Kachka’s Chef Bonnie Morales and Guest Chef Vitaly Paley to Celebrate Russian Food Scholar Darra Goldstein’s Portland Visit and New Cookbook with a Dinner on Feb. 26
The renowned author and expert on Russian food and culture will regale guests with stories from her new book, Beyond the North Wind, during an intimate dinner on February 26th
PORTLAND, Ore. (January 16, 2020) – The best known Russian restaurant in the country will host one of the top Russian culinary scholars in February, when Kachka celebrates the new cookbook from Darra Goldstein. Beyond the North Wind: Russia in Recipes and Lore (published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House, copyright © 2020) explores the heart of Russian food, bringing to life a rarely seen portrait of Russia, its people, and its palate through mouth-watering dishes, gorgeous photography, personal anecdotes, and essays on the little-known culinary history of this fascinating and wild part of the world. On February 26th, Kachka will host a dinner in celebration of this deeply researched and warmly engaging cookbook. Kachka’s Chef Bonnie Morales has invited fellow Russian chef Vitaly Paley to join her in preparing an elaborate feast inspired by Beyond the North Wind. Renowned author and speaker Darra Goldstein will be in attendance to share stories from her book and history exploring this cuisine.
The dinner will take place at 7pm on February 26th at Kachka. Tickets are available on Eventbrite, at $100 per person, which includes dinner and four of Kachka’s house-made vodka infusions. Each course is inspired by Beyond the North Wind. The dinner will be followed by a book signing, with cookbooks available for purchase.
Morales, Goldstein and Paley will also join Sasha Senderovich for a panel discussion moderated by Deena Prichep at the Jewish Museum at 7pm on February 27th, titled “Babka, Borsch & Babushkas: The Meaning & Memories (& Mayonnaise) of the Russian Jewish Experience.” Tickets/info are available at: ojmche.org
BEYOND THE NORTH WIND DINNER MENU
ZAKUSKI
Bonnie Morales
King Salmon Stroganina: Thursday Salt. Green Radishes. Sea Beans.
Buckwheat Blini. House Cured Steelhead Roe. House Cultured Smetana Butter.
Duck Breast & Veal Tongue Kholodetz with Horseradish Petals.
House Pickle Assorti: Malosoln’ye Cucumbers, Sauerkraut, Machonayi Apples.
Vitaly Paley
Cured and Smoked Fish Assorti: Sturgeon Pastrami. Sable. Sauvie Island Trout. Herring in Mustard Sauce.
Beet Salad: Apple. Carrot. Red Onion.
Cured and Smoked Meat Assorti: Kolbasa Stuffed Salo, Rabbit Livernaya, Elk Tongue.
SOUP
Bonnie Morales
Ukha ‘Pomorskaya’: Smoked Black Cod. Cod Liver. Dried Cod Roe.
MAIN COURSE
Bonnie Morales
Kurnik: Duck Confit. Buckwheat. Kumquats.
Vitaly Paley
Cabbage Rolls.
Steamed Turnips with Local Sunflower Oil.
DESSERT
Bonnie Morales
Bird Cherry Cake. Chicory Whip. Cacao Nibs.
Mountain Rose Apple Pastila.
Vitaly Paley
Baked Milk and Buckwheat Honey ‘Eskimo.’
VODKAS
Birch Bud
Horseradish
Sea Buckthorn Berry
Siberian Pine Nut
Tickets/Info
The dinner begins at 7pm at Kachka (960 S.E. 11th Ave., Portland, Oregon), followed by a book signing. . Tickets are $100 per person, including four vodka infusions, and are available on Eventbrite at:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/
About the Book
Beyond the North Wind explores the true heart of Russian food. Celebrating whole grains, preserved and fermented foods, and straightforward but robust flavors, noted author and scholar Darra Goldstein delivers 100 traditional yet surprisingly modern recipes from the far northern corners of Russia. These recipes – for a dazzling array of pickles and preserves; infused vodkas; homemade dairy products and baked cultured milk; a pantheon of pies from “pickle” to a towering yeasted dough layered with fish; large, lacy blini; and seasonal vegetable soups – showcase Russian foods that are honest and timeless in their elegant minimalism. Despite the country’s harsh climate, this surprisingly sophisticated cuisine has an incredible depth of flavor to offer in dishes like Braised Cod with Horseradish, Roast Lamb with Kasha, Black Currant Cheesecake, and so many more.
About the Author
Darra Goldstein is the Willcox B. and Harriet M. Adsit Professor of Russian, Emerita at Williams College and author of 17 books, including this year’s Beyond The North Wind: Russia in Recipes and Lore. Her previous cookbook, Fire + Ice, was nominated for James Beard, IACP, and The Art of Eating awards. The founding editor of Gastronomica: The Journal of Food and Culture, named Publication of the Year by the James Beard Foundation, Darra also serves as series editor of California Studies in Food and Culture, and has written for Gourmet, Saveur, Bon Appétit, and The New York Times.
About Kachka
Kachka sparked a Russian food revolution when Bonnie and Israel Morales opened their Portland restaurant in 2014. James Beard Award-nominated Chef/Co-Owner Bonnie Morales cooks the food of the former Soviet Union, including many dishes inspired by those she grew up eating in her Belarusian family. Meals at Kachka begin with a table filled with zakuski, Russian drinking food paired with vodka. The warm and lively atmosphere at Kachka turns dinner into an event, fueled by a parade of dishes marked by deep and vibrant flavors such as dumplings, cured fish and pickled vegetables. Kachka serves over 50 different vodka selections, as well a list of house-made infusions, craft cocktails, and a curated list of beer and wine with a focus on Eastern European producers. Kachka is considered by many to be the best Russian restaurant in the country. A cookbook of recipes, Kachka: A Return to Russian Cooking by Bonnie Frumkin Morales with Deena Prichep, was released in November 2017 from Flatiron Books to critical acclaim, winning Food 52’s annual cookbook competition, The Piglet. Kachka is located at 960 SE 11th Ave., Portland, Oregon in the Central Eastside neighborhood, and open daily for lunch, dinner and happy hour. Kachka Lavka, a new Russian deli and grocery, is now open daily upstairs from Kachka. Follow Kachka on Instagram and Twitter @KachkaPDX kachkapdx.com