Customer Reviews

Russian Cookbook

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

My husband bought this book for holidays. I didn't make any recipes from this book because they are disgusting. I grow up in Ukraine so I know Russian and Ukraine cooking and this book wouldn't taste like Russian cooking. I would never make any cooking from this book, better buy a "Please to the Table: The Russian Cookbook" very good cookbook and great recipes. Don't waste your money on this book.

This book was recently discovered by me on a bookshelf in a spare bedroom. "Well, it couldn't be that bad", I thought. I was wrong. It can.
As far as I remember, I have not cooked a single recipe out of it in the three years that I have owned the book (the fact that my father sent me a cookbook in Russian from Russia must have played a role). The recipes in Petrovskaya's book are NOT authenticly Russian. So if you are indeed a Russian living in America, don't waste your money (and if you are not convinced, should I mention her recipe for plov without meat?)! It is geared towards an American cook not familiar with Russian food in the least.
On the positive note, it will not send you on a wild goose chase searching for some exotic ingredient (tvorog, for example) to the local supermarket. So if you fit the description above (American, never been to Russia, never tasted Russian food) it might be for you.
A personal grudge I hold against Kira Petrovskaya is her CONSTANT mention of unsatiable Russian appetite. In fact, from my experience (and from my 20 years of experience living in Russia), Russians don't eat anywhere near as much as Americans (and hence as a nation are not obese).
Overall, pass this book for a much better (although not perfect) Anya Von Bremzen's "Please to the Table"

This cookbook is the same one published under the name "Kyra's Secrets of Russian Cooking", but nothing about this book lets you know it had a previous title. The recipes are not authentic-how "Russian" is white rice cooked in beef broth? Another recipe mixes cooked meat, canned vegetables, powdered sugar, dill pickles and mayo...and calls it a whole meal salad! Better buy Rice-A-Roni and a Betty Crocker cookbook instead! Kira Petrovskaya is from Russian royalty, and has many nice things with Royal Viking cruises. Her cookbook, however, is neither nice nor royal.

This is the best Russian Cookbook ever. I received a xerox copy of the original hardbound book when I got married 42 years ago. It was getting hard to read a lot of the pages but still great to use. I was so happy to find this book at a reasonable price from a great seller. I bought 2 copies so my daughter now can cook great food too. Thanks for your excellent service.

Recipes are very easy, you can get all you need at any grocery store. This book is for everyone who likes to eat