A Russian New Year

This year, I wanted to start incorporating some Russian traditions into our New Year's celebration, motivated partly by nostalgia for my time spent living there, and by my love of Russian cuisine. I went with the zakuski tradition this year, making a spread of various salads and appetizers I remember from Russia. New Years is the primary winter holiday in Russia, having surpassed Christmas during the Communist era and incorporating many of its traditions. For example, our Christmas trees are New Year's trees in Russia.

This year, I made Salat pod shuboi (lit. "herring under a fur coat"), vinegret, mushroom zakuski, and eggplant caviar. I also served pickled tomatoes, mushrooms, seledka and olives, and caviar on bread and butter. Everything turned out fairly well, but next time I will definitely cook more hot dishes and maybe fewer salads.

The recipes are easy to find online if anyone is interested in trying them out. The Salat pod shuboi is my favorite, but it also requires the most time, since it involves creating several layers. The results are rewarding, though.

Here are a few pictures of our New Year's table:











Posted by Sara