Thankfully, Russia has retained the culture of actually preparing and cooking food. This is quite the opposite from many Western homes where most used kitchen appliances are a can opener, microwave, and list of take-out phone numbers attached to the refrigerator door. Now this is not going to be a negative diatribe on Western culture, rather a peek into how families manage food in the Eastern half of the world.
Most Russian and Ukrainian cooks work hard at a job all day, shop on the way home and then prepare meals from start to finish. No wonder a “Russian table” is so tasty! The only can opener needed in many a Russian kitchen is for opening a can of olives for garnish.
The Journal staff has been watching YouTube videos which is becoming a favorite type of video education & entertainment and recently we came across several videos worth sharing with readers of the Mendeleyev Journal.
The first video features a unique twist, taking good ole “Mac and Cheese” to an entirely new level. We plan on trying this one soon–if nothing else it should be fun to make and as you know, presentation of a dish contributes to it’s appeal. This one adds ground beef, pork or turkey and even if you don’t speak a word of Russian, you’ll know exactly how to make this dish in the short 5 minutes and 3 seconds to view.
Next, we”ll show two different videos for Borsch. Without a doubt Borsch is the national soup of the Slavs and the staff of the Mendeleyev Journal takes great delight in testing various Borsch recipes. How many ways can you prepare a delicious beetroot soup? Lots!
This next lady reminds me of my mother-in-law. Her delightful vocal inflections, mannerisms, comfort level and confidence in the kitchen are very much like Mother Lyudmila. Even if you don’t understand Russian you’ll certainly understand every step of this Ukrainian styled Borsch.
Now, go to the kitchen and make something delicious, from scratch.
