We held our annual Russian Easter last Saturday, and we are still digesting all the wonderful food. The blini had the starring role. These are traditional yeast-risen buckwheat pancakes drenched in butter. Butter is supposed to symbolize the return of the sun in the spring. It also symbolizes lots of calories. We also had our home made pork sausage with the meat chopped, not ground. You can see some of the other co-stars in the photos, including
- Enemies of the Czar - corned beef and swiss reuben paninis
- Trotsky's Bane - wasabi tequila shooters with tabikko, served in cucumbers, a specialty from Trotsky's later years, exiled to Mexico
- Our Token Nod to Good Health - asparagus and endive with walnut coriander sauce
Ironically enough, to celebrate the melting of the snows, we made snow, with our new ice shaving machine. It gave our Champagne Garden a whole new look, and it made the glasses a lot more stable.
So, once again, we told the tale of the Defense of Moscow, with Moscow played by a gigantic bake Alaska. Once again, we asked in desperation: "How could we defend mother Russia from the monster, Napoleon?" and once again we answered, "With scorched earth and flames of French brandy!" The burning was spectacular with the decorated brownie domes collapsing in flames and the satay sticks that held them in place igniting. We could almost imagine Napoleon desperating seeking a way out of the burning city as the walls collapsed around him. (That was in some version of War and Peace or another.)
So, until next year, Happy Russian Easter, and say Welcome to Spring.
For more on our traditional Russian Easter, including recipes, check out our Russian Easter page. |
Enemies of the Czar, Trotsky's Bane and home made sausage |