Through the tastebuds of a child

I must have been around 5 years old. My parents and I lived in a fairly small city of Mytishchi that lies to the northeast of Russia's capital Moscow.

Don’t get me wrong, I loved my hometown. It was the perfect combination of variety and peace. However, I didn’t get out much. The most exciting traveling destination I encountered in my short few years then, was an urban village of Frynovo, where my great-grandma’s rundown house served as our bi-yearly escape from work and school. We carried our water from the well, walked a half hour to the nearest food grocery market, and spent the evenings breaking bread out on the backyard dining table while watching the sunset. The simplicity of our vacations taught me to creatively build my own magical moments out of everything around me.

Now you can only imagine the extent of my thrill and excitement when one year during the summer my dad declared that we would be traveling to the coastline of the great Black Sea to spend two weeks in Sevastopol. That was my first and inevitably my last opportunity to experience the magic of the Atlantic Ocean waves before we migrated to the United States in 2001.

We traveled with some family friends, which made it even more fun. Upon arriving at a touring base and settling into our rooms, we explored the nearby streets and spent the day splashing in the warm salty waters.

That night all of us got ready and walked over to a nearby small-scale restaurant. My 5-year old self felt like royalty as I have never been to a restaurant before. I knew this trip was long saved for and I was basking in every single moment of it. When we sat at a small table on the patio and a kind waiter came out to greet us, I immediately got nervous. I realized I had no idea how this process worked or what to ask for. When it came to my turn, I froze. Embarrassed, I put my head down. The waiter smiled.

“What is your favorite berry?” he asked.

“Cherry”, I answered. I didn’t have to think twice. This seasonal wonder of a berry was at its finest during the months of summer, and all I could think about during the cold months back in the city.

The waiter nodded and smiled again as he jotted on his notepad. Then he walked away.

“Wait, that’s it?” At that moment, I was freaking out even more. What just happened? What will I get? Will I like it? This was my only chance to experience a restaurant and I may have already blown it. Devastated, I sighted and awaited the worst.

Sometime later, our food started to come out. In awe, I watched dishes being placed on our table filled with beautiful colors and arrangements. Fresh vegetable salads and meat kabobs were radiating the Georgian khmeli-suneli spice. I was mesmerized. Then the waiter came out with my dish. Once more, I froze. In front of me, he placed a piping hot plate of vareniki with cherry filling. Everyone cheered.

Vareniki is a staple dish in both Russian and Ukrainian cuisines. They are half-moon-shaped dumplings, stuffed with various fillings that are then boiled in salted water. To differentiate them from pelmeni (which are commonly filled with meat or mashed potato), vareniki are a sweet version, usually containing berries or cottage farm cheese (tvorog). It is customary to add a dollop of Russian sour cream called smetana over this savory dish.

As the smell of the freshly cooked dough filled the air around me and the notes of cherries and sugar followed, my worries floated away. I looked up at my mom who was smiling at me. This couldn't have turned out any more perfect. As I took my first bite, I fell in love. In the perfect harmony of sour and sweet and through the tastebuds of a child, I was discovering my new favorite dish. As we shared our food, laughed, and enjoyed the ocean air around us, I couldn’t help but feel at home. Even though we were nowhere near Mytishchi, I had my family with me in this amazing place, and the taste of my new favorite dish on my lips.

To this day at 29, I still remember that trip with a smile. I love cooking with my son and teaching him about his origins. One day I hope to go back and share some of these experiences with him. No matter where I am in life and on the globe, I still share the same deep love for family vacations, the beautiful coastline, and the bold taste of red cherries.

Vareniki with cherries (old Slavic variation)

Ingredients for the dough:

325g wheat flour

150ml warm water

1 small egg

5g salt

Ingredients for the filling:

955g pitted cherries

190g sugar

Directions:

Mix sifted flour, water and egg to make unleavened dough. Continue mixing until the dough reaches a consistent thick texture.

Let the dough sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Roll the dough out with a rolling pin, about 1.5mm, while dusting the surface with flour.

Using a round cookie cutter, cut out circles, as close to each other as possible.

Collect all the pieces around the circles and add them together to use for the next rolled out sheet.

Place cutout circles on a rimmed baking sheet with flour.

In a pot mix fresh cherries with sugar.

Place 2 cherries on each cutout circle.

Holding one circle at a time, fold it in half, keeping the cherries from moistening the edges (this will keep them from sealing), and press the two edges together.

Place all dumplings onto the dusted baking sheet.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add salt.

Drop vareniki into the water, one at a time and mix gently with a spoon.

Cook until they float to the top.

Remove vareniki from the water with a colander and into a bowl with a little bit of butter to prevent them from sticking.

Let them cool for a few minutes and top with a dollop of smetana.

Enjoy!