At the Table with Chekhov. What Was on the Table of the Great Writer and the Heroes of His Books. Russian Cuisine of the 19th Century

“A person who does not pay proper attention to nutrition cannot be called truly intelligent,” the classic of Russian literature A. P. Chekhov argued. He became famous not only as a brilliant storyteller, but also as a subtle connoisseur of good food. A special place among his gastronomic preferences was occupied by crucian carp in sour cream: “Of all silent fish, the best is the fried crucian carp…” Anton Pavlovich’s hospitality was almost limitless: many people always gathered at his table, and there were plenty of treats. In his texts, with clear affection, he listed dishes: “…they served a sauce made from pigeons, something from offal, fried suckling pig, duck, partridge, cauliflower, vareniki, cottage cheese with milk, jelly, and, in the end, pancakes with jam.” Some of his descriptions are so appetizing that it’s hard to read them without a reaction: “Kulebyaka must be appetizing, shameless—fully in all its nakedness, so the temptation is there. You start eating it, and from it comes oil like tears; the filling is fatty, juicy—with eggs, with offal, with onions…” He valued pancakes no less, talking about them with playful riddling: “How do they bake pancakes? It’s unknown… Only the distant future will learn about it…” As V. Pokhlebkin noted, Chekhov’s culinary details became an important part of the atmosphere of his plays—and he did it masterfully. This book will bring reading pleasure and introduce you to an excellent selection of recipes from that era.

In the A4 PDF version, the original publisher’s layout is preserved.