Не красна изба углами, а красна пирогами

A home is made by pies, not by walls, but you still need an oven to fill your abode with a warm smell of a кулебяка (kou-lee-bia-ka), filled with cabbage,mushrooms, meat, fish. (I promise to bring recipes to class.) This is a dish for a special occasion, for it requires effort.
http://gogol-gogol.goub.org/images_2/kulebyaka.jpg
A freshly baked loaf of rye, on the other hand, will turn meal preparation into a gastronimic meditation with the mantra: Хлеб всему голова – Bread is the staff of life.

The official website of the Embassy of the Russian Federation in U.S. informs that “Wheat loaves have dozens of varieties. As to rye bread, Russians eat more of it than any nation in the world–a peculiarity of the Russian diet.” (http://www.russianembassy.org/)
Please, discard all recipes for Russian rye that require coffee, cocao, or chocolate and move the cooking (mis)guide to the comic book section of your library. Be earnest. To get the best crust, start with unsalted water of boiled beets – sorry, President Obama. Last June, Guiness and potato loaves also were in the baking competition – All Ryes for the Baking Court, but the beet won. If you are seriously into baking, you may find this post useful. This resource http://www.traditionaloven.com/conversions_of_measures/flour_volume_weight.html will help you measure ingredients in Russian baking recipes with American measuring tools and units.

Пасхальный кулич = Easter bread (A brioche it is NOT!)

Ah, the pies. Arrows complete a quiver, and pies a dinner – Колчан пригож стрелами – обед — пирогами.
Business transactions in Russia are validated with food and drink. Pies abound in literature as well. In Gogol’s Dead Souls, Korobotchka knows the magic power of pies. She decides to bribe her visitor to secure future government contracts.

“I must encourage him a little. There has been some dough standing ready since last night, so I will go and tell Fetinia to try a few pancakes. Also, it might be well to try him with an egg pie. We make them nicely here, and they do not take long in the making.” So she departed to translate her thoughts into action, as well as to supplement the pie with other products of the domestic cuisine …

A delectable spread was waiting for them after strenuos business negotiations.

“I beseech you to have a morsel,” murmured his hostess. Chichikov looked up, and saw that the table was spread with mushrooms, pies, and other viands.
“Try this freshly-made pie and an egg,” continued Madame.
Chichikov did so, and having eaten more than half of what she offered him, praised the pie highly. Indeed, it was a toothsome dish, and, after his difficulties and exertions with his hostess, it tasted even better than it might otherwise have done.

See CHAPTER III, http://www.gutenberg.org/files/1081/1081-h/1081-h.htm
“Хорошо бы было, – подумала между тем про себя Коробочка, – если бы он забрал у меня в казну муку и скотину. Нужно его задобрить: теста со вчерашнего вечера еще осталось, так пойти сказать Фетинье, чтоб спекла блинов; хорошо бы также загнуть пирог пресный с йцом, у меня его славно загибают, да и времени берет немного”. Хозяйка вышла с тем чтобы привести в исполнение мысль насчет загнутия пирога и, вероятно, пополнить ее другими
произведениями домашней пекарни и стряпни …
http://www.bibliogid.ru/images/docs/i_altayev-history_1.jpg
– Прошу покорно закусить, – сказала хозяйка.
Чичиков оглянулся и увидел, что на столе стояли уже грибки, пирожки, скородумки, шанишки, пряглы, блины, лепешки со всякими припеками: припекой с лучком, припекой с маком, припекой с творогом, припекой со сняточками, и невесть чего не было.
– Пресный пирог с яйцом! – сказала хозяйка.
Чичиков подвинулся к пресному пирогу с яйцом, и, съевши тут же с небольшим половину, похвалил его. И в самом деле, пирог сам по себе был вкусен, а после всей возни и проделок со старухой показался еще вкуснее.
Н.В. Гоголь, “Мёртвые души”, Глава 3 в электронной библиотеке Машкова – http://az.lib.ru/g/gogolx_n_w/text_0140.shtml

Приятного аппетита!
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