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From Russia, With Love

Pirozhki! The Russians may be unfortunately endowed with an 11 time-zone hunk of cold and lonely landmass, but their food is excellent. And they drink much vodka. That helps, I am sure. These amazing little pastries are filled with a variety of different hunger-sating items, from the sweet to the savory. I tend to lean to the savory side. Luckily, that is the side of much multiplicity. You may even make up your own, if you were so bold. I made three. One which I enjoyed very greatly, and which was very simple, was sauerkraut sauteed with onion and garlic, with a little bit of nutmeg. This nutmeg twist really makes it. Also, It was the homemade sauerkraut that I just previously posted about. Perfect pirozhki! My second favorite was a stinky one. Think of the most umami egg salad you can imagine. It was mushrooms (fresh buttons and mixed dried) sauteed with garlic and onion, and mixed with hard-boiled eggs and dried dill. Tremendously tasty. If only we would have included the cottage cheese. The third was a little blander, but not bad anyway. It was potato and spinach with onion, garlic, thyme and dill. All of these fillings were carefully deposited into folds of dough and baked on my baking stone at somewhere like 425 degrees. To accompany these little buns, I baked some beets, beautiful red things they are. All in all, a very visually stunning and sumptuous meal. Take a look.

Mycelium Running!

Ok, I read this book many months ago, but nevertheless realized that I should recommend it widely. Mushrooms and fungi are of a world so piteously under-researched and misunderstood that many actually have a phobia of them, especially in America. But fungus might just be the most important lifeform for the creation and sustenance of life in this world. Beyond its gastronomical use, mushrooms have applications across the board, as the connecting tissue of the forest, siphoning nutrients from root to root, as a filtration system for nasty man-made toxins, as a medicine, and as an eco-regeneration tool. This book by the foremost mycologist details these many applications, and how they have the ability to save the world from our own destructive tendencies. Great! So, before you pass them off as merely shamanistic voodoo plants or rich-person grub, read this book. I loved it.

MYCELIUM RUNNING