image from bigpicture.ru
So, did you make pancakes for maslenitsa??
It’s been a hard week with work, and I’m spending Saturday at the office – it’s all hands on deck in the lead-up to Russia’s presidential elections next week. Don’t get me started on those, though, or this will turn into a really long and political post…!
What are your plans for the weekend?
I feel like I’m harping a bit on the Maslenitsa, and Lent tradition, but I just love following the seasons, and the rhythm of a traditional Christian calendar. I think it’s so cool to have a whole month dedicated to preparing your heart and mind for Easter.
If you DO decide to make blini, and think about Lent (it starts on Monday, according to the Russian Orthodox calendar, I believe), here are a few links for your online perusing enjoyment:
- the best crepe/blini recipe I have ever tasted (use whatever filling you like. I personally enjoy plain yogurt and raspberry jam)
- Maslenitsa tradition, plus a more authentic potato blini recipe
- 10 questions to prepare for Lent (in Russian)
- 40 ideas for Lent
- Ann Voskamp on Lent (including a book list)
- A Russian pancake stall
- Also, because I can’t quite get my head out of the elections, here is a rap performed by billionaire and Russian presidential candidate Mikhail Prokhorov.
Just found your site thanks to the link you posted on “Russia Lite!” Love what you are doing here and I am always so thrilled to find other bloggers out there — or ones that don’t do 110% politics!
Happy Maslenitsa!
Jennifer, thanks so much for the comment and the compliment. I’ve been following ‘The Moscovore’ for awhile now – finally, a great Moscow-based food blog! Keep it up, I love your recipes and cooking advice! I think living in Moscow has really helped me learn how to be a better cook – I’m just about weaned off American box mixes, but I have yet to achieve success with any sort of homemade bouillon…
But you are right about no politics – your post makes me think of happy days! I haven’t been to Russia in 4 years, and I think I haven’t seen a “bidon” in ages, that photo just made my heart skip a beat!
Anastasia, thanks so much for stopping by – I enjoyed seeing your collection of recipes…Also, my husband had the exact same reaction to those photo’s – he doesn’t have fond memories of the Soviet Union, but he said that the pictures made him nostalgic for советское детство!
Thanks for the link to a great recipe! I tried making those blini just now. A double recipe wasn’t even enough. We talked about Maslenitsa, Lent, and preparing our hearts for Easter while we ate.
I always think of a guy at a church we were part of who believed that eating blini was sin, because of the ancient pagan connections.
Phyllis, which recipe did you use? The Smitten Kitchen one or the Muscovore one (which I’ve yet to try)?
I love the blini/Maslenitsa tradition, despite any pagan roots….isn’t the December Christmas date originally a pagan holiday, repurposed as a Christian celebration? I kind of like the idea, actually – one more example of “working all things for good.”
ps. i love your family’s advent and lent traditions…we have yet to really start anything yet….does it take on more meaning when you have kids??
I used the one with nutmeg and honey. (Oh, my, honey?!? That’s even more pagan. I didn’t even notice.) Last night we ate blini and talked about preparing our hearts for Easter. Maslenitsa is one that is a little closer to the pagan roots than Christmas is in my opinion, but I don’t mind doing all things “as unto the Lord.” However, I didn’t even mention the pagan part with my children last night. And we didn’t go to see the burning of the chuchela.