'Foreigners who spend time in Russia soon learn that there are actually two Russias - one public and the other private. The public Russia is typically cold and dark, backward and wary. The private Russia - the Russia of tea at a friend's kitchen table or of sauteed mushrooms in a village dacha - is almost unfailingly cosy and kind'- From the IntroductionTravel to the author's Russia on a journey that takes you to a springtime bliny festival and Easter feast, to a small Russian village to discover nature's bounty, on a mystical quest for autumn mushrooms, and to Red Square for New Year's and Christmas celebrations. Stop along the way for a vegetarian dinner in a communal apartment, a birthday party, a baptism, a tea party and a Russian wedding. A fascinating behind-the-scenes view of Russia and its people and a quest to rediscover a family's cultural heritage, Jones reveals how forty of its finest dishes have been preserved and passed down through the feast days of the Russian Orthodox Church and the gentle rhythm of country life. -'Foreigners who spend time in Russia soon learn that there are actually two Russias - one public and the other private. The public Russia is typically cold and dark, backward and wary. The private Russia - the Russia of tea at a friend's kitchen table or of sauteed mushrooms in a village dacha - is almost unfailingly cosy and kind' From the Introduction Travel to the author's 'private' Russia on a journey that takes you to a springtime bliny festival and Easter feast, to a small Russian village to discover and preserve nature's bounty, on a mystical quest for autumn mushrooms, and to Red Square for New Year's and Christmas celebrations. Stop along the way for a vegetarian dinner in a communal apartment, a birthday party, a baptism, a tea party and a Russian wedding. A fascinating behind-the-scenes view of Russia and its people, Catherine Cheremeteff Jones' quest to rediscover her family's cultural heritage also reveals how forty of Russia's finest dishes have been preserved and passed down through the feast days of the Russian Orthodox Church and the gentle rhythm of country life.
A self-described global nomad, Catherine Jones was born in New Delhi, India, and has been on the road ever since. The daughter of a retired diplomat and the spouse of a Foreign Service Officer, she has called Germany, Jerusalem, Zaire, England, France, Russia, Macedonia, Austria, and the Philippines home over the past four decades.
After graduating from Connecticut College with a degree in psychology, Catherine decided that food, not the human mind, was her passion. She attended La Varenne Culinary School in France, and then went to work for the late, two-Michelin-star chef, Jean-Louis Palladin in Washington, D.C.
In 2003, her award-winning travel memoir with recipes, A Year of Russian Feasts, hit the shelves, and at the same time she turned her attention to health-cookbooks. Working with specialized dietitians, Catherine wrote two critically acclaimed books: Eating for Pregnancy: The Essential Nutrition Guide and Cookbook for Today's Mothers-to-Be (Da Capo, 2009) and Eating for Lower Cholesterol: A Balanced Approach to Heart Health with Recipes Everyone Will Love (Da Capo, 2005).
Catherine freelances for magazines and newspapers, and she is currently working on a book about the culture and food of the Philippines. She attributes her success to plain hard work. "I never give up, and I don't cut corners." When not overseas, Bethesda, Maryland is home. Catherine says, "Life has been good to me. I've seen so much of the world and met incredible people from all nations and walks of life. Everyone has a story to tell, and I love to hear them all."
