A Week of Russian Cuisine

Day 1: FRIDAY
Breakfast: сырники (curd fritter / cottage cheese pancakes), бутерброды с маслом и сыром (open-faced sandwich with butter and cheese), виноградный сок (grape juice)
Lunch: суп (soup); хлеб (bread); огурцы с лукой; (cucumber and onion salad); курица (chicken), капуста (cabbage); блины с яблоками (Russian apple pancakes); пирог (pie)
Dinner: сосиски с кетчупом (hot dogs with ketchup), капуста (cabbage), сырники (curd fritter / cottage cheese pancakes), пиво

Day 2: SATURDAY
Breakfast: гречка с молоком и сахаром (buckwheat porridge with milk and sugar), бутерброды с маслом и сыром (bread with butter and cheese), виноградный сок (grape juice)
Lunch: суп с фаршем, лукой, картошкой, морковью (soup with meatballs, onions, potatoes and carrots); хлеб (bread), огурцы с лукой и майонезом (cucumber and onion sald with mayonnaise), курица с кетчупом (chicken with ketchup), блины с фаршем и маслом (meat and butter pancake wrap), чай (tea)
Dinner: макароны с мясом (pasta with meat), соленья (pickles), бутерброды с мясом (open-faced sandwich with meat), чёрный хлеб (black bread), торт (cake), пирог (pie), пиво, водка, яблочный и апельсинный сок (apple and orange juice), чай (tea)

Day 3: SUNDAY
Breakfast: rice puffs с молоком (with milk), бутерброды с маслом и сыром (open-faced sandwich with butter and cheese), виноградный сок (grape juice), чай (tea), печенье (crackers)
Lunch: картофель печеночный с сыром (baked potato with cheese), пепси (Pepsi), суп с фаршем, лукой, картошкой, морковью (soup with meatballs, onions, potatoes and carrots); хлеб (bread), винегрет (beet salad), мясо с рисом и острым соусом (meat with rice and hot sauce)
Dinner: пирог (pie)

Day 4: MONDAY
Breakfast: пельмени со сметаной (meat dumplings with sour cream), апельсинный сок (orange juice)
Lunch: салат с помидором и огурцом (tomato and cucumber salad), лапша (noodle soup), пицца (pizza), пирожки (pastries), чай (tea)
Dinner: суп с фаршем, лукой, картошкой, морковью (soup with meatballs, onions, potatoes and carrots); хлеб (bread), огурцы с лукой и майонезом (cucumber and onion salad with mayonnaise), мясо с рисом (meat with rice), чай (tea)

Day 5: TUESDAY
Breakfast: каша с бананом (hot cooked cereal with banana slices), бутерброды с маслом и сыром (open-faced sandwiches with butter and cheese), апельсинный сок (orange juice)
Lunch: щи с острым соусом (cabbage soup with hot sauce); хлеб (bread); две кутлеты с рысом, маслом и острым соусом (two meat cutlets with rice, butter and hot sauce); пирог (pie); чай (tea); вода (water)
Dinner: суп (soup), корейские моркови (korean carrots), куриная котлета (chicken cutlet), картофель-фри с острым кетчупом из чили (french fries with hot chili ketchup), круассаны (croissants)

Day 6: WEDNESDAY
Breakfast: каша (hot cooked cereal), бутерброды с маслом и сыром (open-faced sandwiches with buter and cheese), апельсинный сок (orange juice)
Lunch: винегрет (beet salad), борщ (borscht beat-soup), гуляш с макаронами и острым соусом (goulash with pasta and hot sauce), пицца (pizza), пирог (pie), сок (juice), чай (tea), вода (water)
Dinner: суп (soup), овощи: помидоры, баклажан, перцы (vegetables: tomatoes, eggplant, peppers), курица с острым соусом (chicken with hot sauce), круассаны (croissants), чай (tea)

Day 7: THURSDAY
Breakfast: каша (hot cooked cereal), бутерброды с маслом и сыром (open-faced sandwich with butter and cheese), апельсинный сок (orange juice)
Lunch: салат из капусты (cabbage salad), щи с хлебом (cabbage soup with bread), картофельное пюре (mashed potatoes), котлета (meat cutlet), вода (water)
Dinner: суп с хлебом (soup with bread), курица (chicken), картофель-фри (french fries), чай (tea), вода (water)

Note: Every aforementioned reference to hot sauce with food is my own personal twist on Russian cuisine and is not typical. In hopes of making Russian food more flavorful, I've eaten it with three different hot sauces and well as curry powder. I found that hot sauce with щи (cabbage soup) isn't as tasty as I would hope, although when hot sauce is added to meat cutlets and rice, it is a match made in heaven.

Russians generally find hot sauce to be too spicy. The hottest food they eat is usually Georgian food, specifically шашлык (shashlik kebab) with a spicy sauce.

I have had two different homestays during my time here in Russia. Not every Russian family eats all of the typical Russian foods. In my first homestay, I never ate каша (hot cooked cereal) or пельмени (meat dumplings). In my present homestay, I have never eaten плов (pilaff rice dish) or чёрный хлеб (black bread).

Burger Time

Continuing in my theme of firsts from my previous blog post, upon my return from Волгоград, I was really craving a hamburger. While I really try not to indulge myself with foods from home while abroad, it was late, my hostmom was asleep and I knew that there was a 24-hour burger joint around the corner. I layered myself up with coats and headed out into the cold. Seeing the menu at Мистер Гамбургер, I was delighted to see familiar names, although they were written in Cyrillic. I decided to go for the чизбургер (cheeseburger) and a coke. In typical fast food fashion, the fine people at Mister Gamburger give me my tray and I'm off. Sitting down at a nearby available table, I hastily unwrap the burger. While the bun looks a little strange, that doesn't stop me from biting right in. What do I think after my first bite?: This tastes nothing like a hamburger! There is something known as бутерброд in Russian, which is roughly equivalent to an open-faced sandwich. This чизбургер tasted nothing like a grilled burger loaded with deliciously unhealthy American cheddar cheese, but more like a toasted bun with provolone cheese and a slice of deli meat. While the latter description may sound appetizing for some, the taste left something to be desired. There is another burger chain in town, MacKing. While I am really craving a good burger right now, I don't know if I want to risk my life on some unholy pseudo-fusion of McDonalds and Burger King at МакКинг. I guess I'll just have to wait another two months before I have my big, fat, juicy cheeseburger... maybe even with bacon and avocado!

Defeating the Babushki - Attempt at your own Risk!

Reflections on Russia - Defeating the Babushki - Attempt at your own Risk!
Note, this is a feat that should not be attempted at home. It can be considered highly dangerous:
Tonight, for the first time, I feel like I have really accomplished something here in Russia. I have defeated the babushka. Бабушка is the Russia word for grandmother, otherwise known as my hostmom. Babushki are notorious for the incredible amounts of food they lay in front of you at any given meal. It is Russian custom that there always be more food available than you can possibly eat. Russians are often not satisfied until you have eaten so much that you are obliged to leave some amount of food on your plate. Tonight's dinner included many courses: a large sliced tomato and green onion salad, a hefty serving of beef, a plateful of variety of steamed vegetables, a plate of sliced bread and to finish it off, a plate of blini, also known as Russian pancakes. I even put peanut butter on the sliced bread to get some extra protein and enjoy a familiar flavor from home. Thank you to Jessica or whomever previously resided here and left such a large jar of peanut better in the apartment. I have to thank my rigorous workout today for the ability to intake such an incredible amount of calories. Now I must turn to my studies as I await the evening ritual of tea and cream filled croissants or another tasty pastry.