Solyanka

"Hnguh" was the first word Valeriya managed to press through her dry, crackly lips. If you can call that a word but at least it was something. Well done, she thought to herself sarcastically. The last time she has had a night like this she could not talk for a whole three days from singing, shouting and fighting. Not that it really mattered - nobody was actually talking to her in that dead-end job she was clinging to, anyway. The big city is full of opportunities. That was what people were saying in that forlorn village in the middle of nowhere up there in Lyubye.

Except her mother. As she was trying to move her sore body up from the bed, one tired leg after another, she recalled that conversation she had with her when she announced her decision to move. Don't go, child. St. Petersburg is full of sin and sorrow.

Valeriya's sight was still blurry when she looked down at her pillow where her own smeared face was starring back at her. At least what she put on it the night before: Red lipstick and dark mascara. Even her fake mole she always draws right beneath her left eye has left its mark. Sin and sorrow, she repeated in her mind; her mother was right about that. 

At least this time she was the only person she had to make coffee for.

"Hnguh!" again. This time louder and more vigorous. The head-ache kicked in. She stood up, pulled down that dress she was still wearing, reeking of cold smoke and spilled vodka. "Nastrovye." she pronounced. Yes, Valeriya was bitter that morning. As she made her way to the kitchen right next door, she managed to step on those red pumps carelessly left on the floor. The dull pain distracted her for a second from that stinging, pulsating misery she called her head. 

While the coffee machine was doing its job, she sat down at the window. Morning has long been gone, so was most part of noon. While she watched people going their ways - people whose faces she will probably never see again -  her mind was still in her old village where the only thing that changed was the weather. She could have taken the easy path. She could have married one of the local boys, get pregnant not too much later and become the caring mother she has herself. That was it. Her life in a nutshell. Her mother's and grandmother's life in a nutshell. That's not what she wanted. Not all she wanted. So she chose Petersburg. Was she happy? No. But she was certain there was enough life in front of her to become exactly that. While she was still waiting for the coffee to be ready, Valeriya turned on the hob to heat up the Solyanka she prepared the night before. That is what she always does before going out: A hearty Solyanka for the hangover she is always certain she will suffer from. She was not wrong.

The crackling sound of the coffee machine gave her the signal for getting herself a mug, but also caused a rustling between the sheets. Movement. Groaning.

"Dobre. You want some coffee, maybe?"

***

Have you ever had a hearty Solyanka? Solyanka derived from Russia but can now be found in all Eastern Europe. It was hugely popular in the former German Democratic Republic, yet had never really gained equal popularity in the western parts. Preparing it was a rather spontaneous decision, after I have had it for the very first time last week when a colleague of mine brought a huge portion from his country pub where they apparently serve it once a week, so it may be considered pub food? Given that it is supposed to be great against hangovers, it totally makes sense. 

When preparing a Solyanka, you can use any kind of meat you prefer, making it a great way to use left-overs. For my recipe, the amount should  be around 500g (17.5 oz). I have searched the omniscient spheres of the internet to find an authentic recipe, only to find out that there really is none. It is one of those recipes that everybody makes a bit different. So I have taken what I liked best and created my own version.

Solyanka

• 140 g (5 oz) pork chop,cut into thin slices
• 125 g (4.5 oz) bacon bits
• 200 g (7 oz.) bologna style sausage, cut into stripes about 3mm thick
• 2 wieners, cut into slices
• 2 tbsp. paprika spice
• 3 gloves of garlic, chopped up
• 200 g (7 oz.) tomato pasta
• 3 bell peppers (I used 2 red and 1 yellow one)
• 250 g (8.8 oz) cherry tomatoes
• 5 sour pickled cucumbers/gherkins (about 200 g or 7 oz)
• 2 onions
• 1,5 l (50 fl. oz) beef broth 
• 200 ml (6.75 fl. oz) pickle juice
• 2 tbsp. oil
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 dashes of tabasco
• Crème frâiche or sour cream
• parsley, chopped

1. In a medium-sized bowl, mix meat with garlic, paprika and 1 tablespoon of the tomato paste.
2. While meat is marinating, cut bell peppers into stripes, tomatoes into thirds, onions into half rings and pickles into 5mm (0.2'') thick slices.
3. In a large pot, heat up oil on high heat, add meat along with onions. Reduce to medium heat, quickly sear content.
4. Add vegetables, sauté slightly.
5. Pour in beef broth and pickle juice.
6. Add remaining tomato paste, tabasco and bay leaves.
7. Let simmer on low heat for half an hour, remove bay leaves.
8. Serve with dollop of crème frâiche or sour cream, garnish with parsley.

Vegetarian alternative:

The recipe may be on the meaty side, but as the flavour is already slightly resembling kimchi, replacing it with 500 g (17.5 oz) tofu, cut into cubes, gives it an Asian twist. Let tofu marinate like the meat, but instead of adding it right at the beginning, wait until step 5. You may want to make the tomato paste thinner by adding a teaspoon of whater so the tofu is easier to marinate. Also, replace beef broth with a vegetable broth. Omitting crème frâiche makes it vegan.

Zucchini Pan Stew

Ok, so it has not even been a month since I have started blogging but I have managed to post at least twice a week so there are 10 entries by now. Browsing through those 10 recipes coming with the posts, do you notice something? No? They are all terrific Four of them have zucchini. And you know why that is so? Because I LOVE them! Zucchini and tomatoes are two vegetables (well technically, they are both fruits) I pretty much live on during the warmer months of the year. There is just nothing not to love about them. Don't believe me? I give you 5 reasons why you should love them, too:

1. They are tremendously healthy.

With 15 teensy-weensy calories per 100g (that's 3.5 oz. for you jolly people over the pond) one does not even really have to think about calories. And them containing potassium, folate, vitamin A and manganese (does the term “free radicals” tell you something? Mangenese helps to detoxify them and already 100g is enough to cover 19% of what is recommended daily.) only adds up to their goodness! But enough with the boring health blabber.

2. They are versatile!

Alright, zucchini are a bit bland have a very mild flavour. I'll give you that, zucchini haters (and I KNOW you are out there, I just don't know WHY!). But that is not a bad thing at all. That just means that they soak in the flavours of the other ingredients well like in the recipe that is at the bottom of this post. Want a bit of a crunch? You can eat them raw or lightly blanched like here. Enjoy soups? Blended zucchini give them an almost starchy creaminess like potatoes would but low-carb and calorie (Oh suprise! There is this awesome summery soup I have posted a few weeks ago.). So, you don't feel like eating something savory, now. How about something to satisfy your sweet tooth? Grated zucchini makes cakes and muffins perfectly moist. However, not even them can make this recipe healthy...

You can even stuff, grill and bake and fry them!

3. They are not bound to one particular cuisine.

Ok, I am aware that this also applies to a plethora of other veggies but it was not that clear to me when it comes to zucchini. When I think about them, my first thought is Italian or maybe also just western.

Here is a(n totally incomplete) list of links to recipes from different countries that contain zucchini:

Italian: Pasta Con Zucchine & Menta from Apron and Sneakers

Japanese: Chicken Curry from Just one Cookbook

They also work great as Tempura!

Lebanese: Keshké Salad  from Taste of Beirut

Indian: Zucchini Curry  from Simple Indian Recipes

French: Ratatouille  from Burghilicious

Chinese: Mushroom Chicken from Rasa Malaysia

4. They freeze well.

Although they lose in texture, I find they generally freeze pretty well. I would recommend to already prepare them in the way you intend to use them later (chopping, slicing, grating) because that part could be tricky after thawing but apart from them: Put them in a freezer bag and they are good to go.

5. They are easy to grow in your garden (given you have one).

Alright, I am a bit of a hypocrite when it comes to this point because the last person who grew zucchini in our garden was my grandfather but still, it IS fuzz free! The soil does not need to be particularly good and as long as you keep it moist I cannot imagine anything that could go wrong. Oh, and did I mention that two plants are more than enough to get you and your loved ones well fed through summer? And as a plus, you get to enjoy their blossoms that are not only beautiful, but also edible.

Still not convinced? Here is my grandmother's quick-fix week-night low-carb super-tasty zucchini dish that does not require lots of ingredients and is low in price yet a real comfort food. I don't know exactly how to name it because it's not really a soup, nor a stew. Maybe a soupy stir-fry or a light summery pan stew at best. But what's in a name, anyway. All those juices come directly from the vegetables as there is no adding of water involved. 

 Zucchini Pan Stew

Serves 4

• 300-500g (10.5–17.5 oz.) ground meat, half beef, half pork
• 3 medium sized zucchini
• 3-4 tomatoes, depending on size
• 3 eggs
• 4-5 splashes of soy sauce
• pepper to taste

1. Cut zucchini and tomatoes into slices of about 5mm (about 0.2''), set aside
2. In a pan, roast meat without additional fat until it gets crumbly. You still want some bigger chunks, though.
3. Spread zucchini slices evenly on meat, do the same with tomatoes afterwards.
4. Add a few splashes of soy sauce and close with a lit letting it simmer on low heat until zucchini are tender (the tomatoes will pretty much dissolve).
5. Remove lid, stir and add more soy sauce to taste. In a cup or a small bowl, crack open the eggs and stir them just slightly so that yolk and egg white are not completely combined. Pour evenly over pan. Turn heat up to medium.
6. When eggs begin to set, stir for the last time and keep the heat on until they are completely done.
7. Add some pepper and enjoy!

This really is a simple, down-home dish that my grandmother especially used to cook on particularly hot days in summer when she would rather do anything else but cooking. The soy sauce goes so well with the juices of the vegetables and if you still feel like you need your carb fix, serve with some bread to soak them up!

Still need some inspiration? Well, you know where get that!

Do you have a zucchini dish that you are particularly fond of? Feel free to post them in the comments. :)

Baked Tomato Bruschetta

Seasons are changing. There is no denying it. Just yesterday I was still sitting on my terrace in the early evening, enjoying the diffuse light of a sun that is not reaching as low anymore - blocked by trees and buildings - but yet able to beam down on the higher parts of the house, painting those sharp, bright orange lines on the walls. The air was warm and tight; you could feel it. This summer was not one of those that genuinely deserve that name. It was unsettled, more cool and cloudy than anything else with one day after another looking like it was just about to rain or raining.

So last week it felt like summer actually had to proof something. Like it still wanted everyone to know that it actually existed. Suddenly it was hot. Not that hot you could hardly motivate yourself to do anything, but hot. For one week and if I am being honest, not even a full one. Then it was yesterday evening, and hell broke loose. Within moments, the sky was tinted in a deep gray with wind starting to build up. First lightnings already went down in the distance before it reached us and hastily I put all the flower pots and herbs I could on the floor. Torrents fell from the sky in a moment's notice. Wind. A strong breeze. A storm. Pots I thought where heavy enough went rattling to the ground. The place I just sat – soaking wet. It went on until deep in the night and had its last flare-up early in the morning.

Some Food Porn - always a good idea, right?

Now I am sitting again in my chosen place on the terrace, a mild sun shining on my face in clear and cool air. Autumn.

Yet still I am not ready to bring myself completely in that season's mood, so with this little recipe, I am clinging on the little rest of summer that is left.

It contains what I would call the queen of summer, tomato (with zucchini being king), and my personal holy trinity of summery herbs: Basil, thyme and oregano. Depending on the size of the bread you choose, this can either be an appetizer or a light little meal.

Baked Tomato Bruschetta

Makes about 6-10 slices of bread, depending on the size

Serve on your bread of choice. I recommend a nice baguette or ciabatta.

• 250g cherry/date/plum/any kind of small tomatoes (8.8 oz. but does not have to be exact)


• 1 ball of mozzarella


• 2 twigs of thyme


• 1 big twig of oregano


• a nice hand full of basil along with the stalk


• 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar


• 1 teaspoon olive oil


• 1 medium onion


• 2 gloves of garlic


• Bread of choice, I used ciabatta but it is also great on a baguette or even plain white bread.


• Salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 200°C (390°F).


2. Depending on their size, half or quarter tomatoes, removing most of the seeds (important). Set aside.


3. Finely chop up onion, add to tomatoes.


4. Remove leaves from the twigs from both thyme and oregano. Chop them up along with the basil. No need to remove the stalk (as long as it is green) – you can chop it up like chives. Add to tomatoes.


5. Pour in vinegar and olive oil, add salt to taste (a few dashes, probably), stir well.


6. Let sit for about 15 minutes. The herbs, garlic and onion will get stuck in the hollow parts of the tomatoes.


7. Lay out slices of bread on baking tray lined with parchment paper.


8. Place tomatoes, mostly cut side up, on bread. To help them stay that way, lay some of the onion/herb mixture on bread beforehand. The whole procedure does not only look prettier, it also keeps most of the nice juices in the tomatoes, preventing the bread from getting soggy.


9. Pour remaining mixture over tomatoes until there is nothing left.


10. Tear mozzarella apart with your hands and evenly place on bruschetta. It should be enough for all of it. You do not want to cover it up completely with the cheese.


11. Put in the oven for 15 minutes or until mozzarella is completely molten and slightly brown.


12. Add pepper to taste and serve immediately.

My little storm is nothing compared to the hurricane that is barreling towards New York and the East Coast. Let's hope for the best!