From the Chef: Culinary Stories

By Shimon Garber

Book "From the Chef" not just an ordinary cookbook. Shimon Garber - traveler, astute observer, was the Chef and owner of the famous New York restaurant. For Haute couture all life in high fashion, for Shimon - it's great cuisines. His fate, meeting with no ordinary people and fascinating adventures tight with gastronomy,

• Language: English
• Publisher: Shimon Garber
• Release date: Oct 8, 2019
• ISBN: 9781732261143

Shimon Garber

After leaving the USSR, Adam Gardov arrives in Austria to meet with the Israeli Sokhnut. He plans to immigrate to Israel and start a new life, but plans change. Instead of Israel, Gardov decides to apply for an American visa-a laborious process that takes six months. To support himself, he finds employment in Vienna, working for the odious Madame Betina.Gardov's decision will have far-reaching consequences. While anxiously awaiting word on his visa application, he meets the beautiful Nata, another Russian immigrant who turns his head before leaving for America.Join Gardov as he travels from Vienna to that iconic home of immigrants, New York City. There, he discovers life in America will not be easy. He has a new language to master, a job to find, and a driving need to start his own business. And when he reconnects with Nata, he realizes he cannot live without the charming and artistic young woman.The first volume in Shimon Garber's sweeping Immigrants saga, Capital of Immigrants, brings to life the trials of adapting to a new country and culture and the dedication it takes to forge a new life after leaving everything you once knew behind.

Book preview

FROM THE

CHEF

Culinary Stories

Shimon Garber

Gatekeeper Press Logo

From the Chef: Culinary Stories

Newcomers-Authors Publishing Group

Copyright © 2019 by Shimon Garber

Translation by Simon Kublanov

Editor (Russian text): Ann Pelan

Corrector (Russian version): Kitty Clan

Computer design: V. Belinker

E-book by Bulaja Naklada, Zagreb

All rights reserved. Neither this book, nor any parts within it may be sold or reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems without permission in writing from the author. The only exception is by a reviewer, who may quote short excerpts in a review.

ISBN: 978-1732261129 (hardcover) Rus

eISBN: 978-1732823297 Rus

Paperback – 9781732823228 Eng

Hardcover – 9781732261136 Eng

eISBN – 9781732261143 Eng

Gratitude:

To all who helped me to work on this book, with tips,

photos, and an endorsement.

Bibliography

of Shimon Garber

Fiction works by Shimon Garber:

Immigrants vol I Capital of Immigrants; English; HC 978-1732261150

Immigrants vol I Capital of Immigrants; Russian; PC 978-1732261167

Immigrants vol I Capital of Immigrants; English; еВоок 978-1732823259

Иммигранты том 1 Столица иммигрантов; Русский; еВоок 978-1950430017

Immigrants vol II New Americans; Russian; PC 978-1732261174

Иммигранты том 2; Новые Американцы; Русский; еВоок 978-1950430000

Immigrants vol III People and Destinies; Russian; PC 978-1732261181

Иммигранты том 3; Люди и Судьбы; Русский; еВоок 978-1950430024

Short stories:

Adam Travels vol I 30 Years After; English; HC 978-1732823211

Adam Travels vol I 30 Years After; Russian; PC 978-1732261198

Adam Travels vol I 30 Years After; English; еВоок 978-1732823266

Путешествия Адама 1 30 лет спустя; Русский; еВоок 978-1950430031

Adam Travels vol II from Nice to Chicago; Russian; PC 978-1732823204

Путешествия Адама 2 от Ниццы до Чикаго; Русский; еВоок 978-1950430048

Adam Travels vol III from Italy to Germany; Russian; PC 978-1732823235

Путешествия Адама том 3; От Италии до Германии; Русский; еВоок 978-1950430055

Land of the Covenant; Born to be Migrants; English HC 978-1732261105

Land of the Covenant; Born to be Migrants; English PC 978-1732823242

Land of the Covenant; Born to be Migrants; English eBook 978-1732261112

Земля Обетованная; Рождены быть Мигрантами; Русский; PC 978-1732823280

Земля Обетованная; Рождены быть Мигрантами; Русский еBook 978-1732823273

From Chef; Culinary Stories; English; HC 978-1732261136

From Chef; Culinary Stories; English; eBook 978-1732261143

From Chef; Culinary Stories; English; PC 978-1732823228

От Шеф-Повара; Кулинарные Истории; Русский; РС 978-1732261129

От Шеф-Повара; Кулинарные Истории; Русский; еВоок 978-1732823297

*HC – Hard Cover

*PC – Paper Cover

Contents

Preface

Glossary of terms adopted in the kitchen

About Russian cuisine

Russian cuisine

American Cuisine

Italian Cuisine in America

Chinese cuisine in America

Jewish Cuisine in America

Georgian Cuisine

Healthy Eating

Tips from the Chef

References

Index

Preface

The desire to share with others knowledge of the field of culinary experiences has implicitly lived in consciousness always. Once I even created a culinary book. In 1980, together with my wife, we made that book. She was a great illustrator, and I, poking with one finger on a purchased typewriter, dragged in culinary fantasies from the sky tops of pre-revolutionary culinary thoughts. This culinary opus was called The forgotten Russian cuisine. All this happened during the blessed times of stagnation and emigration, as it’s still remembered in Russia.

In late years of last century, in USSR to buy a refrigerator or furniture, it was necessary to spend the entire night in an unthinkable queue, with a written by chemical pencil number on the hand, your number in this queue. For imported toilet or other plumbing supplies, these were the limit of dreams, and a necklace of toilet paper tied in a chain on someone’s chest caused terrible envy.

Food was simple. It wasn’t there. A can of green peas, a glass jar of mayonnaise were the limit of dreams, Bulgarian canned cucumbers, or tomatoes, could make any man a hero and earner for a family holiday table. The word sale replaced with a more specific and explanatory give. Any person who noticed any queue, immediately joined a long line, and only then asked, What do they give us today?

No matter what it was, it could always exchange for something needier.

At this time of total deficit for everything, to draft a culinary book on the theme of long-forgotten dishes and products necessary for the creation of a tasty meal, seemed not just naïve, but perhaps even insulting and degrading to human dignity. My comrades and I gathered in the evenings and read aloud different culinary recipes from rare antique books for entertainment.

...  If some guests suddenly visit you, go down to the basement, cut a large chunk of ham, take a dozen eggs...

It caused a wild spree. Where was that basement, where was that ham? It was ridiculous.

We, then the students in the system of cooking and catering, used a single handbook, operating throughout the vast country. The violation of a prescribed ingredient and explicit norms as they wrote and any changes in prices was punishable. The portion of borscht, from the western to the eastern borders of the country, should not differ in taste and cost.

Few people who wanted to speak or write something different from the established norms and rules, punished. And the road to the publication of culinary fantasies was closed.

Given that the writing of such occurred in the freedom of American emigration, the author punished anyway. After it sent to a publishing house, the book copied by offended folks’ artisans and after a while came out of print in the former homeland under their names, bringing them undeserved fame and a cash reward.

Thinking about the creation of a culinary collection, I at least wanted to write something not dull, consisting of detailed recipes, with a list of ingredients. Today, anyone interested in creating a meal can easily find it on the internet with a lot of detailed explanations on how and what to do, with a vast choice of photographs, pictures, and often everything from footnotes to clips. Some of these materials contain info from reputable sources, part of their fantasies, multiplied on the great love of cooking and the desire to share their discoveries with the world. Cooking appeals to all people. Some like it because of the need to eat or feed others. Others love to be creative in the kitchen and cook for an appreciative or thankful audience. And indeed, everyone wants to hear the evaluation of their skills, consisting of a simple description: tasty, tasteless.

Cooking is science. Like any science, it has its laws and rules. Despite the apparent simplicity, the preparation of any dish requires specific knowledge and understanding, as a combination of products, and the method of cooking work with this product. Sometimes the food itself can negate the technique and effort spent on cooking.

When preparing a dish, it is necessary to present not only the result, but also to know which ingredient to add, and from which it is better to abstain. The fantasy in the kitchen is lovely, but if you want a 100% positive result, you need to choose the right recipe in advance and observe it. For food preparation, there are necessary utensils, temperature mode, and a way of presentation and methods to verify the readiness of a dish. But the essential criteria are luck. Every time a cooked meal is a test. No previous merits, well-cooked dishes, excuses, or explanations will save the chef from a verdict of tasteless.

For some people, this is the most valuable pleasure in life; others refer to the process of eating as a necessity to maintain the body in the right shape. But for all, without exception, nutrition has a natural effect, making us healthy and cheerful, or sad and sick.

The long-established phrase is, We are what we eat. It’s not sad, but’s not going to go away. And often, what is tasty is not always useful. Somewhat modern cooking is obliged to consider the influence of food on the physical condition of those whom we domesticated and feed. Usually, the woman in a family is the chef on whom the health of the family depends—meaning she is responsible for their well-being.

Glossary of terms adopted

in the kitchen

Blanch – to immerse in boiling water, then briefly remove.

To dry – means to place on a paper towel, a deep-fried product that soaked oil during cooking.

Fry – to cook with fat, vegetable, or animal.

Marinade – for a fresh flavor food, soaking in liquid, consists of oil, wine, and spices.

Bring to boil – to cook anything briefly, but not boiling for a long time.

Clarified – to brighten anything, make transparent, separate, and remove solids from the liquid (butter, broth, aspic, jelly, etc.).

Dredge – to coat with flour or other substance.

Filet – to remove bones of fish or meat.

Fry – to cook in fat. It could be by pan-frying or sautéing, or deep-fat frying.

To grate – to rub on a grater, food in assorted sizes (used to shred).

Julienne – to cut the product into thin slices.

Knead – to work pressing the dough, using the palm of the hands.

Breading – to roll in breadcrumbs or another small fragment of bread, cake, or cracker.

Bouquet – consists of the green parts of parsley and root vegetables, celery, dill, and leek, associated in a bunch.

Poach – to cook very gently in hot liquid below the boiling point.

Reduce – to boil down to reduce the volume.

Sauté – to cook in a small amount of fat.

Simmer – To cook slowly in liquid over low heat.

Egg wash – a mixture of eggs and milk, water, or broth. The first used for soups and puree; the second for French sauces. In Russia, egg wash is a widely used mixture of eggs and milk before breading food.

Glass – 0.2 qt.

Plate – 0.3 qt.

Bottle – 0.6 qt.

Kitchen Equipment:

In addition to many sizes of pots, pans, saucepans and various electric combinations and mixers, in each kitchen it is necessary to have:

Measuring spoons and cups, kitchen scales, measuring cup for the measurement of liquid and loose ingredients, various forms for baking. There should be an extensive small inventory, to help the beginner and professional in the kitchen. (See picture)

Kitchen tools

Kitchen tools

About Russian cuisine

Writing about Russian cuisine on one side is simple, and on the other, there is nothing special of a long tradition can be inherited and preserved culinary traditions. The first printed culinary recipes book appeared in Russia in the 19th century. At the time, a society divided in a meaningful manner. Socially inequality existed, to the people rich and poor, and both it seemed lived in different worlds.

The nobles society preferred German, French, Dutch, or some other cuisine. The poor ones used what was available in their mature vegetable gardens or collected in nature.

The generous nature of the vast country of Russia was rich in excellent hunting and fishing opportunities. In winter, large logs of frozen fishes’ species, including beluga, sturgeon, and sevruga has taken to the imperial capital on a sled wrapped in matting—expensive black caviar delivered in wooden casks. Pausanias ikra, which means pressed caviar of sturgeon breeds, is considered by many an excellent but costly product. From the north red salmon, lamprey, smelt, and vendace carried. From Astrakhan came the famous herring called zalom, with broad backs. Crabs, redfish, and red caviar came from the eastern outskirts of the country. Nobles and landlords hunted with dogs in their forests. Bears, wild boars, elks, hares, grouse, partridges and a lot of other game and poultry diversified the chic tables of nobles.

Osetr

Osetr (sturgeon)

French, German, and Dutch cooks were valued highly and worked in the kitchens of wealthy individuals.

Serfdom peasants, slaves, ate what was allowed by their owners. The abolition of serfdom in Russia took place on March 3, 1861. Farmers stopped being sold and bought, but landowners still owned the land.

Russian cuisine

Among the few culinary books in Russia, was published in 1864 by Elena Molohovez to help young housewives. This book survived numerous reprints. In the late 1890s, culinary books of P. Alexandrova-Ignatiev and N. Kolomitcev published.

During almost the entire 20th century, Russia experienced the horrors of the First World War. Then came the Bolshevik Coup, Civil War, and the Second World War. Famine, devastation, terror, and destruction of the people and culture have irreparably harmed the history of this country. No culinary traditions could be saving those times. But they are preserved in the memory of those who survived in the grinder that transformed society, its culture, and ethnic cooking. Those dishes sound like a more of the fantasy, with a description of appetizers, lunches, and heavy meals. Miraculously many cookbooks survived or were taken out of the country.

At the end of the 19th century, the government allowed particular people to leave Russia, and the new knowledge about culinary culture poured into the country, threatening to turn over all the ideas of taste traditions. These delicacies of food and drinks, hitherto unknown, threatened to overturn the power of the authorities. Coca-Cola, Jamon, and Parmesan symbolized not just a desirable life but also did wide-open eyes to the stolen dream to live well.

The authorities may not have realized