Georgian-style Chicken (Chahohbili)

Georgia is a former Soviet Republic with a distinctive cuisine much liked by the Russians. A lot of Georgian recipes were "borrowed" and then adapted to the Russian tastes. Ethnic Georgians living in Russia sneer at these adaptations and there is a lot of bickering going on over how a "real" Georgian dish should be cooked. No matter, Hmeli-Suneli spice mix is what gives this dish its distinctive taste. I use fresh tomatoes in these recipe. Vancouver hot house tomatoes are pretty bland and tasteless and are less acidic than the canned tomatoes from Italy. You can use these instead of fresh tomatoes if desired.

RECIPE: Georgian-style Chicken (Chahohbili)

Beef Patties (Kotlety) in Beer Sauce

This is a very basic, everyday type of food that a Russian family typically eats for dinner during the week.
This recipe can be used to add vegetables to the diet of picky eaters. Vegetables can be mixed in with the ground beef and their taste is usually not discernible after the patties are are cooked. I’m using a carrot in this recipe, but it can be replaced with another vegetable such as zucchini. Just make sure that your vegetable of choice does not produce a lot of juice. If using zucchini, for example, grate the zucchini prior to adding it to the beef, sprinkle liberally with salt, and let stand it produces juices. Then squeeze the juices out and add the zucchini to the ground beef. I would not replace the onion in this recipe though, because it gives the patties a nice savory taste. It’s also nice to add some fresh herbs such as dill or parsley to the beef. If using herbs, add them directly to the food processor.

I used a Czech beer named "Baron" for this recipe. It's a dark, rich beer with a malty and somewhat sweet taste. Any darker beer such as ale or porter would work for this recipe. Just don't use Budweiser or Coors.

RECIPE: Beef Patties (Kotlety) in Beer Sauce