| Recipes for Cheesefare Week!
The last week before the beginning of Great Lent (AKA the Great Fast) we abstain from meat. However, dairy products, eggs, olive oil, wine and fish are included.
Among the Russian traditions, the Sunday of Cheesefare (coming up - the last day before Orthodox Lent begins) is called "Maslenitza," (or Maslenitsa) which means "Butter Festival." We eat up all the fish, dairy products, eggs, etc before Pure Monday - one of the strictest of the fasting days.
The Russians are renowned for making blini and having a wonderful feast of dairy products, cheese, eggs and fish on this day. So I thought I'd put a typical menu and some recipes here for those who might be interested.
Menu for Maslenitza:
Bliny - lots of them!!
melted sweet butter
sour cream
cheeses of choice
smoked fish
grated hardboiled eggs
caviar
chopped spring onions
Cool Raspberry Soup
Cheesefare Pasta w/ Spinach
I've been known to make my grandmother's EggNog, and Charlotte Russe for Cheesefare, but that isn't "traditional" Russian. Of course, the Cheesefare Pasta isn't very "traditional" either.
Anyway, here go the recipes:
Cool Raspberry Soup
20 oz. frozen raspberries, thawed
1 1/4 cups water
1/4 cup white wine, optional
1 cup cran-raspberry juice
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
3 whole cloves
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 carton raspberry yogurt
1/2 cup sour cream
In a blender, puree raspberries, water and wine if desired. Transfer to a large saucepan; add the cran-raspberry juice, sugar, cinnamon, and cloves. Bring just to a boil over medium heat. Remove from the heat; strain and allow to cool. (I strain several times to remove the seeds.) Whisk in lemon juice and yogurt. Refrigerate. To serve, pour into small bowls and top with a dollop of sour cream. Yield: 4-6 servings (but probably only when served with other dishes at a shower, which was what it was originally featured in a magazine for. I think it pretty much serves 2 or 3, with a little left over.)
= = = = =
Blini
5 1/2 cups flour (just plain old multi-purpose works fine)
2 1/2 cups water
1 package yeast
1 Tbsp sugar
2 1/4 cups milk
3 eggs, separated
1/4 lbs sweet butter, melted
Dissolve yeast in 1/2 cup of warm water. Add 4 cups flour, 2 1/2 cups water and sugar. Mix well, cover, and let rise in a warm place.
(You may wish to substitute Buckwheat flour for some or all the all purpose flour. **Very** traditional!)
When risen, add 1 cup flour, mix well, and let rise.
Bring milk to a boil, and add to the flour mixture VERY slowly (quite literally drop by drop at first), stirring constantly until smooth. Add egg yolks, butter, and 1/2 cup of flour. Mix well, cover and let rise again.
As soon as it has started to rise, fold in stiffly beaten egg whites.
Wait 1/2 hour and start baking!
Using a cast iron skillet (works best), brush melted butter on pan until covered and bubbly. Ladle batter into skillet, and rotate so the bottom is covered. Let bake over medium heat until the bubbles on top are popped and the batter is dry. Flip and bake other side.
Keep baked blini in a covered dish over hot water.
--------------------------
This is a fool-proof recipe as long as you follow it to the letter.
= = = = =
Once the blini are made, you simply serve them along with any or all of the following toppers:
Blini Toppers
"Traditional" toppers are (any or all):
Melted butter (sweet)
Sour cream
Smoked salmon (the saltier the better)
Pickled herring
Chopped scallions
Chopped hard-boiled egg
Raspberry Jam
Caviar - of several varieties, and again the saltier the better (In my humble opinion, shelling out vast quantities for, say, beluga caviar, is silly... Although it goes well alone on a blin, or with sour cream, or on black bread with butter, it is much too bland when mixed with the other stuff)
Syrup
Honey
Take a blin, spread with melted butter, spread with sour cream, add whatever other topper you wish. Now fold in 1/2 and then fold again. Pick up in fingers and eat!! Yummmmm!
= = = = =
NOTE: Should there be any blini left over, they may be used to make blinchiki: Spread the cooked blini with any desired filling (cottage cheese, creamed mushrooms, jam, etc) and fold the pancake around the filling like an envelope. Fry in butter until browned on all sides.
= = = = =
Cheese Fare Week Pasta
2 lbs matching pasta, chef's choice
1 package frozen chopped spinach
1 8 oz. package cream cheese
2 Tbsp. butter
Parmasean Cheese to taste
green onions, finely chopped (yes, you can chop the top of an onion that
sprouted)
Boil and drain the pasta.
In the microwave, remove the wrapping from the frozen spinach and cook the
whole box, on a paper plate, for five minutes.
Meanwhile, tbe in bottom of the pot the pasta was cooked in, melt the cream
cheese.
Return the pasta to the pot full of melting cream cheese.
Start stirring.
Stir in the butter.
Stir in the spinach.
Stir in the green onion to taste.
Sprinkle in as much parmesean cheese as you like.
Serve in bowls.
Serves 4-8.
= = = = =
For a more non-traditional, but "legal" Maslenitsa, you may want to serve Nigiri sushi, a baked whole salmon, Tuna chimney rolls, or other favorite fish.
As we live in the south and there are many converts, we often refer to ourselves as "Redneck Orthodox" and have been known to serve catfish and hushpuppies on Maslenitsa!!
In Russia, you will often see Cheesefare Week celebrated in this way:
Monday.People start making “baked suns”, or blyni (Russian pancakes). Most often, the all-knowing mother in law was leading the process of cooking. She would use only her own, personal “equipment”: a trivet, a frying pan and a special vat for the dough. Her daughter, in turn, had nothing else to do but to watch her mother's craftsmanship.
On Tuesday, people usually visit their friends and host parties at their homes. Young men are scouting their future wives and ladies search for their future husbands.
Wednesday is a real feast.
The next day (Thursday), everyone would go outside and participate in fistfights. In ancient times, even women participated in those fights. Interestingly, broken jaws, broken ribs arms and fingers were all regarded as a goof omen.
Friday. This day is often called “an evening with a mother in law”. Respectful sons in law would visit their mothers in law on this day and enjoy a delicious meal in each other's company.
Saturday is a women's day! Girlfriends gather together to discuss their problems, men…while eating delicious bliny.
The next day, Sunday, is called “Farewell” or “Forgivness Sunday”. Once again, everyone gathers for an unforgettable sleigh ride. Afterwards, people prepare a scarecrow and burn it. It is immensely important to ask your relatives, friends, loved ones for forgiveness on this day.
The next Monday is considered to be “Clean Monday”. It signifies the official beginning of Lent
Cheerio!
Elizabeth
Picture: A child in Vladisvostok enjoying Blini!
|