays - roasted duck, with ginger and sweet honey, stuffed with lemons. I served it with fried pan buttery quince and few fermented and pickled vegetables. If you looking to cook something different for Christmas I hope you will try my recipe for simple roasted duck.
Labels: Butter, Christmas, Dinner, Duck, food photography, Holiday, Honey, Lemon, Quince, Recipes, Roasted, Russian cuisine, Russian Monday
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