Memories from a Russian Kitchen: From Shtetl to Golden Land [Hardcover]

Rosalie Sogolow (Editor), Bonnie Stone (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 1996

The historical, cultural, and culinary lore of the former Soviet Union are preserved and shared in Memories from a Russian Kitchen--From Shtetl to Golden Land, a treasury of recipes and reminiscences by senior emigres from the former Soviet Union.

"Food is more than sustenance," says editor Rosalie Sogolow. "It is a way to maintain and enjoy our heritage and the cultural diversity all around us. It is a way to come together and join the past to the future." When Sogolow invited her English as a Second Language students to share their favorite recipes, she found that they were inspired to share much more than combinations of ingredients. They revealed to her not only a rich culinary tradition but also their fascinating collective experience, encompassing two world wars and the unparalleled transition from shtetl existence and Tsarist monarch through communism to modern life in the "Golden Land" -- America.

Thus Memories from a Russian Kitchen is more than a cookbook. It is also a collection of remarkable stories about life in the Soviet Union, including standing in line for bread, struggling to obtain an education, planning family weddings, and much more. Beautifully illustrated by contemporary artist Bonnie Stone, the book reflects the spirit, fortitude, and irrepressible sense of humor of the Russian people despite the overwhelming hardships they faced.

Over one hundred and fifty homestyle recipes fill this precious volume, including such classic recipes as gefilte fish, borscht, kugel, and rugelah as well as family favorites like Matvei's Chicken Soup, Grandmother's Napoleon, and Lilichka's Cake. The book makes every effort to follow traditional Jewish dietary laws, and kosher substitutes are supplied wherever appropriate. Memories from a Russian Kitchen is for anyone interested in Russian Jewry, Russian history, Russian culture, and Russian cuisine.

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

This collection of recipes, anecdotes and memoirs collected from the students of the senior English as a Second Language classes of the Jewish Family Service in Santa Clara County, Calif., is a treat. The abundant text-stories and reminiscences-is warm and engaging. The recipes, too, although full of misordered ingredients and mysterious directions (a recipe for strudel cavalierly instructs, "Make a chain of filling across the top of the dough and roll dough over filling") and far from professional, reveal much about the contributors. Many people recall the long lines and lack of goods in the former Soviet Union; their recipes paint a picture of people who knew how to make something out of almost nothing, with results such as a broth-like yogurt concoction called Tanov (Armenian Soup) and Carrot Pancakes made with farina. Family photographs and such folk tidbits as "The Kugel Song" (in Yiddish) and a list of Russian proverbs ("Don't hang noodles on my ears!") and their English equivalents ("I wasn't born yesterday") are lots of fun.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Much more than a cookbook, this is an oral history with recipes that started out as a writing project for students of the senior English as a Second Language (ESL) program of the Jewish Family Service of Santa Clara?and "took on a life of its own." The contributors, Russian Jews in their seventies and eighties, are all recent immigrants. The stories they relate about their lives in the former Soviet Union are riveting and often shattering?they include the Revolution, pogroms, murdering bandits, the siege of Leningrad, and escape from Armenia?yet there are happy memories as well. With hunger and starvation almost a leitmotif, the recipes sometimes seem an ironic subsidiary, and editor Sogolow had her own doubts about combining these narratives with something "so mundane" as recipes. But she concluded that "life did go on," which is the point of this collection. The recipes are for simple fare, regional Russian dishes, and traditional Jewish ones, too, with favorite treats remembered from special occasions. Recommended for both history and cookery collections.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: Daniel & Daniel Pub (February 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1564741486
• ISBN-13: 978-1564741486
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 7.2 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,264,815 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #89 in Books > Cookbooks, Food & Wine > Regional & International > European > Russian

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book for discovering what our lives might have been!, November 12, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: Memories from a Russian Kitchen: From Shtetl to Golden Land (Hardcover)

I enjoyed this book and its stories and recipes. I have tried several of the recipes, for example the Bean and Barley soup and the mandel bread, and they were very good. The stories made me laugh and cry.