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Yesterday I went to the Metropolitan Opera's live performance of Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin. It was my second time to see it but this is a new production and the entire cast and orchestra was so perfect I was in tears at the end. I love the simulcasts at the movie theatres. Mine is in walking distance at the Warner Theatre. The place was packed! Yayyyyy!!!
I will be seeing two operas in NYC and then the rest of the simulcast season at the theatre. Everything is too good to miss and the theatre tickets are only $25 and you can bring your own food, non-alcoholic drink but they also sell stuff like wine!!!!!
Ok, now to get to our cigarette theme -- one of the non-singing characters was vaping in a scene. Actually an interesting change from older productions of plays or operas where smoking is part of the production. I remember complaints about a play production years ago -- I think it was Twelve Angry Men in which several characters were smoking. Lots of elderly in the front rows got the blow back. Can't remember how they adjusted.
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Russian-Ukranian Pampushki
Potato Dumplings
This recipe for pampushki is common in Russia, Ukraine and other parts. Some fry their pampushki, others poach them in stock.
Eastern Europeans love to hide food in other foods as is evident here. The basic premise of these dumplings is a potato ball stuffed with something, usually cheese. The rest is up to the imagination of the cook.
If frying, bread them, otherwise they'll fall apart in the hot oil. I like to use feta cheese with dill in mine although farmers cheese and chives are more traditional.
Enjoy these as a main course, side dish, appetizer or snack.
Makes 12 Pampushki
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
3/4 pound (about 3 medium) potatoes, peeled and grated
1 cup freshly mashed potatoes (about 1 large)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup farmers or feta cheese
2 tablespoons snipped fresh chives or dill
All-purpose flour
1 large egg beaten with 1 teaspoon water
Fine, dry breadcrumbs
Preparation:
Squeeze excess water from grated potatoes. Place in a medium bowl with mashed potatoes, salt and pepper, and mix well. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, combine cheese and chives or dill. If using farmers cheese, add 1/4 teaspoon salt. Set aside.
Scoop up an egg-sized portion of potatoes and flatten to a circle in the palm of your hand. Place 2 teaspoons cheese in the middle and fold edges over, pinching to seal. Roll into a ball. Repeat with remaining mixtures.
Dredge balls in flour, then beaten eggs and finally in breadcrumbs. Let balls dry while you heat oil to 340 degrees in a deep fryer or heavy-bottomed saucepan. Fry for 10 minutes to make sure raw potato is cooked.
Drain on paper towels and serve hot.
Note: If poaching dumplings in stock or water instead of deep frying, add 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour and 1 egg to the potato mixture. Gently poach the balls for 20 minutes.
Russian Bliny
Ingredients:
1 lb flour
2 tbsp sugar
4 c milk
1 tsp salt
3 tbsp butter
6 tbsp yeast
2 ea eggs
Method:
Dissolve the yeast in 2 c of warm water and adding 500 g flour. Mix until smooth, cover with a cloth and set aside in a warm place for about an hour, or until the batter becomes bubbly. Add salt, sugar, egg yolks, melted butter and mix thoroughly. Add the rest of the flour gradually and beat up until smooth. Pour in warm milk gradually, and mix the batter thoroughly. Cover with a cloth and set aside in a warm place to rise. After the batter rises, beat until it is settled and then stir in beaten egg whites. The batter should rise no less than 3 times. As soon as the batter rises, cook the pancakes on a hot griddle.
Cheesy Baked Salmon
Something magical happens when you top food with mayonnaise and cheese and then bake it. It forms this amazingly crisp but still creamy crust. If you’ve got any Slavic blood in you, you’re very familiar with this combination.
Ingredients:
2 lbs salmon fillet
1 large onion, thinly sliced
salt, ground black pepper, to taste
1/4-1/3 cup mayonnaise (Homemade Mayo Recipe)
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
1/2-1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
1-2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, finely shredded
1/3-1/2 cup Mozzarella cheese, finely shredded
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil.
Place the salmon fillet on the prepared baking sheet.
It’s best to use one whole side of salmon. However, if your grocery store doesn’t have a whole fillet, get two smaller pieces and put them together. Since we are topping the fish with onions, it will need enough time for the onions to cook through and become tender. Try to choose a thicker fillet, if possible. All of this is to make sure that the salmon will be juicy on the inside and still have a golden crust.
Season with salt and pepper. Season liberally, since the fish is very thick and the salt need to penetrate all the way through to the center.
Layer the thinly sliced onion on top of the fish, so it covers the surface of the fish completely.
You can also thinly slice or chop some tomatoes and place them on top of the onions and sprinkle with some fresh herbs. Now that would be delicious too.
In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, lemon juice, mustard and garlic. The mixture should be thin enough to easily spread over the onions. Cover the surface of the onions with the creamy mayo mixture and spread it out evenly.
Top with the finely grated cheese.
Bake in the preheated oven for 15-18 minutes,then broil for 2-5 minutes, until the cheese is golden brown.
Check out the recipe at Olga's Taste Factory. The step by step pictures are helpful and the finished finish looks yummy.
And some non-Russian opera dessert -- the famous and complex
Opera Cake
The classic Opera Cake is a work in six acts. There are three thin layers of almond cake, each soaked in a potent coffee syrup; a layer of espresso-flavored buttercream; one layer of bittersweet chocolate ganache; and a topping of chocolate glaze. Traditionally, the cake is decorated with its name written in glaze across the top and finished with a piece of shimmering gold leaf. It is obviously a rich cake, but it is surprisingly not a filling cake, and I'm convinced this is because Maestro Niau has orchestrated the cake's elements so perfectly.
A note on size: This recipe makes a square Opera Cake that is a festive - and impressive - 10 inches (25 cm) on a side. If this is more cake than you need, don't cut down the recipe - you won't be successful with some of the cake's components, particularly the buttercream, if you reduce the quantities. Instead, make the full cake, cut it into smaller size cakes and stock them in your freezer.
Ingredients
The cake:
6 large egg whites, at room temperature
2 tablespoons (30 grams) granulated sugar
2 cups (225 grams) ground blanched almonds
2 1/4 cups (225 grams) confectioners sugar, sifted
6 large eggs
1/2 cup (70 grams) all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons (45 grams) unsalted butter, melted and cooled briefly
The coffee syrup:
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons (7 grams) instant espresso or coffee
The coffee buttercream:
2 tablespoons (10 grams) instant espresso or coffee
2 tablespoons (15 grams) boiling water
1 cup (100 grams) sugar
1/4 cup (30 grams) water
Pulp of 1/4 vanilla bean
1 large whole egg
1 large egg yolk
1 3/4 sticks (7 ounces; 200 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature
The chocolate ganache:
8 ounces (240 grams) bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1/2 cup (125 grams) whole milk
1/4 cup (30 grams) heavy cream
4 tablespoons (2 ounces; 60 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature
The chocolate glaze:
5 ounces (150 grams) bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 stick (115 grams) unsalted butter
Instructions
1. To make the cake: Position the racks to divide the oven into thirds and preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Line two 12 1/2-x15 1/2-inch (31-x-39-cm) jelly-roll pans with parchment paper and brush with melted butter. (This is in addition to the quantity in the ingredient list.)
2. Working in a clean dry mixer bowl fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites until they form soft peaks. Add the granulated sugar and beat until the peaks are stiff and glossy. If you do not have another mixer bowl, gently scrape the whites into another bowl.
3. In a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the almonds, confectioners sugar and whole eggs on medium speed until light and voluminous, about 3 minutes. Add the flour and beat on low speed only until it disappears. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the meringue into the almond mixture, then fold in the melted butter. Divide the batter between the pans and spread it evenly to cover the entire surface of each pan.
4. Bake the cakes for 5 to 7 minutes, or until they are lightly browned and just springy to the touch. Put the pans on a heatproof counter, cover each with a sheet of parchment or wax paper, turn the cakes over and unmold. Carefully peel away the parchment, turn the parchment over and use it to cover the exposed sides of the cakes. Let the cakes come to room temperature between the parchment or wax paper sheets. (The cakes can be made up to 1 day ahead, wrapped and kept at room temperature.)
5. To make the syrup: Stir everything together in a small saucepan and bring to the boil. Cool. (The syrup can be covered and refrigerated for up to 1 week.)
6. To make the buttercream: Make a coffee extract by dissolving the instant espresso in the boiling water; set aside.
7. Bring the sugar, water and vanilla bean pulp to a boil in a small saucepan; stir just until the sugar dissolves. Continue to cook without stirring until the syrup reaches 255 degrees F (124 degrees C), as measured on a candy or instant-read thermometer. Pull the pan from the heat.
8. While the sugar is heating, put the egg and the yolk in the bowl of a mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and beat until the eggs are pale and foamy. When the sugar is at temperature, reduce the mixer speed to low and slowly pour in the syrup. Inevitably, some syrup will spin onto the sides of the bowl - don't try to stir the spatters into the eggs. Raise the speed to medium-high and continue to beat until the eggs are thick, satiny and room temperature, about 5 minutes.
9. Working with a rubber spatula, beat the butter until it is soft and creamy but not oily. With the mixer on medium speed, steadily add the butter in 2-tablespoon (30-gram) chunks. When all the butter has been added, raise the speed to high and beat until the buttercream is thickened and satiny. Beat in the coffee extract. Chill the buttercream, stirring frequently, until it is firm enough to be spread and stay where it is spread when topped with a layer of cake, about 20 minutes. (The buttercream can be packed airtight and refrigerated for 4 days or frozen for 1 month; before using, bring it to room temperature, then beat to smooth it.)
10. To make the ganache: Put the chocolate in a medium bowl and keep it close at hand. Bring the milk and cream to a full boil, pour it over the chocolate, wait 1 minute, then stir gently until the ganache is smooth and glossy.
11. Beat the butter until it is smooth and creamy, then stir it into the ganache in 2 to 3 additions. Refrigerate the ganache, stirring every 5 minutes, until it thickens and is spreadable, about 20 minutes. (The ganache can be packed airtight and refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for 1 month; bring to room temperature before using.)
12. To assemble the cake: Line a baking sheet with parchment or wax paper. Working with one sheet of cake at a time, trim the cake so that you have two pieces: one 10-x-10-inches (25-x-25-cm) square and one 10-x-5-inches (25-x-12.5-cm) rectangle. Place one square of cake on the parchment and moisten the layer with coffee syrup. Spread about three-quarters of the coffee buttercream evenly over the cake. (If the buttercream is soft, put the cake in the freezer for about 10 minutes before proceeding.) Top with the two rectangular pieces of cake, placing them side by side to form a square; moisten with syrup. Spread the ganache over the surface, top with the last cake layer, moisten, then chill the cake in the freezer for about 10 minutes. Cover the top of the cake with a thin layer of coffee buttercream. (This is to smooth the top and ready it for the glaze - so go easy.) Refrigerate the cake for at least 1 hour or for up to 6 hours; it should be cold when you pour over the glaze. If you're in a hurry, pop the cake into the freezer for about 20 minutes, then continue.
13. To glaze the cake: Bring the butter to a boil in a small saucepan. Remove the pan from the heat and clarify the butter by spooning off the top foam and pouring the clear yellow butter into a small bowl; discard the milky residue. Melt the chocolate in a bowl over—not touching—simmering water, then stir in the clarified butter. Lift the chilled cake off the parchment-lined pan and place it on a rack. Put the rack over the parchment-lined pan and pour over the glaze, using a long offset spatula to help smooth it evenly across the top. Slide the cake into the refrigerator to set the glaze and chill the cake, which should be served slightly chilled. At serving time, use a long thin knife, dipped in hot water and wiped dry, to carefully trim the sides of the cake so that the drips of glaze are removed and the layers revealed.
Keeping: Each element of the cake can be made ahead, as can the assembled cake. The cake can be kept in the refrigerator, away from foods with strong odors, for 1 day, or you can freeze the cake, wrap it airtight once it is frozen, and keep it frozen for 1 month; defrost, still wrapped, overnight in the refrigerator.
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