Maslenitsa in the States

The next day after the Oscars a big Russian holiday has started - Maslenitsa. I know no Russian who doesn’t like it. Really, it is hard to say ‘no’ to those hot and yummy pancakes served with ‘smetana’ (sour cream), jam, caviar, salmon etc etc etc. Since it is so deeply rooted in the Russian culture, my Russian readers can hardly learn anything new from this post but for my foreign friends it may be interesting. 

Maslenitsa is a Russian religious and folk holiday but also turned into a food holidays and perceived as pancake week. Maslenitsa is celebrated during the last week before Great Lent anticipating Easter and corresponds to the Western Christian Carnival. Together with that, Maslenitsa has a dual ancestry - both pagan and Christian. In Slavic mythology, Maslenitsa is a sun festival, celebrating the end of winter with pancake being a solar symbol. Maslenitsa is not just a holiday filled with lots of solid meals (meat is already forbidden though) and fun activities like snowball fights and sledding but also a preparations for Lent. 

It is one of my most favorite time of the year since childhood - I can never forget the aroma of freshly made pancakes that you can eat at home without a fork and knife but with your hands and feel the warmth of pancakes and cold of smetana or have home-made jam running through your fingers when licking it off is not a shame at all:) And then wash those wonderful pancakes down with hot tea when sitting by the window and looking at the frosty and (if you are lucky) sunny winter day anticipating the come of spring. Not to say about a great excuse to be stuffed every day - it is Maslenitsa after all! 

Maslenitsa is celebrated during a whole week and every day is devoted to special rituals. On Monday Maslenitsa is welcome. On that day people used to make a straw-stuffed figure of Winter, dressed it in old women’s clothing and singing carried it on sleigh around the village. They still do it sometimes. Tuesday is called “zaigrysh” (game day) and it gives a start to all kinds of activities: sleigh riding, folk festivals, skomorokh (traveling actors) and puppet shows. Wednesday (“gourmand”) – opens feasts. Home parties with lots of pancakes and also street food on sales: hot ‘sbiten’ (drinks made from water, honey and spices), nuts, honey gingerbreads and poured tea from boiling samovars. On Thursday – revelry – came the climax of games and fun. If on Wednesday sons-in-law were treated to pancakes at their mothers-in-law’s, on Friday it was their turn to arrange a pancake party. Saturday is all about relatives visiting newly weds and praising young wife. Sunday is named “Sunday of Forgiveness”. On that day people ask each other to forgive them for all grievances and troubles. On the last day of Maslenitsa comes the most interesting event – saying goodbye to Maslenitsa - a solemn burning of the stuffed figure of winter. Maslenitsa ends with the first day of the Lent – Clean Monday. It is time to clean the house and start a 40-days journey to Easter.

This year celebrating Maslenitsa so far away from where it all started I felt important to follow the traditions and also introduce Dave and the kids to this part of my culture. Good for me, they all like pancakes. During this week, I tried a few recipes and would like to share with you the 2 I liked the most.

Yeasty pancakes (‘bliny’)

Those are my all time favorite. Very fat but you can allow it once a year. This kind of pancakes is perfect for lunch or dinner and rollups. Close to what Americans consider crepes. 

Ingridients (make app. 30 pancakes):

• 6 cups flour
• 0.5 liter milk
• 1 package dry yeast
• 1 egg
• 2 tbs vegetable oil
• 2 tbs sugar
• 1 tsp salt

Directions: 

1. Heat milk without putting it to boil.Mix about ⅓ of the flour needed with warm milk, yeast, sugar and salt. 

2. Mix well and put in a warm place for 20 min (it should become ‘active’ and double in size).

3.  Stir in the remaining flour, egg, vegetable oil and mix well.

4. Heat a frying pan. 

Note: You may want to grease it with some butter but make sure you don’t use too much - or your first pancakes will turn out too ‘buttery’. If you are using a non-stick pan better go without any butter at all. My grandma loved to use her cast-iron pan she kept for pancakes only and grease it with some vegetable butter between practically each pancake using a half of a potato on a fork - that’s so old school.

5. Pour the dough into the pan. The bigger and thinner pancakes - the better. Bear in mind you may want to use them for rollups.

6. Fry pancakes for about 10-15 seconds each side. Make sure it doesn’t get too dry.

7. Serve hot with smetana or caviar and enjoy!

Non-yeast pancakes (‘olady’)

Less time-consuming version and perfect for breakfast and desserts. Close to what Americans have for breakfast with maple syrup. 

Ingridients (make app. 15 pancakes):

• 2 cups flour
• 1 cup milk 
• 2 eggs
• 2 tbs vegetable oil
• 1 tbs sugar
• ½ tbs cinnamon (optional)

Directions:

1. Mix all the ingredients.
2. Preheat frying pan.
3. Pour the dough into the pan. Make them smaller but thicker then those in previous recipe. 
4. Fry pancakes for 15-20 seconds each side.
5. Put sugar and butter between pancakes.
6. Enjoy hot with smetana or syrup.

Happy Maslenitsa!