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weekend kitchen

Ring in the Old New Year With a Jewel-Studded Dish

Our favorite chef is worried about our health, so she suggests starting the new year with beets, pomegranate and wild rice.

weekend kitchen

You Can't Hurry Kharcho

A Georgian soup for a cold, snowy day wherever you may be.

weekend kitchen

Welcome 2022 With the Incomparable Prague Torte

Start out the new year with a bit of aspirational baking!

weekend kitchen

The Secret to Holiday Cheer Revealed: Salmon Rillettes

Got lots of guests? Tired of cooking? Love fish? Salmon rillettes to the rescue.

weekend kitchen

Everyone Loves a Dumpling

These herby, tender dumplings ("lazy vareniki") made with tvorog and greens are perfect for winter.

weekend kitchen

Two Ways to Crack the Knotty Celery Root

Leningradsky market solved a puzzle: what on earth do you do with a celery root?

weekend kitchen

Samsa: The Silk Road Snack

What's better than a flakey pastry filled with spicy lamb? Maybe one filled with potatoes and onion?

weekend kitchen

Spice Things Up With Adjika

This refrigerator staple is not hard to make and comes in a variety of flavors and glorious colors.

weekend kitchen

Kapustniak: The Hangover Soup

Forget the pharmacy and head to the kitchen for your morning-after antidote.

Jiggle All the Way: Boozy Holiday Tomato and Seafood Zalivnoye

Aspics are In again. But in Russia they've never been Out.

weekend kitchen

Autumn Stroganoff for a Chilly Evening

You can Stroganoff anything, but should you? Find out in the weekend kitchen.

weekend kitchen

Lots of Winter Squash? Hasselback it!

In the weekend kitchen we're pulling out chopsticks and learning how to hasselback. Confused? Read on.

weekend kitchen

Piroshki 101

How to make three kinds of savory stuffed pastries that even a Russian husband will love.

weekend kitchen

Autumn's Mushroom Bounty: Forager's Fusilli

Oh, what to do with all the autumn mushrooms? Here's a delicious solution to a delightful problem.

weekend kitchen

Pumpkin With Sea Buckthorn on Top

Russians adore pumpkins. They just don't know what to do with them.

weekend kitchen

Welcome Autumn with Spicy Matsoni and Meatball Soup

Little islands of spiced meatballs in a spicy, tart, silky, yogurty Caucasian sea...

weekend kitchen

Chase Away the Autumn Blues with Cured Cod

Russian supermarkets have long aisles of salted and cured fish, but home curing is easy and much tastier.

WEEKEND KITCHEN

The Exotic Glamor of Eggplant Caviar

Inspired by classic Soviet cinema, Jennifer Eremeeva fires up the grill and roasts the season's glut of eggplants and peppers.

weekend kitchen

Pack Your Pantry With Pickled Beets

Jennifer Eremeeva salutes Russia's love of homemade soup and shares a beets recipe that works as the foundation for a great borshch.

weekend kitchen

A Tomato and Tvorog Galette for Summer's Bounty

Like Russian imperial chefs, Jennifer Eremeeva joins east and west, sealed with cheese and tomatoes.

weekend kitchen

Back to School With Crispy Herbed Chicken Cutlets

Cutlets - minced meat, fish or vegetable patties - are Russia's unsung culinary heroes.

weekend kitchen

Triple Your August Holidays with Honey Apple Spice Cake

Get in the mood for autumn with this cake that celebrates summer's bounty.

weekend kitchen

Keep Cool With Herby Adjika Cucumber Salad

This week our resident chef - don't we wish! - marries Russia and the Caucasus deliciously!

weekend kitchen

On the Grill: Salmon and Corn Shashlik

Russia and corn have a bumpy history, but now this sunny veg is a national favorite. Grill it!

weekend kitchen

Dacha Delight: Garlicky Baby Hasselback Potatoes

August at the dacha! Down with boring boiled potatoes with shashlik! Long live hasselback spuds!

weekend kitchen

Blistered Beet Shashlik with Halloumi

Glorious charred beets and vegetables with creamy cheese will keep everyone happy at the grill.

weekend kitchen

Chicken From the Caucasus to a Grill Near You

Marinade, check. Spices, check. Chicken legs, check. Grill, check. Add crisp white wine and dinner's ready.

weekend kitchen

The Magic of Crab and Melon Okroshka

Okrosha is Russia's favorite cool summer soup, and this seaside version is a winner.

weekend kitchen

Celebrate Summer With Whipped Bryndza and Tomatoes

This easy-to-make tangy salty sweet spread is perfect for dachas, backyards and July 4 parties.

weekend kitchen

Of Vaccines and Varenye

Strawberries are in season, and that means: time to make varenye.

weekend kitchen

An Apricot Cake for All Seasons

Try this delicious mix of cake-baking traditions filled with the fruit of the season.

weekend kitchen

Spicy Soused Apricots for the Summer Table

Be a good Dachnik and preserve the summer's bounty of fruit in a spicy, tangy marinade.

'The Volga: A History of Russia's Greatest River'

Hartley tells the story of the river that both created and reflected Russia's complex history and culture.

weekend kitchen

The Svekolnik Smoothie

Our favorite chef starts the summer with a glorious Russian cold beet soup called svekolnik.

weekend kitchen

Bake Cardamom Vatrushki for a Happy Family

Fill these soft buns with spiced sweet farmer's cheese, jam, or anything your heart desires.

weekend kitchen

Celebrate Summer with Smoked Mackerel and Lovage Fish Cakes

Savory smoked mackerel and citrusy lovage come together deliciously in these quick fish cakes.

weekend kitchen

Spotlight on Smetana: Russia’s Sour Cream

What's the difference between smetana, crème fraîche, and sour cream?

weekend kitchen

Building the Perfect Fish Solyanka

Find the right balance of briny, tart, and spicy to unlock the secret to this canteen favorite.

weekend kitchen

Try Smetannik: Russia's Sour Cream Cake

Fresh seasonal berries elevate this dependable weekday snack into a special event dessert.

weekend kitchen

Celebrate Spring With Asparagus Mimosa

Salad Mimosa gets a springtime makeover with jammy eggs and the season's culinary superstar.

weekend kitchen

Let Pkhali Steal the Show

In spring everyone's fancy turns to Georgia and its bright, fresh flavors.

weekend kitchen

The Seductive Charms of Chopped Liver

Whether you call it pâté or паштет, keep a jar in the refrigerator for every - or no particular - occasion.

weekend kitchen

My Favorite Things: Chicken Schnitzel and Slaw

What is better than a crunchy-on-the-outside, tender-on-the-inside schnitzel?

weekend kitchen

Sink or Swim With Matzoh Ball Soup

You don't have to be Jewish to love matzoh ball soup.

Katherine Zubovich's Magnificent 'Moscow Monumental'

This is a riveting story of the transformation of a city and the lives of its inhabitants.

weekend kitchen

Start Lent with Miso Mushroom Farro Pilaf

A great dish for those observing Lent or for those who love a hearty, flavorful, rich pilaf.

weekend kitchen

Here Comes the Sun: Lemon Oladi for Maslenitsa

This weekend Russians are celebrating "Shirokaya Maslenitsa" before Great Lent begins.

weekend kitchen

Kinda Sorta Coulibiac for the International Woman

Men, man up! Here's a delicious, easy recipe to impress your beloved on March 8.

weekend kitchen

Medovik: Russia’s Favorite Cake

Our favorite chef takes us step-by-step through the creation of this honey-creamy-tart-sweet confection.

weekend kitchen

Huzzah for Hussar-Style Beef!

Take a page of culinary history to fete Defenders of the Homeland Day in style.

weekend kitchen

Vinegret: The Spicy Language of Love for Valentine's Day

Start off the romantic holiday season with a piquant, deep pink, heat-raising first course.

weekend kitchen

North Meets South in Mini Golubtsy

Sunny lemons from the south and hearty beet greens from the north make for delicious "little pigeons."

weekend kitchen

You Can’t Beat a (Savory) Babka

The perfect yeasty-eggy-savory bread filled with swirls of sauteed mushroom and cheese.

weekend kitchen

Copycat IKEA Meatballs

Jennifer Eremeeva gives us a recipe for the beloved meatballs found in every Russian freezer.

Russian Movie Night: History on Screen

Ready for a weekend of binge-watching? How about an entertaining refresher course in Russian history?

Photographic 'Journeys Through the Russian Empire'

Two great photographers a century apart capture what once was the Russian Empire.

Russian Movie Night: 7 Literary Works on Screen

At home for New Year's? Jennifer Eremeeva shares the best Russian literature-come-to-life movies.

weekend kitchen

Russia's National Treasure: Cabbage Soup

Jennifer Eremeeva has just the thing to cancel out holiday overeating. And it's delicious, too.

Russian Movie Night: 7 Great Features

Relax with these seven feature films or TV series chosen by Jennifer Eremeeva.

weekend kitchen

Russian Pryaniki: Ginger All the Way!

Fill your home with the glorious, spicy, gingery, lemony, sweet scent of the holiday season.

reportage and recipes

Explore the Wonders of 'Red Sands' With Caroline Eden

Author Caroline Eden takes us on roads less traveled, with many delicious stops along the way.

art of russian cuisine

Welcome Russian Winter with Persimmon Spice Cake

Snowy winter day, hot tea, roaring fire, sweet nutty spicy persimmon cake...

Celebrate Thanksgiving with an Uzbek Chicken

Mix East and West for the kind of unconventional holiday this unconventional year needs.

art of russian cuisine

A Persimmon Primer

What are those bright orange fruits at the fall market? And how do you eat them?

comfort cuisine

Insta-Plov: Modern Technology Meets Ancient Dish

All the warming, satisfying, complex flavors and textures of plov without a kazan (and 12 hours).

art of russian cuisine

Launch Squash Boats Under the Blue Moon

Once in a blue moon Jennifer Eremeeva makes an autumnal deep orange squash feast.

art of russian cuisine

The Enduring Glamour of Mushroom Julien

Jennifer Eremeeva brings this restaurant and theater buffet favorite to your home kitchen.

art of russian cuisine

East and West Meet Over Borshch Deliciously

Move over pampushki! These crumbly, crunchy, sweet and salty triangles go great with borshch!

Pushkin House Shortlisted Books Tackle Authoritarianism

The judges seem to have found a thematic thread running through Russian letters (and life) this year.

art of Russian cuisine

Mushrooms and the Thrill of the Chase

It's that glorious time of year - mushroom season!

art of Russian cuisine

Not Your Babushka’s Sour Cabbage

Everything you wanted to know about fermentation but were too intimidated by that babushka to ask.

'The Girl From the Hermitage'

Follow Galina from the Leningrad siege to today's St. Petersburg.

Russian cuisine

A Tale of Two Charlottes

How did English Apple Charlotte find its way into the hearts, minds, and kitchens of Imperial Russia?

quarantine cuisine

Draniki: Out of the Belarusian Frying Pan

Jennifer Eremeeva helps you expand your Slavic kitchen repertoire with Belarusian potato pancakes.

quarantine cuisine

In the Tvorog Test Kitchen

Not cottage cheese, not ricotta, not quark... tvorog is similar to all but utterly, deliciously unique.

quarantine cuisine

By the Book: 'The Soviet Diet Cookbook'

Learning to cook the (post-) Soviet way: with Babushka and The Book.

quarantine cuisine

Cool Down with Slavic Ceviche

Jennifer Eremeeva proves that if Russians love cured salmon and adore sushi, they'll eat up ceviche, too.

Quarantine cuisine

Mustard & Horseradish: Russia’s Homegrown Condiments

Jennifer Eremeeva takes us into the pantry to make our very own, delicious native Russian condiments.

quarantine cuisine

Kvas: Russia’s National Tipple

No kvas truck making deliveries in your neighborhood? No problem! Start brewing!

quarantine cuisine

Taming Morkovcha — Russia’s Beloved Korean Carrot Salad

Jennifer Eremeeva cracks the code of everyone's favorite carrot salad.

quarantine cuisine

Waste-Not-Want-Not Sour Cream Scallion Dip and Sukhariki

Jennifer Eremeeva shows us how thrift produces the perfect Russian beer snack.

Quarantine cuisine

Hansa Herring Salad for a Healthy Holiday Picnic

Herring - love it or leave it? Try Hansa salad and see if you invite this little pickled fish to stay.

quarantine cuisine

Shashlyk in the City

As quarantine puts the kibosh on the dacha season, urbanites need to get their grilled meat fix.

quarantine cuisine

Conquering the Heart of Borodinsky Bread

Jennifer Eremeeva has used the lock-down wisely. It involves home-made bread and a spongy friend.

quarantine cuisine

'Carpathia: Food From the Heart of Romania'

With all semblance of regular meals eroding, “Carpathia” is a timely addition to the cookery book canon.

Grigory Kanovich's 'Devilspel' Wins EBRD Book Prize

A brilliant novel about the darkest of times that keeps the light of humanity burning throughout.

quarantine cuisine

Pasta Perestroika: Remembering Things Past

Jennifer Eremeeva takes us down memory lane and straight to the pantry and liquor cabinet. Delicious.

quarantine cuisine

Quarantine Easter Egg Salad

Easter and lock-down combine perfectly to introduce egg salad to the Russian culinary canon.

quarantine cuisine

Bean Fritters for the Zoom Generation

Did you panic buy beans? Great! Modify meat, fish or vegetable patties for an easy and tasty dinner.

quarantine cuisine

Lentil Soup Four Ways

Combine lentils, aromatics and spices for dinner and armchair travel. Chases away the self-isolation blues.

quarantine cuisine

Got Grechka? Make a Grain Bowl!

Self-Isolating? Stress-eating? Cook up something delicious with those hoarded supplies instead.

Darra Goldstein Goes 'Beyond the North Wind'

Jennifer Eremeeva reviews and samples Darra Goldstein's latest delicious study of Russian cuisine.

The Beet Goes On

Jennifer Eremeeva explains, deliciously, why we should love the beet.

Savory Kutiya for Kolodia and Christmas

What's kutiya? And Kolodia? Can I eat them? Do I want to? Jennifer Eremeeva tells all deliciously.

'Russia's 20th Century: A Journey in 100 Histories'

100 vignettes of Russian life that together form a vivid history of a tumultuous, tragic, heroic century.

'Seasoned Socialism: Gender & Food in Late Soviet Everyday Life'

Fascinating and fun required reading for students of Russian and Soviet literature, history, and politics.

'Godless Utopia: The Anti-Religious Campaign In Russia'

A book as beautifully designed as it is fascinating and timely.

in history's footsteps

The Many Lives of the Tsar's Village

Autumn is a perfect time for a trip out of the northern capital and into the past.

Cooking Moscow Market Bounty: 'That Eggplant Thing'

Moscow's markets are overflowing with eggplant right now. Jennifer Eremeeva to the rescue.

Must-see museum

Fabergé and the Link of Times

In St. Petersburg, be sure to stop in at this relatively new and truly fabulous museum.