The Immovable
Feast
The days of
hunting down herring and
bargaining for tangerines may be
long gone, but, in the Russian
mind, this is still what the
perfect New Year’s Eve table
looks like.
S novym godom!
(Art direction and photo:
Art. Lebedev Studio)
1.
Seven-string guitar – perfect
for playing
Petr Nalich
2.
Bread – not fancy enough to be
on the table, yet indispensable
3.
Moroccan tangerines – a very
special midwinter treat
4. Mors – homemade cranberry drink
5.
“Soviet Champagne.” After
extensive litigation by the
actual Champagne winemakers, it
was renamed Soviet Bubbly
6.
Cheese salad – originated
somewhere in the Baltic
Republics. A tasty mix of grated
cheese, garlic and carrots
7.
Cold cuts – the presence of
imported Hungarian salami
highlights the importance of the
holiday.
8.
Pickles (left to right): garlic,
cabbage, cheremsha
(pickled garlic greens),
gherkins, and tomatoes. No fresh
vegetables this time of year.
9.
Sliced lemon – to garnish Cognac
glasses!
10.
Olivier salad – neither French
nor much of a salad, this is a
mix of chopped ham, potatoes,
eggs, canned peas, and other
winter ingredients bound by
another French impostor –
mayonnaise Provencal
11.
“Herring in a fur coat” –
herring, as the name implies,
all snug in a coat of beets and
pickles. Inedible without a shot
of vodka
12.
New Year Tree – not to be
confused with a Christmas tree.
This one is a non-denominational
joy
13.
On TV: An Irony of Fate,
a New Year classic.
The film is in color; it’s the
TV set that’s black and white
