EVA SHVEDA

   Dear readers! I would like to share with you information about Christmas and New Year traditions in Russia - how Russians celebrate these holidays. Christmas in Russia is celebrated on January 7, according to the Gregorian calendar. This is the custom of the Russian Orthodox Church. Christmas Eve is Sotschelnik , a name derived from the word "sochiva" . Sochiva is a ritual food, a porridge made from wheat or barley, rye, buckwheat, peas, lentils, mixed with honey. The Christmas fast ends on Christmas Eve. On Christmas Eve, nothing is eaten until the first star, in memory of the Star of Bethlehem . Then the whole family sits around the table and shares wafers with wishes. Dishes on the Christmas table: pancakes (bliny), fish dishes, sirloin or beef leg jelly (holodec), pork, homemade pork sausage, poultry dishes, gingerbread (pryanik). From January 6 to 7, people stay up, go door to door and sing Christmas carols. Kolyada is an ancient ritual of glorifying the Nativity of...

   The original name of the salad is "Herring under a fur coat" (Seledka pod shuboi), because it is salted herring that is used in the original recipe. But as there is no herring on the fish market in Brazil, I used the fish I always have on hand - canned fish. Herring salad under a fur coat has been very popular in Russia since Soviet times. This hearty snack is a direct competitor to "Olivier" on New Year's tables. The recipe for the "Olivier" salad can be found here. And a recipe for another salad popular in Russia during the New Year holidays - "Vinegret" - has already been published on the blog. Herring under a fur coat has a simple and short history of its name. It was first mentioned in culinary literature in the 1960-70s. Culinary historians believe that the idea for the salad came about due to the wide availability of salted herring. It was sold everywhere in huge barrels. The hostesses combined simple vegetables with the availabl...

   Last time, I published a recipe for one of the most popular salads on the Russian New Year's table. You can learn the recipe for the "Olivier" salad here. Vinaigrette salad is also very popular in Russia, and can even be found on the table on New Year's holidays. This salad came to Russian cuisine from Scandinavia and is also very popular in Polish and Ukrainian cuisine. This salad is often prepared during Lent, as it is simple and lean. This salad is named after the vinegar dressing. It comes from the French "Vinagrette". As well as vinegar, the dressing includes oil. In Russian cuisine, sunflower oil was used most often, but increasingly olive oil is used. Some people use a mixture of different oils and, instead of vinegar, add lemon juice and mustard. Traditionally, vinaigrette is made from cooked vegetables (potatoes, carrots, beet, beans), raw vegetables (onions and parsley) and sour vegetables (cucumbers and cabbage). Ingredients: Potato 3-4 pcs. C...

  I want to share some news with you, my dear readers. My new book has been published. It's called " Black Dog and White Horse ". Like the other two stories, this book will be part of the  Mystery Stories  series. Russian version A bit about the history This story happened to one married couple. One day the main character, Adelle, meets two animals - a black dog and a white horse. Later she notices that meetings with animals affect her life. And when her husband Denis breaks his leg, she realizes that the dog and the horse are not quite ordinary animals, and they begin to change her life.  The girl walks the fine line between life and death. The lines between black and white become blurred for her. She must recognize death in order to be reborn. But will she be able to keep her sanity? Book references You can read this anthology for free if you subscribe to Kindle Unlimited: Amazon "Black dog & white horse" (English version )    Amazon "Черная ...

   Olivier salad is the main dish at Russian New Year's dinners. The history of this salad began around 1860. Chef Lucien Olivier, who worked in a Russian restaurant in Moscow, created this recipe. The salad became very popular with customers. With food shortages during the 1917 revolution, the salad recipe was greatly simplified. And so it found its way onto all the tables of the Russian people. Ingredients: 3-4 potatoes; 1 carrot; 1-2 chicken eggs; 100 g green peas; 3-4 pickles; 200-300 g ham green onions; mayonnaise to taste. Potatoes and carrots should be cooked in their skins. Also boil the eggs until they are hard. If you haven't canned peas, but have frozen peas, they should also be boiled. Once all the boiled products have cooled down, peel and chop them. Potatoes, carrots and eggs, cut into cubes. Drain the brine from the cucumbers and also cut into cubes. Cut the ham into cubes (you can use smoked sausage). Chop the green onions, mix all the ingredients and season wi...