Russian Serenade

You’d never know, looking at the Gastronom European Food delicatessen in a shopping mall on Santa Monica Boulevard, that the “European Food” is almost exclusively Russian in origin--and sentiment.

The owner, Inna Katsnelson, is a recent emigre from the Soviet Union, and so are her employees. All women. All wearing red aprons.

Neither would anyone driving past Ron’s Market on Sunset Boulevard know that Ron’s is one of the city’s major outlets for Russian foods that would cause even the most privileged party officials in the Soviet Union to defect: black and red caviar from the Caspian Sea, good Indian tea Russians adore, prized wines from Georgia, Cognac vodka, 28 kinds of smoked sturgeon, Carnelian cherry jam and even Borjomi, a Russian mineral water.

And that’s only the tip of the iceberg.

In the increasing number of new Russian restaurants--Moscow Nights, Tea Room St. Petersburg, Ritza, Arbat and the Black Sea--and old, such as Mischa’s, Soviet immigrants are dancing up a storm, downing vodka by the gallon, popping pelmeni , or dumplings, by the dozen into their mouths.

Does this mean the Russians are coming? Actually, they are already here. And there are indications that more are expected, based on recent reports of Soviet leader’s Mikhail S. Gorbachev’s more open emigration policy, according to Rabbi Yossi Markel of Chabad Russian Synagogue in Los Angeles, which also serves as a social center for recent Soviet arrivals. “We don’t know how many there will be or where they will go, but we know they will come,” he said.

And the newcomers are making their mark as colorful contributors to Los Angeles’ ever-expanding culinary melting pot.

Up to the early 1970s, Los Angeles boasted a Soviet immigrant population of about 30,000. There has been an influx of roughly 60,000 immigrants to the greater Los Angeles area since then, according to Alexander Polovets, editor and publisher of Almanac Panorama, which claims to be the largest Russian-language newspaper on the West Coast. Others, like Markel, put the figure at 30,000 tops. Still, of these, it is estimated that 80%, if not 90%, are Soviet Jews, the majority of whom arrived from 1969 to 1979.

None of the figures take into account the recent increase of Soviet-Armenian immigrants, estimated at 30,000 in California alone, according to Polovets. The first wave of Soviet immigrants came after World War I and was centered on the East Coast.

Soviet Jews, Christians and Armenian Orthodox alike gravitate toward foods common to all Soviets, according to Polovets. “They may not know much about Jewish culture, but they still identify as Russians,” Polovets said.

Looking about the city, we discovered extraordinary food ideas that are bound to affect the overall look and taste of future California cuisine.

Ron’s Market, one of the large suppliers of Soviet-made and Soviet-style products, boasts 46,000 items on its shelves, compared to 15,000 normally found in most supermarkets.

Other markets--many of them in Hollywood--boast many of the same items, and some, like Gastronom European Food, offer foods prepared on the premises--things like piroshki, vareniki, pelmeni, chicken Kiev, chicken shaki. “Very close to what we have in Russia,” Katsnelson said.

According to Polovets, the new immigrants found that foods such as black Russian caviar, salmon and sturgeon, which had disappeared from the consumer shelves in the Soviet Union when he left in 1976, are plentiful here.

“The small fish, such as the sterlyadz from the Volga River, had been wiped out by industrial pollution, and even caviar and sturgeon were rarely available to the average Russian. Food in Russia disappeared after 1950, and most Russians had no idea what the traditional Russian kitchen really was. The modern Russian kitchen became far more simple as a result. Now the newcomers to America are rediscovering the traditional Russian kitchen,” Polovets said.

William J. Eaton, Los Angeles Times Moscow bureau chief, reports that food scarcities are common. “Coffee is now very scarce, along with good tea from India. Fresh fruits, except for oranges and lemons, are always in short supply or very high priced at farmers’ markets. In summer, tomatoes are prized but seldom available everywhere. Lettuce, peppers, radishes, mushrooms are very hard to find.”

Eaton also reports that “some people such as party officials and war veterans get small jars of red caviar infrequently in holiday rations. Others also may buy red caviar in special-order shops that require the customer to take a lot of unwanted stuff in order to get a few scarce items.”

Was Katsnelson surprised to find in Los Angeles the foods that possibly were in shortage in the Soviet Union?

“Russia has everything, but not everyone can get it. Anyway, food is not the most important thing in life,” she said.

You’d never know it watching the predominantly Soviet clientele shop. But who could blame them? The homemade piroshki, or meat- or potato-filled turnovers, are still hot from the crackling oil. The wonderful keks , or raisin cake, made in an angel-food pan looks like a crown of powder. The salat Olivier , or chicken salad, is fresh. The all-veal wieners, the Russian-style sausages (including Leningrad, Litovska, Odesska, Bukovin and Kievskaya) and the varieties of dried fish (smoked paltus, chabs, smoked shad and sablefish, balik and dried salmon) offered in delicatessen cases are good enough to eat with your eyes.

Increase in Caviar Business

Charlie Asatryan, general manager and buyer for Ron’s Market, himself from Soviet Armenia, attributes an increase in the U.S. caviar business to the new immigrants.

“Before this last group arrived, people here knew only of beluga caviar. There are 14 different kinds of black caviar, all from the sturgeon family, including osetra and sevruga. People are paying top dollar for the name, but osetra has the same type of eggs as beluga and it is less expensive,” Asatryan said.

There was a time, Asatryan said, when red salmon roe was used only in sushi bars. “Now they are consumed extensively by Russians living here,” he said. Asatryan’s annual sales of salmon roe increased from 30,000 pounds six years ago to 150,000 pounds today. And sales of black caviar from the Caspian Sea have tripled in six years, according to Asatryan.

Stolichnaya vodka, the preferred brand of Soviets, is now available in lemon, pepper, honey and special grass flavors. Starka, a Cognac-flavored vodka, and Pshenichya, a wheat-flavored vodka, also are readily available here. And now there also is a great demand for Russian Champagne called Igristiya and Naszdorovya.

Even Russian-style breads have been duplicated, such as Russian rye and Lithuanian black pumpernickel, as well as “military bread,” a dark rye and wheat bread said to have been used by the Russian military since the days of Napoleon. Tanour, a supple flat bread, enjoyed by Soviet-Armenians, also has made its way to the Los Angeles marketplace.

Popular Russian pastries, such as “bird’s milk,” a meringue-type chocolate-covered cake; zefir, a plain and chocolate-covered marshmallow cookie; a confection made with multilayered and colored fruit gelatins, and flaky dried fruit strudels, also appear in markets such as Ron’s, Gastronom European Food and Beriozka Russian Deli, all in Los Angeles.

In churches and synagogues, new Russian food traditions overlay old ones. Jews and Christians alike eat kulich and matzo without religious connotation. “The important thing is that they are free to do anything they choose,” Polovets said.

“They (new immigrants) hardly know anything about Judaism,” Markel said. “In Russia, they were not allowed to have any kind of education of religious or cultural roots, but they have a strong feeling about the synagogue. They may not know very much, but they respect religion. It is close to their hearts.”

So they accept the existing highly restricted food rituals of Judaism, and, on occasion, they bring their own food, which, according to the rabbi, is filled with onions, oil and salt. (Pork, a religiously outcast meat, too, some others say.) “It’s not the healthiest food, but it tastes good,” he said jokingly. And if any food or drink has made its presence known, it has been vodka. “Today, the drink is vodka,” Markel said.

Father Alexander Lisenko of the Holy Virgin Mary Russian Orthodox Cathedral (founded in 1923 by turn-of-the-century arrivals from czarist Russia) near Griffith Park, agrees that religion plays a passive role for the incoming Soviets. However, in spite of the lack of knowledge of religion, they seemingly gravitate toward the church for social and spiritual reasons. “This last group knows little about the church compared with the last generations who were raised in the church, and they have a lot of catching up to do. But there are devout people among them and they have pretty much fit in,” Lisenko said.

Newcomers Help Prepare Food

As a result, the newcomers help the older Soviet churchgoers prepare foods and contribute their efforts to the events of each religious church holiday.

We found, for instance, one recent Tuesday morning, several parishioners busy grinding cooked eggs and sieving farmer’s cheese in preparation for the Easter Sunday church meal, which would include paskha, a cheese pyramid used to spread on kulich, a sweet bread shaped like the high-domed hat of the orthodox priest.

This year, as with every year, the midnight service will end with a procession celebrating the Resurrection of Christ, followed by a 3 a.m. meal of potato salad, ham and the colored eggs with the kulich and paskha prepared by the church volunteers.

Russian food traditions have been solidified throughout the years of the church’s existence, for each Sunday, without fail, such goodies as homemade chicken cutlets, borscht, cabbage rolls, pirogi (meat pie) and piroshki (turnover) made by church volunteers can be purchased for pennies. And the tradition continues.

Farther up the street at St. John of Kronstadt Memorial Fund retirement home for needy Soviet elderly, founded 30 years ago by Soviet emigre Alexandra Merger, cook Victoria Benyamikoff prepares cabbage rolls for the lunchtime diners. And in the freezer, ready to sell to other establishments for fund-raising purposes, are bags of pelmeni and vareniki, the tender dumplings drizzled with butter to eat, or stuffed with sour cherries and drizzled with thick cherry syrup for dessert or appetizers.

New and old Soviet immigrants flock to nightclubs and restaurants weekly to socialize over bottles of vodka and abundant food.

“Social life is still important to these newcomers,” Markel said. “Soviets here still value family and friend ties. They seem to create their own entertainment within a circle of friends, while Americans seek it away from the home.”

At Arbat in Los Angeles, with its large Soviet-Armenian clientele, weekend diners may sample 21 different hors d’oeuvres, including red and black caviar, before the main dish of beef, lamb, chicken or pork shashlik (meat cooked on skewers) or fish cooked to order arrives.

Turns Into a Nightclub

At the Ritza, in the Mid-Wilshire area, the food is Georgian, and on weekend evenings the plain restaurant turns into a nightclub. The cabbage soup is excellent. The eggplant caviar--also known as “poor man’s caviar” because it is made of eggplant but resembles caviar in look and taste--is one of the best at the Ritza.

The salat Olivier is another classic Russian favorite, and it generally appears on the appetizer tray with Bulgarian-style feta cheese and sausages and salt-dried fish at most restaurants.

The Tea Room St. Petersburg in the Beverly Center shopping mall serves some of the finest blinis, or tiny thin pancakes, in the traditional manner with caviar and sour cream and several vodkas, including one flavored with lemon.

Mischa’s in Hollywood is one of the oldest restaurants in Los Angeles serving popular Russian fare, such as the classic sedlo, a rack of lamb marinated in pomegranate juice and lemon juice, served with saffron rice and a compote of raisins and prunes poached in honey and clove water. Shashlik is also a house specialty. An attractive appetizer tray at Mischa’s comes with red caviar and cream cheese for spreading, salmon pate, piroshki filled with potatoes or meat, eggplant caviar, peppers and cucumbers and marinated mushrooms. And owner Mischa Markarian, himself of Soviet-Armenian extraction, boasts some of the finest Russian entertainment in town.

Here are recipes from the various sources encountered during our culinary tour of the Russian community.

The recipe for the piroshki dough is from “Joys of Ethnic Cooking,” a ring-bound cookbook of Russian and other club recipes put out by the Los Angeles Orthodox Club, an auxiliary of the Holy Virgin Mary Russian Orthodox Cathedral. It may be ordered by sending $7 plus 50 cents postage and handling costs to the church c/o Los Angeles Orthodox Club, Chapter No. 155, 646 Micheltorena St., Los Angeles 90026.

EGGPLANT CAVIAR

1 medium eggplant

1 onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1/4 cup corn oil

1/4 cup tomato sauce

Salt, pepper

Pierce eggplant in several places around surface. Steam, bake or microwave eggplant until flesh is soft. Bake at 350 degrees 20 to 30 minutes, or steam in small amount of water 20 to 30 minutes, or microwave on HIGH 10 minutes. Cool, then peel and finely chop eggplant.

Saute onion and garlic in oil until onion is tender. Add eggplant, tomato sauce and season to taste with salt and pepper. Saute 5 to 10 minutes, stirring. Cool before serving. Serve as spread on black or white bread. Makes 6 servings.

KULICH

1 cup raisins

1/2 cup orange-flavored liqueur

1 cup milk

1/3 cup flour

Sugar

3 packages dry yeast

10 to 12 egg yolks

2 whole eggs

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup butter or margarine, melted

2 teaspoons vanilla

Grated peel of 1 lemon

5 to 6 cups sifted flour

Powdered Sugar Icing

Soak raisins in orange liqueur 15 minutes. Meanwhile, bring milk to boil. Remove from heat and gradually add to flour. Beat until smooth. Transfer to large bowl and cool to lukewarm. Dissolve 2 teaspoons sugar in lukewarm water. Sprinkle in yeast and stir to blend. Add sugar mixture to milk-flour mixture and beat well. Cover and let rise in warm place until bubbly.

Beat egg yolks and whole eggs with salt. Gradually add 1 cup sugar, beating until light. Beat in melted butter, vanilla and lemon peel. Combine egg mixture with yeast mixture and stir to mix well. Stir in enough flour to make soft dough. Knead in bowl by working dough over and up continually for 10 minutes. Dough should be soft. Thorough kneading is essential to make dough soft and pliable. Drain raisins thoroughly and knead into dough. Cover and let rise in warm place until doubled. Punch down and knead a few times. Let rise again.

Thoroughly grease 1- or 2-pound emptied coffee cans or other cylindrical metal containers. Fill 1/3 full with dough, then cover and let rise in warm place until dough reaches brim. Dough should triple in bulk. Brush loaves with egg diluted with 2 tablespoons milk or water. Bake at 375 degrees 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 325 degrees and bake 30 minutes longer. Then reduce heat once more to 275 degrees and bake 15 minutes longer. Cover with foil to prevent scorching, if necessary.

Smaller loaves will take less baking time. Kulich is done when dark golden brown in color and loaf is well-formed. Let loaves stand in pans 5 to 10 minutes before turning out onto soft cloth-covered surface. Cool, turning now and then to prevent misshaping. If desired, top loaves with Powdered Sugar Icing and decorate with colored confetti. To serve, slice Kulich horizontally into rounds. Serve with Cheese Paskha on the side, if desired.

Powdered Sugar Icing

2 cups powdered sugar

1/4 cup warm water

2 teaspoons lemon juice

Mix sugar with water and lemon juice until smooth. Use as icing for Kulich.

EASTER PASKHA

2 pounds farmer’s, pot or dry curd cottage cheese

1/2 cup dairy sour cream

1 cup sugar

5 eggs, lightly beaten

1 cup unsalted butter or margarine, softened

1/2 cup chopped blanched almonds

3/4 cup mixed candied fruit

1/4 cup raisins

1 tablespoon vanilla

Force cottage cheese through sieve. Blend well with sour cream, sugar, eggs, butter, nuts, candied fruit, raisins and vanilla in saucepan. Place over low heat and bring almost to boil (do not boil), stirring constantly. Remove from heat.

Line pyramidal paskha form or 5 1/2-inch clean flower pot with fine cheesecloth that has been wrung out of cold water. Turn cheese mixture into form and fold cheesecloth to cover cake. Place weight on top, place pot in pan to catch liquid and allow to drip in cool place at least 12 hours, but preferably 24.

When ready to serve, lift gently from pot with cheesecloth. Decorate as desired, with fruit, flowers or jelly candy eggs. Makes 10 to 12 servings.

SERBIAN PELMENY

1 pound ground beef

1 medium onion, minced

1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill or 1 teaspoon dried dill

Salt, pepper

Water

Pelmeny Dough

Egg white of 1 small egg, beaten

Water, chicken or beef broth

1/2 cup butter

Mix together ground beef, onion, dill, salt, pepper and enough water (about 1 cup) to make soft dough.

Roll out Pelmeny Dough to 1/16-inch thickness. Cut into 3-inch circles. Place 1 tablespoon filling on each dough round. Fold to form half moon. Pinch edges to seal. Brush with beaten egg white.

Bring large pot full of water to boil. Drop pelmeny into boiling water (do not crowd), stirring to prevent sticking until pelmeny surfaces, about 4 minutes. Remove with slotted spoon. Melt butter over medium heat and drizzle over pelmeny. Or serve pelmeny with sour cream. Makes 100 pelmeny

Pelmeny Dough

2 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1/3 cup water

Combine flour and salt and mound on clean surface. Make well in center and add eggs and water. Incorporate flour mixture with egg mixture by working around walls of well until dough is mixed. Knead on floured surface until soft and pliable. Form into 100 balls, cover and let rest at room temperature 1 hour.

POTATO VARENIKI

1 large onion, chopped

2 tablespoons butter

2 cups mashed potato

Salt, pepper

Vareniki Dough

Water or broth

1/2 cup melted butter

Dill or parsley

Saute onion in butter until lightly browned. Add to mashed potato. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Roll out Vareniki Dough on floured surface and cut into 2 1/2-inch squares or 3-inch circles. Place 1 tablespoon potato mixture in center of each Vareniki Dough circle. Fold to form half moon. Pinch edges to seal. Dust with flour.

Bring salted water to boil. Drop vareniki into water and cook until dumplings surface, about 4 minutes. Remove with slotted spoon. Drizzle with melted butter and sprinkle with dill. Makes 100 vareniki.

Variation: For Sour Cherry Vareniki, substitute 2 cups sour cherry preserves for potato filling and continue to fill, seal and cook in lightly salted water as directed for Potato Vareniki. Serve sweet vareniki topped with additional cherry syrup and sour cream.

PIROSHKI DOUGH

1 cup milk

1/4 cup butter or margarine

Sugar

2 teaspoons salt

1 package dry yeast

1/3 cup warm water

2 eggs, lightly beaten

4 1/2 to 5 1/2 cups flour

2 tablespoons oil

Heat milk with butter, 2 tablespoons sugar and salt until butter is melted and sugar and salt are dissolved. Sprinkle yeast in warm water. Add 1/4 teaspoon sugar and let stand 5 to 10 minutes or until foamy. Add to cooled milk mixture. Beat in eggs and oil. Gradually add flour and mix until dough is smooth and elastic. Cover and let rise in warm place about 2 hours or until doubled in bulk. Dough can be refrigerated up to 3 days at this point.

Roll and fill as desired with meat or potato filling given in recipes for Pelmeny or Vareniki. Fry turnovers in deep fat until browned on both sides. Or brush with beaten egg yolk and bake at 350 degrees 30 minutes or until golden brown.

LIKE MISCHA’S SEDLO

1 rack of lamb

Salt, pepper

2 tablespoons melted butter

Pomegranate Marinade

Rub lamb generously with salt and pepper and brush with melted butter. Let stand 30 minutes to 1 hour to absorb seasonings. Place meat in shallow pan and pour marinade over meat, turning to coat well with marinade. Cover and refrigerate several hours or overnight.

When ready to roast, place lamb rack in roasting pan. Scatter onions from marinade over meat and add some to bottom of pan with small amount of marinade. Bake at 350 degrees 30 minutes, basting lamb with marinade frequently, until done as desired, 140 degrees for rare, 150 degrees for medium rare and 160 degrees for medium on meat thermometer inserted in thickest part of roast. Place on heated serving platter to carve. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Marinade

2 cups pomegranate juice or 1/2 cup grenadine and 1 1/2 cups water

2 tablespoons lemon juice or cider vinegar

1 large onion, thinly sliced

1 clove garlic, mashed

Combine pomegranate juice, lemon juice, onion and garlic.

RED RUSSIAN

1 part Stolichnaya vodka

1 part Campari

Mix vodka and Campari and pour into iced champagne glass. Makes 1 serving.

RED RUSSIAN II

1 1/2 ounces Stolichnaya vodka

3 ounces cranberry juice

Mix vodka and cranberry juice and pour into iced champagne glass. Makes 1 serving.

RUSSIAN DELI SALAT OLIVIER

1/2 pound cooked chicken, cut into bite-sized pieces

2 pounds boiling potatoes (about 4 medium), cooked and cut into chunks

1 large carrot, cooked and sliced into thin rounds

3/4 cup shelled peas, cooked

1 orange, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks

2 tart apples, cored but not peeled, diced

2 whole green onions, chopped

3 hard-cooked egg yolks

3 tablespoons olive oil

3 tablespoons white wine vinegar

3/4 cup mayonnaise

3/4 cup sour cream

Salt

Freshly ground pepper

Chopped parsley or dill

Combine chicken, potatoes, carrot, peas, orange, apples and green onions in bowl and mix.

Press hard-cooked egg yolks through fine sieve. Mix in 2 tablespoons olive oil until smooth and creamy. Stir in 2 tablespoons vinegar, 1/2 cup mayonnaise and 1/2 cup sour cream. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Pour over salad and mix thorough. Turn salad into clean bowl and chill, covered, overnight.

When ready to serve, form salad into high mound on platter. Mix remaining mayonnaise, sour cream, olive oil and vinegar. Pour dressing over top of mound so it cascades down sides. Garnish salad with any leftover carrot rounds and chopped parsley or dill. Makes 8 to 10 servings.

Note: Ingredients for this salad may be varied. Try substituting fresh peaches in season for oranges, or crab meat for chicken.

VICTORIA’S RUSSIAN CABBAGE ROLLS

1 head cabbage

Butter

1 pound ground beef

1 onion, chopped

1/2 cup rice

1/4 cup chopped parsley

1/4 cup chopped dill

Salt, pepper

1 (6-ounce) can tomato sauce

1/4 cup lemon juice

Water

Sour Cream

Remove core from cabbage and separate leaves. Place leaves in large, shallow pan or pot and pour boiling water over. Let stand in hot water 3 minutes. Remove with slotted spoon and drain.

Saute beef and onion in butter until meat is browned. Add rice, parsley and dill and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Place 2 to 3 tablespoons beef mixture in center of each cabbage leaf and roll, jellyroll fashion, tucking in ends. Place in baking pan. Blend together tomato sauce, lemon juice and enough water to make 2 cups. Pour over cabbage rolls. Cover and bake at 350 degrees 45 minutes to 1 hour or until rolls are tender. Serve with sour cream. Makes 6 servings.

CHICKEN KIEV

1/2 cup butter or margarine, slightly softened

1 tablespoon chopped parsley

1/2 teaspoon tarragon, crumbled

6 boned and skinned chicken breast halves

Salt, pepper

1/2 cup flour

3 eggs, well-beaten

1 cup dry bread crumbs

Oil or butter

In small bowl, cream butter. Mix in parsley and tarragon. On foil, shape into 4 inch square. Freeze until firm, about 45 minutes.

To flatten chicken, place each breast half smooth side down on sheet of wax paper. Cover with second sheet and pound chicken to about 1/4-inch thickness. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cut frozen butter into 6 fingers or pats. Place each finger in center of a piece of chicken. Roll tightly or fold sides, tucking ends with wood picks, making sure no butter is showing. Roll each chicken piece in flour, dip in eggs, then coat with crumbs. Chill, covered, at least 1 hour. Cook, using any of following methods, then remove wood picks and serve immediately.

In deep fryer or large deep heavy skillet, heat oil to about 360 degrees. Fry chicken pieces, 2 or 3 at a time until golden brown, about 5 minutes, turning with tongs. Drain on paper towels.

Or cook chicken in butter over medium heat about 10 minutes, turning to lightly brown all sides. Transfer to shallow baking pan and bake at 400 degrees 10 to 15 minutes. Or brush chicken with melted butter and place on foil-lined baking sheet. Bake at 400 degrees 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Makes 6 servings.

Food styling by DONNA DEANE / Los Angeles Times