Maslenitsa is Russian Mardi Gras that lasts a whole week. Sometimes called Butter Week, Cheesefare Week, or Pancake Week, Maslenitsa is a time to eat blini, play games, and have snowball fights. Celebrated a week before the Orthodox Lent (also called Great Lent), Maslenitsa is rooted in ancient Slavic traditions of sun worshipping. In the [...]
Imagine walking into your favorite bakery on a crisp winter morning. The sweet aromas of sugar and spice, combined with steamy hot dough, flavorful fillings and mouthwatering toppings. What can be more comforting? Enjoying your favorite bread or pastry with a cup of truly magnificent tea. It's the Russian way. Uniquely baked breads and bagels have been a [...]
It’s Sunday morning and we were in the mood for a light and delicious, authentically Russian blini brunch. Having just come back from a honeymoon in Venice, it was time to give ourselves a break from the super sweet breakfast rolls and treat ourselves to something healthier. We had some fresh berries and just a bit [...]
Sunshine and pancakes: that’s the theme of Maslenitsa! Loosely translated as Butter Pancake Week, Maslenitsa is a Slavic festival that originated in pagan times as a way to bid farewell to winter and welcome in the sunny season of Spring. Maslenitsa (Russian Pancake Week) The deliciously gluttonous week of sweet and savory blini – pronounced blee-nee [...]
Blini (or Bliny) are thin Russian pancakes similar to the French crepe. They are traditionally baked in large quantities during Maslenitsa – also known as Pancake Week – the last week before Lent. In the old days, blinis were used to celebrate the coming of Spring and to mark the end of Winter. By baking and [...]
