MONTPELIER, Vt., Jan. 22, 2013 /PRNewswire/ — January is a time of serious celebration in Russia, and this month Russian Life Books has announced the release of two important books on Russian food and drink.
First is the new, revised and updated 30th Anniversary Edition of the bestselling cookbook A Taste of Russia, by Darra Goldstein, an award-winning cookbook author and founding editor of the respected food journal Gastronomica.
Initially published in 1983, A Taste of Russia has, over the past 30 years, introduced tens of thousands of Americans to Russian cuisine through superbly researched recipes layered with informative essays on the dishes' rich historical and cultural context. This brand-new edition includes over a dozen new recipes, updated essays, and a fresh, modern design.
Despite a culinary boom in Russia over the past decade, Russian food has yet to be truly discovered by America's foodies. This A Taste of Russia shows how Russian cuisine takes advantage of the sort of natural, wholesome ingredients that are gaining ground among devotees of organic and local food.
"Russians have always eaten seasonally, and foraging is deeply embedded in their culture," Goldstein notes. "Russian cuisine reflects a close connection to nature even as many of its classic dishes display the extravagant influence of French haute cuisine."
The second new title is Davai! The Russians and Their Vodka.Davai! traces the fascinating 600-year history of vodka in Russia through the lens of literature. The text includes original literary texts in Russian alongside fluent English translations, making it an invaluable history of Russia's national drink, and thus to Russian culture.
"Plenty has been written about vodka," said author Edwin Trommelen, "but these books do not say much about how Russians relate to vodka, nor, especially, about how it has been reflected in their literature." Trommelen has been traveling to and working in Russia for over 30 years, collecting vodka wit, wisdom and lore, reading Russian literature, and researching and documenting Russian culture – all in an attempt to understand the role of vodka in Russia's cultural, literary and social life. Davai! is the result of that quest.
Both books are available at fine bookstores, on Amazon, and direct from the publisher, at russianlife.com. Davai! is also available as an ebook for Kindle, Nook, iPad and other e-readers.
Russian Life was founded in 1990 and publishes magazines and books for Russophiles. For more information, contact: Paul Richardson, 802-234-1956.
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