Food and Crafts for All Occasions

Pirozhki

The other day, I decided to treat Ilya and myself to homemade borsch and pirozhki. Interlaced with a couple of shots of ice cold vodka, of course. (Sort of Russian MSG - makes everything tastier and give you a headache if you overdo it).

This whole combination has a great warming up quality and so is best served when it’s chilly outside. Judging by the weather forecasts, this could've been the last borsch and pirozhki this season. Till October, perhaps. Though, occasionally, June in Seattle feels more like "Junuary," as my neighbor Jean calls it, and then this hearty meal can be quite useful.  

Amazing Chicken and Broccoli Patties

Despite not so glamorous appearance, these patties have one significant merit: they are very delicious. Anyone who tried them thought they were amazing. There is something very pleasing in the combination of tender chicken meat with a bitter- sweet broccoli, sharp garlic and earthy fenugreek - all chopped, mixed together and fried like pancakes. Which means quite easy to make since you skip the whole "forming the patties" step.

Hearty Kale and Bean Soup with Italian Sausage

This simple soup turned out a great hit at our recent Society lunch. I've never heard so many ravings about a soup before, and being a devoted soup lover myself I'm happy to share the recipe.

To my taste, kale and beans are a perfect match. Red kale and fava beans in puff pastry turnovers. Sautéed green kale and garbanzo beans as a side for grilled sardines. This time it is green kale and cannellini beans in a soup with mildly spicy Italian sausage.

Golubtsy or Meat and Rice Stuffed Cabbage rolls

Golubtsy (gah-loob-tsEE) are stuffed cabbage leaves. Large, flat and tender cabbage leaves make a perfect natural wrap. In Russian, they are usually stuffed with ground meat/poultry/fish and grains like rice or millet and then braised in a sauce.  

I’ll give you my favorite recipe of meat and rice golubtsy, cooked in tomato and cream sauce with onions and carrots. This is one of my favorite winter time comfort foods. A bit time and effort consuming – no lying here! – but so tremendously delicious!

Do Chua, Vietnamese Sweet Pickled Daikon and Carrots

To continue the tasty theme of Asian style pickles, here’s another great recipe for you. Do chua is Vietnamese daikon and carrot pickles that are served alongside a variety of dishes, in salads and in famous Banh Mi sandwiches.

Kvashenaya Kapusta, Russian Sauerkraut

Every year somewhere in the mid fall, Ilya and I make a batch of Russian style sauerkraut. It is called Kvashenaya Kapusta and tastes significantly less tart than regular sauerkraut. It is made only of shredded white cabbage, salt and carrots that are tossed together and then the nature does the rest with the lactic acid fermentation. You can eat it as it is, only lightly drizzled with unrefined sunflower oil, or use it for soups, salads, stews, and fillings for dumplings and pies.

Brussels Sprout Chips

Here's a recipe for those who love crispy brown Brussels sprout leaves (wink-wink!).

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

As I've already said here, we’re big fans of bitter greens. And then I thought about one more delightfully bitter treat – Brussels sprouts.