Archive for 'language'
My recipe for something sort of like black bread Posted by Rob on Jun 5, 2012
Мой рецепт для хлеба, напоминающего чёрный In part 1, I described my attempts to reproduce “authentic Russian black bread” at home. And now, here’s the step-by-step recipe for those who want to try it! My instructions tell how to make the bread ручным способом (“by hand”), but you can certainly use a хлебопечка (“bread machine”)…
Baking genuine Russian-style black bread in a “Yankistani” kitchen: Can it be done? Posted by Rob on Jun 4, 2012
Выпечка настоящего чёрного хлеба на “пиндостанской” кухне: возможно ли это? In one of her Easter posts, Yelena mentioned the challenge of making baked goods — such as the sweet Easter кулич — from дрожжевое тесто (“yeast dough”). And indeed, yeast loaves can take a bit more practice, and are more labor-intensive, than “quick breads” raised…
Just a Story About Grilling Posted by yelena on May 29, 2012
School’s out! Finally, it’s time for летние каникулы (summer break). Before you head out to the beach, ask yourself this: нравится ли мне этот блог? получаю ли я от него удовольствие и/или пользу? (Do I like this blog? Do I get pleasure and/or usefulness from reading it?). If the answer is, then please голосуйте за…
Test Time – Check Your Knowledge of Russian Language Posted by yelena on May 25, 2012
It’s the end of the school year in Russia. The good news is that летние каникулы (summer school break) is about to start. The bad news is that first there are some экзамены (exams) that need to be passed. Of course, if you studied hard all year or, say, took time зазубрить (here: to cram)…
So Provincial! Posted by yelena on May 22, 2012
What cities or towns would you like to visit when travelling to Russia? If you have been to Russia, what cities have you visited? While I am awaiting for your answers (feel free to post them in the comments), I’m going to venture a guess. I’d say that the vast majority of иностранные туристы (foreign…
Just a Bit About Fruits Posted by yelena on May 17, 2012
As promised, it’s time to talk fruits and berries. Of course, since this is not a gardening blog, but a blog about Russian language and culture, instead of growing advice there will be lots of useful phrases and expressions. Ready? First, the word фрукт itself is interesting. Its main meaning is “fruit”, but when…
Eat Carrots to Look Like Sophia Loren Posted by yelena on May 16, 2012
Continuing with our exploration of огородная лингвистика (vegetable garden linguistics), let’s take a look at other vegetables that made their way into Russian proverbs, sayings and literature. Лук (onion) – everyone knows that лук – от семи недуг (onion helps fight seven illnesses) and in fact so many Russian folk remedies use onion to fight…