Vodka, pickles and cabbage pie!

Vinaigrette is very popular for instance. Radish salad, different salads with salted herrings, many pies with meat, cabbage or sweet fillings and blini (pan cakes) of course. Picked cucumbers, (# 1 on the list!) pickled mushrooms, picked tomatoes, pickled cabbage. One pickles basically everything in Russia :-)

And it may sound like a cliché, but Russians really like caviar. They would not eat it every day (it is quite expensive in Russia too) but you would see it at almost every big party. Both "black" and "red" caviar, as Russians call it. Have you ever tried it? For dessert Russians would usually have pancakes, pies with sweet fillings, berry kissel, ice-creams, jellies, apple pies. All of it is usually quite sugary and comes together with a lot of black tea.

When talking about Russia one can not avoid mentioning black tea. Seems like people in Russia just drink it all the time. Very strong dark black Indian tea. It is absolutely normal in Russia to drink it about 5 times a day! And with loads of sugar and sweets. If there is any explanation to it, it must be this: it is often really cold in Russia and some strong hot tea usually really warms you up. Just like vodka for example :-) which is sure enough number 1 at any Russian party! (Here is some more information about how to drink like a real Russian . It is a funny ritual, indeed!)

Besides, did you know that you can cook almost everything with vodka? Did you know that vodka does wonderful things to food - in marinades, it tenderises meat, it is great for de-glazing pans and adding flavor, while in cream sauces it lowers the boiling point and so helps to prevent curdling and all while delivering a unique, delectable taste. Find out more in The Vodka Cookbook.

And here are some traditional Russian recipes for you to try out:

Ingredients

2 ea average beets boiled

4 ea potatoes boiled

3 ea pickled cucumbers

2 ea carrots boiled

100 g green peas (optional)

vegetable oil

mayonnaise (optional)

salt to taste

Preparation:

Boil all vegetables. Let them cool down and then peel. Chop beets,potatoes, cucumbers, carrots, cucumbers. Add green peas, if you want.Season with vegetable oil or mayonnaise. Add salt to your taste.Served as an appetizer before main dish.

Recipe source: Olga Timohina

Ingredients

5 potatoes

3 carrots

4 eggs

1 pound boiled meat

1/2 pound green peas

2-3 dill pickles (you can use fresh cucumbers)

salt to your taste

1/2 pound mayonnaise

Preparation:

Boil potatoes and carrots, then cool them down and peel. Boil eggs and boil meat. Chop potatoes, carrots, eggs, meat dill pickles into 1/2 inches squares. Add green peas and salt. Trust your own taste, everything must be in proportion. Stir mayonnaise only for the part of salad you are going to eat. It will stay fresher without it. Mix the salad and refrigerate it for a while. If you want your salad a little tender, mix a part of mayonnaise with an equal part of sour cream. Bon appetit!

Recipe source: Olga Timohina

Shrimp & Garlic Ravioli with Vodka Sauce Ravioli stuffed with shrimp and garlic in a classic creamy vodka sauce made with tomatoes shallots and black and crushed red pepper served with a medley of zucchini carrots Italian beans lima beans cauliflower and red pepper.

Russian Meat Balls In Vodka

Ingredients

2 1/2 pounds hamburger,

2 eggs, slightly beaten,

2 cups cracker crumbs,

1/2 pounds ground lean pork,

1 cup milk,

1/2 teaspoon lemon rind,

1/4 teaspoon nutmet,

1 teaspoon salt,

1/4 teaspoon pepper,

Preparation:

Mix well and let stand for 1 hour, then form into small balls.

Brown in a skillet in drippings along with 3 cups thinly sliced onions for about 15 minutes. Remove from pan.

To the drippings, add 1 cup sour cream and thicken with 2 tablespoons flour and 1 can condensed beef bouillon; cook until blended, then add onions and meat balls.

Blend in 1/2 cup dry vermouth and 2 ounces vodka.

Meat and Cabbage Pie

Ingredients

Filling:

1 head of cabbage (small to medium)

1 onion (medium)

4 large eggs (hard boiled)

1 lb (or 500g) ground beef

Salt

Other spices

Crust:

2 9-inch round crusts (any brand will work);

If you want to make the crust yourself, here are the ingredients for the dough:

2 1/2 cups of flour

1 teaspoon of sugar (regular or powedered)

1 teaspoon of salt

1 cup of solid vegetable shorteninng OR 1/2 cup of vegetable shortening and 8 tablespoons of unsalted butter

OR 1 cup of unsalted butter

1/2 cup of ice cold water

Preparation:

Filling:

Finely cut the cabbage and onion; heat up a large skillet with 2 tablespoons of oil; when it is hot add chopped onion; satee the onion until golden brown; then add cabbage and cook on medium heat for 15-20 minutes or until golden in color and soft in consistency. Simulatenously, in a separate skillet satee the ground beef; cook it for 5-10 minutes or until the meat is of consistent brown color and there is no redness. Boil the eggs. When everything is ready, mix the cabbage, meat, and chopped eggs together; add salt and/or other spices. Your filling is ready!

Crust:

If you are making your own dough:

In a large bowl thoroughly mix together flour, salt, and sugar. Then add shortening (broken in large chunks) or butter (cut into small pieces). Begin chopping the fat/butter with a pastry blender or 2 knives. When you are done, the mixture should be of coarse consistency; dry and powdery. Then drizzle over the mixture 1/3 cup + 1 tablespoon of ice cold water. Begin mixing the dough with a spatula until the mixture looks evenly moistened and begins to form small balls. Press down on the dough with the flat side spatula. If the balls of dough stick together, you have added enough water; if the do not, drizzle the dough with 1 to 2 tablespoons of ice cold water. Continue to mix the dough first with the spatula, then with your hands until it coheres. The dough should look rough, not smooth. Divide the dough in half; press each half into a round flat disk, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before rolling. The dough can be frozen for up to 6 month in an airtight packaging (Thaw completely before rolling).

When your dough is ready to roll, roll out 2 9-inch (~22cm) rounds. Place one crust on the bottom of a 9-inch pie pan; press the dough over the bottom and into the corners of the pan. Transfer the filling into the pan; smoothen the top. Place the second crust on top and seal the sides. The dough should not hang over the sides of the pan too much, otherwise it will char; you can either cut the excess dough with a knife, or fold it inside the pan. Before baking, cut 4 ventilation holes on the top crust of your pie. Bake in an oven pre-heated to 350F (175C) for 20-30 minutes or untill golden. When done, let the pie sit out for 15-20 minutes. Serve warm. Great with milk. Enjoy!