Syrnaki (farm-cheese pancakes)

These are like the mother of Oladashkee. They are comforting, voluptuous, tender, and filling. Too much of them and you may feel nauseous. I love these cheesy sweet pancake type thinga-majigers. They are good for breakfast or as a snack. With some jam or sour cream on them or plane is good, too. I remember my grandma bringing these to the beach wrapped in paper towls, whether cold or hot they were always scrumptious. Biting into the soft cheesy texture feels very comforting, just like a mother :)               

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/2 contained of farmers cheese (or cottage cheese)
• 1 egg
• 1 tspn sugar
• pinch of vanilla
• 2 tablespoons of flour
• handful or yellow or brown raisins (if you want added sweetness)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Mix all ingredients together
2. Form balls of the batter (tablespoon size, 1/2 inch thick)
3. place balls on medium heat and fry on lightly coated pan (with vegetable oil)
4. when one side is golden brown (3-4 minutes), flip and repeat

My Babashka

This is my Babashka. Her name is Charna, last name Kaplan. Before it was Roitman (I think i spelled that right). Anyway, her life is beyond fascinating and not always in the happy fascinating type of way. But her life was real and everything she underwent was mind boggling. What's even more gripping is her memory. Her translucent long term memory is a trait to desire. She remembers absolutely everything, and I mean the specifics of every interaction, room, clothing, smells. You get the point. Therefore, I will use her memory to describe her stories, her life. This will be the medium she uses to tell her stories, her life....

I think this was me at like 12 at her apartment? maybe? Digging those glasses and braces.

Us at my college graduation

Russian Pancakes- Oladushki

I remember eating these ever since I could remember anything in my life. I would eat these anywhere and everywhere. My boldest memory is my grandma shlepping a container of these little pancakes to the beach. After swimming in the ocean and running around, these were the perfect little snack I needed. These remind me of summer so much because every since I was 2 I would spend my summer's in Brighton Beach eating these delicious pretty golden pancakes. I could eat 5 in under a minute-I devoured them. They are light, fluffy, and fruity pancakes that have a refreshing aspect to them-very different than your IHOP version. They don't weigh you down nor do they make you feel like a slob. They may be similar to the American counterpart, but for some reason taste and feel so different to me. For me, I smile and feel as if I am a little kid when I eat them, they bring back my Russian summers.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup of plain yogurt or greek yogurt
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 egg
  
• pinch of vanilla
• 2 teaspoons all purpose flour
• 1 apple, chopped
• 1/2 cup of buttermilk

DIRECTIONS:
1) Mix 1 cup of yogurt, egg, sugar, and vanilla
2) Add 2 teaspoons of flour and 1/2 cup of buttermilk and mix to "sour cream" consistency
3) Put apple in and mix
4) Coat pan with oil and take 1 tablespoon and put on the pan
5) Put a few pancakes on pan at one time
5) Cook on low and flip once side is golden brown
6) serve with sour cream, applesauce, or jam

Sweet and Sour Eggplant Salad (Seen-een-kee)

I can eat a whole jar of this. Seen-een-kee, at least that's what my babashka calls it. It tastes like Morocco in my mouth. Slime like-yet full of texture, tomatoey-yet an explosion of flavors in my mouth, comfortey-yet I can eat this on a sweltering summer night. So when I called my babashka to retrieve this "recipe" she quickly uttered, "no way will you be able to make this". Of course I stubbornly replied, "yes i will-just give me the recipe." Looking back I realize why she believed I would fail at replicating this dish. There is no recipe! During our conversation, she frequently stressed that she eyeballs everything and has no idea of exact serving size, ingredients, portions, etc. I had a conundrum-how would I be able to make mine taste like hers if there was no recipe? Well this is what I got out of her for now...I'm sure when I decide to tackle this recipe, I will need to alter it in order taste like hers. But here it is: Babashka's infamous Seen-een-kee that I always BEG her to make and always am happy to take home (unlike other foods).

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 large eggplant or 2 smaller eggplants, chopped into medallions
• 1 onion slivered
• about 1 tspn sugar
• about 1 tspn sour salt (never heard of this in my life)
• 1 can of tomato juice (small?)
• all purpose flour

DIRECTIONS:
1) Sliver onion and place into frying pan lightly coated with olive oil. Saute the onions. (low heat)
2) Chop eggplant and add a pinch of salt
3) Coat each side with flour (lightly)
4) In a pot, fry the eggplant on lightly coated pan with olive oil (low heat)
5) Mix the onion with the eggplant
6) Put salt and sour salt into tomato juice. Flavor to your liking of sweat and sour.
7) Pour tomato juice into pan and cover the pan.
8) Mix veggies periodically in order to not burn
9) Cook until soft and let it simmer

Babka (kugel)

My grandma has always called it "Babka". However, it is also called Kugel-its Jewish twin moniker. I have always loved eating this at my grandma's. I was never one to complain eating dessert for dinner. It's a sweet luscious gob of mushy noodles swimming in your mouth. I always lust for more..

INGREDIENTS

• Package of egg noodles or vermicelli (Vermisheli in russian)
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon butter or soft cream cheese
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• handful of raisins

DIRECTIONS

1) Boil water, add a pinch of salt
2) Cook noodles until soft
3) Drain noodles
4) In a bowl-mix egg, noodles, cinnamon, sugar, cream cheese/butter, raisins
5) coat thinly frying pan with vegetable oil
6) poor noodle mixture in and cook on low for 5-10 minutes
7) To flip place a plate on pan and flip, put other side on frying pan
8) cook 2nd side for 5-10 minutes