Taste of Russia
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Russian ‘Olivier’? Why Russia’s most popular salad has a French name - Taste of Russia Ep.1
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Food for warriors: Making ‘Kulesh’ in a WWII field kitchen - Taste of Russia Ep.2
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Suffering for soup: The secret of authentic ‘ukha’ - Taste of Russia Ep.3
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Bugs Bunny’s worst nightmare: Rabbit on the menu - Taste of Russia Ep.4
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Dumpling dilemma: Making perfect pelmeni from scratch - Taste of Russia Ep.5
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Cuisine of Tolstoy’s times: Forshmak, baked apples, and prostovkvasha - Taste of Russia Ep.6
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Belevskaya pastila & Zephyr: Favourite apple sweets of both European nobility & Soviet children - Taste of Russia Ep.7
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‘Blini’ bonanza: Making real Russian pancakes in a real a Russian stove - Taste of Russia Ep.8
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Making ‘borsch’ fit for a tsar & Cossack fighting 101 - Taste of Russia Ep.9
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Battle of the BBQs: American steak vs. Russian shashlik - Taste of Russia Ep.10
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Borodino II: French Onion Soup & Buckwheat Kasha on the battlefield - Taste of Russia Ep.11
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Making Greek Salad à la Russe & Stolen Lamb for a ‘small’ Greek dinner party - Taste of Russia Ep.12
Dumpling dilemma: Making perfect pelmeni from scratch - Taste of Russia Ep.5
Glen tells Oscar he’s worried that he’s gained weight after all their culinary adventures. This time he wants his friend to show him something simple. What could be simpler than pelmeni? The frozen ready-to-boil meat-filled dumplings can be found in any Russian grocery store.
Some form of dumpling is a traditional part of national cuisine in many countries, and Russia is no exception. The Russian version is a staple in many homes and restaurants. But hold on a minute! Oscar tells Glen that the only good pelmeni are made with your own hands. There’s also another snag, you need a handmade clay pot to boil them in.
So, the first visit is to a potter, where Glen learns to throw his own pelmeni pot. While his masterpiece is fired in a kiln, Oscar shows him how to make pelmeni from scratch. This involves grinding three kinds of meat, making the right type of dough, and shaping every single dumpling by hand. A thousand pelmeni later, Oscar and Glen are ready to boil some, but first they have to collect Glen’s pot.
Tucking into a savoury clay crock of pelmeni with a dollop of sour cream, Glen is truly impressed with the result of their labour… which didn’t turn out so simple after all. And there’s a surprise! His pottery teacher has brought a Turkish delicacy called teshti kebab – lamb and vegetables cooked over hot coals in a clay pot sealed with dough. Now Glen’s worried about his waistline again!