Family recipe

Kulebiaka is a Russian recipe that could be looked at as similar to a chicken potpie. Sandwiched between two piecrusts is a savory combination of ingredients that include salmon, rice, carrots, eggs, mushrooms, and onions. This recipe is one of my absolute favorites that I was raised with.

My grandma once found a series of foreign cookbooks, ranging anywhere from France to Germany to Russia. Being the cooking machine that she is, she bought these cookbooks and decided to try out new cuisine from all around the world. She hit the jackpot on the Kulebiaka recipe. It quickly became a family favorite-one that the girls would request for dinners, and later on in life, even the son-in-laws would ask for it. Kulebiaka isn’t exactly the easiest dish to make, so my grandma eventually had to say that she could only make it for Christmas dinner, and very special occasions. Every Christmas that I have spent in Utah consists of lots of warm, moist Kulebiaka. Every time I eat it, it brings back nostalgic memories for me.

            My mother will also make this dish for us upon special requests.  When I first came up to Utah State, she gave me my own little cookbook with a typed up and printed out version of the recipe. That was what she has in our house as well. Although it is typed up, there are clear indications of notes along the sides of modifications that have been made throughout the years. She has made notes to herself about my grandma’s recipe for piecrust: how thick to make the ingredients, suggestions as to how to cook the salmon, and sometimes she adds a little more egg to make it moister.

            Recipes that are passed down among family members can tell a lot more about a family than just what they would like to cook. Kulebiaka isn’t just a normal dinner to my family and I. Kulebiaka represents good quality family time spent together and acts of love that my grandma shows when making it. It tells about the type of food that my family enjoys; clearly we are not picky eaters and we like to try out new things. We love perfection of the dish, which is why modified notes are important. Perhaps trying new things is not only in my family’s interest of food, but of life. I can assure you, it certainly is. Kulebiaka is a dish that makes me feel at home, and makes me remember of all the good times spent with family. 

 This is a picture of Kulebiaka from my grandma's original cookbook. Yum!