This article originally appeared as part of the story A Taste of Home in the April/May 2019 issue.
While Alla Grig’s company, which provides Russian-style food to aging immigrants from the former Soviet Union who attend adult day care, is nimble enough for the menu to flex with the seasons—and clients’ individual requests for recipes they remember from home, there are a few core menu items that are quintessential to Russian cooking:
Plov: Rice pilaf, often made with lamb.
Syrniki: “Little pancakes filled with farmer’s cheese and raisins—and then fried,” Grig explains.
Pierogi: Like a dumpling, they’re filled with chicken, mushrooms, or other fillings.
Solyanka: A type of stew, Grig’s has potato, cabbage, meat and vegetables and simmers on the oven for “a really, really long time,” she says.
Borsht: In the summer, it’s cold. In the winter, it’s served hot. But it’s beet soup.
Russian-style chicken noodle soup: The Russian take on this classic comfort food has potatoes, egg, and tiny noodles.
