CCCP COOK BOOK: True Stories of Soviet Cuisine
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Olga and Pavel Syutkin
205x125 mm hardback
192 pages
ISBN 978-0-9931911-1-4
Published in 2015
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Featuring 60 recipes, each introduced with an insightful historical anecdote and accompanying image sourced from original Soviet recipe books.
As the Soviet Union struggled along the path to Communism, food supplies were often sporadic and shortages commonplace. Day to day living was hard, both the authorities and their citizens had to apply every ounce of ingenuity to maximize often inadequate resources. The stories and recipes contained here reflect these turbulent times: from basic subsistence meals consumed by the average citizen (okroshka), to the extravagant banquets held by the political elite (suckling pig with buckwheat), and a scattering of classics (beef stroganoff) in between.
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Reviews
Food for comrades. ‘Rumours are it’s in Jeremy Corbyn’s stocking this year’.
The Guardian Gift Guide, Christmas 2015
This remarkable little book amounts to an enlightened history of Soviet food, characterized as much by magnificent European style and abundance as by post-revolutionary rationing. The postcard-like charm of the illustrations and photographs are enough to recommend the book, but the witty and informative text offers pleasure of its own.
The New York Times
From Russia with Mayonnaise
Interview with Pavel Syutkin on NPR.
As a practical cookbook, I have neither the will nor stomach to actually prepare any of these dishes, yet CCCP Cook Book is an amazing work of culinary history. The book as an object is a marvel. The heavy quality paper, the purposefully reproduced photos, the exposed stitching binding, all appeal to a collector’s artisanal instincts. It’s my new "You Must Buy This Book" recommendation for my foodie friends.
Christina Ward, boing boing