Windows to Russia

Kasha refers to whole family of porridge’s and is considered a native Russian dish. Kasha is made from all the possible types of grains mixed with beef, pork, chicken, fish, mushrooms and onions for just some of the combination’s.

Kasha is also a cereal commonly eaten in Eastern Europe. In English, Kasha generally refers to buckwheat groats, but in Slavic countries, Kasha refers to porridge in general and can be made from any type of cereal, especially buckwheat, wheat, barley, oats, millet, and rye. At least a thousand years old, Kasha is one of the oldest known dishes in the Slavic cuisines of the Eastern European cuisine…

Just think of Oatmeal for every meal…

It is kinda impossible to imagine true Russian cuisine without a Kasha, there is a proverb: “You can’t feed a Russian without a Kasha”.

So lets try three Kasha recipes out of the hundreds, no thousands millions 🙂 available. Remember just use your imagination and create with a Kasha dish…

1.) Rice Kasha with Cheese Recipe:

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups rice
3 cups water
8 oz grated cheese (half pound)
2 tbsp butter or margarine
salt to taste (I like pepper also)

Method:

Rinse the raw rice under cold running water. Drain well and then fry it in butter, in a hot non stick skillet until light brown in color. Dump the browned rice into a pot of boiling water. Then turn the heat down and cover and salt and cook on low heat for 45 minutes. Should be served hot and sprinkled with grated cheese all over the top…

2.) Peas Kulesh Kasha Recipe:

Ingredients:
16 oz peas (1 pound)
enough water to cover product
5 tbsp millet groats
2 ea small onions
2 tbsp oil
salt to taste (pepper to taste?)

Method:

Soak peas in clear water for 2 hours. Then drain and put peas in sauce pan with fresh water to boil until very well done and soft. Then add well washed millet and continue to boil until millet is ready. Then drain the excess water off if any. Put cooked peas and millet in a mixing bowl then mash peas and millet until a pureed mass. (I have even used a hand mixer on low speed) Take the chopped onion and fry it in the oil in a skillet. Add onion and salt and pepper to taste to the Kulesh. Serve hot… (I have even put this mixture into an oven pan and baked it for 20 minutes with cheese on top and it is really delicious)

3.) Ancient Baked Buckwheat Kasha Recipe:

In the not so old days Kasha was always made in earthenware crockery. The best is still made this way…

Ingredients:
4 oz buckwheat
2/3 cup water
3 tbsp butter

Method:

Fill 3/4 of a pot with buckwheat groats, add salt, butter. Pour over boiling water up to the about the top of the pot. Stir very carefully so as not to spill down the sides. Then put into a well heated low temperature oven for 2-3 hours. About one hour before finishing, cover the pot with a large pan and turn the pot upside down. Leave the pot in place with the top flat against the pans inside bottom. A half an hour before serving, put cool wet fabric around the pot in order that the Kasha falls away from the pot insides. Serve with cold baked milk or melted butter…

Yummy…

Posted by Kyle Keeton
Windows to Russia…

Growing Buckwheat in your Backyard. Part II
Russia Has No Grain, Well Maaaaybe…
Ikra ovoshchnaia (Vegetable Spread Recipe…)
Cottage Cheese and Coffee…
Oladushki: Another Russian Pancake…
Russia: Great Lent!

Everything is blame Russia, even down to the veiled threat that Europe has just hit America / NATO with. A threat in a package wrapped around, “Hate Russia!”

Reuters:
“The European Union needs its own army to face up to Russia and other threats as well as restore the bloc’s foreign policy standing around the world, EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker told a German newspaper on Sunday…

“With its own army, Europe could react more credibly to the threat to peace in a member state or in a neighboring state.

“One wouldn’t have a European army to deploy it immediately. But a common European army would convey a clear message to Russia that we are serious about defending our European values.” (Juncker calls for EU army, says would deter Russia, Reuters)

But! I thought NATO did just that job of protecting Europe. Why? But! Hmm…

America has just been given a very strong message and it is, “Shape up or ship out!”

The lies are going to end, for Europe does not want to be the war zone for Americas next war…

Europe is seeing the reality and the reality is that Russians are gearing up for war and the onerous unrealistic pressures of bluffing is showing the impetuous imperious attitude from the USA. Except now the realization that America wants desires demands expects instigates a war on Europe’s doorstep, has become relevant and in Europe’s face…

Darn, it seems that Russia can be blamed for everything… (~Sarc~)

Tidbit of information for America; Keep the crap up and the world is going to install war on your doorstep! Now that is a good reason to get off your ass and change the government…

Post by Kyle Keeton
Windows to Russia…

How you doing today?

I am fine & dandy myself and that coffee is exceptional this morning. I found that milk has dropped over 20 rubles a carton, eggs actually went down 10 rubles per 10 each, bread was 12 rubles a kilo loaf and I have a years supply of coffee waiting for me to sip away at it…

Yes; I am happy, but my joy is nothing compared to what I see and feel around me, as I walk and talk among Russians in Russia. Russians have acquired a new pride of Russian life and it is permeating throughout the society…

Go shopping and the stores, just burst, crammed packed full of internally made Russian products. Actually, I realized that Russia had made changes and I have talked about the agriculture, factories, and warehouses being developed all over. Though I under estimated to what extent they could carry it all out and now I will, “set the record straight… *”

*The Russians have increased productivity a hundred times or more and it shows from cheese to toilet paper…

Yes we had some price increase and due to internal efforts, the Russians have basically self-regulated what needs done to keep from putting a hardship upon the totality of society. Prices for Russian made products are good and the quality is excellent…

The main statement I am making today is I am seeing Russians smile, laugh, sing, and dance. This is in everyday life. The prevailing mood is sunny, delightful, and future bound…

What makes life good?

Well to me it was having a three-day holiday this past weekend and now I am cooking a pot of chicken soup. That is good, for the chicken (grown in Russia) was 116 rubles a kilo and that equates into $1.90 a kilo; which is .86 cents per pound. This will make four meals and that is good…

November 1989 is what people in the west need to remember and associate with Russians. That was a time frame that Sveta my wife will tell you, “Was horrendous and we lost our country and tried to lose our souls!” Between Gorbachev and Yeltsin, Russia became sold to the west for the highest bidder and when Putin came into power he pulled up the boot straps and started to steer the ship called Russia in a better direction…

The west thinks that they can easily convert a population of people who have been through hell and back to go through hell and back again. Ignore Ukraine, they are not Russians and not the same in a general sense. Ukrainians are extroverts and Russians are introverts…

Russians are far in the opposite direction of Americans, when it comes to intellect, my world I live in Russia is one of Masters and PhD level people. Everywhere I travel, I find intellects as a major part of the populace. Sveta is Masters degree in math and Computers. Her mother is a math major. Her son is the same at Masters level and one day a PhD. He ex husband is a college professor and almost all her friends have degrees. At first I thought this was just because Sveta is an intellect and we travel in that circle. Not true, education to a PhD is free as a right to Russians and only a fool would turn that down. Russians are no fools…

Therefore, the recent death of an opposition character has actually brought about the reversal effect that the west expected and we in Russia, all know the western involvement, some way or another. The government of Russia being nice (sometimes too nice) says different, but the people in Russia have woke up to America and her shenanigans…

Awareness is the driving force behind the grow of  in Russia…

The exuberance of realization:

That Russia is her own country and not a vassal state. Russia is a country that can defend herself and others if need be and Russia is a country that has finally decided on the direction to steer herself and that is east…

Having a purpose and a future is happiness. Having a government that tries to see the way of the people, is also very important and Russia has such a government. Not perfect but a hundred times more democratic than the government American has…

Transformation…

The process of transformation is everywhere and I feel it happening as I write this article. There is a saying that I like…

“Evil men have no songs! How is it that the Russians have songs?”
by Friedrich Nietzsche

Good question and the answer is easy…

Post by Kyle Keeton
Windows to Russia…

PS: To be west is so mundane, to be east is so hip…

Once upon a time: I remember my first true experience with how Russians hide their businesses. We were on a trip that Sveta and I took to our village home. We had to find an auto parts. We finally asked if the town had an auto parts store?

“Sure they did,” said everyone you asked. Everyone knows that it is just down the street, turn left, turn right, turn left, cross the ditch, turn right again, and turn left again and you won’t miss it…

But you will still never find the business because they do not have a sign out that says Auto Parts or actually, you will not find any sign for any reason, much less a business. You will not find it because it is located in someones house and they have a huge fence barricading the world from seeing that house. So you drive by it 10 times until someone else finally guides you there…

Of course everyone in town knows where it is at… 🙂

That is a Russian business. Word of mouth is king. (No pun intended!) Why put a sign up? You might get unwanted business and have to work…

If you do find a sign for a business you will find one of several things wrong with it… (But most likely, you will not find a sign!)

1.) The business is, “Out of business!”
2.) The sign is located on the wrong business or building. What you want is across the street, to the left and one block at the first light and then to the right…
3.) The sign is from the Soviet era and unreadable except for the hammer and sickle…
4.) The sign is hand written, on paper, taped to the door, outside, years old, and is in tatters all curled up…
5.) The sign has nothing to do with the true nature of the business…
6.) The sign is visible after you pass the business and you either turn around or go somewhere else…
7.) The hours posted mean nothing, for no one follows them…
8.) The sign uses English words that make no sense to a Russian…

The last one is interesting and it makes me wonder why they use American lettered signs. We have a “Chicago Style food” place near us and the sign is big as all get out. It says, “Chicago Style Foods” in huge bold letters. The problem is no one here, but me, knows what the heck “Chicago Style Food” is and the food they serve is definitely not “Chicago Style Food.” By the way I seriously would not eat there. Does the term “rat hole in the wall” mean anything to you?

Oh – but Russians regularly do post signs for one thing. In fact they are really good about posting this particular sign. It is almost guaranteed to be found on any business that you have just spent two to three hours looking for. The sign that they will post says something like: Tea Time – 20 minute break will be right back!

* * * Believe you me, in Russia “Tea Time,” is so important, that truck drivers will stop in literally the middle of the road and have their tea. Tea is serious business in Russia… * * * (That is another story!)

When Sveta sees that sign. She says, “Lets go, You don’t know what 20 minutes they mean!” At first I was confused, but after living here in Russia awhile. I realize that she meant, They won’t be back today…

That is a Russian business for you and now you know a little more about Russia…

Post by Kyle Keeton
Windows to Russia…

Hello everyone, hope all is good today?

It is hard to image how you can find a calm sort of peace within a city as huge as Moscow and her surroundings are. Huge in size and population. That is the thinking this morning as I sip on a wonderful cup of coffee. In fact I think that before I start thinking, I will go and make a second cup of coffee and then sip it, while I finish my article…

There, now that is perfect! See what I mean? Peace and quiet…

Holidays in Russia are wonderful, the people literally all get off work for the holidays and they stay inside and or play in the parks, which being located all over the place in Russia, create happiness galore. Oh, the holiday is March 8th, International Women’s Day and Monday (3/09/2015) is the day off for that particular day…

See, peace and quiet…

* * * * * * * * * *

Spring is here and I hope it stays here. In fact it has been the best winter since I have been here in Russia. Nine winters have passed behind me here in this wonderful country and while there have been ups and downs, nothing is worse than the roller coaster of a ride, I endured in the USA…

Thinking is pretty simple this morning:

1.) Snowden is either an idiot for trying to leave Russia or a planted patsy and his work done. I am leaning on the latter…

2.) McDonald’s and Coke Cola are starting to gasp and die in Russia. It is a toss up right now, if they will survive. Same is happening in China and looks like possibilities in both countries of complete removal of the companies could possibly happen. This is a death blow to these companies, for they do not survive on US sales alone anymore. I think that it would be a perfect storm scenario, if BRICS became a Coke and McDonald’s free zone… 🙂

“Don’t McDonald’s and Coca-Cola want to support Obama’s sanctions and rid us of their products? They would be true to their principles and we would be healthier,” the head of the lower house of parliament’s foreign affairs committee in Russia, Alexei Pushkov wrote on Twitter…

3.) If the US was anymore obvious about her death wishes for the world, she would have to take her pants down and crap straight on the worlds face, to relay her message any stronger to us all. Fact is, the US is a rogue country run by hate and warmongering. Reminds me of one of those little African dictator countries, that we all hear about, except America is the biggest most powerful gorilla in the room…

4.)  Six men pulled in “so far,” over the assassination of Nemtsov. Five captured and one blew himself into little pieces, with a grenade. Four of the ones left, are pretty quiet and head hangers, but one (fifth) stands out as the attitude in the group. He likes to give Islāmic love signals to the picture takers…

5.) We should look at life, like this photo shows below. We humans are most likely the worse thing to have appeared on Mother Earth and we always put greed before life itself. That is so against nature, that I take it to mean, we are not from this planet, but a viral organism that’s injected into the ecosystem to see if we could survive…

They point fingers and blame the Soviets, but no one is doing serious things to stop the death and we still blame the Soviets, many years later. Seems blames does not fix the issue…

6.) Europe (with exception of lap-dog Britain,) are all expressing the astonishment at the fact that America is frothing at the bit, like a rabid dog, over wanting a war with Russia. This has become a major concern, after the realization that America is run by NeoCons who desire nothing less than WW3 and death to all and all a goodnight. It is coming to the surface that America while it was psychopathic at its best days, now has become psychopathic and sociopathic on its best days, mixed together in a profound level of density that pales the total population, as a whole. Sorry norm has become deviant…

7.) Big news people, America is becoming isolated; China has stepped up and is batting full strength for Russia. The red lines are being drawn and stepping over them is going to be suicidal in the long term. The new empire in the east is showing tremendous patience with the floundering empire in the west. This is the way to do it and not by trying to show that you are the biggest cock on the walk…

* * * * * * * * * *

Sveta loves holiday, she sleeps in and relishes the down time. We usually find a place to eat out later after I cook a breakfast at home and preceding the dinner I cook at home also. We both find that the cooked at home meals are the best, but it is nice sitting in a restaurant and just talking about the future and life in general. Sveta and I have lots of irons in the fire, so to speak, we seem to not be able to get all done within a short time. The time frame seems to be five years or more to achomplish what we want to get done…

I am getting ready to spend the summer in the village and grow our food supply this year. It is time to finish the village home and get it ready for a unknown future, that is leaning to the dark side, being driven by the Western Empire…

This quote says it all to me…

“Give me the money that has been spent in war and I will clothe every man, woman, and child in an attire of which kings and queens will be proud. I will build a schoolhouse in every valley over the whole earth. I will crown every hillside with a place of worship consecrated to peace.” – Charles Sumner… (American Statesman and Abolitionist, Lived from 1811-1874)

Time to grab a cup of coffee and do some thinking!

Posted by Kyle Keeton
Windows to Russia

Happy March 8th to everyone…

From Sveta, Kyle and Boza
at Windows to Russia…

BEIJING, Russia and China will jointly support the international peace an security, they will also defend results of World War II, China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi told a news conference on Sunday.

“Russia and China are permanent members of the UN Security Council. We shall continue strategic coordination and cooperation for support of the international peace and security,” he said.

“This year, both countries will have large-scale events devoted to the 70th anniversary of Victory in the war against fascism. We shall be supporting each other, support jointly the international peace and defend results of World War II,” the foreign minister said.

Posted by Kyle Keeton
Windows to Russia

President Putin also reduced the wages of Kremlin administration, government staff and the Chamber of Accounts by 10% as well.

In a move that will shock the western governments. Russia has cut not just governmental employees salaries 10% (I hear that some salaries are mandated and some will not be cut in the lower levels of gov. employees,) but the president on down has cut their pay also. No preferential treatment here, for the government is government from the top down…

MOSCOW, March 6. / TASS / Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree that reduces the salaries of the president, prime minister, prosecutor general, head of Investigative Committee, Cabinet members and Kremlin officials by 10%, the Kremlin press service reported on Friday.

Update: The reduction will also affect those with salaries based on the 2004 Presidential decree that’s titled “On payment for executive power federal organization top managers” and those that fall under the 2013 decree “on the monetary remuneration of persons in public office,” as well as for other people, whose salaries are mandated by a federal law…

I laughed when I heard this. I laughed because, there is no way in hell that the governmental officials in America would cut their pay 10%. They would be more like to increase their pay 10%, while the rest of the country was docked 10% to pay for it…

Think I am kidding? Herman Cain would have done the same and you see how far he got for president. He was threatened big time for his thinking…

This also was strongly supported by literally everyone in the Russian government, for it is just correct, when the going is tough…

I think since the US is so far in debt, shouldn’t we be cutting lots of things to get out of debt? A little pain to make some gain?

Cutting the pay of politicians in America is one way to get rid of the rift raft…

Posted by Kyle Keeton
Windows to Russia

Maybe this dish did not originate in Russia, but bring up the word Plov and a Russian will say Yummy or the equivalent there of! 🙂 It seems that Plov became a Russian tradition during the Soviet era. You can make this dish with chicken, turkey, pork, beef and lamb, or just simply without meat! So of the millions of way to prepare this dish. I chose my recipe that I served the Governor of Georgia in America once, at Georgia Military College…

Delicious Lamb Plov or Pilaf!

First the Ingredients:

4 tbsp olive oil.
1000gm cubed lamb (1 kilo)
2 large carrots sliced
2 large onions sliced
75gm dried apricots diced
50gm raisins.
700gm long grain white rice.
Sea Salt and course ground black pepper.
500ml chicken stock.
1 tsp grated orange rind.
800ml water.
2 medium red apple, cored and chopped.
2 – 3 whole garlic clusters (excess loose skin removed and top cut off, not bottom)

Next to Make:

Preheat the oven to 180 C.

Over a stove on medium heat, put the oil in a large frying pan. When the oil is hot, add the lamb cubed and fry for 5 minutes.

Remove the lamb after 5 minutes and set aside in a bowl.

Then in the same frying pan add the sliced carrots in the same oil for about 2 minutes, stirring constantly.

Then add the sliced onions and continue to cook for another 7 minutes.

Then add the diced apricots and raisins and cook for another 2 minutes.

Then add the rice to the mixture and cook for 2 more minutes. This is an important step and if you see that the heat is not holding up well in the skillet, increase the cooking time by a few minutes with the rice.

Now add the precooked lamb that you set aside in a bowl earlier, to the mixture in the skillet. Make sure all meat juices are added also! 🙂

Add salt and pepper to taste – even if you do not use salt – you need to add a pinch of salt and a pinch of pepper. They are very important to release the natural flavors of the dish. Just a pinch…
Then add the chicken stock, orange rind and water. (Stir thoroughly)

Bring back to a boil in the skillet and transfer all the contents of the skillet to an oven proof dish that will hold the contents comfortably. (allow for expansion of the rice)

This is where the garlic cluster come into play: Insert the garlic clusters into the mixture.

Remember that we preheated the oven to 180 degrees C. and bake for 40 minutes or until all the liquid is absorbed. (all liquid must be absorbed and do not stir while baking – repeat do not stir while baking)

After around 40 to 50 minutes you can remove the Plov from the oven. Now stir the Plov to mix all well… (care with the garlic clusters)

Scream for the family to come and eat…

Time to Eat: Take apple slices and lay them on the plate first. Take a nice scoop of Plov and cover the apples and those who love garlic get a cluster!

Yummy – Serves 6-8.

Posted by Kyle Keeton
Windows to Russia