Dishes according to the USSR GOST. Back to the USSR: the best dishes and recipes
Every time we talk about food in the USSR and favorite dishes of that time, I remember my grandmother - a classic Soviet woman with large figures, a voluminous hairstyle, wearing gold earrings with rubies and a brooch on her chest. In her house there was always a cult of food, or rather satiety.
The red-orange borscht that the entire Khrushchevka smelled of, so thick that a spoon stood still, was served with a generous portion of sour cream. Pies and sweet donuts were prepared on an industrial scale - in buckets. The honor was the butter-white kaymak with a brown “cap,” for which my grandmother went to the local market.
A special event for me was going to see my grandmother at work, because she worked in one of the best restaurants in the city.
In the room between the kitchen and the banquet hall, I sat at a table and, listening to exclamations of emotion from the waitresses running past, ate a chicken Kiev. You had to bite off the bottom of the cutlet and drink the warm middle, which kept trying to run down your chin. And for tea I received custard cake, which I finished eating to my grandmother’s delight, albeit with difficulty. Yes, I had a happy Soviet childhood!
Now, when the variety of products in stores is incommensurate with what it was in Soviet times, it is food from the USSR that is remembered with particular warmth. with processed cheese, suckling pig, naval pasta, goulash, berry jelly, and the top of it all is cakes: anthill, Napoleon, sour cream... No matter how much modern culinary producers try to imitate their taste, it is useless. No one can cook better than our mothers and grandmothers!
Historical process
Nostalgic for the tastes of childhood, we do not think about the fact that every dish of Soviet cuisine did not appear by chance, but as a result of certain historical processes. I wrote a lot about this in detail. Thus, he noted that after the First World War, the revolution of 1917, as well as the civil war of 1918-1922, global migration of the population began in the country.Fleeing from hunger, the peoples of the Volga region moved to Ukraine, and many residents of central Russia, in turn, sought happiness in Central Asia. Thus, national dishes penetrated into all-Russian cuisine and were enriched with new culinary recipes.
Siberians and Uralians presented us with homemade dumplings and shanezhki, Ukrainians brought with them lard, dumplings, borscht and Kiev cutlets, residents of Central Asia shared meat dishes that are cooked over an open fire. Uzbek pilaf, Lithuanian cheese, beef Stroganoff imported from Odessa - all this has become familiar and familiar to all citizens of the country.
Favorite canteen
Canteens - school, institute, factory, factory - this is also a sign of the Soviet era. Then the main feature of all catering establishments was an almost identical set of dishes. Let's say goulash with buckwheat porridge, salad with sauerkraut and dried fruit compote.The thing is that in Soviet times food was supplied to all canteens centrally. In addition, the menu was unified, and this entailed a decrease in the skill level of the cooks: they were only required to cook quickly, economically, and the same thing every day.
The widespread use of semi-finished products completed the picture of simplification of tastes. And it was precisely in Soviet times that it became the main sauce and dressing for all salads - due to its low cost. And now many cannot imagine a classic Olivier salad or herring under a fur coat without mayonnaise.
The secret of taste
And yet it’s amazing how easy it was, living in the USSR, to feel full and satisfied. Drink milk or kefir from a glass bottle with a soft shiny cap, snack on a bagel - and you’re already good! And how can you look forward to a real holiday - a birthday or New Year - when your mother or grandmother bakes duck in apples and makes a “potato” cake...And now neither bagels nor store-bought cakes bring the desired joy. So what's the secret? Is it because the grass used to be greener and the milk tasted better? Quite possible.
And we also miss not only food from the USSR, but also our childhood and youth, our inexperience and dreams of the future, the times when our grandmothers were still alive and well, full of strength (although, of course, we then considered them 50-year-olds, old ones) and cooked for us with all their hearts. And how wonderful it is when there is a “time machine” in the house - a plump notebook with recipes passed down by inheritance. With its help, you can prepare dishes from your childhood and be transported back to those times of which now you only have pleasant memories.
Back to USSR
Soup with processed cheese, herring under a fur coat, Olivier salad, borscht with sprat in tomato, a sandwich with sprats, chicken Kiev, naval pasta... Surely the names of these dishes make you feel nostalgic. What if we start a New Year's celebration in the Soviet style: prepare dishes from our childhood, dress in our mother's or grandmother's dress, find recordings of songs from those years and have fun until the morning?Spicy Olivier with shrimps and boiled pork
1 boiled carrot,
2 pickled cucumbers,
2 hard-boiled eggs
2 tbsp. tablespoons canned green peas, optional
130 g boiled pork,
200g shrimp,
0.5 bunch of green onions,
mayonnaise,
black peppercorns,
Bay leaf,
salt.
1. Cut boiled pork and peeled vegetables into small cubes. Chop the eggs and onions.
2. Place shrimp in boiling water with bay leaf and pepper and cook for 3 minutes. Then drain the shrimp in a colander, cool and peel.
3. Mix the prepared ingredients, add salt and season with mayonnaise. Add peas if desired.
Pickled herring and mackerel
2 mackerel,
1 liter of water,
100 g salt,
2 tbsp. tablespoons vegetable oil,
6 bay leaves,
7 pcs. allspice peas,
a handful of coriander,
a handful of black peppercorns,
a handful of dried dill,
5 buds of cloves.
1. Pour water into a saucepan, add salt, stir and put on fire.
2. When the water boils, add bay leaf, both types of pepper, coriander, dill and cloves. Cook over low heat for 3 minutes. Then remove the pan from the stove and cool the marinade to room temperature.
3. Rinse the fish, cut off the heads and tails, gut them and rinse again. Cut into large pieces.
4. Place the fish in jars: herring - in a two-liter jar, mackerel - in a liter jar.
5. Fill with brine. Then add vegetable oil. Seal with plastic lids and shake until the oil is evenly distributed throughout the jars.
6. Place the jars in the refrigerator for 2 days to infuse.
Domestic sprats
1 kg sprat,2 teaspoons of black tea (infusion),
0.5 cups sunflower oil,
6 pcs. allspice peas,
2 bay leaves,
1 teaspoon salt.
1. Clean the sprat from heads and entrails. Place the fish in a thick-bottomed saucepan and cover with oil.
2. Make strong tea from the tea leaves. Add salt and stir. Pour the marinade over the fish. Add pepper and bay leaf.
3. Simmer the contents of the saucepan under the lid for 1.5 hours. Do not stir.
Marinated fish
2 onions,
2 carrots,
2 tbsp. spoons of tomato paste or ketchup,
0.25 glasses of water,
0.5 tbsp. spoons of vinegar (9%),
1 tbsp. spoon of sugar,
flour,
vegetable oil,
Bay leaf,
ground cloves,
ground allspice,
salt.
1. Peel the vegetables. Finely chop the onion. Fry in hot oil until transparent.
2. Grate the carrots and add to the onion. Fry, stirring constantly, 5 minutes.
3. Then add tomato paste and water, bring to a boil. Add salt, pepper, cloves, sugar and bay leaf. Boil for another 5 minutes. Pour in the vinegar, bring to a boil again and remove from heat.
4. Wash the fish, dry it and cut it. Roll each piece in flour. Fry in hot oil until done.
5. Place some marinade in the pan, place the fish on top and finish with the remaining marinade. Cover with a lid and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
Lard in onion skins
1 kg of lard with meat layer,5-6 cloves of garlic,
peels from 7-10 onions,
1 glass of salt,
1 liter of water,
3-4 bay leaves,
4-6 pcs. allspice.
1. Pour water into a saucepan and add salt. Bring to a boil. Place the washed onion peels into the resulting brine and cook for 10 minutes.
2. Add lard to the boiling brine (the liquid should completely cover the lard). Bring to a boil, reduce heat (the brine should not boil too much) and cook for 10 minutes.
3. Turn off the heat and leave the lard in the brine for another 15 minutes. Then remove it from the brine and leave it on a plate until it cools completely.
4. Prepare a mixture of spices: peel and chop the garlic, break the bay leaf, crush the peppercorns.
5. Using a knife, make small cuts in the cooled piece of lard. Then rub with spices so that some of them get into the cuts.
6. Wrap the lard in foil and put it in the freezer.
Stuffed eggs
15 eggs.Filling No. 1:
1 teaspoon mustard,
2 tbsp. spoons of sour cream,
3 tbsp. spoons of mayonnaise,
1 tbsp. spoon of green onion, finely chopped,
ground black pepper salt.
Filling No. 2:
3-4 slices of ham,
3-4 slices of medium-hard cheese, green onions,
1 clove of garlic, fresh parsley mayonnaise,
salt.
Filling No. 3:
4 crab sticks,
1 slice of canned pineapple,
1 clove of garlic,
30 g parmesan,
mayonnaise.
1. Boil the eggs hard, then peel and cut in half. Remove the yolks.
2. For filling No. 1, combine a third of the yolks with mustard, sour cream and mayonnaise, and mash with a fork. Add onion, salt, pepper and stir. Divide the prepared filling among 10 egg halves.
3. For filling No. 2, cut the ham into small cubes, chop the herbs, grate the cheese, pass the garlic through a press. Combine the prepared ingredients with half the yolks. Add mayonnaise, salt and stir. Divide the mixture among 10 egg halves.
4. For filling No. 3, grate the cheese, finely chop the pineapple and crab sticks. Grind the remaining yolks with garlic, passed through a press, and mayonnaise. Mix the prepared ingredients and spread among the remaining egg halves.
Lazy Kiev cutlets
1 kg minced chicken,100g butter,
3 sprigs of dill,
2-3 cloves of garlic,
flour,
breadcrumbs,
1-2 eggs,
vegetable oil,
ground black pepper,
salt.
1. Chop the dill and pass the garlic through a press. Mix dill and garlic with salt.
2. Cut the cooled butter into equal pieces (you should get 8-10 pieces).
3. Divide the minced meat into 8-10 parts. Form each into a flat cake, put a piece of butter and a little garlic and dill in the middle. Make cutlets.
4. Mix flour, eggs and breadcrumbs with pepper and salt. Roll the cutlets in breading. Place in the freezer for 15 minutes.
5. Heat the oil in a saucepan. Add the cutlets and fry over high heat for 1-2 minutes on each side. Then reduce heat and cook for 5 minutes on each side.
6. Transfer the cutlets to a paper towel to drain excess fat.
Ministerial meat
700 g pork tenderloin,1 large onion,
450 g hard cheese,
1 teaspoon lemon juice,
fresh dill, optional
Khmeli-suneli seasoning, optional
ground black pepper,
salt.
1. Cut the meat, beat it, salt and pepper. Season with suneli hops. Place in a bowl, cover with cling film and refrigerate for 1 hour.
2. Cut the onion into half rings, cover with cold water, add lemon juice, salt and pepper. Leave for 20 minutes, then drain in a colander.
3. Place the onions in the bottom of the baking dish. Then add the meat and sprinkle with grated cheese.
4. Bake for 20 minutes at 230°C. Serve sprinkled with chopped dill.
Jewish salad in a new way
150 g cheese,1 hard-boiled egg
2 cloves of garlic,
3-4 crab sticks,
mayonnaise,
almonds or pitted olives,
green salad leaves, optional.
1. Grate the cheese, egg, crab sticks and garlic on a medium grater and combine. Add mayonnaise and stir.
2. Form a flatbread from a small amount of lettuce. Place an almond or olive in the center and shape the mixture into a ball. Repeat with remaining salad.
3. Place the cheese balls on a plate lined with lettuce leaves.
Fresh cabbage salad
200 g white cabbage,2 apples,
1 carrot,
1 pickled cucumber,
0.25 bell pepper optional
4 tbsp. spoons of mayonnaise,
beet juice, optional
salt.
1. Cut the cabbage into thin strips, cucumber, pepper and apples, peeled from seeds, into cubes. Grate the carrots on a fine grater.
2. Lightly rub the cabbage with salt. Add cucumber, apples, carrots and pepper. Stir.
3. Add beet juice for color. Add mayonnaise, mix and serve.
Julienne with chicken and mushrooms
2 large chicken thighs or 3 small chicken thighs,150 g champignons,
1 head of onion,
100 g parmesan,
170 ml cream (25%),
1 tbsp. spoon of flour,
vegetable oil,
ground black pepper,
salt.
1. Rinse the chicken thighs, cover with cold water and cook until tender. Then cool, separate the meat from the bones and chop finely.
2. Peel and chop the onion, cut the mushrooms into thin slices. Sauté the onion in hot oil. Add mushrooms and cook until excess liquid has evaporated (10-15 minutes).
3. Add chicken to the mushrooms, salt and pepper and remove from heat.
4. In a dry, heated frying pan, lightly fry the flour, pour in the cream, salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Remove from stove.
5. Combine the sauce with chicken and mushrooms, spread the mixture into baking dishes. Sprinkle with coarsely grated cheese.
6. Bake in an oven preheated to 180°C for 20 minutes.
Layered vegetable salad
3 beets,2 sweet carrots,
2 sweet and sour apples,
200 g cheese,
chopped walnuts,
garlic,
fresh greens,
mayonnaise or sour cream,
ground black pepper,
salt.
1. Boil or bake beets. Then peel, grate and, if necessary, squeeze out excess liquid. Add pressed garlic, mayonnaise, pepper and salt. Stir.
2. Grate the cheese on a coarse grater. Add pressed garlic, mayonnaise and chopped herbs. Stir.
3. Grate carrots and apples, drain off excess juice. Add nuts and season with mayonnaise.
4. Cover the bowl with cling film. Add layers of beets, cheese and carrots. Cover with film and refrigerate for 2 hours. Before serving, invert the bowl onto a platter.
Herring under a Fur Coat
2 boiled beets,1 boiled carrot,
2 boiled potatoes,
100 g soft cream cheese,
150 g mayonnaise,
1 lightly salted herring,
5 g gelatin
salt.
1. Pour gelatin into 0.25 cups of cold water, leave until it swells, then dissolve in a water bath. Cool and mix with mayonnaise.
2. Grate the beets and carrots separately on a fine grater, and grate the potatoes on a coarse grater. Mix each ingredient with 3 tablespoons of mayonnaise.
3. Peel the herring and cut into pieces.
4. Place cling film on the table. Spread the beets in an even layer. Season with salt (then add salt to each layer).
5. Also mix the cheese with 2-3 tablespoons of mayonnaise and place on the beets. The cheese layer should be thinner than the beet layer, and each subsequent layer should be thinner than the previous one. Then add layers of potatoes and carrots. Place pieces of herring in the middle.
6. Carefully, using cling film to help, roll the roll. Wrap in cling film and foil. Place in the refrigerator for 3 hours. Then decorate.
Light vinaigrette with interesting dressing
1 beet, baked or boiled,1 carrot,
1 can of canned green peas,
6-10 mini cobs of canned corn or a handful of canned corn,
1 head of onion,
2-3 pickled cucumbers,
2-3 tbsp. spoons of apple cider vinegar,
2-3 tbsp. spoons of olive oil,
1 tbsp. spoon of Dijon mustard,
salt,
ground black pepper,
a pinch of sugar.
1. Peel the beets and cut into cubes. Place in a bowl, immediately pour in vinegar and season with mustard.
2. Peel the carrots, cut into small cubes and place in a saucepan. Pour a glass of water, add a pinch of salt and sugar. Cook for 10 minutes until soft. Then drain the water and, without cooling, add the carrots to the bowl with the beets. Stir.
3. Cut the corn cobs into circles, onions and cucumbers into cubes. Place the prepared vegetables in a bowl with the beets and carrots. Add peas and stir.
4. Season the salad with oil, pepper, taste for salt and refrigerate for 2-3 hours to steep.
Increasingly, restaurateurs are returning to recipes from the Soviet past. Here and there, dishes appear in restaurants, slightly modified, but so familiar to everyone from childhood. Many people already treat recipes from the USSR era with disdain. What could be cooked there if there wasn’t even butter on the store shelves? But even without jamon, blue cheese and marzipan, Soviet women created real masterpieces. Here are the most popular ones.
Salad "Olivier"
The Soviet version of the salad was very different from the pre-revolutionary one. It was so “based on” that it could well be called a parody. No hazel grouse, no pressed caviar, no crayfish...
The Soviet version, which is familiar to us, was invented in the Moscow restaurant in the capital immediately after the revolution. All the delicious things disappeared from it, and the hazel grouse were completely replaced with boiled chicken. And during the special “revelry” of developed socialism, many housewives gave up poultry altogether, replacing it with boiled sausage. Oddly enough, it was in this form that the salad became known almost throughout the world. In Europe it is now called “Russian salad”, which, in general, is fair.
How to cook. Everything is very simple. To begin with, they boiled potatoes, meat, eggs, took pickles from a barrel or jar, brought onions from the cellar and opened a jar of green peas. Now the most dreary part remained: they chopped everything into cubes, except for the peas, of course. They added mayonnaise, salt, pepper, and the last magical action: stirred. For a normal bowl of salad, half a kilo of meat, the same amount of potatoes, ten eggs, five cucumbers, two onions and a jar of peas is enough.
How to make it tastier. Firstly, you can make your own mayonnaise with olive oil, rather than buying it at the store. Secondly, it is not forbidden to add shrimp to all this riot. To be happy you need three hundred grams, don’t regret it.
Salad "Shuba"
Believing this story or not is a personal matter for everyone. “Shuba” became popular after the war, and Soviet cooking can be proud of it - this is an absolutely unique dish that immediately became popular. But, unlike “Olivier”, in the world it is known exclusively as “this extravagant Russian salad with herring”, or “oh my God, why do they do that”.
How to cook. There are many variations of the recipe, but they all have one thing in common: you need boiled beets. In addition to it, the usual list includes boiled potatoes, carrots and herring. Not everyone can handle the vegetarian version with seaweed. Vegetables were boiled, cooled, peeled, chopped or grated. The herring was also crushed and vegetable oil was added. The whole point of the salad is that the products were laid in layers and each of them was generously coated with mayonnaise. Herring came first, then carrots, potatoes and beets. Ideal proportions: there should be the same amount of each vegetable in the salad as the herring “base”.
How to make it tastier. Don't skimp on the mayonnaise—the salad loves it. Nowadays, in addition to traditional ingredients, onions and eggs are often added. Neither one nor the other will definitely spoil the “fur coat”. Gourmets use salted red fish instead of herring, but this, you see, is somehow not proletarian.
Salad "Passenger"
There is a version that in the sixties this dish was actively promoted in dining cars. Apart from the memoirs of individual railway workers, no other evidence of this could be found.
How to cook. The salad contains only three main products, plus the usual dressing - mayonnaise. It was made from beef liver, which was first fried in large pieces and then cut into strips. Pickled cucumbers were cut in the same way. Onions, chopped into half rings, were sautéed. Then they mixed it all, salted, peppered and added the magical “Provencal”. Half a kilogram of liver required the same amount of onions and half as many cucumbers.
How to make it tastier. The combination of products is almost perfect; it is unlikely that anyone will be able to achieve better. However, some housewives, at the request of faint-hearted husbands, reduce the amount of onions. The move is questionable.
Soup "Student"
You won’t find this recipe in a Soviet cookbook, but any student who studied then remembers it very well. And even in several versions - depending on the available products and financial capabilities.
For some reason, modern Russian websites and communities dedicated to cooking strongly demand the use of broth in the recipe. Of course, “Student” is similar to French cheese soups, but there was no talk of any special broth. All meat gain was provided exclusively by sausages.
How to cook. As usual, it all starts with peeling potatoes (0.5 kg). In a completely hopeless situation, it was replaced with pasta, but it was not so tasty. Also required were three hundred grams of sausages, a carrot, an onion and two processed cheeses. The simplest grocery set that could easily be bought without using any connections. When the water boiled, finely chopped onions and carrots were thrown in. The sausages were also chopped, usually cut into circles - it’s easier that way. At the very end it was the turn of processed cheese.
How to make it tastier. This is where the real scope for imagination lies. The students added everything to enrich the taste and out of desperation: from bell peppers to olives. And the taste didn’t lose because of it.
Pea soup
The history of pea soup goes back several thousand years. There are mentions of it in Ancient Greece, Rome, and medieval treatises. In Russia, it has also been known for quite a long time and is even mentioned in Domostroy.
In the USSR, it was prepared from dry peas or special briquettes with a semi-finished product. Due to its cheapness, it was especially loved in workers' and student canteens. At home, “musical soup” was also prepared periodically, but the dish was not at all festive.
How to cook. It is useless to consider the briquette option: the cooking method is written on the wrapper. If it was made from dry peas, they were pre-soaked for 6-8 hours. Onions, carrots, any smoked meats or lard were chopped and fried. Be sure to peel some potatoes, literally two or three. They boiled it together with the peas until half cooked, then added everything from the frying pan. When the soup was ready, croutons were thrown into the plate. For 250 grams of peas it took 200 grams of meat, one carrot, an onion and 0.6 liters of water.
How to make it tastier. It is not at all necessary to stop at one type of smoked meat. A soup with two or even three types of meat will be much better.
Navy pasta
Soviet interpretation of Italian pasta. The exact history of this dish is unknown. It appeared in cookbooks in the sixties, but there were mentions of it before. Most likely, this is a classic “folk art”, which also appealed to culinary professionals. Naval pasta was offered in the canteens of almost all institutions and especially often in sanatoriums, boarding houses and pioneer camps. Their administration simply adored this recipe: it was almost impossible to understand how much meat was actually put in it. The minced meat was mixed with noodles and no tomatoes were used, as is done in modern recipes.
How to cook. The composition is ingenious in its simplicity. It contains only three products: minced meat, one onion and the pasta itself. No complex manipulations were required. Half a kilo of minced meat was fried in oil until cooked, the onion was added and kept on the fire until it darkened. Peppered and salted. At the same time, boil the same amount of vermicelli. Then drain the water and add the minced meat straight from the frying pan. Be sure to mix thoroughly.
It is now impossible to repeat this recipe. The problem is the stew. The one sold in stores is not at all suitable in quality. There is almost no meat there, only some strange “jellied meat”. You can stew the meat yourself, but the taste you get is not quite the same, not at all Soviet. Why this happens is a big mystery. All that remains is to be nostalgic and make do with the current stew. But you should only buy premium products: the rest is too dubious.
How to cook. Probably everyone has already guessed: Soviet cuisine was captivating precisely because of its simplicity. And this time everything is also elementary. The potatoes were peeled, cut into large pieces and set to boil. When it was half cooked, the stew was added. The entire contents of the jar. There is a recipe on the Internet in which the “white fat” is suggested to be removed and discarded. Frankly speaking, this is blasphemy, for this it is necessary to transfer to a lifelong fasting menu.
How to make it tastier. Many women tried to improve this recipe. The easiest way is to add canned green peas. You can also chop and fry some onions and carrots. In general, there is room for delicious creativity.
Chicken Kiev
Soviet New Year's table, with the usual bottle of Sovetsky, salad and cold cuts. Young people really don't understand why their parents miss how hard things were. But how it was appreciated later!
Indeed, Soviet people could look into any apartment, everywhere the picture was similar - the same furniture, the same GDR walls in the halls, televisions, a radio in the kitchen, tables and sofa sets with painted carpets on the floor. What did you treat yourself to during the holidays? The patience, tricks and perseverance of Soviet women can be envied. How many hours did they stand in line to collect the coveted supplies for the New Year's table! Champagne was obtained in a separate grocery order, sausage was torn off literally with one's hands at the market. Today's housewives don't understand.
Yes, on the 30th-31st there are queues in the stores, but the shelves are full of food, take any. Dozens of types of sausages, different cuts, vegetables, jars of pickles, alcohol! You can assemble any, cook any dish. Soviet people did not see such luxury, except in some supermarkets, for example, in Eliseevsky, where the products on display seemed like museum pieces and people looked with delight at such wealth.
It’s hard to imagine, but to buy, for example, sausages for a salad or cold cuts, people gathered in the meat shop and waited until the sellers accepted the goods and put them on the counter! Sometimes they waited an hour, or even two. They were warned by friends about the day and time of arrival of the goods. Then the coveted sausage, as soon as it appeared on the shelf, instantly disappeared into shopping bags.
It was either “Doctorskaya” or “tea” or other types of boiled sausage, which was then used on Olivier or other salad. And similar situations happened regularly. Housewives assembled the New Year's menu literally piece by piece, long before the holiday itself. But how everything was appreciated! Who remembers the aroma of oranges or tangerines, when my mother strictly forbade eating even one, ordering me to wait until the evening of the 31st! Like jars of pickles waiting in the refrigerator for their time.
What kind of dishes were available then?
Olivie
Yes, the New Year's table in the USSR, the photo cannot be imagined without Olivier. In any family album there will be pictures of New Year's Eve, where the family is sitting or standing at the table. Olivier will definitely be there!
It was usually prepared a lot and the expression “bucket” has a very real basis. People liked him, but on holiday they didn’t want to deny themselves anything. They rarely ate salads on ordinary days.
Champagne
Most often it was “Soviet”, semi-sweet or semi-dry, however, it is still served on tables now. Foreign alcoholic drinks were rare, and only if the head of the family brought something from a business trip or friends brought it. And “Soviet” could easily be included in the holiday food basket. What were the student memories worth when they managed to get a bottle for the group and literally a tablespoon of the drink was poured into everyone. But they celebrated it cheerfully, with noise and congratulations.
Children were bought bottled lemon "Pinocchio" or sweet syrups. There are no such people now. In addition to champagne, adults sometimes took out cognac or vodka to further increase the temperature. There was a green Christmas tree in the corner. By the way, the horoscope and preferences of symbols were alien to Soviet people, so the New Year's table usually did not change for decades.
Hot
New Year's dishes were rarely distinguished by any originality; the hostess looked from her reserves and her own imagination. Of course, there were cookbooks then, but women were more guided by the experience of their mothers and grandmothers. Therefore, there were such dishes as pilaf or chicken baked surrounded by vegetables, roast. Grilled chicken was also a frequent guest on the New Year's table.
Other nations prepared their own classic dishes more often. Kazakhs - beshbarmak, and instead of meat they could use chicken and even fish.
Under a fur coat
As soon as the hostess received a good can of sprat, they immediately went to “Under a Fur Coat,” the children’s favorite salad. It was made on a large dish and its delicate taste testified to the skill of the housewife as a cook. Well, it was important to find quality fish.
People thought little about the calorie content of this product, rightly believing that once they should forget about their figure or diets. New Year! The housewives passed on the salad recipe to each other, each tried to add something of their own, at least in the design, and experimented with the number of ingredients in order to amaze the guests with a new taste.
Cabbage
Usually, with the arrival of autumn, people began to close their banks, because in winter many products would become very scarce. They covered cabbage, tomatoes and cucumbers, and jam. Sometimes children waited for December 31 with special impatience, knowing that their mother would definitely get the coveted jar of raspberry or strawberry jam for dessert!
At the same time, strategic reserves of sauerkraut, tomatoes and brine were taken out. Each was served in a separate bowl. Cucumbers were often sliced thin and were a good appetizer to accompany alcohol. Purchased cans were rare, so we had to do everything ourselves. Housewives adopted the experience of seaming from their mothers and grandmothers; village residents annually make jars in cellars or warehouses. However, they are always happy to send children in parcels a couple of cans, a bunch of dried mushrooms, berries - delicious!
Jellied
Sometimes it was found and served as a first course or a separate appetizer. In a deep plate there are pieces of soft fish with vegetables, flavored with herbs. This seemingly simple dish actually required a lot of effort and experience. So that the broth comes out clear and the fish retains its shape, because long cooking quickly destroys its structure.
Mimosa
A salad where you could add sprats. In composition, it looks like a cross between “Olivier” and “Under a Fur Coat”. The composition is similar to Olivier, and the layout is similar to “under a fur coat”. Flat plates were prepared for Mimosa; it was considered a more delicate salad, although generously flavored with mayonnaise.
Caviar
Real black or red caviar is a real delicacy even now, although it is a little easier to get. Then, the caviar was carefully packaged and sent to loved ones. Secretly from fish farms or taken home by “business trip” husbands and brothers who had visited coastal cities. They ate little by little and carefully preserved their supplies.
Of course, in the homes of the party nomenklatura and “food magnates,” caviar was considered an ordinary dish, but ordinary citizens could only enjoy it through friends or “through connections.” However, coastal residents were a little more lucky, although the private sale or production of black or red caviar was in principle prohibited. I had to resort to various tricks to please my family and myself.
Eggplant caviar
The housewives made it themselves and boldly included it in their holiday menus. True, not everyone likes eggplants, but the caviar turns out tasty and nutritious. If you also don’t like eggplant, you can prepare it. Put it in small bowls for the sauce and place it in several places on the table. It was eaten added to dishes as a sauce or simply spread like butter on bread. Tasty, nutritious and quite affordable. I immediately remember the film of the same name, where the king was given just a spoonful of such caviar, as there was a big shortage.
Sweet
For dessert, the housewives put out candies, including toffees and chocolate bars - whatever they could get. The more skilled baked pies or cakes. Jam is a must and homemade honey. However, cakes and various pastries could be bought in pastry shops. Cakes were popular
"Napoleon" or "honey cake". Village housewives often baked themselves. Of course, there were cheesecakes, pies or “School” cookies.
Perhaps Soviet times could not boast of variety, but many remember Soviet New Year tables with tenderness and nostalgia. Especially parents. After all, this was their cheerful youth, when a large group, waiting for midnight on the 31st, enjoyed delicious food, told stories and shared news.
Much of that past time remains to this day. People choose classics; they want to experience the taste of their favorite dishes that have been known for a long time. Of course, they try new things, feel foreign trends, but the New Year's table in the USSR and the photo have long become an immortal classic.
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What should I put in for you?
- Salad or roast beef?
- Salad... and roast beef.
"Irony of Fate or Enjoy Your Bath"
In recent years, we have increasingly forgotten about our history. With the appearance of various products from all over the world on our shelves, childhood favorite dishes disappeared from New Year's tables, and in their place were no less tasty, but still without history, dishes and products. And I decided whether we should return to our past and organize an evening of memories. To be honest, the New Year's table of the Soviet Union was not so uninteresting, and the dishes on it were the kind that you won't be able to pull away by the ears. Sometimes even I get so nostalgic that, no matter how many vows I make to myself not to cook, I still make Olivier salad, the famous Herring under a fur coat, every year. But these are not the only dishes our mothers and grandmothers prepared. By the way, basically the New Year's treat consisted of those products that were given out at the famous Order Tables and those that could be grabbed after standing in kilometer-long traffic jams in stores. Many people don’t even remember what it is. So the obligatory attributes of the New Year's menu were: Soviet champagne, a stick of smoked sausage, a jar of red caviar, a jar of sprat, a jar of peas, a box of Assorted or Cherry in liqueur chocolates, a bottle of Wheat vodka, a jar of squid in a s/s. My grandfather received a more expanded portion of delicacies, which included canned pineapples or peaches, a can of black caviar and fruits, usually tangerines or oranges, sometimes ducks or geese, and mostly chicken. My grandmother prepared all kinds of dishes from these products, which even now evoke tender feelings and aromas from childhood in my memory.
What was usually served on the table on New Year's Eve. As now - salads, appetizers, jellies and aspic. The jelly was set to cook two days in advance so that it would set better. I loved jelly made from pork feet and beef - it always turned out so tasty and aromatic. In the morning they took out a large, 20-liter pan from the balcony. Then pork and beef legs, meat with bones, about half, or a little more, were sent into it. Then the whole thing was filled with cold water, and the grandfather put the pan on the stove. When the water boiled, skimmed off the foam, added onions and carrots, peppers and bay leaves and cooked until 7 pm, or even longer. Moreover, my grandmother always salted the jelly exactly an hour before removing it. Then the whole brew was cooled to room temperature, the bones were pulled out of the broth (how my brother and I waited for them, sometimes we even fought!) with meat and vegetables. After all the pulp was removed, my grandmother and I sat down to chop it - very finely, making sure that there were no bones. I remember my hands and lips became so sticky and greasy that they were coming off the knife. At this time, grandfather was chopping garlic - a lot and very carefully. The meat was laid out in molds, sprinkled with garlic on top and filled with strained broth. And all this beauty went into the refrigerator. Be sure to make a small mold as a test, which everyone was allowed to try in the morning, the rest was for the holiday.
On the day of the holiday, preparations began in the kitchen in the morning - cooking vegetables for salads, and kneading dough for pies. By the way, for me pies are the main attribute of the New Year. We always made them with three fillings - with rice and egg - for business, with cabbage and jam for me. I remember how I came to the kitchen, and my grandmother was already standing at the table, covered in flour and kneading the dough. Then they trusted me to keep an eye on him so that he wouldn’t run away. Now, when I write these memories, it becomes funny, of course, but then I considered this a very important matter and could not let my loved ones down, so I ran to the kitchen every half hour to check. Grandma had her own proven recipe for yeast dough for pies. For 1 kg of flour, she took 1 egg, 50 g of yeast, 2 glasses of milk, 50 g of melted butter, salt and sugar to taste. Her dough always turned out light and airy. Then we sat down to sculpt. Grandma rolled out, cut out circles, laid out the filling, and I pinched it and transferred them to the board. We never baked pies, but only fried them.
That I'm all about myself, and about myself. For the New Year, it was customary for families to cook all the most delicious and favorite things. First of all, snacks were put on the table. Table service began around 11 p.m. Among the appetizers, the first place was caviar, or rather, sandwiches with caviar. Usually it was bought in advance, sometimes “through connections” or under the counter, and stored for a long time, until the holiday. Then came the cuts - meat and cheese. Although it’s hard to call it slices - usually slices of boiled and smoked sausage were laid out on a plate. Mom always baked boiled pork, so pink and always with fat and garlic. Then all sorts of pickles were opened - tomatoes, Hungarian cucumbers and, if you were lucky, mushrooms. We specifically went to pick them up at a store located opposite the Church of the Mother of God “Unexpected Joy” in Maryina Roshcha, where they also sold birch sap on tap. By the way, there were no fresh tomatoes and vegetables in Moscow at that time, in winter. but there was homemade sauerkraut. Salads were put on the table. As a rule, it was Stolichny salad, Herring under a fur coat, squid salad with egg and green onions, liver salad and sometimes Mimosa salad, and sometimes pink salmon was replaced with other fish, for example, saury. And of course, a carefully opened jar of sprat, and certainly on a small saucer. In the USSR, sprats were a measure of well-being, and although they were cheap, you still had to manage to get them. We bought them at the Ocean store on Mira Avenue, if anyone remembers, they will understand me. They also sold excellent herring, which was cut into fillets, seasoned with oil and vinegar, sprinkled with onion rings and placed on the table. For main course, we, like many other families, had a whole baked chicken. Many baked pork or fish, some of which they managed to grab in the store. Then all this splendor was brought out on a large platter surrounded by baked potatoes or mashed potatoes. Of course, there was a vase with tangerines and persimmons, and next to it a smaller vase with canned pineapples or peaches. There was champagne and vodka (or cognac) on display for adults, and the favorite lemonade "Pinocchio" or "Tarragon" for children. There was a shortage of ready-made cakes, so we mostly had to bake ourselves. Although there were cases when a “Kyiv” or “Polyot” cake appeared on the table. But most of all I loved the “Potato” or “Rocket” cakes, which were sold in our neighboring ice cream parlor. And at home my mother baked “Anthill”. That's about all I remember. Of course, everyone's New Year holidays have their own smell, taste and color. I have it orange, with the aroma of homemade pies and the taste of children's lemonade!
Today we can reproduce many recipes from the Soviet menu. I offer you my version of New Year's Soviet dishes!
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