Russian Salad Bulgarian way

No, this is not the recipe for Salad Olivier, although many of the recipes for Russian salad throughout the Internet refer to it as if both salads were one and the same.

Frankly said, I don’t think anybody prepares Salad Olivier at home (or anywhere at all) nowadays. 

Salad Olivier was created (predictably) by a Belgian or French chef Lucian Olivier back in 1860. 19 century was obviously tolerating mayonnaise, salads with mayonnaise were seen as more sophisticated - for reference see the original recipe for Waldorf Salad. 

Unlike Waldorf salad, created in New York, Russian Salad Olivier was invented in Moscow. It was not intended to be a simple everyday meal – it contained boiled veal tongue and grouse (a type of bird), crawfish tails and aspic. 

The salad called Russian salad nowadays and served widely around the world represents a distant echo of Olivier Salad and although this is one of the recipes which are not followed exactly and which contain varying ingredients according to the local taste or the ingredients available, it still shall contain mayonnaise, pickled cucumbers, boiled carrots and potatoes. Many people add diced ham, boiled eggs, apples. I prefer the version without them. 

And actually this is the recipe perceived as Russian salad in Bulgaria. 

Rosemary boiled potatoes without boiling

Boiled potatoes without any boiling, can you believe that? 

At first I didn't. But Peter made me a present about a year ago - a cookbook for children with many tasty and easy recipes. The present was for me, but as he told me, we would cook together the recipes from the book. Peter is nearly 10 years old. He is one of these contemporary children, who are not afraid to help their mothers cook and who do not divide work in women and men types, which is such a huge progress for country on the Balkan Peninsula like Bulgaria. 

So, he likes to help me while I prepare the dinner - to shape the meatballs for our favorite Italian wedding soup, to hold the mixer while we beat egg whites for our Tiramisu or to create dishes like trout stuffed with yellow cheese, which is one of his signature dishes (soon to be published here). 

So, the present was for me, but I knew, we would be together with him to prepare the dishes. Two of the recipes really surprised me - boiled eggs without boiling and boiled new potatoes with garlic and rosemary also without boiling, I really liked the idea. So here is how to do it and I must assure you, these potatoes are soft and tasty on one hand and on the other - such a perfect dish to prepare with your little ones.

Leek Soup with Sausage and Potatoes

It is not too cold outside. But it was a strange day. I had so many things to say, but I did not. Sometimes it is too late to say a word. But anyway, I was a kind of sad and wanted to prepare something to warm me up from the inside, a healthy, filling meal. Celebration of life, joy of the little things. Soup prepared with simple ingredients, but with love and affection. Tasty and satisfying. It turned out absolutely delicious. Here is the recipe:

Homemade baked potato chips

What is the reason why chips are accepted as a non-healthy food? 

Is it the frying that makes them bad? Or are there all the flavour enhancers, food colors and other additives, part of the store-bought bag of chips? If one or both of the questions are answered with yes, homemade baked potato chips should be accepted as healthy tasty variety of the food most people like so much. They get crispy and crunchy. 
They are flavoured the like you prefer - you can sprinkle some salt, cayenne pepper or vinegar salt above.

Zuppa Toscana

I don't have much time to prepare all the winter dishes I like- spring has nearly come, so I have to hurry. Nearly twenty days until the end of March, nearly twenty dishes to savour. 

One of them deffinitely Zuppa Toscana. Zuppa Toscana is a winter soup. Based on rich and nutritious ingredients like bacon, sausage, potatoes and heavy cream it is best enjoyed when the weather outside is cold. 

Vichyssoise (Leek and potato soup)

Vichyssoise is a thick soup, prepared from the white parts of leek, potatoes and heavy cream. If you call it a French soup, it will be a mistake, although you have to twist your tongue in a really French manner to pronounce its name. The soup was created in the kitchen of Ritz-Carlton in New York in the beginning of the 20-th century. By a french cook. But still american creation.
Originally is was intended to be served cold in the hot summer days in order to provide some relief from the heat, but it is very tasty and warming served hot. 
The most refined member of the onion family provides the soup with delicate sweetness.
Creamy and velvety in texture, vichyssoise has a tender and delicate taste, so you can enjoy it even for lunch in a busy day without worrying about your breath. You can play with the amounts of heavy cream you add and you can substitute apples for potatoes if you want to make it lighter and fruitier.

The flavour of the soup is even better the next day, so you can prepare it a day or two in advance and store it in the fridge.