Moved to new domain

Dear friends

We moved permanently to a new home: Pinch of Cinnamon. From now on the updates are only posted there.

Thank you for moving with us
Love you
Maria

A very special red lentils soup

I would never think that a soup made of these simple ingredients can be that delicious. However once my mom threw it together and since then we are making it virtually every week. Everybody loves it including my little brother and when I eat it I think I do know why. It is just one of those dishes that are truly good for you. It always leaves you with a deep feeling of satisfaciton and comfort.
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Quince marmalade

That's the second autumn when my mom made quince marmalade. Last year the stocks lasted till late winter. It suddenly became so deeply imbedded in the family eating that we can't imagine our mornings without it any more. Sometimes we have it on toasted bread with fresh cheese, other times - on its own with tea. When I started inquiring it turned out that this marmalade comes from hispanic cooking and the particular recipe - from an amazing mama-fenix - Russian food blogger living in Barcelona.
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Florentine cookies

Last Monday was my mom's birthday. She went for a MacBook (yes, she does listen to me sometimes) but I still wanted to present something hand made. So on Sunday my little bro and I got together at the kitchen to make her favorite florentines. They are continuing the series on Christmas baking.
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Cooking buckwheat

Buckwheat is one of my favorite grains and something I closely associate with home and Russia. It has a lot of character. When cooked properly it is absolutely delicious on its own. No adds or toppings are necessary. In this sense it is similar to rice. The right way to cook it is nothing complicated, but it really makes a difference.
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Rice with green lentils (inspired by Kitchari)

I don't really have a name at hand for this dish, but the idea comes from Indian kitchari. Last weekend I tried kitchari for the first time at a vegetarian cooking class by beautiful Moscow food blogger Natasha at Sok cafe. Now if I think about feel-good-food kitchari comes to my head as the first idea. I just love the whole idea of combining rice with a legume in one dish. Vegetables add lightness and flavor to it and a touch of hot spices really makes it shine.
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Ukrainian granny's vareniki with mashed potatoes

It is hard to believe, but I made my first conscious vareniki (Ukrainian dumpling) just a couple of months ago. I pretty much grew up wondering around them being cooked at the family kitchen helping to make them here and there, but never really did the thing myself from start to the end. The tradition comes from my Ukrainian grand grandma. She cooked beautifully and she taught me a few things. The one I'm most proud of is this vareniki seal, which makes them look so pretty.

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Italian cooking class with Artur Bagov at Del Corso (Moscow)

Last weekend I finally paid my first visit to Del Corso, a new Italian cooking school in Moscow led by inspiring and engaging Artur Bagov. Back to Moscow after studying and working in Piedmont, having worked with Isaac Correa at Correa's restaurant at its very start Artur is now developing his beautiful venture. Watching him working you can tell he's doing what he loves. He is sparkling with enthusiasm, so passionate about giving you his very best here and now. It was definitely not my last visit to the school.
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Escribà pastry shop in Barcelona

Sweets in Barcelona often go unnoticed. If you don't get to spend much time there it easily overloads you with its amazing seafood, paella, wine and tapas. But this would never happen to such a sweets junky like me. Barcelona has its own beautiful culture of sweets and there is so much to try there! Escribà is one of the oldest and most famous pastry shops in the city, which I was lucky to visit during my last trip.
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Lemon and caraway biscuits

Now when everybody is not as busy with halloween I can clearly see that it is not only me who is impatiently waiting for Christmas. My first Christmas cinnamon roll cookies this year were baked on October 1st and here comes the second batch. Every time I bake these lemon biscuits they surprise me once again with their depth and intensity. And almost everybody who tries them asks me for their recipe.
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Tamarind and fresh ginger cake (vegan version)

This time of the year I constantly feel like something spicy. This cake came out very Asian - with intense sweet dark muscovado sugar and sour tamarind. Fresh ginger, cinnamon and black pepper create a spicy explosion, but there is almost no texture, it disappears right after it gets into your mouth.
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A perfect risotto at l'Osteria restaurant (Paris)

I got to visit l'Osteria during my last trip to Paris. It's a tiny Italian place hidden in one of le Marais side streets who's chef, Toni Vianello, is famous for revolutionizing risotto. Yes, the saint-jaques risotto we had there was in fact beautiful and different from everything I tried before. But even if we leave the risotto aside, it was just a perfect evening I got to spend with an old friend in the atmosphere of almost family hospitality.
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Apple and walnut muffins (vegan version)

There are definitely nice things about starting autumn. My dad came home with a case of Antonovka apples he got at the farmers market. I could tell what was in his bag standing 5 meters away from him. The apples instantly filled the house with their strong aroma. I couldn't help baking apple something. Not that I don't like them fresh, but I can't stand cold food this time of the year. These apples beautifully develop their flavor when baked and they are strong enough for you to taste them in muffins.
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Cooking with class in Paris: Terresa on Organic Vegetarian

I unexpectedly got an amazing present – one day and one night in Paris. With its lovely weather, clear sky and morning sun. In this city more than in any other one I just had to spend it either shopping for food, cooking or eating. Even more luckily – I got a last minute reservation at Cook’n with class for that day. This was where I met Terresa and tried unbelievable organic vegetarian food she taught us to cook. It was like nothing else, sparkling with colors, flavors and freshness. I couldn’t possibly find any better way to spend that day.
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Dinner at Corner Burger (CBBG 76) Moscow

I never even thought about coming to Corner Burger (CBBG 76) before I saw this picture of their veggie burger. When at Bolshaya Gruzinskaya street, 76 I’d just always go to Upside Down Cake, sure that my door is "to the left" and the one "to the right" (Corner Burger) is for those who like meat. But once I got into this album and started flipping through the pictures – oh my! – these amazing salads, the blueberry pie seemed to be waiting just for me. The veggie burger picture closed the deal – I knew I had to come and try this myself.
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Dinner at EspaiSucre dessert restaurant (Barcelona)

I can't help wondering how all the important things seem to happen to me just by chance. While I was preparing for my last Barcelona trip I digested many restaurant guides, blogs about the city etc., but never saw EspaiSucre restaurant mentioned. That was Ferran: The inside story of elBulli book, where it was hidden somewhere in between the lines, where I could easily miss it. And yes, it turned out to be the most intriguing night of the whole trip.
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My muffin baking class - this Sunday in Moscow

Dear friends,

Let me invite you to my muffin baking class - this Sunday evening (October 9th) at half-a-teaspoon cooking studio (M. Ordynka 25, Moscow). It is part of "Pastry basics" class series, started by Masha Kicheeva and Elena Spirina, which I am happy to contribute to.

This evening we will bake muffins - classic and vegan, sweet and savory, light and indulgent. Draft menu starts from:
Vanilla & blackcurrant muffins
Apple & cinnamon muffins
Double chocolate muffins
Fresh basil & olive oil muffins with sun dried tomatoes...
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Cinnamon roll cookies

I'm one of those people who start impatiently waiting for Christmas as soon as the weather turns cold. In Moscow this happens in September so it's two weeks already that I'm thinking about all the Christmas magic. Candles, Christmas tree, mulled wine and baking Christmas cookies. This year there was no way I could make myself wait till December, so with the cinnamon roll cookies my Christmas started tonight. Read more...

Pumpkin and ginger cream soup

Lately I make this or that vegetable cream soup every weekend. I like this kind of food, especially if they are made of vegetables only - cream or other thickeners make them a bit heavy for every day food. Many vegetables work well in them, but pumpkin and ginger is one of the most powerful combinations. Read more...

Apricot jam (varenie) is something we make at home every summer since I remember myself. I am a crazy apricot lover always waiting for the season to start after the long winter. However as soon as August is over apricots are gone again. The apricot jam is an attempt to keep them with me till the next summer and I must say it works. With its mind blowing aroma and deep flavor it's like little magic in a jar. Read more...

A walk around La Boqueria Barcelona market

Before our Catalan cooking class at the cook&taste Barcelona cooking studio we went to a Spanish chef guided tour around La Boqueria, the most famous Barcelona food market. La Boqueria is a place where one can find almost anything. Everybody seems to like it - city restaurants, home cooks, tourists - all shop there for ingredients, enjoy great tapas bars and the energetic buzz of its crowd.
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Basil and olive oil muffins (vegan version)

In my series of vegan muffins I had to come up with something savory sooner or later. My dad is especially fond of low sugar food, but everybody else also seems to enjoy savory cookies, pies etc. That's why quiches got so much traction with us. Anyhow one day I thought about something like pesto muffin. Intense green and with mind blowing basil aroma.
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Elena Spirina brunch at Simple things (Простые вещи) restaurant

I already said a lot about Elena Spirina, a Moscow food book writer and blogger. I can't help wondering how many different original and beautiful things Elena manages to do around food. Today I saw her once again in a completely new role - hosting a special brunch at Simple things (Простые вещи) Moscow gastropub and wine bar.
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Barcelona Catalan cooking class at Cook&Taste

One more brilliant thing I discovered during my last trip to Barcelona was the cook&taste cooking studio. I was looking to insert some cooking class in our trip and found them. Cook&taste offered a 3-4 hour class where we would be able to not only watch, but cook ourselves. The menu gathered the most internationally known dishes (gazpacho, tortilla, paella and crema catalana). At first I got worried - the menu looked somewhat "touristy" to me, but then I found that I shouldn't have. In addition to that there was a guided market tour available (at La Boqueria of course) - this was the last thing to drive me completely crazy about the class and I booked 2 seats.
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Suki Maman cupcake class at Afisha Eda Food feast (Афиша: Праздник Еды)

In the last post I already said a lot about the Food feast, an amazing food festival organized by Afisha Eda magazine in Moscow last weekend. Now I would like to say more about the master class of Suki Maman (the pastry chef of Upside down cake bakery and Montalto pizza). The class was about mini cupcakes, the key speciality of Upside down cake, which I'm completely addicted to. That was something I just couldn't miss.
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Food feast of Afisha Eda (Афиша: Праздник Еды)

I spent this whole Saturday at the Food feast (Праздник Еды) - food festival, organized by Alexey Zimin and Afisha Eda magazine in Moscow for the first time this year. When I found about the event a week or two ago and looked through the agenda I was amazed. All day was filled up with master classes of some of the most interesting Moscow chefs - Ivan Shishkin of Delicatessen restaurant, Isaac Correa, Suki Maman of Upside down cake and Montalto pizza, Iyia Shalev of Ragout etc. as well as Alexey Zimin himself. I new I had to be there whatever happens.

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Cañete Barcelona tapas bar

Besides the getting to understand the New Nouvelle cuisine, one of my ideas for the trip to Barcelona was to get a better idea about tapas. I always felt intrigued reading about the best tapas bars in Barcelona, where you start from queueing outside and then need to fight your way to the bar stand.
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Montalto American pizzeria in Moscow

Montalto pizza looks right out to Sadovoye Koltso with its bright red sign. When I came there with a friend at the end of July the first thing we had to do was to climb through elaborate road works, which were taking place around it. However it turned out to be worth it. Yes, we liked the pizza, but I’d definitely return there even just for tomato appetizers and desserts.
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Gelonch New Catalan restaurant in Barcelona

My recent trip to Barcelona was so full of gastronomic impressions that it will take me many posts to express in full. This fist one is going to be about Gelonch restaurant, an haute cuisine experience that really impressed me.
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Suki Maman master class in cafe Sok

At the middle of July I noticed that cafe Sok from time to time runs master classes with guest chefs. The upcoming class was going to be about healthy sweets and guess who was the master. It was such a tiny notice "July 24th, Healthy sweets (Suki Maman)", the pastry chef of my favorite Upside down cake. I immediately called the organizer and - yess! - there were still seats available.
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Steamed lemon puddings

I used to be averse of making steamed puddings before last week. Even despite how much I adored eating them. To me there was always some magic about their moist texture, which is so dense and soft at the same time. These lemon puddings changed this and I can't tell you how happy it makes me.
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Thai sticky coconut rice pudding

I wouldn't normally write about something right after I cook it, but this Thai sticky rice pudding made me really excited. The only thing I did between making it and writing this post was actually eating it. It turned out so silky, mildly coconuty with a warm scent of palm sugar and sweet spices. Comforting and delicious. However no, it's not reminding me of Asia.
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Pumpkin and walnut muffins (vegan version)

It looks like there is a pattern in my vegan baking. Things work out exactly from the second attempt. That was the case with banana upside down cake as well as oatmeal cookies. Now the pumpkin muffins did the same and I can’t tell you how happy I am at breakfast time.
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Cafe Sok (кафе Сок) Moscow vegetarian, vegan, raw

I woke up lost and frustrated that day. I just couldn't decide what to do. I felt too unhappy to write or cook. Posts or food never come out good if I don't have enough love to give out. So I just went out the door and started walking down the Gogolevsky boulvar. I was starving. I passed by Gogol-Mogol cafe, 5 spices, Beard papa's, but couldn't settle anywhere. I just was unable to take any decision.
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Gorgonzola and spinach risotto

That weekend I really didn’t feel like going anywhere out. Even out of my bed, I’m not even talking about restaurants. It felt very strange, given that I’d normally wake up on Saturday thinking about where I should now go. Is it Upside down cake or Coffee bean? Coffee bean or Upside down cake? This time however, I needed to stay in my shell. That’s how I ended up actually cooking food (not usual sweets or snacks) at home.
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Jagannath Moscow vegetarian restaurant and specialty store

It seems that there are some nice vegetarian restaurants in Moscow. I’m just starting to discover them as I’m quite new to vegetarian community, especially in Moscow. I just read an opinion that Moscow is quite empty for a vegetarian. I’m not saying it’s not true, especially if I compare it to, say, Paris or Singapore. However I just tried Jagannath restaurant, which is the second place I do like. I also heard about a newly opened Sok cafe (translates as “Juice cafe”), which I’m definitely going to try in the nearest future.
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Ginger tea with orange and raisins

Ginger tea is something I picked up when I lived in Singapore. In the city or if you are traveling around to Indonesia, Thailand etc. ginger tea is something so casual that you bump into it in almost every menu. When shopping you also get to see those little packets of instant ginger tea powder. Exactly like those with 3 in 1 coffee you get in Europe.
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Chewy oatmeal cookies (vegan version)

The crispy oatmeal cookies I got last time were fine, but I’ve always been much bigger on soft and chewy cookies. So since then I’ve been thinking about developing a chewy version. These chewy (almost gooey) cookies worked right from the first attempt. This must be because I finally got a good book on American baking.
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Benvenuto Moscow Italian restaurant

This place I just have to write about. Since Benvenuto Italian restaurant opened next to my parents house in Moscow several years ago it became our all time favorite for a family meal out. And it still is today. There is something about its hospitality, comfortable sofas and food that we just can't let go.
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Polish style szarlotka (apple pie)

I used to think I’m not someone who easily gets provoked. However after this article in NY Times Dining made me cook I’m not that sure any more. The result was that I discovered a delicious apple pie which is very different from whatever I tried before. Given that I’m a complete apple pie freak and try different apple pastry wherever I find it, I feel impressed and simply happy about it.
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Zu cafe - Moscow Asian restaurant

Since I moved closer to my job I see my parents way less often than I'd like to. To compensate for this I started meeting my dad on the weekends. Last time while we were looking for an interesting place to go my colleague suggested Zu cafe. It turned out a relatively recent Asian restaurant on Novy Arbat (there are also more branches, e.g. one in European trade center). Their chef is from Shanghai. The idea was to make a pan-Asian restaurant with healthy food.
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Broccoli and Brie cheese gratin

This broccoli and Brie cheese gratin came to mind spontaneously last weekend. Unlike many "on the go" simple foods I make for myself this I don't want to go unnoticed. It made a beautiful, simple and delicious dinner. Together with a glass of cider it even made me nostalgic about France. You just need to like both broccoli and cheese to enjoy as much as I did.
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My cookbooks shelf

My birthday of this year turned out very happy. I did have to realize I wasn't 25 any more but that didn't matter because when I woke up my inbox was full of warm greetings. I came to work and saw beautiful smiles of my colleagues saying happy birthday. Three red roses appeared on my kitchen table and they are still there getting more and more pretty each next day. And on top of all that my lovely parents presented to me three precious new and shiny cookbooks I kept dreaming about for months.
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My favorite books about food

These are some of the food books I really love. Amazing life stories, food travel guides and fiction books that connect food to people's feelings in a way that I start believing these are not really separable. Be careful with them. You might end up believing it too.
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Half-a-teaspoon: custards and icings class

I was lucky to make it to the custards and icings class at half-a-teaspoon, which turned out the last one Алена Спирина taught this year. I'm so crazy about custards in general that the topic itself turned me on immediately. I enjoyed the class a lot and got deeply sad I'll have to wait till next autumn for more classes.
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Spicy hot cake with sticky toffee sauce

Last weekend I made this Nigella's Spicy hot cake. I knew I'll have to make it once I saw the video of her making it. The batter goes into the baking dish, lots of muscovado sugar goes on top and - oops - all that goes flooded by boiling water from the kettle. But magic! - a great looking pudding in boiling sticky toffee sauce comes out of the oven.
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Crispy oatmeal cookies (vegan version)

I'm getting more and more enthusiastic about vegan baking. After the banana upside down mini cakes worked I got these wonderful oatmeal cookies. My first attempt one them I'm embarrassed to describe. At the second one however they even surprised me. They came out deliciously light, crispy and airy. The combination of cinnamon, nutmeg and orange gave them a touch of heat and feast.
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Simple things (Простые вещи) Moscow restaurant

Last weekent was my first time to Simple things (Простые вещи) Moscow restaurant. It positions itself as a wine bar or gastropub and that's exactly what it is. You get a good choice of wines and simple crispy fresh French and Italian food to complement it. We enjoyed it a lot.
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Italian Caprese salad

After I got fresh green basil from the nearby store and made fresh pesto pasta I still had some pesto left. So I thought about making my the most ever favorite Caprese salad. Everything is just perfect about it. A crispy simple idea, balanced flavor. Every time I make it I get surprised once again by its beauty. Especially given that all I need to do is to slice tomatoes and mozzarella.
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Avocado Moscow vegetarian restaurant

We recently made it to Avocado, my favorite Moscow vegetarian restaurant. I haven’t been to the place for some 4 years already. It was nice to find out it is still there quiet and peaceful with the food simple and fresh.
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Banana upside down mini cakes (vegan version)

I recently got interested in vegan (eggless and dairy free) pastry. After my several unsuccessful attempts on this, banana upside down mini cakes finally worked perfectly. They came out really flavorful and full of aroma, airy, tender and moist at the same time. I had a great breakfast. So for the first time since these experiments started I really feel like sharing a recipe.
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