The Russian cuisine reflects the ethnic diversity of Russia and the influences of the western cuisines.  The Vinegret, a traditional Russian salad, is made with beets, carrots, potatoes, peas, onions and pickles, and flavored with the olive oil and vinegar.  Our recipe recreates the flavorful Vinegret we degusted as we traveled through Russia.  The Vinegret, an easy to make vegetable salad, is nutritious, colorful and delicious.

Our journey to Maui, a beautiful island in Hawaii, includes the degustation of a wonderful Hawaiian delicacy, the Lilikoi Butter.  The Lilikoi Butter is made with passion fruit concentrate, egg yolks, sugar and butter.  It has a silky and creamy texture, and tastes wonderfully with a fresh brioche or a plain yogurt.  In our recipe, we use a passion fruit concentrate produced by Perfect Purée of Napa Valley.  Our Lilikoi Butter has a soft texture and is lightly sweet and tangy.  A fresh brioche from Le Panier, a French bakery in Seattle, is an ideal pastry to serve with the Lilikoi Butter.

Corsica, also called l’Île de Beauté, delights with shimmering Mediterranean Sea, red granite cliffs, pristine beaches, medieval sites, forested mountains and beautiful villages.  Located in close proximity to mainland France and Italy, Corsica radiates beauty, energy and independence.  The island’s topography is comprised of nature reserves, Marine Park, forested mountains, picturesque bays and fertile countryside. The distinctive allure of Corsica is revealed in its walled medieval cities, seaside towns and captivating hilltop villages.  The island’s beautiful and fertile lands contribute in maintaining Corsican traditions of extraordinary cuisine.

Gingerbread is an aromatic pastry, dating back to ancient Egypt and Greece.  Perníčky are traditional gingerbread cookies made in Czech Republic, originally brought to the country from Germany in the 14th century.  The baked gingerbread cookies are shaped into figurines, bells, hearts and many other shapes, covered with sugar glaze or decorated with sugar-frosting.  Our Perníčky recipe recreates the flavors we loved while visiting the festive Christmas markets of Prague.  Perníčky are easy to make, have a wonderful flavor and retain longer-lasting aromas in the home.