Приятного Аппетита!

Despite the fact that the two year mark on our Russian adventure fast approaches and I’ve been fairly active in exploring my environment, I certainly do not find myself anywhere near the end of a long list of things to do in Moscow.  In fact, I’m afraid that the coming two years won’t be enough time for me to partake in all of the cool stuff that this city has to offer.

One more item to cross off my bucket list is a Russian cooking class.  Taste of Russia  Cooking School (www.tasterussia.ru) offers, alongside its extensive regular program,  private, custom-designed classes for groups of 5 or more.  Myself and four friends decided to take the plunge and signed up for an evening of learning, laughing and eating.

Our pre-planned 3 course menu started with мхали (Georgian eggplant and spinach appetizers) followed by жаркое из говядины в горшочках по-русски (Russian-style roast beef in pots) and ending with вареники с творогом и вишней (two kinds of sweet, Ukrainian dumplings - cherry and cottage cheese). 

Since learning takes place most effectively by doing and not simply by watching, we chopped, diced, mixed, mashed, rolled, squished, pinched and pitted our way through the fresh ingredients before us to end up with an absolutely delicious three-course dinner.  We were 100% involved in the preparation, cooking and devouring of it all. 

We sous-chefs were very effective with the food prep:

мхали -appetizers, first course

garlic-studded, roasted auergines

peeled aubergines awaiting the next step

fresh herbs, spices, garlic and a touch of freshly-squeezed lemon juice make this dish fresh & tasty

same as the aubergine but with a blanched spinach base instead

жаркое из говядины в горшочках по-русски - main course

Chef Victoria adding ingredients to the beef pots

вареники с творогом и вишней -third course, dessert

pitting cherries

cottage cheese filling on pastry dough awaiting shaping

boiling dumplings

Chef Victoria prepares cooked dumplings for serving

À table!

 
We took home the recipes and as an added bonus, we were also given a gift of spices so that we could recreate at home the dishes we had cooked at the studio.  For now you’ll have to content yourselves with a feast for the eyes until you can come to my house (in Moscow or back in Canada) for a taste of CIS cuisine.  I even have a certificate and everything to prove that I can!

Приятного аппетита!