#Ukrainian deli

[formeryelpers]

Grandma’s Deli Babushka, 4818 Laurel Canyon Blvd, Valley Village, CA 91607

Looking for Ukrainian, Russian, and Eastern European comfort food? Grandma’s Deli has a wide range of prepared food, including various salads (beets, eggplant, couscous, kasha, cucumber, potato), stuffed cabbage, meatballs, fried fish, piroshky, pierogi, beef stroganoff, stuffed peppers, soups, and more. And they have a separate case of desserts – mostly cakes. Most of the items in the case are labeled (in English) though I didn’t see any prices. The prepared food is sold by weight. I’m not sure if they can heat anything up for you but most people take the food to go.

Eggplant & walnut salad: Big chunks of roasted eggplant, a bit of walnuts, very nice, lots of eggplant flavor

Buckwheat kasha: didn’t love the texture (a little mealy) but the flavor was fine

Beef meatballs in sour cream sauce: Really good. Tender, juicy, large meatballs in a sauce that was like a beef gravy but creamier. Lots of sauce. I put the sauce on my kasha.

Pierogi: Big pierogi with the classic mashed potato filling, sauteed with onions. I was looking for other fillings but they only had potato pierogi. Comforting.

Stuffed cabbage rolls: stuffed with rice and ground chicken in a light tomato sauce, not too salty, tender cabbage, lots of stuffing

The food was better than what you get at most delis. I think it was reasonably priced too, but I’m not sure how much anything was per pound. Grandma’s also has a small selection of groceries, including Ukrainian/Russian style cured meat, cheese, fresh produce, candies, frozen pelmeni, teas, etc. Grandma’s Deli is in a strip mall with parking.

4 out of 5 stars

By Lolia S.

[chicago-geniza]

I need to replenish my supplies at the Polish grocery store but they always give me the stink eye for looking gay and speaking Polish with a Russian accent and paying with food stamps lol

[mercuriallily]

I go to this Eastern European deli like once a week and it got review-bombed by Russians who claimed the store has "anti-Russian propaganda" everywhere (Ukrainian flags). The deli is run by Ukrainians (most of whom speak Russian as a first language) but they flat-out refuse to speak Russian to the Russians (they will speak Ukrainian or English instead) and I think that's very funny of them

[mariacallous]

Mandel bread, also called mandelbrot, is a type of cookie similar to the Italian biscotti and popular in Ashkenazi Jewish cuisine. The cookies were popular throughout the 19th century among Eastern European Jews, often consumed by rabbis, merchants and other Jewish community members. They grew in popularity, known to be a dessert that kept well and traveled easily. But what is the backstory of this Jewish baked good? 

According to Gil Marks, author of the “Encyclopedia of Jewish Food,” mandel bread is thought to have originated in Germany and traveled Eastward, like many other Jewish baked goods. In the early Middle Ages, Italians created the original biscotti by partially baking the dough, cutting it into slices and then returning the pieces to a cooler oven to crisp. The second time in the oven extracts the moisture and lengthens the shelf life of the cookie. The exact year these cookies were adopted by Ashkenzai Jews is unknown, though mandel bread’s easy preparation made it ideal for the Sabbath. Once baking powder was added, mandel bread became lighter and fluffier than biscotti. Over time, Jewish cooks began to add dried fruit, nuts and chocolate chips. During Passover, it was common to make mandel bread with matzah meal instead of flour. The Yiddish word “mandlbroyt” translates to “almond bread,” as the baked good often included almonds. Among the Ukrainian Jewish community, mandelbrot is known as kamishbrot. By the 1940s mandel bread had made its mark in plenty of Jewish cookbooks.  

While traditional mandel bread is harder to find nowadays, there are still plenty of Jewish delis and companies honoring the classic dessert, such as Zabar’s, Michael’s Mandel Bread and C. Kreugers. There’s even a number of new Jewish baking companies who are adding playful, modern takes on the classic cookie. Whether you enjoy it on its own, with a cup of coffee or haven’t yet tried them, now you’ll know little more about the Jewish lineage of this beloved dessert. 

Ready to make some mandel bread at home? Here’s three recipes to try:

Adeena Sussman’s classic almond mandel bread

Chocolate chip mandel bread

Olive oil, almond and candied ginger mandel bread

[tomato-greens]

the deli of frankly at this point indeterminate origin* has changed one deli counter to a refrigerated case (they still have the other one THANK GD) & changed the name of their pirozhki from Russian pirozhki and baked pirozhki to simply fried and baked pirozhki. much happening here!

*at first I thought Russian, then I thought Ukrainian, now I can’t tell because the items are from literally everywhere east of Germany (I have east coast bias & I am used to one region obviously dominating because there’s another store down the block with owners from a different region) and I can see but not hear or at least understand what I hear in the difference between Slavic languages; while I no idea where specifically the owners are from, anyone who speaks any of these languages would presumably know instantly

[thatwritererinoriordan]

Well, I've made the mistake of tasting the flourless chocolate cake at the Ukrainian Jewish deli. Now all I can think about is having more bites of that rich, dark chocolate cake.

[fcukfodmap]

Low-FODMAP Gluten-free Tamales

The teen got all excited about making tamales because we had some at the Ren Fest -- look, I know: super period-authentic -- but they really aren't available here in the town we live in. (One thing I miss about living in a bigger city is the variety of ethnic food available. I was just waxing rhapsodic over this one Ukrainian deli, sigh.)

I'm a white person from Minnesota, so I have very little experience making Mesoamerican food other than Tim Walz-style Mexican-themed hotdish. This is my disclaimer that nothing about this is authentic. But I'm always game to try things, so the kid and I waded in. Turned out just fine! To the recipe!

Low-FODMAP Gluten-free Tamales

3/4 c quick grits, not instant

1 c boiling water

3/4 c masa harina

20ish large dried corn husks

1 stick lactose free butter

1 tbsp sugar

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 c shredded cheese

2 tbsp minced pickled jalapenos

1 c shredded cooked chicken or pork

Put grits in a bowl, whisk in boiling water, and let sit for about 10 minutes until the water is absorbed. Stir in the corn masa to form a dough, cover, and let cool until room temp, about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring 2 quarts of water to boil in a large pot, stir in the corn husks, cover, and simmer until soft and pliant, about 10 minutes. (You could also use this time to cook either the chicken or the pork for the filling. I used ground pork here because I'm lazy.)

Process the dough, corn kernels, butter, sugar, baking powder and salt in a food processor until the mixture is light and fluffy, about a minute.

Toss together the meat, cheese, and jalapenos in a small bowl. Working one at a time, spoon in about a 1/4 cup of the dough into the center of the husk. Press a tbsp or so of the meat and cheese mixture into the center of the dough, then roll using the husk so the filling is surrounded. Fold the sides over, then the bottom up. Rip strips off a corn husk to tie around the tamale to hold it together.

When all of the tamales are assembled, fit a large soup pot with a steamer basket, fill with water up to the basket, and bring to a boil. Fill the pot with the tamale packets with the folded side down and the open side up. Cover and steam for 1 hour, checking to make sure the water doesn't boil off, until the filling no longer sticks to the husks.

Of course, it took us a half dozen -- I made a double batch -- to get the hang of it, but it's not as hard to do as it looks. I could have used more of the minced jalapenos in this recipe, but otherwise the tamales were good. I also couldn't find a steamer basket so punted with this jury rigged contraption made out of tin foil. It was fine. Oh, and the original recipe called for 1/4 c butter and 1/4 c lard, but I forgot to get lard.

Honestly, I'm not entirely sure how low-FODMAP this recipe is, though I am sure it's gluten free. Corn can be problematic because of fructans. Corn flour is fine in a decent sized portion -- 2/3 cup -- and both grits and kernel corn are as well. The issue becomes putting all three in the same dish: you could get a FODMAP stacking effect. All the other ingredients are low FODMAP. So I would be judicious with portion size unless you know specifically how fructans affect you. That probably ends up being 2-3 tamales in a sitting.

Everyone liked the tamales and we have hella leftovers, which is great for next week. I don't think I'd make these again just on a random Tuesday, but I can see cranking out a bunch for a party or something. Which is probably why they're associated with weddings and Christmas. In fact, I remarked while we were cooking that the process reminded me of making plum pudding for Christmas: all the putzing and steaming. Glad it worked out.

Disclaimer: I am no dietician. I'm doing my best to minimize FODMAPS in my diet, but it's possible for me to be misinformed or mistaken about various ingredients.

[rudcafood]

Discover a wide range of international foods at Rudca, including premium Foie Gras and cod liver online. Interested in French groceries? Explore options to buy French foods online or visit stores offering French grocery online. Looking for German, Polish, Russian, or Ukrainian grocery products? Find them easily online, along with a selection of European products available for purchase. Indulge in Rougie Foie Gras or Ican cod liver, and savor the taste of Ahmad tea or Hyleys slim tea. Don’t miss out on authentic flavors with options to buy German or French mustard. Dive into the world of international cuisine by shopping for international groceries and foods online at European food stores.

[stories-from-peter]

The Masked Avengers

When I was in Grade 6 I attended Central Park School in Lachine, Quebec. It was in kind of a rough neighborhood and I had to be careful walking to school to avoid getting into fights with the French kids who outnumbered me about 20-1. Lucky for me there was another English speaking kid who lived at the opposite end of the block. Bohdan Zubchinsky was Ukrainian and almost a foot taller than me. He was not skinny since his family owned a deli and we often took a detour on the way home. His father would always greet us “Come in boys, I make you a sandwich.” Mr. Zubchinsky’s sandwiches were almost too thick to fit in my hands.

The school had its share of bullies but they mostly left me alone since I had Bohdan as a buddy. Some of the other kids were not so lucky and got picked on regularly. There were 4 smaller boys who seemed to be the usual victims of the 3 bullies. I had a talk with them one day and asked why they didn’t stick together to keep the bullies away from them. There was normally just one or two of the bullies and the four of them could easily stand up to them. I had dealt with bullying a few times and knew resistance was the only solution. I offered to join them if they wanted some support. It didn’t take long for them to see what a chance this was. At worst the odds were 5 - 3 in our favor if there was trouble and Bohdan would be somewhere close by.

The next day we were prepared to face off against the gang. The 5 of us ate lunch together with Bohdan not far away. Two of the bullies decided to steal some extra lunch from their favorite victims. Instead of meekly handing over their food, the group stood up and flatly refused to give them anything. The look of shock on the bullies faces was priceless. Bohdan heard the commotion and started walking toward us. That was too much for the bullies to deal with and they shuffled away. The 4 boys were suddenly reborn as giant killers and took on a whole new demeanor of confidence.

About a week later I was talking to the group and they said they were ecstatic that their bully problems were over. They had one regret that they didn’t try joining together sooner and still had bad memories of being victims for too long. I had a brain storm and suggested we get revenge on them. I knew where the ringleader lived and I figured we could do something to him to get even. I needed a plan.

I told my mother my friends and I wanted to play Cops and Robbers but we needed masks. She dug up some old cloth and cut it up into mask sized pieces for us. There was nothing fancy about them, no stitching, eye holes, or other refinements but they were functional. I showed them to the boys and said we could go to Duff Court on Saturday night. Duff Court was where the ringleader of the bullies lived. Saturday after supper I took the masks and met the other guys near Duff Court and explained my plan. We would don the masks and walk to the bully’s house. His front door was just a few feet from the sidewalk and there were hedges beside the entrance. We would ring the doorbell and throw rocks at him when he came to the door. There was some trepidation from a couple of the boys but I assured them the masks and darkness would prevent us from being identified.

As we got close the to the house we put on our masks and gathered some rocks. One of the boys decided to be brave and offered to be the bell ringer. We stood on the sidewalk, rocks in hand, ready for action. The bell was rung and the boy ran back to the sidewalk. The door came open and it was the mother of the bully standing there. She was angry that someone rang her doorbell and then ran away. She sounded a lot like her son. I raised my arm and hurled a rock at her living room window. The window shattered into a thousand pieces. My rock was followed by a fusillade of more rocks from the other boys. The woman was screaming as she slammed the door. A rock soon smashed the window in the door. Any other windows quickly had rocks tossed at them before we turned and ran. We could hear the woman screaming at her son as we ran down the street. I’m sure she knew what a jerk he was and knew we were exacting our revenge.

The following Monday at school we all played it cool and pretended to be shocked when we heard about the attack. Nobody expressed any sympathy for the victims so the subject was soon dropped. We didn’t see any more instances of bullying after that. I moved away a few months later and lost contact with my Masked Avengers.

[pamietniko]

veggie cabbage rolls and pierogi

Minneapolis, Minnesota

[chicago-geniza]

If I could subsist solely on pre-fab soups from the Polish and Ukrainian delis I would die happy. Also the soups I make from their imported ingredients. I am in my heart of hearts a dedushka from Mukhosransk and my favorite food is a stew made from three (3) types of pickles

[lugosis]

just had the most disappointing cup noodles of my life 😔

[mariacallous]

Have you been to any Ukrainian restaurants/shops in NYC? I'm Ukrainian living in the US but I've never been to NYC (Technically been in one of the airports for an hour so I wouldn't count that) but I want to visit soon and would like some recommendations. Thanks <3

Absolutely! I will say that due to covid, among other reasons, a lot of places are no longer in business, unfortunately.

Veselka (specifically the one on 2nd Ave near Astor Place, but there are other locations - the first time I had Veselka was at their Essex Market location) is one of my all-time favorite places to eat in NYC. I like the varenyky, of course, as well as their borscht and mushroom barley soups and the potato salad (like a meatless olivier saiad) plus the holubtsi, bigos, and the medovyk and blintzes.

Nearby is the Ukrainian East Village Restaurant (inside and I think technically underground) which is a bit more old-school but also really good. Here I recommend the salat olivier (which is a perennial favorite of mine), the kholodets (although chicken aspic isn't for everyone, I will admit), the letcho, halusky, and borscht, of course.

If you're more in the mood for a takeaway and eat in your hotel room (or wherever you're staying) kind of vibe, in addition to ordering from either of these places for delivery or pickup, NetCost Markets have a really awesome deli and prepared food section with all kinds of options. (Which reminds me that I need to go to one again soon).

I know that there's more locations to eat in Brighton Beach, but I haven't been there as much as I'd like and not usually when I'm able to get food, unfortunately.

The Ukrainian Museum (which is near Veselka) has a really neat gift shop with lots of different items (they had a lot of stuff inspired by or part of their exhibit featuring Maria Prymachenko works) and I've enjoyed browsing it when I've had the chance.

Arka, also nearby, has some really interesting stuff, and is a bit like a vintage store featuring Ukrainian items.

Obviously, any mutuals/followers, please feel free to add!

[your-tires-are-too-cold]

okay but look at these thicc lads i made

[anichkaslittleukraine]

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A post shared by Anichka (Анічка) (@anichkaslittleukraine) on Jul 26, 2020 at 5:15am PDT

[filosofablogger]

Good People Doing Good Things -- Small Things Matter Too!

Good People Doing Good Things — Small Things Matter Too!

This week I have just a whole lot of people doing those small good things to help others, to make life just a wee bit brighter for some.  Most of us will never have the opportunity, the wherewithal to do the big things, like flying to Ukraine to help people find homes, or feeding an entire community, but we can do little things to help someone, to make a life a little easier. LeRon Britt is a…