country : Russia

Russian food is food that warms you up, its like the comfort food that you are use to, but maybe even better. I loved every part of this meal. Russia is known for the cold, vodka, having one of the most difficult languages to learn, and for being the largest country in the world. It covers 1/8th of the planet's land area... WHOA 

This meal was nothing short of spectacular. 

Appetizer: Blini
Main Course: Pelmeni
Dessert: Zefir
Cocktail: Kvasya

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Russian Blini... Can I eat these every single day!? Its like a delicious little breakfast cake that you can eat at any time. Seriously though....breakfast cake. Breakfast is my favorite meal. 

Ingredients:
2 1/3 c flour
1 tsp salt
2 tsp active dry yeast
1/2 cup milk, warmed
4 tsp unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
2 eggs, separated
butter for frying
For Topping:
Caviar or smoked salmon, garnished with chopped hard boiled eggs, mined onion, crème fraîche, and dill

Directions:
1. Place flour, salt and yeast in a bowl, stir to combine. Create a hole in the center and add the milk. Mix until smooth, then cover and proof for about 1 hour
2. Stir in melted butter and egg yolks, Beat egg whites until stiff and fold in. Cover and let stand for 20 minutes
3. Melt some butter in a pan on medium-high and drop quarter sized amounts of dough. Cook on one side about 1 minute, flip and cook for 30 seconds more. Repeat with remaining dough
4. Top and serve 

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Russian Pelmeni are dumplings with delicious filling served with butter and sour cream. Who doesn't want to eat that!? They have been described as "the heart of Russian cuisine". If you love Chinese dumplings or Italian Ravioli, give these a try!

Ingredients:
Dough:
3 cups flour
2/3 cup luke warm water
3 eggs
1 tsp salt
Filling:
2 lb ground meat (meat of choice)
1 large onion, grated
1/2 tbsp salt
1 tsp pepper
Serving:
Sour Cream and butter

Directions:
1. Sift the flour into a mixing bowl, add eggs and mix to combine before adding water to dough. Using your hands combine until you achieve a smooth texture, be sure to flour the working surface to avoid sticking
2. In a medium bowl combine ground meat, grated onion, salt and pepper. Do not cook the meat before hand. 
3. Roll out the dough and cut out circles using a small cookie cutter. Place meat mixture in the middle and fold the edges together to create a half circle, pinching into place. Pull the two corners together and pinch to form a little crescent shape. 
4. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add Pelmeni. When they float to the top they are ready, strain them out and place in a serving bowl. Top with a little melted butter and serve with sour cream for dipping. 

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While Zefir are beautiful and delicious, make sure you have the time and the patience before beginning this endeavor. I had never made a marshmallow type dessert before and let me tell you... this was INTENSE. 

Ingredients:
3 oz water
3 oz pack Jell-o flavor of choice
1 cup water
3 tsp Agar-Agar
3 1/2 cups sugar
1 large lemon
5 egg whites
powdered sugar for sprinkling on top

Instructions:
1. Prepare the jell-o by mixing 3oz of boiling water with the contents of the jell-o package and stirring until jello mix dissolves. 
2. Squeeze lemon into a separate cup and set aside. 
3. Place 5 egg whites into the bowl of a mixer (you want to use one for this) and start whipping going low to high speed. 
4. At the same time add 1 cup cold water and 3 tsp agar-agar to a medium size non stick pot and set over high heat stirring constantly. Once this comes to a boil, lower heat to medium and boil for 2 minutes. Slowly add in your sugar to the mixture while continuing to stir. Boil for an additional 2 minutes
5. Your eggs should be fluffy by now, turn the mixer to a lower speed and slowly pour in the hot agar-agar mixture, then the lemon juice, and finally the jell-o mixture. Turn mixer back to high speed and whip for an additional 5 minutes. 
6. Line a clean, out of the way area on your counter with plastic wrap. Prepare a piping bag with a star tip, fill the bag with the marshmallow mixture and pipe out rosettes onto the plastic wrap covered surface. They will shrink so pipe just a smidge larger than you want them. Dust the tops with powdered sugar and let sit overnight to dry. In the morning peel 2 halves off the plastic wrap and stick he 2 sticky sides together. 

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We all know about Russia and Vodka... but did you know about Russia and Kvass?! Kvass is the oldest Russian drink. Think of it like kombucha, but fermented from rye bread. So weird, but I had to try it! This cocktail is called Kvasya. You take the most well know beverage from Russia (vodka) and mix it with the oldest beverage from Russia (Kvass) and get one surprisingly tasty cocktail. Kvasit is Russian for "to booze" so this drink is right on the mark!

Ingredients:
2 oz kvass
1 oz vodka
sprinkle of cinnamon 

Directions:
1. Add ice to a cocktail shaker. Add in all ingredients and shake until cold. Pour into a glass and enjoy