Moments in LIFE

There are moments in life when you miss someone
so much that you just want to pick them from
your dreams and hug them for real!


When the door of happiness closes, another opens;
But often times we look so long at the
Closed door that we don't see the one,
Which has been opened for us


Don't go for looks; they can deceive.
Don't go for wealth; even that fades away.
Go for someone who makes you smile,
Because it takes only a smile to
Make a dark day seem bright.
Find the one that makes your heart smile.

Dream what you want to dream;
Go where you want to go;
Be what you want to be,
Because you have only one life
And one chance to do all the things
You want to do.

May you have enough happiness to make you sweet
Enough trials to make you strong,
Enough sorrow to keep you human and
Enough hope to make you happy.

The happiest of people don't necessarily
Have the best of everything;
They just make the most of
Everything that comes along their way.

The brightest future will always
Be based on a forgotten past;
You can't go forward in life until
You let go of your past failures and heartaches.

When you were born, you were crying
And everyone around you was smiling.
Live your life so at the end,
You 're the one who is smiling and everyone
Around you is crying.

Please send this message to those people
Who mean something to you
To those who have touched your life in one way or another;
To those who make you smile when you really need it;
To those who make you see the
Brighter side of things when you are really down;
To those whose friendship you appreciate;
T o those who are so meaningful in your life.


Stay hApPy without hurting sOmeBoDy!

Don't count the years - count the memories

Russian Cuisine

Russian Food and Drink

Russian Food is very much a product of the Russian climate and environment. With short bountiful growing seasons and long harsh winters, Russian diet traditionally consisted of milled grains, storable produce (like potatoes, beets, carrots and cabbage), plus fish, poultry, beef, pork and game.

  

These traditional staples (meat, potatoes,bread, eggs and fish) still comprise the key ingredients in Russian food today.

Below you will find a typical Russian menu, including...

·         Menu items written in Russian, so you know what to look for on the menu while ordering.

·         links to the recipes of Russian dishes

Russian Menu - Меню 1. Appetizers - Закуски 2. Soups - Супы 3. Main Courses - Горячие Блюда 4. Side Dishes - Гарниры 5. Dessert - Десерт 6. Drinks - Напитки

Cheap Eats Eating a good hot lunch can be quite inexpensive in Russia and Ukraine. The secret is the Stalovaya (Russian canteen). Most schools and universities have a canteen, as do health centers, commercial areas, etc. Lunch consists of your typical Russian food, nothing too fancy, but hot, fresh and at a fraction of the price of restaurants.

Typical Russian Menu

1. Appetizers - Закуски

I. Salads - Салаты

  

 Olivier Salad (Russian Potato Salad) - Оливье

o    A flexible salad composed of boiled potatoes, vegetables, often with meat, mixed in mayonnaise.

o    This salad is the creation of a French chef, M. Olivier, who in the 1860s opened a fashionable restaurant in Moscow called The Hermitage.

o    see recipe for Olivier Salad

 

  Crab Stick Salad - Салат из крабовых палочек

o    Salad with rice (or pasta), boiled eggs, sweet corn and diced crab (imitation or otherwise), mixed in mayonnaise.

o    see Crab Stick Salad recipe

o    order Russian crab meat

 

  Herring Under a Fur Coat - Сельдь под шубой

o    Also known as Fish under a Fur Coat (Рыба под шубой), its a Russian favorite. Ingredients include herring fillets, potatoes, carrots, beets, eggs and mayonnaise.

o    see recipe for Herring Under a Fur Coat

 

  Vinigret Salad - Винегрет

o    Another Russian food favorite, the Vinigret is an excellent vegetarian salad. Recipe for Russian Vinigret Salad.

II. Cold starters - Холодные закуски

  

 Kholodets (Headcheese) - Холодец

o    Pieces of chopped meat in a set jelly, mixed with spices and garlic.

o    Also known as Studynets by Ukrainians.

o    see recipe for Chicken Kholodets

 

  Salo (Salted Pork Fat) - Сало

o    Salted and often seasoned pork fat, Salo is traditionally a Ukrainian delicatessen widely consumed by Russians.

o    Purchase traditional Ukrainian Salo.

 

 

  Pickles - Соления

o    Pickles, also known as salted cucumbers (соленые огурцы), are a popular Russian food snack with vodka.

 

  Marinated Mushrooms - Грибы маринованные

o    Russians not only like to pickle mushrooms and cucumbers, but tomatoes (помидоры), garlic (чеснок), beets (свеклы) and an assortment of other vegetables.

o    buy pickled tomatoes, pickled mushrooms and pickled garlic.

 

  Red Caviar - Красная икра

o    Also called: Salmon Eggs (Икра лососевая).

o    buy Russian red caviar

 

  Black Caviar - Черная икра

o    Also called: Caviar of Sturgeon (Икра осетра).

o    buy Russian black caviar

  Smoked Salmon - Копчёный лосось

o    Also look for Turbot (Палтус), Sea Bass (Капитан), Rybets (Сиг), Osetrina (Осетрина), Trout (Форель), Shad (Шэд)  and Eel (Угорь).

o    purchase Russian smoked fish

 

  Meat Assortment - Мясное ассорти

o    Cold meats in an assortment or on their own.

o    tongue (язык), boiled pork (буженина), fore shank (рулька), chicken roll (рулет куриный), bacon (бекон).

 

  Kalbasa (Sausage or Salami) - Колбаса

o    Kubasa (Canadian spelling) is a smoked meat sausage with spices and garlic, common in Russia & Ukraine.

o    order Russian sausage online

III. Hot starters - Горячие закуски

  

 Pancakes with Caviar - Блины с икрой

§  with Black Caviar (с черной икрой)

§  with Red Caviar (с красной икрой)

§  order black and red caviar online

 

  Pancakes with Meat - Блины с мясом

§  Varying types of meat from chicken to sausage and ham, rolled in pancakes (crapes) known as blini (блины).

 

  Mushrooms Baked in Smetana
     Грибы запеченные с сметаной

§  A popular hot appetizer. Served in a small metal dish with mushrooms baked into smetana (sour cream).

 

  Chicken Wings - Крылышки

 

  Calamari (Squid) - Кальмары

 

  Shrimp - Креветки

2.    Russian Soups - Супы

  Borscht - Борщ

§  A vegetable soup most commonly made with beets and often with meat. See popular Borscht recipe.

 

  Okroshka - Окрошка

§  A cold soup based on kvas, green onion, herbs and spices such as black pepper, mustard or horse radish.

§  see recipe for Okroshka

  Shchi - Щи

§  Cabbage soup. See Russian food recipe for Shchi.

 

  Ukha - Уха

§  A fish soup cooked with potatoes and other vegetables.

 

  Rassolnyk - Рассольник

§  A tart sorrel soup sometimes served with kidneys.

 

  Mushroom Soup - Грибной суп

§  Unlike the mushroom soup you find in a Cambell's can, Russian mushroom soup is usually a simple, wholesome soup with mushrooms, onions, carrots, potatoes, and a spoonful of sour cream upon serving.

§  see recipe for Russian Mushroom Soup

 

  Solyanka with meat - Солянка мясная

§  A thick meat based soup with pickle juice.

 

  Solyanka with fish - Солянка рыбная

§  A thick fish based soup with pickle juice.

  

3.    Main Courses - Горячие Блюда

  Goluptsi (Cabbage Rolls) - Голубцы

§  Seasoned ground beef and rice filling stuffed inside boiled cabbage leaves. Sweet pepper shells are also a popular alternative to cabbage.

§  see recipe for Russian Goluptsi

  

 Shashlyk (Shish kebab) - Шашлык

§  Marinated meat cooked on a skewer.

§  Popularity in Russia originated in the late 19th century from Central Asian and Caucasus regions.

§  Choices often include "Shashlyk from" (Шашлыки из): beef (говядины), veal (телятины), chicken (курицы), mutton (баранины) and fish (рыбы).

§  see recipe for Russian Shashlyk

 

  Blini with Tvorog - Блины с творогом

§  Blini are Russian pancakes or crapes, while Tvorog is cottage cheese curds (the filling of the crape).

§  Some Russians, Ukrainians, Poles and Canadians also use the term Nalesniki (Налесники).

 

  Pelmeni - Пельмени

§  A traditional Russian dish made with minced meat filling, wrapped in thin dough dumplings.

§  see Russian food recipe for Pelmeni

 

  Vareniki - Вареники

§  Ukrainian dumplings made with different fillings including mashed potatoes, sour cabbage, tvorog or berries.

§  Vareniki are the same kind of dumplings found throughout Canadian supermarkets, better known as Perogies.

§  see recipe for Potato Mushroom Vareniki

 

  Pirozhki - Пирожки

§  Small dough buns or pies stuffed with variable fillings. Traditional fillings include Pirozhki with (Пирожки с)...

§  Fish (рыбой) sautéed with onions and mixed with hard-boiled chopped eggs.

§  Meat (мясом) boiled and chopped, then mixed with sautéed onions and eggs.

§  Potato (картошкой) mashed, then mixed with eggs and smetana (sour cream).

§  Cabbage (капустой) sautéed, plus egg and spices.

 

  Chebureki - Чебуреки

§  A popular Russian food that originated in Georgia.

§  Chebureki consist of a thin layer of dough and seasoned ground meat filling, deep-fried in a pan of oil.

 

  Draniki - Драники

§  A popular dish said to have originated in Belarus. Draniki are basically potato pancakes, usually served with a rich serving of smetana (sour cream).

§  see recipe for Draniki with Fish

 

  Kotleti - Котлеты

§  Fried meat cutlets, not dissimilar to Salisbury steak.

 

  Chicken Kiev - Котлета по-киевски

§  A dish of boneless chicken breast pounded and rolled around cold unsalted butter, then breaded and fried.

§  Russian food recipe for Chicken Kiev

 

  Beef Stroganoff - Говядина по-строгановски

§  Sautéed pieces of beef served in a sour cream sauce.

  

4.    Side Dishes & Dressings - Гарниры и заправки

  Rice with Vegetables - Рис с овощами

  

 Steamed Vegetables - Овощи паровые

 

  Grilled Vegetables - Овощи гриль

 

  Mashed Potatoes - Картофельное пюре

 

  French Fries - Картофель фри

 

  Spaghetti-pasta - Паста-спагетти

 

  Cooked Buckwheat - Гречневая каша

§  Eaten in Russia as a side dish, just like rice or potatoes in the west. Order online.

 

  Smetana (Sour Cream) - Сметана

 

  Mayonnaise - Майонез

 

  Salad Oil - Масло растительное

 

  Tomato Ketchup - Кетчуп

 

  Butter - Масло сливочное

 

  Mustard - Горчица

 

  Horseradish - Хрен

 

  Cocktail Sauce - Соус коктейльный

 

  Olive Oil - Масло оливковое

 

  Soya Sauce - Соевый соус

 

5.    Russian Dessert - Десерт

  Tvorog - Творог

§  A type of cottage cheese, tvorog is a tasty Russian treat when eaten with honey (мёд) or jam (варенье).

 

  Syrniki - Сырники

§  Popular for both dessert and breakfast, they consist of tvorog fried on a sauce-pan. The outsides of these "tvorog patties" become crispy, while the center is warm and creamy. Served with a spoonful of sour cream.

 

  Sirok - Сырок

§  A treat that tastes similar to cheesecake. Sirok is basically tvorog coated in chocolate or other sweat coatings.

 

  Blini - Блины

§  A thin Russian pancake (or crape), that is eaten for dessert with honey or jam. Here's a popular Blini recipe.

 

  Oladi - Оладьи

§  Oladi are also pancakes, but much thicker than Blini. Oladi resemble pancakes in the west (while blini are more like crapes). Eaten with butter, honey and/or jam.

 

  Cake - Торт

§  There are many varieties of cake, from moist to puffy, while most are fairly sweet. Some cakes are made without flour and use ground walnuts or almonds instead.

§  order favorite Russian cakes online

 

  Ice Cream - Мороженое

§  No matter the season, even in the dead of winter at minus 20 below zero, Russians love their ice cream.

§  Popular varieties of ice cream: Vanilla (Ванильное), Strawberry (Клубничное), Peppermint (Мятное), Chocolate (Шоколадное), Blueberry (Черничное), Pistachio (Фисташковое), Raspberry (Малиновое), Caramel (Карамельное), Plum (Сливовое).

 

  Jelly - Желе

§  Jellied fruit from the likes of cherries, pears and plums is a popular Russian food served for dessert.

 

  Halva - Халва

§  A popular Russian treat with origins from the Middle East. Halva is basically a high calorie spread or paste made from sunflower seeds, sesame seeds or various nuts.

§  purchase halva from online Russian food store.

 

  Zefir - Зефир

§  Sweet and fluffy marshmallow treat popular in Russia.

§  purchase Russian Zefir online

6.    Russian Drinks - Напитки

I. Drinks with alcohol - Алкогольные напитки

  

 Beer - Пиво

§  Beer on tap - Разливное пиво

§  Beer from bottles - Пиво в бутылках

§  Unfiltered Beer - Пиво нефильтрованное

§  Imported Beer - Пиво импортированное

§  While drinking beer, Russians & Ukrainians often snack ondry salted fish (рыбка солено-сушеная) and shrimp (креветка) or smoked calamari (кальмары копчёные).

 

  Wine - Вино

§  Red wine - Красное вино

§  White wine - Белое вино

§  Blush wine - Розовое вино

§  Port - Портвайн

§  Some popular wine in Russia: Moldovan (молдовское), Bulgarian (болгарское), Californian (калифорнское), Australian (австралийское), Crimean (крымское), Georgian (грузинское), Argentinean (аргентинское), Italian (итальянское), French (французское).

 

  Vodka - Водка

§  Russian vodka ("little water"), generally has an alcohol content of 40% (USA 80 proof).

§  Good Russian vodka is derived from grains, potato or sugar beat molasses.

 

 

  Samogon - Самогон

§  Samogon is homemade Russian vodka. Like moonshine in the west, it usually has a very high alcohol content.

§  Not found on the menu in restaurants, it is nevertheless, quite popular amongst friends when drinking at home.

 

  Cognac - Коньяк

§  After vodka, cognac is the second most popular spirit you will find on Russian tables.

 

  Tequila - Текила

 

  Whisky - Виски

 

  Gin - Джин

 

  Rum - Ром

 

  Liqueurs - Ликёры

 

I. Non alcohol drinks - Безалкогольные напитки

  

 Compote - Компот

§  A light refreshing drink made by boiling fresh fruit with sugar, then leaving it to cool and infuse.

§  Unlike juice, the original fruit or berry in Russian compote is preserved in the juice. Buy compote online.

 

  Juice - Сок

§  Common varieties of juice: Orange (Апельсиновый), Grapefruit (Грейпфрутовый), Peach (Персиковый), Pineapple (Ананасовый), Raspberry (Малиновый), Apricot (Абрикосовый), Cherry (Вишнёвый сок), Strawberry (Клубничный), Apple (Яблочный).

§  buy juice produced in Russia

 

  Kvas - Квас

§  A dark, fizzy, slightly sour-tasting drink made from bread or grain in a similar process to brewing beer. Very refreshing when drank cold on a hot summer day.

§  buy kvas online: RussianTable.com

 

 

  Kefir - Кифир

§  Kefir is a fermented milk drink with varying degrees of sour, depending on how long it has fermented.

 

  Milk  - Молоко

§  Chocolate milk - Молоко шоколадное

§  White milk - Молоко белое

 

  Milkshake - Молочный Коктейль

§  A few common flavors: Chocolate (Шоколадный), Strawberry (Клубничный), Vanilla (Ванильный).

 

  Mineral Water - Вода минеральная

§  plain water (no carbonation) - вода без газа

§  carbonated water - вода с газом

 

  Pop (Soft Drinks) - Вода газированная

§  Coca Cola (Кока-Кола), Diet Coke (Кока-Кола Лайт), Sprite (Спрайт), Fanta (Фанта), Red Bull (Ред Булл).

 

  Tea / Coffee - Чай / Кофе

§  Russians love to sit around the table, drink tea or coffee and eat chocolate & sweets. Russia, incidentally, is one of the largest tea consumers and importers in the world.

§  Espresso - Эспрессо

§  Decaffeinated coffee - Кофе без кофеина

§  American coffee - Кофе Американский

§  Irish coffee - Кофе по-ирландски

§  Cappuccino - Капуччино

§  Jasmine tea - Чай Цветок Жасмин

§  Rose bud tea - Чай Шиповник

§  Earl Grey tea - Чай Эрл Грей

§  Green tea - Чай Зелёный