RUSSIA-Kievan Rus

As the world’s largest country, Russia encompasses nine time zones and contains within its borders dozens of ethnic groups.  Russia has a very interesting history. The story goes that Kievan Rus  was a powerful East Slavic state dominated by the city of Kiev. Shaped in the 9th century it went on to flourish for the next 300 years. The empire is traditionally seen as the beginning of Russia and the ancestor of Belarus and Ukraine. From those ancient times comes a popular proverb “Your tongue will take you to Kiev”. If you’re wondering how or why a part of your body would transport you to a European capital, here’s the story. Legend has it that in 999 a Kiev resident called Nikita Shchemyaka got lost in the far-away steppes and was caught by a militant nomadic tribe. Nikita’s tales of Kiev’s wealth and splendor impressed the tribe’s chief so much, he hooked Nikita by the tongue to his horse’s tail and went to wage war against Kiev. That’s how Nikita’s tongue took him home. Now that is a story I will not forget.

                                                                   

 

 


 Russia is one of the world’s most diverse societies – as many as 160 ethnic groups live there. The population of about 142 million may look like a lot but its density is low because of the country’s vast size. It’s also very unevenly spread, with most people clustered in European Russia, near the Ural Mountains and in southwest Siberia. Most Russians are an urban breed – three-quarters of them live in cities. The two major ones are the capital Moscow with more than 10 million people, and St. Petersburg with more than four million. Roughly 80 per cent of the population is ethnic Russian. The rest is a mix of other ethnic groups, with the Tatars and Ukrainians making the largest minorities.


For about seventy years, it existed as the Soviet Union—a communist superpower considered by much of the world to be an “evil empire”. The Cold War tension between the Soviets and the United States very nearly led to nuclear war on several occasions, until the dissolution of the USSR on Christmas Day, 1991.

                                                                

 

 

 

 

Russians take great pride in their cultural heritage, and in the Soviet era nearly everyone, factory worker and collective farmer included, made regular visits to theater, concert hall, or opera house. The generous Communist subsidies that made such widespread cultural appreciation possible shriveled in the 1990s, but both performers and theatergoers are now climbing out of the post-Soviet slump and finding a balance between honoring the classics and testing new artistic directions.

 

 

Russia's rigorous ballet traditions have relaxed little in the past 200 years, and that commitment to physical perfection carries over into every form of dance represented in today's Russia. Even strippers often have classical training. The wave of departures by Russian ballet prodigies for richer Western companies has ebbed in recent years, and a new generation is carrying on the traditions of Baryshnikov, Nureyev, and Nijinsky in their homeland. Russia's reputation makes it a top destination for dance festivals, offering a great opportunity to see international superstars or smaller European and Asian companies.

For classical music fans, there's no better way to pay tribute to the homeland of Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninoff, Mussorgsky, Scriabin, Shostakovich, and Rimsky-Korsakov than to hear their works played in a Russian conservatory by their dedicated heirs. Russia's musicians -- like its athletes and dancers -- are trained from preschool age, with strict discipline and devotion to classicism.
                                                               

 

 

 

 

 In the 1950s, the space program because something of a microcosm for the entirety of the Cold War, with American and Soviet scientists scrambling to be the first to reach various milestones. The Soviets achieved the first major success with Sputnik in 1959, as well as the first manned flight by Yuri Gagarin in 1961.

 

 

Russia is a multi-ethnic and multi-faith nation. Decades of Soviet rule have left their mark: Up to half of Russians declare themselves atheists, although figures vary. Among believers Orthodox Christianity dominates, but smaller Christian denominations also exist.

Orthodox Christianity is Russia's largest religion with 75% of the population belonging to the Orthodox Christian denomination. Islam is professed by 5% of the population. Catholicism, Protestantism, Judaism and Buddhism are professed by 1% of the population each. Other religious denominations represent 1% of the population, while 8% consider themselves atheists.
                                                       

Russian may be all that and more but it’s certainly not the only language spoken in Russia. About 100 others are used across the country. But you don’t need to know all of them – Russian is official throughout the nation, although there are various co-official languages in different regions.

                 

                                                                  

Russian belongs to the Indo-European family, which ties it to Greek and Latin. Its closest spoken relatives are Ukrainian and Belarusian. Over the centuries, its vocabulary and style have been influenced by German, French and English.The Russian alphabet, known as Cyrillic, goes back to the ninth century. Its most ancient version was devised by two Greek missionaries – brothers Cyril and Methodius, both outstanding scholars and linguists. The alphabet assumed its modern shape in the 17th century under Peter the Great, while the written Russian of today was introduced by the Soviet government in 1918.

 

                                                                        

 

 

 

The final death toll of World War Two remains a subject of contention, but there can be little doubt that the Soviets suffered far more casualties than any other nation. Charged with single-handedly defending an entire front against the Germans, the Soviets may have lost in excess of thirty million people, including civilians—around fourteen percent of their entire population. In the Battle of Stalingrad alone, it is believed that more Soviets died than the Americans lost during the whole war.

 

 

 

 

In prehistoric times, the people we now call Native Americans moved over a land bridge that crossed the Bering Strait from Russia, and they began to colonize the New World. The land crossing has since been replaced with impassable ocean, but Russia has begun to advance a program which would see three tunnels constructed beneath the sea, joining Russia with Alaska.

The project, dubbed the TKM-World Link, is estimated to cost about $65 billion. Once completed, it would certainly rank as one of the most phenomenal feats in the history of engineering. Construction is already nearing completion on a railway which would allow the movement of supplies to the farthest reaches of Siberia.

Some people have questioned the practicality of the project, given the remoteness and the challenging climate of the region—but others allege that the tunnels could save billions in shipping costs. And the idea of driving from New York to London does seem pretty cool.

 

 

 This week we cooked the quintessential Russian meal. Homemade Buckwheat Blini pancakes with Caviar and Crème Fraiche. Although we did not purchase real Russian Caviar( A bit to expensive for my taste) we did enjoy Danish Black Lumpfish Caviar and Icelandic Red Capelin Caviar. My 7 year old really enjoyed the Red Capelin with Crème Fraiche on her Blini. I must admit, I preferred it as well. While the eggs were smaller and had less "Mouth Appeal" as they say when comparing caviar, it was less salty than its Danish counterpart. The Buckwheat Flour for our traditional Russian Blinis was a bit tricky to find, but luckily our local HEB did carry it. Blinis are eaten for breakfast all over Russia, usually with condensed milk, sour cream, or jam. They are said to represent the sun. The mixture had a somewhat sour smell to it at first, but after cooking them, they were nutty and delicious! The crème Fraiche was a lovely creamy pairing to the saltier caviar. Together-a perfect marriage.

Here is the recipe we used this week:

http://easteuropeanfood.about.com/od/noodlesdumplings/r/blini.htm

ROMANIA-Land of the Dacians

 

 

This week we are studying Romania. Known by most outsiders for Transylvania and the land of Dracula, there is far more to Romanian history and Culture than that of a fanged vampire.  Romania is one of the large countries of Europe , with a population of approx. 22 million inhabitants. Along with the Romanians, Hungarians, Germans, Serbs, Turks and other minorities also live in the country. Most of them are of Greek-Orthodox religion, but there are also many Catholics, Protestants, Evangelical, Muslims and others.

                        

 Romanians stem from the Dacians, called by Herodotus "very brave and honest fighters". The Dacians lived in southeastern Europe where they farmed, bred cattle, and mined for gold and solver. Their mining led to the a flourishing trade, which urged the Dacians to expand their borders. By the first century A.D., the Romans became very nervous about this group and took them on in battle, a battle the Romans won.

 

 

                                             

 

In A.D. 129 the Emperor Hadrian divided Dacia into two provinces. Marcus Aurelius divided it further. Colonists arrived from Rome and called it Roma Nea, or New Rome, from which is derived Romania. The Romans left a significant footprint on present day Romanian Culture. Christianity and the Latin Language for starters, which is the basis for the Romance language spoken today in Romania, the only Romance language spoken in Eastern Europe. By the 3rd Century many outside invaders arrived in including the Goths from the east and then the Huns and Slavs. By the 13th century the Bulgars came from the south. This is when Romanians changed their religious allegiance from Roman Catholicism to the Eastern Orthodox Church. In the 19th Centiry came the Magyars from Hungary followed by the Turks and Russians. The first immigrants from Romania to the United States were Jews. This is why we decided to cook a traditional Kosher Romanian Dish this week.  

 

Little Romania in lower Manhattan was a neighborhood within a neighborhood, tucked into the blocks bound by East Houston Street, Allen Street, Grand Street, and the Bowery. When the Romanian-born writer Marcus Ravage arrived in New York in 1900, he found the area thriving; restaurants had opened everywhere, he recalled in a memoir, and the first Romanian delicatessens were displaying "goose-pastrama and kegs of ripe olives".

"Goose-pastrama" was the starting point for American pastrami. The Jewish immigrants who settled in Little Romania brought with them a traditional technique for preserving goose by salting, seasoning, and smoking the meat. In America, however, beef was cheaper and more widely available than goose, so pastrama was made with beef brisket instead. Later the name became pastrami—perhaps because it rhymed with "salami" and was sold in the same delicatessens. By the time Little Romania dispersed in the 1940s, New Yorkers from every ethnic background were claiming expertly sliced pastrami as their rightful heritage.

 

 

 

 

 

The Romanian culture is very rich in tradition and folklore. Festivals feature brightly ornamented costumes with traditional dancing. Wood carvings, skillfully woven carpets, and pottery are some of the elements of traditional Romanian culture.

 

 

                                    

                                                                    
The Romanian folkloric costumes have been developed along the people’s history, being a genuine expression of coherent traditions throughout centuries. Distinct clothing ornamentation, traditional methods used for sewing and tailoring the pieces of clothing, and a wide variety of costumes from one region to another customize the defining spirit of the Romanian people.

                                 

On the night of December 5th, boots are cleaned and carefully polished to be put by the door or on the windowsill to wait for St. Nicholas’ (Sfantul Nicolae) visit. He is generous to adults as well as children, putting a little present in each boot—usually nuts, tangerines, sweets and small items, like new socks.  In some areas a walnut branch or thin twigs with gold, silver, or bronze gilded walnuts are left as a warning that behavior needs to improve. On the sixth of December, gifts are given to friends, children, and those in need. It is one of the most important Romanian holidays. If it snows on the sixth of December, it is said that St. Nicholas has shaken his beard so winter can begin.

                    

 

Many legends and stories have been told about St. Nicholas deeds through the centuries. The real St. Nicholas was raised by a devout Christian to assist the needy, the sick and the suffering. He was born in Patara, Turkey (at that time was Greek territory) and became Bishop Nicholas of Myra Lycia in the fourth century, known for his generosity, love for children and concern for sailors and ships. He died December 6, 343, in Myra and was buried in his cathedral’s church and the anniversary of his death became St. Nicholas Day, day widely celebrated in the World and especially in Europe, by Catholics and Orthodox.

The stories of his goodness and generosity are still recounted as a great worker of miracles (rescuing murdered children, giving dowry gold or bringing gifts, saving innocents and sailors).

More than 800,000 Romanians celebrate their name day on St. Nicholas day, December 6th. 815,453 persons are named Nicholas or derivations of the name (eg. Nicolae, Nicu, Nicoleta, Nicola), 530,089 men and 285,364 women, reports the Ministry of Administration.

 

 

 

"The central characteristic of the Romanian cuisine is its great variety. It is a cuisine influenced by repeated waves of different cultures: the ancient Greeks, with whom Romanians traded; the Romans, who gave the country its name; the Saxons, who settled in southern Transylvania; the Turks, who for centuries dominated Romania; as well as Slavic and Magyar neighbors. All of these influences gradually blended into the varied and delicious Romanian culinary tradition" (Nicolae Klepper — Taste of Romania)

 

The main ingredients used by Romanian chefs are meats such as pork, beef and lamb, fish, vegetables, dairy products and fruit. A traditional Romanian meal may include: Eggplant, Corn Meal, Beef, Dill, etc.

 

This week we cooked 3 traditional Romanian Dishes: Mamaliga(Kosher Romanian Corn Meal with Cheese). Baked Eggplant(Little Slippers) and Goat Cheese and Sour Cream Stuffed Tomatoes with Dill. They were absolutely delicious not to mention healthy. The Mamaliga was very similar to Italian Polenta with the exception of added sour cream and cheese. Paired beautifully with the rich lady slippers which consisted of eggplant stuffed with Beef, onions, garlic, tomato paste, onions, and herbs. The stuffed tomatoes were refreshing and creamy. A beautiful and satisfying meal.

 

Here are the recipes we used this week:

http://www.joyofkosher.com/recipes/mamaliga-romanian-polenta/

http://vivianaball.ro/cookingwithvivi/2013/04/03/baked-stuffed-eggplant-little-slippers/

http://simplyromanesco.blogspot.com/2013/07/goat-cheese-stuffed-tomatoes.html

 

ROMANIA- Traditional Dance - Transylvania - Maramures

QUEBEC-Je Me Souviens

                              

 

This week we are studying the Canadian Province of Québec. Nestled into the Eastern part of Canada, Québec is an extremely unique province in many ways. Quebec is the largest Province in Canada, its capital being Québec City. Only about 1.5% of the population speaks English. Over 95% of the population is French speaking. But more than a third of the population can speak both English and French.

 

The name Quebec actually came from the Algonquin world "kepek" meaning "the place where the river narrows." Its largest city is Montreal, its flower the Blue Flag. Quebec has been nicknamed "La Belle Province" because of the diverse landscape and architecture.  Quebec City’s 400th anniversary was celebrated in 2008. It’s the oldest French speaking community in North America. Quebec City is the only walled city north of Mexico. It has 4.6 kilometers of walls. The oldest part of Quebec City was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985.  

 

 

                                       

                          

 

The motto of Quebec, "Je me souviens," means "I remember" in French. The words are carved into stone directly beneath the coat of arms of Québec above the entrance to the Parliament Building. The Parliament Building is located on Parliament Hill in Québec City. It is surrounded by 24 statues representing important historical figures who contributed to the city's foundation and development. The motto suggests that the people of Québec remember the past and value their shared lineage, traditions, glories, defeats and ancestral roots. The phrase "Je me souviens" is also used on Remembrance Day ceremonies in Québec to remember and honor fallen soldiers.

 

                                 

 

                   

The Winter Carnival is held in Québec City in February. Activities include winter sports, dances, ice sculptures, dog sled races,  parades and concerts. "Bonhomme" is the snowman mascot.
 

 

 

Researching distinctive cuisine of Quebec was interesting. The only food I had heard of that was very typical to the region was the ultimate comfort food, Poutine. Poutine is very near and dear to the hearts of the people from Quebec. French fries covered in rich gravy and cheese curds, who would not love that? I have never had a cheese curd in my life, and the closest thing to a cheese curd I can possibly imagine finding at our local grocery stores is Indian Paneer cheese. We decided to go with another traditional dish very commonly cooked during Christmas and winter months in Quebec, Tourtière. A Tourtière is the general term used to describe a savory meat pie. There are many versions of Tourtière. We decided to go with the classic. Pork, mushrooms, onions, spices, clove, and breadcrumbs. Baked in a flaky savory crust. What a delight! We cooked this on a very damp and rainy day which was perfect. We served it with a spicy relish and it was heavenly. This will definitely be a cold weather treat come December!

 

                                                   

                           

 

Here is the recipe we used for our Tourtiere  from Canadian Living:

 

http://www.canadianliving.com/food/cooking_school/tourtiere_recipe_and_instructions.php