1,000 Foods To Eat Before You Die: A Food Lover's Life List (105 page)

“Mushrooms with everything” could be a Russian motto, and the fragrant fungi, wild or tame, are worked into
gribnaya ikra
to great success. They may be chopped raw with garlic, salt, pepper, grated onion, olive oil, and lemon and left to marinate for an hour or two before being served with a garnish of chopped minced parsley or tarragon; or they may be chopped and sautéed along with onion, garlic, hot chile flakes or cayenne pepper, and dill, then glossed with sour cream.

Beets get the caviar treatment in the appetizer called
svyokla ikra
, cooked and chopped
with scallions, fresh dill, light drizzles of sunflower or safflower oil, and a splash or two of lemon juice. In the Republic of Georgia, finely chopped walnuts and prunes join the fray, along with a touch of yogurt or mayonnaise for a spreadable consistency.

Ensuring that no vegetable feels left out, there’s the caviar extravaganza called
ghivetch ikra
, for which all of the colorful ingredients of that Balkan and eastern European vegetable stew (see
listing
) are cooked until very soft and then lightly stirred to the right consistency with a wooden spoon. After several hours of chilling, the veggies are served garnished with minced scallions and chopped fresh dill.

Where:
In Brooklyn
, Nargis Cafe, tel 718-872-7888,
nargiscafe.com
;
in Chicago
, Russian Tea Time, tel 312-360-0000,
russianteatime.com
;
Further information and other recipes:
À La Russe
by Darra Goldstein (1983);
The Balkan Cookbook
by Vladimir Mirodan (1989);
Please to the Table
by Anya von Bremzen and John Welchman (1990);
The Food and Cooking of Russia
by Lesley Chamberlain (2006);
food.com
(search ikra eggplant caviar);
easteuropeanfood.about.com
(search ajvar).

The best and most staggeringly expensive caviar is the perfect, shiny pinpoint grains of gray-black eggs produced by large beluga or sevruga sturgeons. But, believe it or not, some caviar lovers—notably the late Aristotle Onassis—are left cold by those perfect premium eggs. The tins and jars that they prize hold caviar that looks like a mass of black tar or softened, melted black licorice. It is
payusnaya
—sturgeon roe that was damaged in handling and is thus comprised of broken eggs stuck together in a midnight-black, compressed mass. What it offers is an intense caviar experience, with the mysteriously seductive texture melting in the mouth, gradually revealing its sensuous saline wonders to tongue and palate.

Scarcer even than the best caviar, fresh, unpreserved, and unpasteurized payusnaya may sell for a fraction of the price of beluga and sevruga—but that fraction still does not amount to small change.

Because the caviar oil congeals when cold, payusnaya should be taken out of the refrigerator about thirty minutes before it is to be served, lest it be too stiff to spread. Like the best undamaged caviar, it should be served only with thin toast and, at most, a squeeze of lemon juice. Nothing should accompany this caviar; not onions, eggs, sour cream, or anything else. Of course, a little iced vodka or chilled Champagne would not be amiss.

Where:
In New York
, Russian Tea Room, tel 212-581-7100,
russiantearoomnyc.com
; Caviar Russe, tel 212-980-5908,
caviarrusse.com
;
in Paris and London
, Caviar Kaspia at multiple locations,
caviarkaspia.com
.
Dine-in, retail, and mail order:
In multiple locations around the world
, Petrossian, tel 800-828-9241,
petrossian.com
.
Mail order:
Marky’s Gourmet,
markysgourmet.com
, tel 800-522-8427 (search paiusnaya).
Further information:
Caviar! Caviar! Caviar!
by Gerald M. Stein with Donald Bain (1981);
Caviar
by Susan Friedland (1986).

“Russian ravioli” is the nickname for these little ear-shaped dumplings, signatures of Siberian cuisine. Chubby pockets most traditionally plumped with lamb (if not beef, pork, or elk meat), they are served adrift in a strong, clear lamb or chicken broth with fragrant featherings of minced dill. Hot, aromatic, and sustaining, it’s a luxurious meal in a bowl, though the little dumplings are almost as satisfying glossed with butter and dill and served as a pasta course.

In keeping with most gastronomic history, there are competing theories as to the origins of
pelmeni.
One draws on geographic proximity to suggest that they are derived from the Chinese dumplings called
jiaozi
, likely introduced to Siberia by Mongol invaders. Or could they have originated with the Persians, whose word
pel’men
means ear, and been adopted by the Russians by way of the Udmurts, a Finnish sect based in Siberia?

Whatever the truth, pelmeni now qualify as Siberian comfort food, the kind of dish that sees one through the rigors of a cold winter or just a bad day. They used to almost always be homemade in huge batches, frozen so there would always be some around; but these days frozen versions can be found in some Russian supermarkets and ethnic groceries. When not served in soup, they may be boiled and topped with butter, sour cream, and a dash of lemon juice, or coated with sour cream and herbs and baked in the oven, casserole-style.

Where:
In New York
, Mari Vanna, tel 212-777-1955,
marivanna.ru/ny
;
in Brooklyn
, Café Glechik at two locations,
glechik.com
; Tatiana Restaurant, tel 718-891-5151,
tatianarestaurant.com
;
in Winter Park, FL
, Lacomka Bakery & Deli, tel 407-677-1101,
lacomka-orlando.com
;
in Austin, TX
, Russian House, tel 512-428-5442,
russianhouseofaustin.com
.
Retail and mail order:
In New York
, Moscow on the Hudson, tel 212-740-7397,
moscowonhudson.com
.
Further information and recipes:
Please to the Table
by Anya von Bremzen and John Welchman (1990);
ruscuisine.com
(search pelmeni);
grouprecipes.com
(search pelmeni).

Most every country boasts a dumpling, and for very similar reasons. Dumplings allow the use of tough cuts of meat or leftovers, or transform otherwise humble ingredients into glamourous bites. The sustaining pockets of dough
may be small or large, sweet or savory, shaped in a multitude of ways, and boiled, baked, or fried. Whatever the size, filling, and cooking technique, they are guaranteed to emerge sputtering-hot and juicy, providing satisfaction out of all proportion to their size and cost.

One of the lustiest of dumplings is surely the pierogi, a half-moon-shaped turnover of basic egg-and-flour dough that may be stuffed with an incredible variety of fillings, from the buckwheat groats known as kasha to meat to potatoes, prunes, or apricots. Although pierogi are most often associated with Poland, the word itself comes from the Russian for pie:
pirog.
And in fact, in Russia, pierogi are often large square or rectangular baked pies, much unlike the diminutive Polish version most Americans recognize. Very similar dumplings also exist in Lithuania, where they are known as
kolduny.
In Ukraine they are called
pyrohy
by anyone who can pronounce the word.

While the most popular fillings at any size are minced cooked meat (often pork, lamb, and beef, for pierogi destined to become the main course), pierogi can also be found filled with minced mushrooms (plain sauerkraut or a sauerkraut-mushroom mix also being a popular choice), farmer’s cheese or cottage cheese (often scented with vanilla for a more delicate pierogi that’s best for brunch or a snack), blueberries (a summer dessert favorite), lentils (a specialty of the Podlasie region of northeastern Poland), and mashed potatoes with or without onions.

Post-filling, most pierogi are first boiled and then baked, or preferably fried golden-brown so there’s some crispness contrasting the mellow filling. Often, they are served simply boiled—they may be garnished with fried bacon bits, sautéed onions, sour cream, and melted brown butter; the savory ones are sometimes served alongside hearty soups like
borshch
, while the sweet ones are reserved for snacks and dessert.

Where:
In Warsaw
, U Hopfera, tel 48/22-828-7352;
in Cracow
, Pierozki u Vincenta, tel 48/501-747-407,
pierozkiuvincenta.pl
;
in New York
, Veselka, tel 212-387-7000,
veselka.com
; Little Poland, tel 212-777-9728;
in Chicago
, Kasia’s Deli at two locations,
kasiasdeli.com
;
in Seattle
, Piroshki at two locations,
piroshkirestaurant.com
.
Further information and recipes:
Polish Holiday Cookery
by Robert Strybel (2003);
The Art of Polish Cooking
by Alina Żerańska (1989);
epicurious.com
(search wild mushroom pierogies and potato pierogi with cabbage and bacon);
cookstr.com
(search potato and mushroom pierogi; kasha and mushroom pierogi).
Special event:
Pierogi Festival, Whiting, IN, July,
pierogifest.net
.

It’s logical that in a country where it gets so cold in winter, soup should play so vital a role. Enter
solyanka
, a thick, rich, gently soured soup usually made with fish, although there are meat variations, and proudly piquant thanks to the inclusion of bay leaves, capers, plenty of lemon, and chopped dill pickles.

Enticingly aromatic, whether based on strong fish stock or beef stock, solyanka’s flavor is distinctly briny, yet at once pleasantly mild. The fish it is made with—often freshwater fish
such as salmon, whitefish, or pike, or sometimes deep-sea swordfish—offers enough bite and body to stand up to the seasonings and provide a good (though light) foil for the icy vodka shots that may accompany the proceedings.

Where:
In Brooklyn
, Tatiana Restaurant, tel 718-891-5151,
tatianarestaurant.com
; Primorski Restaurant, tel 718-891-3111,
primorskiny.com
;
in Austin, TX
, Russian House, tel 512-428-5442,
russianhouseofaustin.com
;
in San Francisco
, Red Tavern, tel 415-750-9090,
redtavernsf.com
.
Further information and recipes:
North Atlantic Seafood
by Alan Davidson (2003);
À La Russe
by Darra Goldstein (1983);
easteuropeanfood.about.com
(search solyanka);
saveur.com
(search solyanka).

Thin, crunchy, true tortes, made without flour or fat other than egg yolks, are much favored throughout eastern Europe. This one, distinguished by the fresh, fruity overtones of walnuts finely ground to substitute for flour, is most highly prized in Serbia, once a part of Yugoslavia. The walnuts impart a toasty aroma and a woodsy, sweet essence that is enhanced by a filling of coffee buttercream.

Makes one 10-inch, 2-layer torte

For the torte

1 cup finely ground, lightly toasted walnuts

¼ cup unseasoned dry bread crumbs