Just wanted to drop by and say that even though my website may look like it hasn’t been updated in a while (that’s true, it hasn’t!), I am still very much around and open for business! My husband and I have been dealing with some health challenges over the past few months, but, knock on wood, it appears that things are finally on the mend. So, if you are interested in a cooking class or a dinner party, don’t hesitate to contact me!

Also, I’m excited to share that I will be teaching a Piroshky class at PCC Cooks again this fall! Dates and locations to be announced on this blog and, of course, on the PCC Cooks website.

This is the first time I am bringing back a class that I have previously taught at PCC, and it makes me so happy that there are enough people who are interested in coming to learn with me!  Piroshky is a really fun and yummy class where you make a beautiful, rich, yeasted dough, watch it rise, and then get your hands all buttery as you shape and fill your fluffy dough with wholesome autumn ingredients like cabbage, carrots, and apples.

If you haven’t signed up yet, you can register for one of the remaining spots by clicking on the link below.

http://www.pccnaturalmarkets.com/pcccooks/classes/detail.php?id=1691

To those who haven’t signed up yet – click here to grab a spot in one of the remaining four classes, in Issaquah, Redmond, Greenlake, and West Seattle. All classes are conveniently scheduled for weekends, with morning, early afternoon, and late afternoon slots available.

Saturday, 9/29, 3-5:30 pm, Issaquah

Sunday, 10/7, 1-3:30 pm, Redmond

Saturday, 10/20, 10-12:30 pm, Greenlake

Sunday, 10/28, 1-3:30 pm, Edmonds

Saturday, 12/1, 3-5:30 pm, West Seattle

I look forward to seeing you there! Please keep an eye on the PCC Cooks registration page so you don’t miss the sign-up, as these classes fill up quickly. I will also post an update here and on my Facebook page when the registration start date is announced.

Watch this blog,  my Facebook page, and the PCC Cooks website for class dates and times to be announced later this spring.

As always, the menu can be customized to suit your tastes and dietary needs, so if you are wondering if any of the ingredients can be substituted with something else, just drop me a line or give me a call and ask – in most cases, the answer will be yes! I’m also happy to substitute other dishes for the ones listed on the menu – again, just contact me, let me know your proposed menu, and we’ll talk!

It is also typical to celebrate the holiday with a midnight meal – at your own home, at the home of a friend or relative, or, less frequently, at a restaurant. There is champagne, of course, and a lavish spread of zakuski, or hors d’oevres. There is usually an entree as well, and a cake, and the obligatory tangerines, but in my mind, the New Year’s table is really centered around the zakuski. I already wrote about one of them, Olivier salad, on this site - it is a real classic and a “must” for New Year’s. Unlike Olivier, the recipe that I want to share with you today may not appear on every family’s New Year’s table, but it is definitely my favorite of all the Russian appetizers. It involves a lot less prep than Olivier, consists of only six ingredients (three if you don’t count the mayonnaise, salt, and pepper), and is incredibly flavorful. It is also very versatile. In Russia, it is known as a “salad,” and you would generally scoop some onto your plate and eat with a fork, following up with bites of bread. However, for an American-style party, you can use it as a dip for crudites or spread it on crackers or baguette slices. The latter option is the way I am choosing to serve this dish tonight at a staff holiday party that my employer is throwing.

Cheese Salad/Spread/Dip

Ingredients

4 hard-boiled eggs, finely grated

1/3 lb hard cheese (try cheddar, jack, or gouda), finely grated

4 cloves garlic, peeled and finely grated or crushed

3 tbsp mayonnaise

Salt and finely ground black or white pepper, to taste (pepper optional)

Preparation

Mix eggs, cheese, garlic, and mayonnaise, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Top with chopped fresh herbs for a festive presentation. That’s it – enjoy!

Serves 4-6

• The blini classes that I taught at PCC earlier this fall are done – last class was in Issaquah a couple weeks ago. Thank you to everyone who made them happen – the PCC Cooks team, my assistants, my students, and everyone who spread the word about the classes! (That would be you, Leslie! Thank you!) This was a really fun series of classes to teach, and the most hands-on one I’ve ever done, with students participating in virtually every step of the process from start to finish. It was also good practice in coordination and multitasking. For example, toward the end of every class,  there would be two students standing behind the counter at the stove cooking their yeasted blini (often with other students nearby watching and waiting for their turn), while I would be cooking the filled crepe-style blini (aka “nalistniki”) on the back burners of the stove, reaching over from the front side of the counter, while a couple of students worked to fill the last remaining nalistniki and passed them on to me to be cooked. Special thanks to my assistants for keeping a cool head and calmly doing what needed to be done amid the craziness!
• As anyone who’s been following the Cake vs. Pie contest knows, pie won again. My cake didn’t take any prizes this time around, but I’m told people happily gobbled up most of it (I couldn’t make it to the contest but Leslie of Fresh-Picked Seattle kindly delivered it for me). If you didn’t make it to the contest either but are curious to try Russian anthill cake (that’s what I ended up entering this year), don’t despair – attend the WACAP auction that’s coming up on November 19 at the Four Seasons Hotel in Seattle, and you can bid on a Dessert-A-Month item that includes my cake, as well as 11 other exciting desserts created by the multi-talented WACAP staff. Get your tickets today – it’s shaping up to be a fabulos event, and all the proceeds benefit WACAP’s work to help orphans and foster children – many of them with special needs – find permanent adoptive homes.
• Last but not least, please check out my husband’s new shop on Etsy! It features some of his photos taken in Russia and the US – mostly in his hometown of Ulan-Ude in Siberia and here in and around Seattle. He’s going to keep adding new photos, so check back periodically to see what’s new.

• Quinoa, black bean, zucchini, and parsley salad, dressed with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, grated parmesan, and salt. The zucchini is lightly stir-fried in olive oil. Made a couple of servings on Sunday night for lunch during the week, ate them on Monday and Tuesday, and just made another batch that will – hopefully – last me through the end of the week. It was that good!
• Lots of blini. I’ve been practicing for my upcoming class!
• Beet salad with walnuts, raisins (I usually add prunes but didn’t have them in the house this time), and garlic. Part of my Fall 2011 dinner party menu - earthy and sweet, with just the right amount of kick.
• Beet greens or Swiss chard sauteed with garlic and mixed into pasta with a creamy/cheesy sauce or served alongside my standard breakfast of couscous, quinoa, or rice topped with fried eggs
• Grated tempeh salad with finely chopped raw veggies and herbs, such as cucumbers, carrots, peas, zucchini, green onions, and parsley, in various combinations
• Homemade bread and (sadly non-homemade) butter with homemade blackberry or plum preserves. Whatever didn’t fit into the canning jars – and that delicious foam skimmed off the top of the bubbling jam – is the cook’s reward! The bread is either no-knead bread or a version of Reginald Beck‘s baguette recipe that he taught in his Fearless Baking class at PCC Cooks. I add a little sugar and sometimes replace 1/3 of the all-purpose flour with whole wheat flour.
• For dessert: zucchini bread, based on this recipe