on rye-bread, pickled cucumbers, caviare, and train-oil,
with a tallow candle occasionally, by way of a treat. As
.a matter of fact, although the fare of the Russian peasantry
is sufficiently coarse, the cuUine enjoyed by the well-to-do
and the Avealthy is a most ajipetising one. In the very
highest ranks of society at St. Petersburg and Moscow, the
cookery is entirely and exquisitely French, and the cJief is
usually an artist from Paris. There are, however, certain
national dishes which are prepared in Russian households,
and which are regularly served at the best hotels in the
two great cities of Russia. I do not intend to worry you
Avith a long string of names and dishes in Russ, as I
am not anxious to make a vain show of familiarity with
foreign languages, or to print a long list of words Avhich
many of my readers would not, I feel sure, be able to
pronounce, and which probably they Avould not remember.
I may, however, just hint that the name of the cabbage
soup for which I have given a recipe* sounds precisel}' like
.a sneeze.
* See p. 114.
B 2
4 TIIK TIIO ROUGH GOOD COOK.
Of course a Russian dinner, like tliat of most of the
Northern nations, is preceded by a " snack,"' or rather, a
variety of '• snacks," served on a kirge tray, which is some-
times ]daced on the sideboard of the dining-room, and
sometimes on a table in the back drawing-room, where
the guests are received. The '■ snacks " or relishes may
consist of fresh caviare, ravr herrings, smoked salmon, sun-
dried sturgeon, raw smoked goose, radishes, cheese, sliced
sausa^'es, cod - sounds, raw ham. and bread and butter.
With these ap]>ear tiny liqueur glasses of klimmel, kirsch-
wasser, maraschino, anisette, and vodka, or corn brandy.
Among the soups is a cold one, the stock of half-
fermented rye or barley-beer, ^vith pieces of herring,
cucumber, meat, and ice floating in it. For the iced
spinach and sorrel soup I have also given a recipe.* There
is another capital hot soup, to which I nmst fain give its
Russian name, which is easy to remember. This is " Borsch."''
Prepare a jiol-au-fca, with a piece of lirisket of beef, vege-
tables, and a piece of smoked bacon, which has first been
blanched. A\dien the meat is nearl}' done, add a mince,
composed of raw beetroot, onions, leeks, quarter of a white
cabbage head, and a piece of celer}- root ; fry the whole in
butter on a moderate fire: then season vour vecfetables
and moisten with two quarts of broth. Let the liquid
boil over a moderate fire ; last of all, add the meat and
the smoked bacon, cut into middling-sized squares. At
the last moment, mix into the soup a little sour juice of
bec'root, with three tablespoonfuls of raw beetroot✪ Borsch rasped.
The Russians are fond, too, of smoked fish, from
which the fillets are taken out, and the skin removed.
These are cut into sHces, put together in their original
shape, and* dished u\) witli a genuine Russian sauce of
mustard, olive oil, and vinegar. Also they uiake excel-
lent ]>atties of the flesh of the sturgeou. and likewise of
* See r- l-"57.
CHATS ABOUT COOKERY. 5
Page 9 · 2 recipe records on this page
Presented as published in 1895. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
A modernized reading is not available for this page yet. You are seeing the original text.
on rye-bread, pickled cucumbers, caviare, and train-oil,
with a tallow candle occasionally, by way of a treat. As
.a matter of fact, although the fare of the Russian peasantry
is sufficiently coarse, the cuUine enjoyed by the well-to-do
and the Avealthy is a most ajipetising one. In the very
highest ranks of society at St. Petersburg and Moscow, the
cookery is entirely and exquisitely French, and the cJief is
usually an artist from Paris. There are, however, certain
national dishes which are prepared in Russian households,
and which are regularly served at the best hotels in the
two great cities of Russia. I do not intend to worry you
Avith a long string of names and dishes in Russ, as I
am not anxious to make a vain show of familiarity with
foreign languages, or to print a long list of words Avhich
many of my readers would not, I feel sure, be able to
pronounce, and which probably they Avould not remember.
I may, however, just hint that the name of the cabbage
soup for which I have given a recipe* sounds precisel}' like
.a sneeze.
* See p. 114.
B 2
4 TIIK TIIO ROUGH GOOD COOK.
Of course a Russian dinner, like tliat of most of the
Northern nations, is preceded by a " snack,"' or rather, a
variety of '• snacks," served on a kirge tray, which is some-
times ]daced on the sideboard of the dining-room, and
sometimes on a table in the back drawing-room, where
the guests are received. The '■ snacks " or relishes may
consist of fresh caviare, ravr herrings, smoked salmon, sun-
dried sturgeon, raw smoked goose, radishes, cheese, sliced
sausa^'es, cod - sounds, raw ham. and bread and butter.
With these ap]>ear tiny liqueur glasses of klimmel, kirsch-
wasser, maraschino, anisette, and vodka, or corn brandy.
Among the soups is a cold one, the stock of half-
fermented rye or barley-beer, ^vith pieces of herring,
cucumber, meat, and ice floating in it. For the iced
spinach and sorrel soup I have also given a recipe.* There
is another capital hot soup, to which I nmst fain give its
Russian name, which is easy to remember. This is " Borsch."''
Prepare a jiol-au-fca, with a piece of lirisket of beef, vege-
tables, and a piece of smoked bacon, which has first been
blanched. A\dien the meat is nearl}' done, add a mince,
composed of raw beetroot, onions, leeks, quarter of a white
cabbage head, and a piece of celer}- root ; fry the whole in
butter on a moderate fire: then season vour vecfetables
and moisten with two quarts of broth. Let the liquid
boil over a moderate fire ; last of all, add the meat and
the smoked bacon, cut into middling-sized squares. At
the last moment, mix into the soup a little sour juice of
bec'root, with three tablespoonfuls of raw beetroot rasped.
The Russians are fond, too, of smoked fish, from
which the fillets are taken out, and the skin removed.
These are cut into sHces, put together in their original
shape, and* dished u\) witli a genuine Russian sauce of
mustard, olive oil, and vinegar. Also they uiake excel-
lent ]>atties of the flesh of the sturgeou. and likewise of
* See r- l-"57.
CHATS ABOUT COOKERY. 5