Please to the Table: The Russian Cookbook

This book covers a wide variety of foods and regions. I noticed that there were some reviewers complaining that this book calls for ingredients that aren't used in Russia. Not so. The Russian Empire has incredibly varied regional cuisine. In an empire covering more than 6 million square miles, not everybody is going to make the exact same dishes, nor make similar ones the exact same way. Heck, they don't even all speak the same language. When visiting the south-east, you'll find a heavy "asian/oriental" influence, the use of soy and ginger; In the north-west, more of a European influence; and in the south-west, more of a "middle eastern" influence. This book has a nice sampling of all three of these, as well as many others. 'Pomegranate Grilled Lamb Chops' shows the middle eastern influence of Azerbaijan, 'Roast Pork Paprikash' shows the influence of Eastern European Moldavia... and the preponderance of rice throughout the book shows the influence of the Southern Asian countries.

I have bought every Russian cookbook I have been able to lay my hands on over the years, and this is the first one I reach for when I want to look something up. It's logically arranged, has a comprehensive index, and some great anecdotes. A wonderful addition to any international food lovers' library.


Familiar Russian & Ukrainian tastes and expanded horizons   February 4, 2006
Rachel Fleet (Seattle, WA, USA)
26 out of 26 found this review helpful

This cookbook is the most-used of any in my home. Having lived in Crimea (in southern Ukraine) with and amongst Russians, I find myself reading Anya von Bremzen's _Please to the Table_ for sheer pleasure and nostalgia. I infinitely prefer it to _The Art of Russian Cuisine_ by Anne Volokh. Although I admire Volokh's work as comprehensive, the results from her recipes taste less like the cooking I ate in my my own and my friends' homes on a daily basis, and more like the mediocre food I ate during rare hotel and restaurant meals. I also find _The Art of Russian Cuisine_ lacking in many dishes that were staples of home cooking and entertaining in my milieu.

In _Please to the Table_, I found the recipes for dishes that I know well to be very authentic indeed. I'd like to address specifically one criticism I saw here in a review, that von Bremzen uses paprika in her recipes. The reviewer wrote that "Paprika is not an ingredient which is traditionally used in Russian cooking. It is the spice of Central Europe (Hungary, Romania, Slovakia, etc.)..." True that Hungarian paprika is not a traditional ingredient of pure Russian cuisine. However, I disagree that it is inauthentic. First, this cookbook covers most of the former USSR, including the western republics such as Moldova and Ukraine, where influence from Central Europe shows up in the food. Second, the great home cooks I knew used what they called red pepper ("krasnij perets") more often than black pepper, and the red pepper where _I_ lived tasted much more like a mixture of hot and sweet paprika than like cayenne, which is what you get in the U.S. if you buy something called simply "red pepper". If von Bremzen's recipes called for "red pepper," then the recipes would taste spicier and much less authentic than they do. For myself, I care less about pure theoretical cuisine than recreating a powerful feeling of warmth and belonging which I associate with the tastes of my life in Crimea. My main authenticity gripe is that no authors (including von Bremzen) advocate the use of unrefined sunflower oil (available at Russian and Ukrainian shops), the rich aroma of which definitely imparts an authentic taste to the food.

As for the nuts and bolts of the book, it is splendidly put together. Amusing and informative vignettes, mostly von Bremzen's recollections of food associations from her childhood growing up in Moscow. The recipes are clearly written. A good proportion of them have lots of ingredients, but I just arrange some ingredients ahead of time and it goes smoothly. The index is excellent. The spread and diversity of the recipes is stunning; simply thumbing through the book will show you how incredibly rich are the cuisines of the former Soviet republics. I especially love that she included all the republics because that's the way people actually eat. I don't just eat hamburgers; I also eat Thai, Chinese, Mexican, etc. Russians eat ethnic food too.

Best recipes include:
A surprisingly easy and very impressive makivnek (poppy seed roll). A fantastic, thick, meaty Ukrainian borshch. Spectacular golubtsi (more tasty, actually, than any I ever ate in Ukraine). A recipe for beliashi that actually made me cry when I tasted them, they were so perfect (I used the yeast dough recipe, though, rather than Pillsbury biscuits which she listed in the recipe). Mixed vegetable caviar that tasted exactly right. A very authentic and filling Uzbek rice pilaf. Fresh zelyonie shchi (sorrel soup). Impossibly delicious Siberian pelmeni ("Honey, where's my spare stomach? There are more pelmeni here!"). Chebureki (Crimean lamb- or beef-filled half-moon pies, fried in oil and absolutely scrumptious). A "pickled mixed vegetable salad" which, if preserved in jars with some sunflower oil, would taste exactly like the delectable home-canned "autumn salad" we depended on all winter long for something like fresh vegetables. Quick Yeast Dough, which is a revelation. Now I understand how my friends' mothers would have pirozhki ready for us an hour after they arrived home from work.

Don't miss this book, even if you have lots of other Russian cookbooks. This one has so much more.


The most-used volume in my kitchen!   January 24, 2002
salve regina (Jerusalem, Israel)
20 out of 20 found this review helpful

_Please to the Table_ is without a doubt the most-used cookbook I own (and I have dozens!) I love cooking and baking, but was a total novice at anything beyond Central Europe -- much to the initial dismay of my Ukrainian-born husband. We've since read and re-read this cookbook together, including the delightful narrative sections and literary excerpts. (He's especially fond of the Gogol bits!) It's got history, literature, cultural tidbits, and culinary savvy that make a fun read for anyone.

Not having ever eaten any of this food myself, and being one to generally prefer cookbooks with pictures, I was initially nervous about trying any of the recipes. But the directions are so precise and easy to follow that I can proudly say that every single recipe I've tried has been a smashing success. I have since tried other Russian and Ukrainian cookbooks, but none yields the same superlative results with my picky hubby -- and my critical in-laws!! ;) We've eaten our way across the entire former USSR, and loved every minute of it!

I would especially like to thank the author for the following recipes (whose pages are stained and whose ingredients are responsible for not a few of the extra pounds on my man's middle...): "My Mother's Vegetarian Borscht" -- you can add beef if you like, but even his father (who is a professional Soviet-trained cook) didn't notice it was missing. His sister pronounced this borscht her favorite - over their mother's - and she has never made any secret about not liking me, so that's a ringing endorsement! "Apple Baba" -- this one is a unanimous hit and my husband always begs me to make it for guests. I usually add 2 extra apples and double the cinnamon, though, by popular request. The "Rum Baba" makes a great New Year's treat. And the classic "Cherry-filled varyeniki" -- WOW. I'm a dumpling neophyte, and these came out perfect the very first time.

My only criticism of this book is that its directions often assume that one has a food processor, beaters, blender, and other electronic kitchen gagets. If you're like me and do everything by hand, you have to mentally adjust the directions. But it's never altered the fabulous outcomes. The other thing that I would have liked is more bread recipies. But overall, it is a classic and will make a welcome addition to any cook's shelf.


Not a cookbook but a cultural experience   December 28, 1998
19 out of 19 found this review helpful

I treasure this book. I read it again and again and never tire of its beautiful and vivid descriptions of food and feasting in the former Soviet Union. When I open "Please To The Table" I become infected by the authors' enthusiasm for the cuisine of half a dozen countries. Even though I'm not normally an adventurous eater, and I rarely have time to cook, every time I open this book, I can't help being seduced by the descriptions of each dish. Instantly, I'm in the mood to entertain. I want to fires up the stove, load up the table, chill some vodka, and gather my friends about me.

My Russian-born husband nods fondly when I read aloud to him from this book and gets so excited by the tantalizing promise that perhaps we can recreate some of his old favorite dishes. So far, everything I've tried has turned out beautifully.


Outstanding. The tastes of Russia without all the hassle!   November 11, 1999
17 out of 18 found this review helpful

This is one of the best cookbooks I own. Almost all the recipes are outstanding, and relatively simple to prepare. I have lived in Moscow and St. Petersburg, and this cookbook allows me to reproduce all of my favorite recipes using Western ingredients. Truly an excellent addition to any cookbook library.