Russia is a large, beautiful and varied country with a fascinating history, so I definitely had a lot of fun searching for traditional recipes. Choosing one, though, was not so easy, there were so many different tempting foods available. Ultimately, my choices came as a result of the stories behind the two particular dishes that made up my meal. I had the Salat Olivier, so named after the chef who created it. Chef Lucien Olivier was a chef at the Hermitage Restaurant, one of Moscow's most celebrated restaurants, and this dish became the signature dish for the restaurant. There is a story about one of his sous-chef's attempt to steal the closely-guarded recipe, which is what caught my attention and led to a lovely, filling salad. For my main course, I had already subconsciously chosen Beef Stroganoff, and that choice was reinforced by the story behind the dish. Apparently the chef who created the disease worked for a Russian diplomat, Count Pavel Alexandrovich Stroganov, and the dish was created to impress a guest at the dinner table. I'm not sure why, but knowing a bit about the history of the particular dish made it that much tastier!
I was able to find Baltika, a Russian beer, at the MLCC. Beer is the second-most popular drink in Russia, next to vodka. Of course, having a Russian meal did mean that vodka would be a mandatory component. I did try a couple of shots of Stolichnaya Vodka, but I must admit, that was a BAD idea! I remember now why I don't drink hard liquour anymore....So, while I will definitely do these dishes again, I definitely won't do the vodka.
приятного аппетита
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