ReTRo HouSeWiFe

MENUS AT THE RETRO HOUSEWIFE

MAIN COURSE

RUSSIAN DINNER, Russian

ZAKOUSKI (Hors d'oevres)

ZAKOUSKI have a prominent position on every Russian menu. They consist of cold and hot delicacies, such as the following, served in the most appetizing and decorative way, since they are supposed to whet the appetite.

Menu Items

• Caviar - Sturgeon (black) caviar is preferable to salmon (red) caviar, however, the salmon, being less expensive and always available, is just as acceptable. Either one must be served chilled.
• Herring - Get a large, fat salted herring and soak it in cold water or milk for about 12 hours. Remove skin and bones and slice into small pieces. Serve it garnished with slices of onion, fresh or salted cucumbers and tomatoes. Serve very cold.
• Pickled or salted mushrooms
• Smoked and salted sprats or sardines
• Smoked salmon (with slices of lemon)
• Mushrooms cooked with sour cream (see recipe)

Notes For Serving

Be sure to serve vodka with zakouski, especially if your guests are Russian! Vodka, Russian aperitif, is almost tasteless, but very potent, and gives quite an after effect, so you may stop serving it if your guests should become too noisy and overly gay. Vodka must be very well iced and it should be served in small tumblers, because it is taken in one swallow, not sipped.

Soup may follow zakouski. With the soup you may serve piroshki or pirog (see recipe). Fish, meat or poultry course comes next and dessert and coffee conclude the dinner.

Contributed by Mrs. Helen Semchevsky, 1950

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