Kachka: A Return to Russian Cooking

Description

achka provides not only comforting traditional and cheeky modern recipes -- Armenian Pumpkin Dolmas, Sour Cherry Vareniki-- but a full celebration of Russia's culinary heritage. From the Frumkin family's journey from Belarus to America to the varied political, cultural, and geographic forces at play across the Russian table, Kachka's stories and sidebars reveal the meaning behind each bite. The recipes in this book set a communal table with nostalgic Eastern European dishes like Caucasus-inspired meatballs, Porcini Barley Soup, and Cauliflower Schnitzel, and give new and exciting twists to current food trends like pickling, fermentation, and bone broths. Kachka's recipes and narratives show how Russia's storied tradition of smoked fish, cultured dairy, and a shot of vodka can be celebratory, elegant, and as easy as meat and potatoes. The food is clear and inviting, rooted in the past yet not at all afraid to play around and wear its punk rock heart on its sleeve.

As the first-generation American daughter of Belarusian immigrants, chef Bonnie Frumkin Morales has a unique view on the culture and food of the former Soviet Union. Bonnie honed her skills in several of New York's and Chicago's Michelin starred restaurants. Bonnie and her husband Israel opened Kachka to much critical acclaim in 2014, receiving accolades from Bon Appetit, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, GQ, Elle, Zagat's, and Food & Wine.

This fantastic cookbook by the chef at Kachka in Portland, Ore., is by turns funny, moving, informative, and appetite-whetting. --Publishers Weekly The last time I was in Portland I ate at Kachka twice in 24 hours. It's everything you want from a dining experience: a table covered end to end with cocktails, caviar, pickles, piroshki, and dumplings. It's so immediately and obviously wonderful that you want every night to unfold the same way. With this book, it feels possible. --Danny Bowien Portlandia meets my late grandmother. Kachka is the best guide to Russian cooking yet. It has reinvigorated my relationship with mayonnaise. --Gary Shteyngart "With Kachka, Bonnie Morales has done something amazing: thoroughly update and modernize Russian cuisine while steadfastly holding to its traditions and spirit. Thank you comrade!" --Alton Brown 'Where should we eat in Portland?' my visiting friends often ask; 'Kachka!' I invariably answer. Bonnie and Israel have created an amazing restaurant where zakuski fills the table, Soviet pop music fills the air and horseradish vodka washes it all down. This book captures the vibrancy and history of the food, the excitement of the restaurant and the generosity of the culture. Essential! --Andy Ricker "Kachka tastes like a feisty Russian Babushka's cooking--with Pussy Riot crashing the dinner table." --Portland Monthly, "Cuisine of the Year 2014" "If ever there was a moment for Russian Cuisine to ascend into American mainstream culture, this is it. The curing and pickling crazes from recent years have primed our palates for northern Eurasian Flavors. Affordable caviar and electric orange salmon roe are now ubiquitous garnishes on restaurant plates. And who doesn't want to spend a few happy moments with a bowl of silken dumplings?" --Eater National, "Blinis are the New Black at Portland's Kachka"