Pavlova Recipe

February 11, 2012

I had my facts all wrong about Pavlova; it’s not Russian, but named after a Russian ballerina, Anna Pavlova. According to Wikipedia, there’s a great debate about who made it first; Australia or New Zealand, but lets just focus on the fact that there is Russian inspiration here!! The Pavlova is graceful, beautiful, and romantic; a perfect dessert for your valentine or dinner guests! It’s crisp on the outside with marshmallowy goodness on the inside, piled high with fluffy cream and loads of fresh fruit. [click to continue…]

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Farmer’s Cheese Tvorog Recipe (домашний сыр)

February 7, 2012

This is my mom’s method of making farmer’s cheese. Grandma made this cheese in Ukraine. It takes a few days, but the steps are easy and the results are wonderful. Not to mention you will feel like a ninja after you’ve made your own cheese. You end up with a good amount of farmers cheese and whey. Use the cheese to make syrniki (coming soon) or cheese crepes (nalesniki). Keep the whey (yellowish juice) to make bread. Substitute water for whey and your bread will always taste better and it will be healthier since whey contains protein that is easy to digest. Are you a cheese ninja? How do you make your farmer’s cheese? [click to continue…]

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Tartar Sauce Recipe

February 4, 2012

I was frustrated with store-bought tartar sauce; one disappointing can after another. Solution: homemade tarter sauce. Making your own is really easy. It’s fresh and amazing for fish sticks or breaded fish fillets. See those fish sticks there; yeah; those are from Costco. Maybe one day, I’ll make my own fish sticks, but for now; these are really good (the Trident brand). Sometimes I find that I eat more tartar sauce than fish stick (sounds gross, but this sauce is THAT GOOD!). This recipe stays fresh in the fridge for a few days. [click to continue…]

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Carrot and Cheese Spread

January 31, 2012

Tea sandwiches are perfect for any occasion and people can’t seem to stay away from them. The inspiration for the carrot and cheese spread comes from something we tried at a Russian restaurant. I wanted to make my own version and I must say it turned out great. The canapes are especially amazing when broiled just until the cheese melts; lots of gooey cheese in this recipe! [click to continue…]

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Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe

January 28, 2012

My son loves to chase me around the house growling “cookie monster!” He’s so fearsome! It’s the cutest thing in the world. Surprisingly he doesn’t eat cake or cookies (nope, not even Kiev cake or cheesecake!), but he ate one of these. That says something. I’ve had several requests for this recipe. It was actually sent to me by one of my readers (you know who you are and Thank You!). After all, what is a food blog without a good chocolate chip cookie recipe? These stay soft. Mmmm Cookie!!! [click to continue…]

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Russian Bakery & Cafe + Local Giveaway + WINNER!

January 26, 2012

The Royal Bakery & Cafe is just two years young and we’ve recently discovered it. We were impressed. I guess I’ve never been to a classy Russian restaurant or cafe before.  The food is authentic and the owner, Galina, can sure cook! Her cakes and pastries are quite popular (get ready to drool!). Galina was kind enough to allow us to photograph her shop top to bottom and even sponsored a generous giveaway. Thank you Galina for your hospitality and for bringing your cafe to Idaho. I love it when Idaho becomes more culturally diverse! [click to continue…]

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New Subscription Service ;-)

January 25, 2012

P.S. We now have a (reliable) subscription service. Our old one failed. Turns out I was the only one receiving email updates. Unfortunately, I can’t just transfer all my subscribers over, so if you were one of the 500 wonderful people who received updates in the past, please plug in your email here, or to the right (just below my picture).

You can also subscribe to an RSS feed. Truth be told, I’m not sure what an RSS feed really is. But I saw them utha blogs doin it, so I dun it too.

-Natasha

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Strawberry Party Punch

January 23, 2012

This punch is easy peasy. It requires very little effort. All you do is stir! I can’t really call it a recipe; more like a great idea. The punch may lose a little fizzle but will taste great for the life of your party. Make this for your next event and your punch bowl will stay busy. [click to continue…]

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Marinated Mushrooms Recipe

January 18, 2012

It felt like that scene in ratatouille when the food critic took a bite and remembered his childhood, except I was remembering all the Russian weddings I’ve been to. Russian wedding food typically includes marinated mushrooms. These were just right; my Mama-in-laws recipe. My Dad was especially fond of them. He wasn’t very happy when he found out I took home the leftovers, but I assured him I’d whip up another batch. If you are making marinated mushrooms for a party, double everything. Two pounds of mushrooms may seem like a lot raw, but remember they shrink. [click to continue…]

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Alla’s Chicken and Veggie Marinade

January 13, 2012

Throw these skewers on the grill and you will see your neighbors noses peeking over the fence. They smell and taste phenomenal! My cousin Alla shared this shish kabob recipe with me. Apparently it’s quite popular in Washington state. Alla, I’m so glad you introduced me to this healthy and delicious marinade. The first time I made these skewers I thought they were pretty good except I forgot the salt! Salt is a wonderful and necessary thing you know. Ofcourse, I knew I had to make them again. And now, I will make them again,… and again, and again! [click to continue…]

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