Windows to Russia

Russian Style Goulash:

Goulash is really a Hungarian dish in origin, it most times resembles a thick soup or stew. It usually is prepared with beef and there are countless different recipes. This is a very simple, easy and oh – so yummy recipe.

Ingredients:
* Beef – half kilo will do (whole muscle, not ground beef and cubed)
* 3 tablespoonful of flour
* 2 big onions (sliced in medium size rings)
* 2 medium potatoes (peeled and cubed)
* 2 medium fresh tomatoes (wedged)
* salt and pepper to taste
* laurel leaf (1)

Prepare:
Cut the beef into cubes 1 inch on each side – wet beef cube with water and roll in flour.
Cut the onions into rings – wet with water and roll in flour.
Cut tomatoes into wedges. (you may peel if desired)
peel and cut potatoes into 1 inch cubes.

Cooking:
Drop floured beef cubes into hot oil in a non stick skillet. Turn the pieces, so that every side of the cube is flash fried. (This is only to seal the crust not cook the meat.) Once fried put the cubes into a big saucepan.

Drop floured onion rings into hot oil in same skillet then once fried like you fried the meat, add to the saucepan on top of the meat. Then add potatoes and tomatoes on top the onions. Salt and pepper to taste. Laurel leaf thrown in pot on top of everything. Add water just to cover the bottom because the tomatoes will produce the liquid necessary.

Cover with a lid and stew for 30 minutes on a slow fire. Check by taking lid off and gently stir the Goulash. Cook on low heat another 20 minutes with lid off. Increase cooking time if not thick enough. (Or you can add tomato paste to thicken the end product. Also add water if too thick.)

Note:
The flour on the meat and onions most likely will disappear as slow cooking develops. It is there to thicken the sauce more than anything. Cooking time usually does not exceed 60 minutes. Just make sure meat is done.

There are millions of variations of this recipe and this is not a original Russian food. But Russians love this dish and all have their own version… Lets Eat – Yummy!

Windows to Russia!
comments always welcome.

Hello,

As many of you know here in Russia I love coffee, but what you don’t know is that my favorite coffee in the world is coffee with hazelnut creamer. Yesterday I found some hazelnut coffee at the store and guess what? Add creamer I have my favorite coffee!

As I am drinking that wonderful cup of hazelnut coffee, I was thinking about the comment system Disqus and how well it is working. I had said that I will give it some time, then if happy I will do an article about the system.

Well it has been some time and I am happy!

Disqus (pronounced Discuss) http://disqus.com/ has won the right to stay on Windows to Russia as the comment system. It is not perfect and truthfully nothing is perfect, but it comes close. I tried IntenseDebate and it failed miserably. I tried Google friends and it failed double miserably. I tried three others and they all failed miserably and more miserably…

Let the Disqus website tell us what the system is about:

1. Disqus is a powerful comment system that easily enhances the discussion on websites.
2. In minutes, connect your community with those of thousands of other websites.
3. Track conversations across the web, plus bridge discussions with your favorite services such as FriendFeed and Plaxo.
4. Threaded replies reveal the conversations in your comments.
5. And now it’s easier to keep the discussion alive with email and mobile replying.
6. Features such as ratings and video comments make comments interactive and expressive.
7. An intuitive admin section makes it easy to moderate the discussions from one or multiple websites.
8. Disqus is easy to customize, with widgets that lets your audience become your community.
9. With search engine-friendly plug-ins and complete data sync, Disqus is as safe to use as it is easy.
10. Why do people write more comments on sites using Disqus? It’s because we believe that there’s no difference between a great comment and a great blog post.
11. With greater control and commenter profiles, people feel good about taking the time to speak (or type) their minds.

I will say that all that they write is a fair truth. I want to add that in the case of Windows to Russia it cut back on terrible comments. Windows to Russia was deluged with hate and racist comments. They hit a peak with IntenseDebate and it got out of hand. These comments came from some well know anti Russian sites that seem to have an attitude toward Windows to Russia. I have not had a really bad comment on site per say since installing Disqus. It seems that the comments are under control now. (Knock on wood please!)

It is not all roses with Disqus though. Disqus seems to go off line about once a day. It just will not load. This affects the whole site and causes issues. The down time is very short and maybe not that noticeable. It just is an issue that I wish they would correct. There also is a way to get around the spam system but it is not serious and I check comments a lot along with readers help…

Is Disqus worth it? Yes I think so!

It works on Windows to Russia.
comments always welcome.

I have to comment on this new – but not new – information.

The USA is going to train Georgian troops for Afghanistan? This is a Pravda article that has finally caught on to what is happening. Down at the end of this article you will find a few Western press links so that you will not cry foul on a Russian news source…

I have seen this information on lots of Western press news sources and they make it sound like Georgia needs all this training for them to help in Afghanistan. So America is spending allot of money and going to give the brotherly love and help needed…

If you remember correctly, I posted several times about my trip to Ukraine and had my wallet stolen. During those posts and other posts – I expressed what I found out about Ukraine and Georgia. I posted the fact that Georgia was promised military hardware by Biden and that hardware and training will cost the USA 1.4 billion or so dollars. I also said that America promised Ukraine a couple of billion dollars to help keep the Ukraine president in office. That Ukraine money was given also so that Ukraine will help supply weapons again to Georgia.

This is a quote from an article that I did almost 3 weeks ago: “One thing that stood out to me was the political undertones from the American Embassy in Ukraine that infiltrated into the Ukraine Governmental section. America is and has been buying the Ukraine government for some time now. Biden just bought and paid for Ukraine’s help to rearm Georgia. That is a No – No and should be stopped. American politics need to stay out of Ukraine or any other country for that matter…” (Link)

I am now going to tell you another tidbit of information. The USA is involved in the Caucus uprising that is causing a huge issue and many civilian deaths in Russia. America has discovered that money will by lots of fair weather friends to play games against Russia. (and others)

So the American Government is 1. rearming Georgia, 2. Paying Ukraine to help rearm Georgia, and 3. stirring up serious issues in South Russia!

New York Times! The Age! CBS

Windows to Russia!
comments always welcome.

Officials say it’s unlikely any of the 64 people still trapped after an explosion at Russia’s biggest hydro power plant are still alive. However, emergency crews continue working at the facility.

Two Su-27 fighter jets of the “Russian Knights” aerobatics team have crashed during a final rehearsal ahead of the MAKS 2009 Air Show in the Moscow region. The squadron leader died in the collision.

The Russian frigate Ladny has freed the “Arctic Sea” cargo ship in the Atlantic without firing a shot and arrested eight alleged hijackers, according to the country’s Defense Ministry.

The Interior minister of Ingushetia has been sacked by President Dmitry Medvedev, after local police failed to prevent a deadly blast in the republic’s capital of Nazran.

Windows to Russia!
comments always welcome.

Russia arrests 8 hijackers of Arctic Sea vessel:
The Russian frigate Ladny has freed the Arctic Sea cargo ship in the Atlantic without firing a single shot and arrested eight alleged hijackers, Russia’s defense minister said on Tuesday.

Russian PM Putin to attend MAKS-2009 air show:
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin will visit on Tuesday the MAKS-2009 air show near Moscow and attend a meeting on the development of Russia’s aircraft industry.

More than 20 police died in south Russia blast – prosecutors:
More than 20 police were killed and seven people are still missing after a deadly suicide bombing in southern Russia’s Ingushetia on Monday, prosecutors said.

Blast in south Russia’s Dagestan injures four:
Four people were injured in an explosion in Dagestan early on Tuesday, the volatile southern Russian republic’s interior ministry said.

Russia, Mongolia hold joint military exercises:
Russia and Mongolia are holding joint tactical exercises to practice interoperability during peacekeeping operations, the press service for Russia’s Siberian Military District has said.

Death toll in Siberia hydropower plant accident rises to 12:
The death toll in an accident at Russia’s largest hydropower plant has risen to 12 people, with 64 still unaccounted for, the country’s emergencies minister said on Tuesday.

Czech Republic expels two Russian diplomats:
The Czech Republic has expelled two Russian diplomats, the CTK news agency reported on Monday.

LUKoil posts 3.4% rise in oil output, 12.4% drop in gas production:
Russia’s LUKoil posted on Monday a 3.4% rise in oil output year-on-year to 48.63 million metric tones and a 12.4% decline in natural gas production to 7.36 billion cubic meters.

Ingush leader accuses West of seeking to destabilize Caucasus:
The president of Ingushetia, who is recovering from an attempt on his life, accused on Monday the United States, Britain and Israel of seeking to destabilize the situation in the North Caucasus.

Train on autopilot: Russian Railways tests one-of-a-kind locomotive:
Moscow railway employees are testing an electric train that can operate almost unmanned. A computer system selects the optimum mode of operation and even monitors how the driver is working.

Non prescription medicine to become more widely available:
Russia’s Trade Ministry has proposed that grocers and supermarkets could start selling non-prescription medicines, with experts saying the new regulations may come to the rescue of troubled pharmacy chains.

Kids & alcohol: are drink producers & parents on equal terms?:
Curbing underage drinking is becoming a top priority for Russia. Police say family influence has more power than just punishing those who sell alcohol to minors. Is it really so? RT collects expert opinions.

Mushroom Cutlets: Mushroom dishes are loved in Russia. In Russia mushrooms gave a special taste to soups, pies, sauces and meat. Simply boiled, fried, stewed or pickled mushrooms have a special place in the hearts of Russian people. So it is natural that Russians would make a meal out of mushrooms. Today we will try a Mushroom recipe that makes the mushroom the main course and not a side dish…

Ingredients:
# 200 to 300 grams of mushrooms.
# 100 grams of cooked rice. (must cook rice first)
# 2 whole medium onions.
# 2 tablespoons of flour.
# salt to taste.
# ground pepper to taste.

Mix:
If Mushrooms are fresh then cook first in a lightly oiled skillet – If canned then drain very well.
Chop, dice, smash and squish the mushrooms into a very fine particles.
Chop onion finely (like mushrooms).
Mix mushroom with onion, rice, salt to taste, pepper to taste and flour in a mixing bowl. (should be like a ground meat style)
Form medium size balls and then shape into cutlets.

Cook:
Roll cutlet in flour again, then fry on both sides of cutlet in a skillet with a good layer of oil on medium heat, until the cutlet turns golden brown.

Lets Eat:
Perfect served with any salads made from fresh vegetables. I love them with a dab of sour cream on top of them…Yummy!

Windows to Russia!
comments always welcome.

Dmitry Medvedev and Vladimir Putin support Russian Football in a Sochi bar:
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin drop into a local bar to watch the Russian soccer team in action.

Medvedev, Merkel to focus on energy, investment at Sochi talks:
Energy cooperation and investment projects are set to dominate talks between Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and German Chancellor Angela Merkel in south Russia’s Sochi on Friday.

Attackers on police post in Russia’s Dagestan identified:
Police have identified some of the militants who killed 11 people during an attack on a police post and nearby health center in Russia’s North Caucasus republic of Dagestan last night.

Yushchenko “disappointed by Medvedev’s ‘unfriendly’ letter”:
Following Dmitry Medvedev’s open letter on Tuesday, President Yushchenko said he finds it strange that Russia has totally ruled out its share of responsibility for the worsening of Russia-Ukraine relations.

GM decision time enters home straight on Opel bids:
Canadian car parts group Magna, along with Russia’s Sberbank, have come up with a revised offer to buy General Motors German subsidiary, Opel, which will now go to GM’s board.

Prosecutors don’t let accused Russian arms dealer go, will file appeal:
Thai prosecutors plan to appeal a court ruling rejecting a US request to extradite Viktor Bout, a Russian accused of illegal arms dealing.

Putin Visits Breakaway Georgian Region, Unveils Plan for Military Base!

Dorothy: Lions?
Scarecrow: And tigers?
Tin Woodsman: And bears.
Dorothy: Oh my!

Did someone forget to tell the Western world that Russia was going to have military in South Ossetia and Abkhazia? I seem to have known about this and already forgotten about it two or three times or more…

Dorothy: Lions?
Scarecrow: And tigers?
Tin Woodsman: And bears.
Dorothy: Oh my!

Well now they know and Putin seems to be behind it all… Putin pledges $500 million for security purposes in Abkhazia!

Dorothy: Lions?
Scarecrow: And tigers?
Tin Woodsman: And Putin.
Dorothy: Oh my!

Things that make you go Hummmmmm!

Windows to Russia!
comments always welcome.