If you have an unexpected guest. I have no time, or Cautious advice to a young woman. Sausage baked in dough
In the famous cookbook by Elena Molokhovets, which was used by housewives of the 19th century, almost everything is provided, including the situation that is the topic of this article. What to do if you have unexpected guests? According to the author, everything is very simple: you need to go down to the cellar, take a smoked pork ham there, and then create all sorts of culinary miracles based on it. In the early 90s, this phrase by Molokhovets was adapted to modern conditions: if guests unexpectedly come to you, go down to the cellar and... sit there until they leave.
Today's situation, of course, is completely different - the abundance of various products in stores has long ceased to amaze, but the aromas and taste of home cooking cannot be replaced by any concentrates or semi-finished products. However, modern housewives do not have much time, especially since a young mother does not have enough time. But this is not a reason to refuse a family dinner or a fun party with friends, which is sometimes good for its spontaneous unplanned nature. And here two questions become relevant for the hostess: how to treat and delight unexpected guests and how to spend as little time and effort on household chores as possible? You shouldn’t reproach yourself in advance for neglecting women’s eternal pastime in the kitchen; it’s better to think about how much strength and emotions you will save for relaxation and communication.
In order for the unexpected arrival of guests not to be taken by surprise, any housewife should have a so-called strategic supply of food, i.e. something from which you can prepare a simple but tasty treat.
1. In the freezer compartment of the refrigerator, packages of frozen vegetables will not take up much space, among which preference should be given to broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, leeks, bell peppers, spinach, mixed vegetables, which, in addition to the mentioned vegetables, may include carrots, corn, cabbage, zucchini, eggplant, tomatoes, etc.
2. Frozen fruits and berries, such as cranberries, currants, plums, lingonberries, rose hips.
3. Puff pastry (yeast and non-yeast), cut into rectangular layers (in packaging) or rolled into a roll.
4. Fish fillets - pink salmon, perch, cod, haddock, etc.
5. Crab sticks.
6. Ice cream.
The convenience of preparing these products is that they defrost quickly (this is especially important if you do not have a microwave) and are almost ready to use - the fish is boned, vegetables and fruits are processed, peeled and even lightly boiled before freezing.
Meat and chicken are also good, but they are slow to defrost. True, you can store them in the freezer in portioned form.
Canned food does not cause much trouble when storing: green peas, beans, corn, olives, tomato paste; various canned fish - sprats, saury, salmon, sardines, etc. (in oil filling or in its own juice).
In addition, the standard supply of any housewife includes flour, rice, buckwheat, pasta, vegetable oil, eggs, potatoes, cabbage, as well as spices, even if it is only dried dill or celery, bay leaf and black pepper, which will help give a special taste and aroma of dishes. Mayonnaise, sour cream, and vegetables - onions and garlic are always useful. Sometimes the cheese in the refrigerator just saves the situation.
So, what can you quickly prepare from all this?
Salads and cold appetizers
From such a simple vegetable as cabbage, you can quickly prepare several wonderful dishes.
You can make snacks from canned food and a minimum of vegetables, which will take no more than 15 minutes to prepare.
For example:
saury salad
You will need:
saury canned in its own juice - 1 can (can be replaced with mackerel or sardines),
boiled eggs - 3 pcs.,
green onions - 100 g,
pitted olives - 100 g,
lemon juice - 2 tbsp. spoons.
Place the fish from the jar in a salad bowl and mash it lightly with a fork, setting aside a few pieces for decoration. Dice 3 boiled eggs, 100 g pitted olives and 100 g green onions. Mix everything, season with canned juice and lemon juice. Place the salad in a mound and garnish with whole pieces of saury, whole olives, egg slices and lemon half rings.
Salmon pate
You will need:
salmon in its own juice - 1 can,
garlic - 3 cloves,
walnuts - 1 cup,
boiled eggs - 3 pcs.,
mayonnaise - 200 g.
Grind all the ingredients in a food processor, first drain the juice from the canned food, add 200 g of mayonnaise. No need to add salt.
Stuffed eggs
You will need:
eggs - 6 pcs.,
garlic - 2-3 cloves,
hard cheese - 100 g,
mayonnaise - 100 g.
Boil the eggs, cut them into halves, remove the yolk and mix it with finely chopped garlic cloves, grated cheese and mayonnaise. Fill the egg halves with this mixture, place on a plate and sprinkle with herbs.
Cheese cocktail salad
You will need:
hard cheese - 150 g,
green apple - 1 pc.,
orange - 1 pc.,
ham - 100 g,
lemon juice - 1 tbsp. spoon,
olives and lettuce for decoration.
Cut the cheese and apple into strips. Sprinkle the sliced apple with lemon juice to prevent it from browning. Cut 1 orange into slices, then peel and cut each slice into 4 pieces. Cut the ham into strips.
Serve the salad cocktail like this: put a leaf of green lettuce in large glasses or vases, lay out the mixed salad, pour over mayonnaise and garnish with lemon and olives.
Alpine salad
You will need:
canned red beans - 1 can (or boil 100-200 g fresh),
canned corn - 1 can,
onions (preferably red salad) - 2 pcs.,
apple cider vinegar - 1/2 cup,
boiled potatoes - 2 pcs.,
coriander, suneli hops, black pepper.
Sprinkle the onion with vinegar and add spices. Then add the beans and corn, draining the liquid. Add salt, season with vegetable oil, stir. You can add diced boiled potatoes.
Salad with crab sticks and fresh cucumbers
You will need:
crab sticks - 100 g,
fresh cucumber - 1 pc.,
green salad - 1 bunch,
green peas - 2 tbsp. spoons,
onion - 1 pc. (or 8-10 green arrows),
greens - 1 bunch,
mayonnaise or sour cream - 100 g,
pepper, salt.
Finely chop the cucumber, crab sticks, green salad, onion, and herbs. Place everything in a salad bowl, add green peas and season with mayonnaise or sour cream, pepper and salt.
The fastest salad
You will need:
green peas - 1 can,
onion - 1 pc.,
mayonnaise - 100 g.
Open the can of peas, drain the liquid, and place in a salad bowl. Cut the onion into thin rings, mix with peas and season with mayonnaise.
Hot appetizers
If desired and there are no pickles, hot appetizers can be considered the main dish.
Hot sandwiches
You can prepare them from everything you have in the house. Here are a few simple options, the rest depends on the situation and imagination.
Cut the loaf into slices 1.5 cm thick. Grease each piece with mayonnaise, butter or ketchup. Top with: thinly sliced tomatoes, bell peppers or pickled cucumbers, thinly sliced onions, slices of black olives, thin slices of pickled garlic or even just sauerkraut - whatever is available at the moment. The next layer is any sausage and meat products, cut into small strips: ham, sausages, sausage, boiled meat, etc. Sprinkle it all with grated cheese or mayonnaise (or better yet, both cheese and mayonnaise) and bake in the oven.
Having potatoes in the house will always help out the housewife.
Scandinavian style potatoes
The recipe is simple, and the only luxury item you need to prepare it is foil.
Select potatoes of the same average size, about three for each person. Wash thoroughly with a brush and wrap each potato in foil. Bake in the oven at 200 degrees for about an hour or so (1 hour 15-20 minutes).
While the potatoes are baking, you can prepare the sauce. Base for the sauce: sour cream and mayonnaise in a ratio of 1/2. Traditionally, you need to add finely chopped or, better yet, crushed garlic and salt to taste. But you can also make options: finely chopped pickles and herbs, green onions and eggs, ham and a little ketchup, fried onions and cracklings, smoked fish and onions (then only mayonnaise, without sour cream), etc.
Unwrap the potato and serve directly in foil, cutting it crosswise and pouring the sauce in the middle.
Potato casserole
It requires ready-made puree. Ready-made powdered puree, prepared as written on the package, will also work. If you prepare the puree yourself, you need to do the following: boil the peeled potatoes, mash them with a special potato masher and add hot milk, salt and butter, mix well.
Place the finished puree in a 2-3 cm layer in a greased form (this can be a baking sheet or frying pan), smooth it out. Add the filling: minced meat fried with onions (you can use ready-made), pieces of boiled (fried) fish with fried onions, or pieces of sausage with fried (stewed) vegetables - bell peppers, tomatoes, eggplants, green beans, etc. Add spices. Place a layer of puree on top, spread with mayonnaise and put in the oven for half an hour. When the mayonnaise is browned, you can remove it, carefully cut it with a wooden spatula and place it on plates.
French potato
You will need:
potatoes - 1 kg,
eggs - 2 pcs.,
milk - 2 glasses,
hard cheese - 300 g,
butter - 50 g,
garlic - 2 cloves,
salt, spices.
Peel the potatoes, cut into thin round slices and place in layers in a greased pan, baking sheet or frying pan. Sprinkle each layer with finely chopped garlic and salt. Pour the mixture of eggs and milk beaten together onto the last layer. Then top the potatoes with shredded cheese and grated frozen butter. You can use mayonnaise instead of butter. Bake in the oven for 30-40 minutes until golden brown.
Hot dishes
As a side dish, it is good to use frozen vegetables, which can be stewed in 20 minutes with vegetable oil; there is no need to defrost them. Pairs well with vegetables:
Grilled cheese
You will need:
cheese (any type, including Suluguni and Adyghe) - 0.5 kg,
egg - 1 pc.,
flour or breadcrumbs - 3-4 tbsp. spoons,
butter - 100 g.
Cut the cheese into slices 1-1.5 cm thick, roll first in beaten egg, then in flour or breadcrumbs and fry in oil until golden brown.
Indonesian style squid
You will need:
squid - 3-4 pcs.,
tomatoes - 3 pcs.,
garlic, herbs, salt, spices to taste.
Cut the peeled squid into thin strips, the tomatoes into small slices. Simmer all this for 5-7 minutes over high heat, always covered. Add spices and herbs. The vegetables give juice, in which the chopped squids are simmered. Do not overexpose under any circumstances, because... The squid can get tough!
Eggplant baked with cheese
You will need:
eggplants - 5-6 pcs.,
eggs - 2 pcs.,
hard cheese - 150 g,
butter - 2 tbsp. spoons,
greenery,
salt, mayonnaise (sour cream), spices, garlic.
Cut the eggplants in the middle and boil (5 minutes) in heavily salted water (1 tablespoon of salt per liter of water). During this time, prepare the filling: grate the cheese, chop the hard-boiled eggs, add butter, crushed garlic, and finely chopped herbs. Mix everything.
Remove the eggplants from the water, cut them into 2 halves lengthwise, stuff them and place them in a bowl, which then place in a preheated oven for 10 minutes. Pour mayonnaise or sour cream over the eggplants (a teaspoon for each) and keep in the oven for another 3-5 minutes.
Baked sea bass
Rub the fish on all sides with a mixture of salt and pepper; if it is on the head, pour salt into the gills. Place on a wire rack in an oven preheated to 250 degrees: for 15 minutes on one side, then for 15 minutes on the other.
Monastery-style fish
You will need:
butter - 3 tbsp. spoons,
perch fillet - 500-700 g,
onion - 1 pc.,
eggs - 4 pcs.,
sour cream - 250 g,
cheese - 100 g,
greens, salt, pepper to taste.
Melt the butter in a deep frying pan, lay out a layer of fish, then a layer of onions, cut into rings, a layer of boiled eggs, cut into rings. Season each layer with pepper and salt. Pour sour cream over all this and sprinkle with grated cheese. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes. at a temperature of 250 degrees. Then sprinkle with herbs and serve.
Sausage baked in dough
You will need:
puff pastry - 250 g (one sheet),
sausage or ham - 200 g,
egg - 1 pc.
Cut the puff pastry into strips 1.5 cm wide. Sausage or ham into long slices 1.5 cm thick. Wrap each slice with a strip of dough in a spiral, leaving the edges of the sausage without dough. Place seam side down on a greased baking sheet. Let stand for 10 minutes, brush with beaten egg and bake at 220-230 degrees.
Baking and desserts
The benefits of ice cream stored in the freezer have already been discussed - it is always a ready-made dessert. From all the fruits available at home, you can make a salad by cutting the fruits (apples should be sprinkled with lemon juice to prevent them from darkening). You can season the salad with sour cream, yogurt, and decorate with whipped cream. As a traditional dessert, you can offer a quick and equally delicious cupcake.
Cake
You will need:
egg - 1 pc.,
sugar - 1 glass,
kefir - 1 glass,
table soda - 1/2 teaspoon,
flour - 1.5-2 cups. (The dough should be thin!)
Mix all ingredients in this order. The consistency of the dough should resemble sour cream. Pour the dough into a greased pan and bake at 180-200 degrees until brown. The cake rises well and looks good, especially if you top it with chocolate icing.
Banana cocktail
You will need:
1 banana
1 glass of milk.
Pour milk into blender. Place a finely chopped banana there. Whisk all this until slightly foamy. Pour into glasses.
BON APPETIT!
During the holidays, especially at the end of the holidays, you can often encounter a situation - you are sitting at home, not waiting for anyone, reading an interesting book with a cup of your favorite coffee, and suddenly... guests come to you. And it’s good if these guests managed to please you with this news halfway through the journey, but if not. I would like to give you a couple of ideas in case of unexpected guests.
All situations can be divided into several options.
1. You were warned that guests will arrive in 20 minutes.
For tea you can do:
Pancakes, a recipe for delicious pancakes can be found on the Internet. Or... pie.
Quick pie
A. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees
b. Take butter, sugar, eggs and beat into a homogeneous mixture. In fast conditions, this can be done using a food processor or a mixer.
Main Ingredients
V. Add salt (to taste), sour cream, and flour to the butter-egg mixture. baking powder. Knead a homogeneous dough the thickness of sour cream.
Before adding flour
d. You can cut apples into the mold, put plums, fill it with dough and put it in the oven. Check readiness with a toothpick.
He's so handsome!
As a dessert, you can offer baked apples, sent to a preheated oven on a baking sheet with some water on the bottom and the tops cut off. Instead of cuttings, you can put honey and nuts there.
For a more substantial menu, you can offer pizza “All that’s left from yesterday’s party.” While the oven is heating up, quickly make the dough. Mix sour cream with a small amount of butter, add a little sugar and salt, then add flour and a pinch of baking powder. Knead the dough and let it rest and fluff for a while.
At this time, prepare the filling. Quickly sauté the onions and carrots until golden brown - this will be the basis for our pizza. We put the dough into the prepared form and begin to lay out the filling in layers, the last one being grated cheese. Place the resulting pizza in the oven. And set the table.
Here it is, pizza...
2. You were warned that guests will arrive soon. Type in the search engine the request “Ryazan rolls” and your favorite delicacy will be delivered to your home! It's profitable, affordable and convenient, especially when guests are at your doorstep!
In any case, every home has bread, butter (any kind), and cheese. eggs. This all makes for wonderful hot sandwiches.
Spread the bread with butter on both sides and place in the oven for a while, then turn the sandwiches over and place the egg and cheese mixture on top. 
These sandwiches are very tasty with aromatic freshly brewed tea.
3. The most fun option. You learned about the arrival of friends on the threshold of your own home. And here there is room for fantasy to run wild. Create the whole evening and a snack to go with it with your friends. And the evening will be filled with delicious aromas and painted in wonderful colors.
1900, a special part of the intelligentsia shouts “You can’t live like this”
1905 Coup
1907, a special part of the intelligentsia shouts “What a country they screwed up” and flees abroad
1917 (beginning) a special part of the intelligentsia shouts “You can’t live like this”
1917 (end) Coup
1917-1921, a special part of the intelligentsia shouts “What a country they screwed up” and flees abroad
1988, a special part of the intelligentsia shouts “You can’t live like this”
1991 Coup
1991 - 1998, a special part of the intelligentsia shouts “What a country they screwed up” and flees abroad
1999, a special part of the intelligentsia shouts “You can’t live like this”
2000 Coup
2001 - 2004, a certain part of the intelligentsia shouts “What a country they screwed up” and flees abroad
2013 - 2015, a special part of the intelligentsia shouts “You can’t live like this”
May be enough. If you want to go abroad, go ahead, it’s not at all necessary to “waste” the country first.
answer
“Is it only before a vowel? But what about, for example, the words “mir” and “mir” with different meanings?
Quote: “i - Used before vowels (including before “y”, which was considered a vowel: “kiy”, “killer”), as well as in the word “mir” with the meaning “universe”, to distinguish it from the word “world” "-the absence of war."
"Mir" is the only exception to the rule.
answer
And this week the hostess told me to run to the cellar, bring and clean the salmon, and I started with the tail, and she took the salmon and started poking me in the mug with her muzzle. The apprentices make fun of me, send me to the tavern for vodka and order me to steal cucumbers from the owners, and the owner hits me with whatever he can find. And there is no food. In the morning they give you bread, at lunch porridge and in the evening bread too, and for tea or cabbage soup, the owners themselves crack it.
answer
Yes, by the way, what if guests come to the cook and she has nothing? Will she send her son to her employer’s cellar so that he can bring something from there?
answer
According to data given by John Reed in the book “Ten Days That Shook the World” (pp. 212-212), in 1914 in St. Petersburg, an auxiliary worker received from a ruble to one and a half a day. With a veal price of 26 kopecks per pound, that’s 4 to 6 pounds of veal per day (2-3 kg). How much is veal there now? Well, let it be 500 rubles for 1 kg. That is, this is approximately 1-1.5 thousand rubles per working day, if we use our current money, or 20-30 thousand per month.
Not bad for an auxiliary worker.
By the way, a bucket of gasoline in 1914 cost 1 ruble 70 kopecks (about 1.5 thousand in today's rubles).
answer
You see, the salary was spent not only on food, but also on many other things - for example, on clothes. Since then, food has become more expensive in some places and cheaper in others. But clothes were many times more expensive back then. Or fuel - well, it has become very cheap, but you also have to cook the veal...
answer
Our attitude between officers and soldiers was quite decent. The same cannot be said about the attitude of soldiers towards officers. I still can’t understand why this is so. By the way, he himself was among the soldiers.
But the soldiers’ relationship with each other was trash! Here, the length of service had its own significance, and even more - ethnic origin. True, it did not come to mass massacres based on nationality. Typically, Russians, Ukrainians, Lithuanians, Estonians, Moldovans, Tatars (including Crimean ones) jointly opposed the Caucasians and Central Asians. But the Chechens were generally on their own and opposed absolutely everyone.
answer
Skink
alcohol in the refrigerator is not for drinking, but in case guests come in the evening when strong drinks are prohibited for sale. And stocking up on food so that we can later eat limp vegetables or meat frozen to the point of being a rag is not something we live with. Although you may live in the past or in the wilderness.
answer
In today's Russia, I have neither a cook, nor a cellar, and the refrigerator is empty except for a couple of bottles of vodka and a quarter of homemade liqueur. I just don’t see the point in stocking the refrigerator when I can go to the store at any time and buy everything I need, fresh and in the right quantity.
answer
About 0.25% of the population of that country could afford to send a cook somewhere there. So send it so that she also returns with boiled pork, and not with a revolver.
So, a quarter of a percent of its population fucked up a great country, the rest only benefited.
answer
-> bulpi
Of these 7-8% of the percentages, which after the revolution, working as laundresses and taxi drivers in Europe-America, and sometimes in China-Japan, were scattered in the local environment and quite greatly ennobled the local gene pool, a very small share remained in their homeland, and, as a rule, , most of them who remained supported, well, not so much the current government, but, more precisely, the principles (methods - not always, it’s clear) that it proclaimed.
But now there are often “individuals” who identify themselves with those 7-8%, and sigh resentfully “what a country they screwed up,” while not forgetting to remind the “cook’s children” of the gratitude that these ungrateful creatures should feel for the failed and in fact, the tsarist regime that ruined the country.
answer
Well, how did all the other 82% feel much better from this? And during what period of time did this improvement occur? During the Civil War? Or the famine that immediately followed? Or during the suppression of peasant uprisings? Or during collectivization? Or in the Gulag camps?
When exactly and how exactly did this improvement occur?
answer
Using the example of my parents specifically.
1)Dad. He lived in a Jewish-German (yes!) village in the Zaporozhye region. In the Pale of Settlement, from which he would never be released. I would be a peasant. I wouldn't go hungry, but nothing more.
In the USSR, I went to Moscow, entered a university, became an engineer, and was assigned to Dnieper.
2) Mom. She lived in Moscow in a poor Tatar family. For many generations, girls from this family worked as servants in a wealthy family. The same future awaited her.
In the USSR, she entered a university in Moscow, became an engineer, and was assigned to the Dnieper together with her father.
In Dnepr we got an apartment as young professionals. Small salary, but a social package, a holiday at sea every year, etc. and so on.
So personally, I am grateful to the Soviet government. And there are many millions like me. I just have a better memory :)
answer
"... many undeservedly present themselves as masters and not servants in them"
Do you think that life for the servants was as bad as it is written in Soviet books on political economy? Well, blessed is the believer. Yes, there have been humiliated people at all times, but you see, this is not the entire population. And the work of a maid was no less honorable than that of a turner at a machine. And not every person was taken as a servant. This work required qualifications and appropriate qualities.
I'm afraid you would be very surprised at the discrepancy between the image and reality, having worked as a servant (or maid - the gender is not clear from the nickname) for some master.
When creating a menu for a holiday lunch or dinner, you should combine dishes in such a way as to avoid repetition.
The amount of food prepared is also important. Overeating at the holiday table will bring nothing but drowsiness and harm to the body. When determining which snacks are best to serve, you need to remember that the greatest success is always not ready-made gastronomic products, but those that have been touched by the hostess’s hand.
Among them are salads: green, with tomatoes, beets; vinaigrette, Olivier.
As an appetizer, it is good to serve Provencal cabbage, eggplant and zucchini caviar prepared for the winter, pickled mushrooms, grated cheese with onions, seasoned with mayonnaise.
Good snacks are made when skillful hands are applied to ready-made gastronomic products. For example, you can grind cheese with yolks and cottage cheese, add semolina and whipped whites, mix carefully and fill pre-baked tartlets with this minced meat.
Or mix grated horseradish with sour cream, vinegar, salt and sugar, brush the ham slices with this mixture and roll them into rolls, wrapping them in lettuce leaves.
Some housewives, having opened cans of canned food, place them on saucers or small plates and serve them in this form. It is not right.
The contents of the canned food should be laid out, the sardines and sprats should be fanned out beautifully, the sprat should be freed from entrails, tails and heads and carefully laid out.
To decorate canned food and other snacks, you can use parsley sprigs, slices of lemon and hard-boiled eggs, lettuce, celery, and green onions.
No matter how unexpected the arrival of guests may be, a good hostess is always prepared for it to some extent.
If your friends or relatives come for dinner, the hostess can get out of the situation by reducing the portions for everyone sitting at the table. As a last resort, you can increase the amount of side dish for the second course.
If guests arrive in the morning or evening, offer them a simple breakfast or dinner.
If guests come in the morning - and this happens - you can simply serve coffee or tea with cookies, cake or muffins.
Therefore, it is advisable to always have some homemade sweets at home, prepared in advance. The main thing is that it can be stored for a long time without losing its taste.
The basic rule for all cases when guests come unexpectedly is this: the meal should not be exquisite, but everything that is served to the table should be as original and beautifully decorated as possible.
There is such a concept - an impromptu table. For an impromptu table, you can prepare sandwiches: open (canapes), closed (sandwiches) - for every taste.
For many nations, the sandwich is even considered the king of cuisine. In Denmark, for example, there are up to 700 types of them, and among them is “Hans Christian Andersen’s Favorite Sandwich,” which consists of several layers of bacon, tomatoes, liver pate, jelly and white radish, separated by slices of bread. Not a sandwich, but a whole lunch in a restaurant.
You can make cold and hot sandwiches, salty and sweet. Look in the refrigerator. If there is a can of sprats, then there will be a sandwich with sprat, cheese with cheese, in other words, what is there - everything will go into a sandwich. The main thing is to put as many types as possible on the tray. It must be remembered that sandwiches are only tasty when the bread is cut into thin slices.
For low-calorie sandwiches, do not butter the bread. Place a leaf of lettuce or cabbage, pickled vegetables or fruits on it, and any other component that you have on hand.
Use more greens. Imagination will help decorate the sandwich - make it beautiful and appetizing.
On December 31, visit your neighbors, especially if they are elderly or sick, and congratulate them on the upcoming New Year.
You will listen to music, dance and, therefore, make noise. Apologize in advance for the disturbance you are likely to cause them.
When receiving guests, help everyone undress. Offer your guests something to drink from juices, mild wines, cocktails, if, of course, they enjoy it.
Make sure you have a simple snack. Make it so that everyone can easily have a snack before 12 at night, because there is a lot of time. But do not try to force those who came well-fed to eat.
Your responsibilities are not only to treat guests, but also to entertain them.
If you have a dog, feed it before guests arrive to keep it calm.
Delicious recipes “from what was.”
In one of the pre-revolutionary cookbooks, they say, one could read: “If guests unexpectedly come to you, and there is nothing to treat them with, go to the glacier and take a leg of lamb...” or “... Go down to the cellar. Take a piece of fresh, not very fatty sturgeon from the ice...” These phrases are attributed to Elena Molokhovets, whose book “A Gift for Young Housewives or a Means for Reducing Household Expenses” was published in 1861, became a bestseller and was reprinted many times. However, on the website where one of the versions of this book was published, I did not find such recommendations. In any case, these quotes of dubious authorship are now used as “flying expressions” - of course, with irony or even sarcastically. It's clear why. Although almost everyone has “glaciers”, that is, refrigerators, today, most people with low incomes have, to put it mildly, infrequent “inhabitants” of legs of lamb, veal tongues or sturgeon.
Therefore, if friends called us, planning to drop by for a quick visit, and there is only time before they arrive to cook something quickly and not run to the shops, let’s try to take an inventory of our modest “bottoms.” I will assume that we, modern average housewives and hosts, also “keep up the mark” in case of guests - we have in our bins at least cold cuts or bacon in a vacuum, crab sticks, and in the freezer - at least sausages. And a piece of cheese. And a couple of eggs. And maybe a little green too. Is that so?
Lavash pie
I almost always have Armenian thin lavash in stock. This is such a “lifesaver”. They lie there and wait for what will happen to them. You can quickly create a hot pita pie in the oven. He will gather a lot of sympathy - I guarantee it. In any case, intrigue is guaranteed - not everyone will understand what this delicacy is made of.
So, let's take two pita breads. Grease one sheet with mayonnaise and cover with a second sheet. Place the filling on the second one.
The filling may vary. Once in the refrigerator I found champignons and a stalk of celery that had already begun to grow boring. Since, as luck would have it, there were no onions, I had to fry chopped mushrooms with celery - and, you know, it turned out decently. While we fry all this, boil three or four eggs. Chop and add to mushrooms. Add some salt and pepper to the filling and distribute over the pita bread.
Roll the pita bread into a roll. Then we place the roll, wrapping it like a snail on a greased frying pan, pour the egg on top, beaten with mayonnaise and sour cream (in half), and put it in the oven until golden brown - for about 15 minutes.
Filling No. 2: combine chopped boiled eggs with chopped herbs and grated cheese.
The filling can also be prepared from minced meat or chicken (what if you had it in the refrigerator and you quickly defrosted it in the microwave), adding pepper, salt, garlic, and herbs. True, with such a filling the pie will take longer to cook. Then cover the filling top with foil or baking paper for a while, and then remove it to form a crust.
The cut of this pie is very interesting!
Sausage skewers
We will need sausages according to the number of guests, wooden skewers and thin strips of bacon (in packaging).
Sausages can be put on skewers raw, but I know from my own experience that it is better to lightly boil them - this way the finished “kebabs” will not be too salty. Otherwise - only with beer.
We cut the sausages in half lengthwise (but do not cut all the way through), put a thin slice of cheese into the cut - along the length of the sausage. Then we wrap the entire piece with a strip of bacon and string it onto a wooden skewer, pricking it slightly diagonally.
Place on a baking sheet on baking paper and bake in the oven until the bacon is crispy and delicious.
Red salad
I’ve also had red cabbage lying around for quite some time. I was waiting in the wings - when nothing more familiar was at hand. I bought it at a vegetable stall under the impression of information I read on the Internet. This cabbage turns out to be even healthier than its white cabbage sister. Its amazingly beautiful color is provided by the flavonoid anthocyanin - a powerful antioxidant, which, as experts say, helps rejuvenate body cells, lower blood cholesterol levels, and strengthen the heart muscle. Red cabbage contains even more vitamins C, A and others, as well as proteins, healthy salts and amino acids than white cabbage. It regulates blood pressure, the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, stimulates metabolic processes, and so on.
Such a wonderful beauty was lying in the bins. I still didn’t dare to stew it or use it to make cabbage rolls - I was afraid of the change in the beautiful bright color during heat treatment to faded blue.
And the other day I made a salad from it, which turned out to be very tasty and elegant.
Finely chopped the red-headed beauty. I mashed it with a little salt (“shaked it,” as my grandmother used to say). I cut crab sticks into thin slices and combined them with cabbage. I also added two cloves of garlic, passed through a garlic press. I peppered it, seasoned it with mayonnaise...
The taste was good, but without any “zest”. Then I splashed white wine vinegar (5.5%, about two teaspoons) into the salad. It seems that you should take not ordinary table vinegar (to avoid the characteristic smell), but apple, or wine, or balsamic. Mixed it up... Well, brothers, how wonderful this is!
