The secrets of specogna. In the plates of presidents and Prime Ministers?
Relatively recently in the Kremlin, there was a tradition — to carry out the presidential reception in honour of day of Russia on the Ivanovo area.
Under the white tents set tables and buffet, where high-ranking officials and famous public figures can to your liking to get snacks and hot. However, nothing or almost nothing gets on the table and “P”. In Soviet times it was a table for members of the Politburo, and now presidential. Meals, which it put waiters — from the “General” menu, but prepare them in a special kitchen personal chef. Yes, and waiters in uniform — the need to guarantee the security of the head of state dictates the rules.
About how the main cuisine of the country, and as fed to the General secretaries, presidents and their foreign guests, “AIF” said Kremlin chef, until recently Director of the plant power “Kremlin”, President of the culinary Association of Russia Viktor Belyaev.
Ikornitsy a-La Kremlin
After graduating with honors from culinary school I was assigned to the restaurant “Prague”. Several Moscow restaurants were attracted by the cooks and waiters to serve large — 200-300 people for events in the Kremlin. The kitchen was in the Grand Kremlin Palace. Remember, I was very impressed by two plate — several meters in length, with 42 plates, with large ovens and chrome handles. The trophy from the country of Goebbels….
If the event was large — the Congress party, for example, was prepared from 5 am to 2 am, so sleep stayed right in the Kremlin. Slept in St George’s hall: some carpets lastelem, the other will turn as pillows. By the way, the tables in the St. George in Soviet times, was in three large — they were called “ships” — and a smaller one for the Bureau. Pulled the rope red or black to make it visible on a white tablecloth, and put dishes (we say) “on the table” — with all of the cooked sturgeon, suckling pig, fruit vases, cupronickel ikornitsy. They first poured the ice and set the crystal bowl of caviar.
One day, someone from management came up with not just pour the ice, and to make him a composition of: frost pots, water and a fret saw, cut out the vase with the walls of the Kremlin wall. Such had 150 pieces. Fingers were cold even with gloves on. For the affinity to the Kremlin wall, the form was lowered into the beet broth.
One person out of 3 kg of food. So no one ate. Full Board meals, fruits, eggs, bottles of alcohol are all gathered under the settlement. Not caviar, of course, but some of it fed the soldiers of the Kremlin regiment, which bore the tables. By the way, already in 90-e on soldiers who “played” guests, we trained. Everything was calculated with precision up to seconds, to without a hitch to serve a few hundred people, to have time to post hot: for example, Kobzon sings for two minutes, after insertion the hot. For the soldiers, of course, cooked sausages, potatoes.
Now waiters dinner on the guest’s choice, and in Soviet times on the table immediately stood glasses of vodka, cognac, wine glasses, water. What remained in the glasses, some comrades, as they are either chasing, poured into one container, it was called “some slivovitz”.
Something to bear in his pockets we had not accepted. Although I was tempted: when the country is in the stores for almost nothing, at party events, the abundance does not end. Worked private subsidiary farm of the administration of the Council of Ministers, and from the regions and republics was carrying delicacies. But we have had the opportunity once a week to shop in spetsbufet for members of the Politburo.
Ear with a firebrand in the Brezhnev
In Moscow, Serebryany Bor, was a place where under Brezhnev traveled “without ties”. Once the Secretary General has travelled to the place of the President of France, Valery Giscard d’estaing to go fishing. We carry what they caught (there is a dam more fish pre-launch), but we cook “nalovlennyh” ahead of time. Give the command to pass: everything is ready, you can go to the gazebo.
But I see that Brezhnev d’estaing come to us: “Well, son, you ready the ear?” Answer: “Yes, Leonid Ilyich, ready!” Asks for a spoon, taste from the pot: “No, not ready!”. “Give, — said the waiter — a bottle of vodka”. Pour in three-liter pot almost full glass and throws fire in your ear firebrand. Now, says, ready, me that the elders taught to cook. I then, when I was on the Volga, found out: really, there is such a recipe turns out well.
In the Politburo by the end of the 70s, it seems, almost all were hypertensive, were sitting on a diet. At parties in high bottle of Moldovan cognac “White stork” was pouring the infusion of rose hips. Below it gleamed the same way as cognac, add the lemon juice. And after the toast they all stack tilt, quack, snack, and other guests think, “Our old men — hoo! Out as the cognac swilling… “.
Stalin on the stove and Chinese delicacies
My first job with the foreign service of the delegation of the Communist party of Laos, headed by the Secretary General. As other foreigners, Laotians settled in the guest house on the Sparrow hills.
I have been appointed assistant experienced chef, he was one of Stalin’s personal chefs. Tall, gray-haired, was presented by Vitaly. For three weeks of work, I even his name could not ferret out. But he told me some things about Near dacha in Kuntsevo.
For example, the change sometimes came in the morning to the kitchen, and the stove heard a familiar voice: “Let me sleep!” Stalin on the stove in the kitchen sometimes treated her rheumatism, the Chief, by the way, the cook’s son, did not like the smell of cooking appliances the house was via a long corridor from the main, and the chimneys were protected, that the smoke smells a little dissipated if the wind blew in the direction of the cottage.
Now, with the Lao delegation in our house was an embarrassment. Lao cuisine — specific. But the Laotians were different from the Chinese and Arabs that ate all of our loved chickens, soup, caviar, blinis, sturgeon, baked in Moscow.
However, there is one gastronomic fad Lao General Secretary was. On the third day the maid says: in the bedroom first-person smell so bad, probably the mouse died. While the Secretary was in meetings with the health code guards all turned — and found nothing. Once everything is processed — does not pass the smell! A few days later the maid found… rotten pigeon’s egg. They had several cages with birds, and the Secretary General in the morning, ate raw eggs.
The Arab delegations had brought the “right” lamb and spices: beside us was a chef from the Embassy and told them what to add.
The Chinese are eating our food, but loved it to Supplement their. I remember, gave me a box with some dried clams the size of a finger, sprinkled with coal dust. I stand and think: what to do with it? Called the Embassy staff. It turned out, soaked, washed out, turns white, grows in size, turns into a gelatinous mass, add the onions, garlic, soy sauce… Chinese admired, said, “Like a real Chinese cook!” Although I gelatinous something and could not. Even when told a secret, which is very useful for potency.
Cancers of the Timofeyevich
Legend specogna chef was Timofeich. He was born in the Kremlin in one of the parish houses. Fed the monks of the monasteries of the Kremlin, then Soviet elite, which after the transfer of the capital in 1918, too, initially lived in the Kremlin.
Timofeich amazing boiled crawfish. Try this: wash in cold water, carefully clean under the tail, in water, pepper, salt, fennel root, parsley, celery. Boil — throw crayfish. The meat crab is so delicate that it can say at this point is ready. Boil again, add a bottle of beer and close the lid to make a “bath”. As soon begins again to boil — throw back to the hops left in the bitterness. Cancer of the cervix was in the fish platter, in salads, as a separate dish and in cancer sauce.
And Timofeich, it turned out, was born in the Kremlin, worked in the Kremlin and died in the Kremlin. Cooked these cancers at some event, felt ill, went to the locker room, sat down and died.
Nixon and seeds
With former U.S. President Richard Nixon, I worked in 1987 — he came as a mediator before the meeting of Reagan and Gorbachev.
Remember, I came, as usual, about five in the morning to the mansion. Nixon is standing on her balcony, saw me down, asked for some tea. I spoke some bad English but understood well enough. Invited Nixon to go to the dining room, he says, no, let’s go to the kitchen. We have a table, where the waiters and cooks eating. He sat down, I gave him a napkin spread made the sandwich.
Here comes the officer with the question: “Nobody came?” I told him eyes show up in. The officer caught up with the words “good morning” salute. Nixon in response to: “Morning”. But officer my jacket cooking from the kitchen pulls and scolding whisper: “… What, are you kidding me?”.
You have to understand that the door between the household and sitting areas of the mansion was like the border of the Soviet Union. Us in front of each delegation was satisfied with the instruction: “with no one to greet, nothing to tell you.” I say to the officer: “And what am I? He came, sat down, asked for a Cup of tea. That you overslept!”.
Go back to the kitchen, Nixon I gesture shows that “snitched On the head?” Well, not without it. “Sorry,” he says. Takes a Cup of tea, calling his assistant Andrian and goes to the officers. You said, boss, do not scold, he is innocent. She said people can lash out, not understanding… read a lecture on the fundamentals of working with the team.
Once Nixon asked me to take him at Cheremushkinsky market. Like, no-one remembers it, you can safely walk about and take in the sights. Took a assistant and one security guard. But, of course, Nixon knew. Started to poke him vegetables, fruits, honey. Say, thanks for being here, Hello to the American people. Nixon decided that “this is your here in advance of all dealers for officers were replaced”. Then, he says, saw the sincere emotions and I realized that the way to prepare people is impossible….
That evening, Nixon was to go to the Bolshoi theater, but changed my mind. It turned out, when he already left the market, the ex-President was stopped by an old woman and offered a bag of sunflower seeds. The money is not taken. You know, she said to him, you are there in America home, and I have a during the war of three sons died, make it so that there was no more war… Nixon changed in the face, hugged the old woman, asked then to put her any money. And with this bag of seeds and went out to his residence.
Long cut circles in the yard — apparently, thought that they — the politicians — something not so do. Then came, asked me to cook dinner. And vodka, says, bring….
Master class for Gandhi
To work with the Indian delegation was especially hard. The delegation usually occupied two mansions, and go and feed them: some cow — a sacred animal, others do not eat pork, others do vegetarians. Many had to be prepared personally, waiters carried trays to rooms.
And only the Prime Minister Indira Gandhi with his assistants, descended to the dining room. She loved Russian cuisine: borsice, soups are my very she liked the pickle with chicken giblets. But in the second week with a delegation has to include fantasy — what would have to surprise. Remember how grandma used to make in the village of noodles on a goose egg yolks.
After lunch, Indira comes to us: “Hello, can I take the recipe and prepare it together with you?” Agreed for the evening, made her white robe, she came with a notebook to write everything down. I poured two piles of flour, gave her gloves — she’s got my nails done, but she’s a little gloves was pomnila, and then says: “Can I also without gloves?” Well, of course!
While I was cooking, she talked about her big family, which in two weeks the holiday will gather a hundred people, and she wants the noodles, according to Russian recipe. The decor is casual. And she starts without a permit to pour the water into the dough.
I so forgot who is nearby that I grab her by the shoulder: “What are you doing, freak?” And then me from head to toe as the shock — I was stunned… Sorry. Well, it’s clear security was not. And she smiles: “No, you punish me!” Immediately the noodles at our table and tried. And during the next visit, she found me on purpose, told me what everything was, and gave a figure of the God of bones.
Sausage for nick and pancakes Thatcher
With German Chancellor Helmut Kohl and I worked three times. He was diabetic, so I told him the porridge cooked in water, without sugar. But one day he appeared in the kitchen doorway, pleading glance at the sausages, and gesture — can I have one? I give to understand, saying, okay, I’ll bring you to the dining room. He waved his head and shows: here, sit down. What to do, the table moved — Kohl was a big man — he sat, I gave him a napkin laid, devices. Ate four sausages!
He spoke Russian a little bit, shows on sugar, says: “Almost there!” I breed hands: impossible. Then he went up himself, poured myself sugar in my coffee, ate, thanked him and left… the Waiter at Breakfast returns from the hall and says something Since today nothing to eat, complains about the diet. The wife behind him looked closely. And only I knew why he had this morning had no appetite. Conspiratorial with him then winked.
Three times I had the opportunity to serve the British delegation, but Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher lived at the Embassy. And only in the second visit reason arrived to the mansion. Resorts waiter: brew tea, Thatcher came in, offered a snack — doesn’t want to. But she, apparently, someone from the delegation recommended the pancakes that I had cooked — palacinky.
The waiter said, behold, to tea only pancakes. I had 6 pieces. Thin pancakes with cottage cheese, rolled with lemon zest, roasted edge, served with sour cream on top. The waiter returns empty dish — all six of Thatcher ate. And then — again through the “border” — comes the Prime Minister, followed two of our officers. She, despite her short stature, they are so top-down looked, coldly and says in surprise: “Morning”. Like, what ran?
Turns to me, says: “the Chief”. I submitted: “May neym of the Victor.” She also submitted: “Margaret”. And she is big hair, with a brooch, white gloves. And on a funny Russian saying: “Very-very tasty.” The best praise for the cook… Stand — glow of happiness! Now, by the way, regularly make these pancakes your Princess — three year old granddaughter.