Russian Delight: A Cookbook of the Soviet Peoples w. Borscht, Givech, Lamb Plov & more -- Vintage Cookbook TBT

Vintage Cookbook: Russian Delight: A Cookbook of the Soviet Peoples, V. V. Pokhlebkin

Publication Details: Pan Books, 1984

The only thing that is unfortunate about this exceptional and fascinating cookbook is its English language title that implies that it is about "Russian" cuisine. While Russian cuisine is certainly a part of the book, it has so much more than that. In fact, it is one of the most diverse and multicultural cookbooks I have yet to come across.

Russian Delight is actually a look at the various national cuisines that existed across the entire Soviet Union and its fifteen republics. This cuisine was as varied as one would imagine given that it encompasses dishes from places such as Estonia, Ukraine, Georgia, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, etc.

The book was first published in the USSR in 1978 and then translated into English in 1984.

It has so much to offer that it is really a must to track down for anyone interested in regional cooking, food history or the Soviet Union. Dishes and recipes from every republic are featured as is an introductory overview to each one going into its background, the features of it, the specific ingredients more favoured in each, different techniques and other aspects. 

I have already made some dishes from the book and posted them on The Left Chapter with Moldavian Barbecued Chicken and Georgian Beef Chakhokhbili. I have plans to make more.

Today we are going to look at at least one dish from each republic. I have tried to make it interesting and different with dishes like Stuffed Pig's Stomach from Belarus, Herring with Sour Cream from Estonia and Beetroot Mkhali from Georgia.

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Russia

Ukraine

Byelorussia (Belarus)

Moldavia

Georgia

Armenia

Azerbaijan

Uzbekistan

Tajikistan

Turkmenistan

Kazakh and Kirgiz Cuisine

Estonia

Latvia

Lithuania

The Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic 1982 - History, Art & Development w. Photos & Illustrations

The Ballad of the Earth - I. Vieru

Recently we took a look at an overview of The Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic 1982 - History, Art & Development w. Photos & Illustrations and followed this up with looks at the Georgian, Armenian and Azerbaijan SSRs and then the Byelorussian SSR at the time.

Today we are looking at the Moldavian SSR in 1982 also as gleaned from the pages of  an issue of the Soviet English language publication Socialism: Theory and Practice. The article reviews various aspects of its development within the USSR and a brief overview of its art.

Described as "the main orchard of the USSR" much of the overview details the dramatic advances that had been made in Moldavian agriculture since World War II. It also talks of the progress of the capital Kishinev, having to balance industrial expansion with Moldavia's high density of cultivation (an amazing 90 per cent of its territory) and its environment, and the evolution of cultural life including the Jac Folk Dance Company which is pictured.

As a bonus we have added some general "information items" from the issue that include the building of a large telescope at the Byurokan Observatory in the Armenian SSR and steps being taken to try to design a maglev prototype in the Russian Federation.

(Click on scans to enlarge)

Moldavian Barbecued Chicken

Back in February I did a recipe from a terrific vintage 1970s era cookbook, Russian Delight: A Cookbook of the Soviet Peoples, Georgian Beef Chakhokhbili. As I noted then this excellent cookbook is misleadingly titled as it covers all the various regional cuisines that used to make up the USSR.










Today we are going to do our take on a different dish from the cookbook's section on Modavian cuisine, a cuisine that the introduction to the section says is influenced by both Greek and Turkish traditions and in which lamb and barbecue cooking are very popular. While today's recipe is not a lamb one, it is barbecue!

To make this dish you can use chicken halves, whole legs or thighs. These should be skin-on and bone-in. I used thighs and made a dozen in total.

First, lay your chicken out skin side up on an aluminum barbecue tray.  If you can get the ones with the small slits on the bottom those work best.

Sprinkle each piece of chicken with cayenne pepper and sea salt. I am fairly liberal with both but you can vary it according to your taste and desired level of spice. Then brush the chicken with about 2 tablespoons of white wine and 2 tablespoons of olive oil and let the chicken sit for 30 minutes to an hour (in the fridge is recommended).

While the chicken is sitting prepare your charcoal barbecue and when you are ready to cook top your chicken with 2 chopped onions, 6 cloves of minced garlic and liberally with chopped parsley.

Place the trays on the BBQ grill a cook for around an hour or until the chicken is done.

Around half way through the grilling time, brush the chicken pieces with a bit more olive oil and flip them so that they are skin side down for the last half of the cooking time.

To regulate your heat and the flame levels, as well as to make sure you get that nice smokey flavour, I recommend cooking the chicken 10 minutes BBQ top on, then 5 top off, in a cycle until the cooking is done.

This dish is terrific served with rice and a Greek salad and accompanied by more white wine.

Enjoy.

See also: Georgian Beef Chakhokhbili

See also: Beef Short Ribs Charcoal Barbecued with Homemade BBQ Sauce