Russia, the Ukraine, Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan: countries on the threshold of Europe and Asia. The many different landscapes and countless peoples and ethnic groups have left their mark on the culture and cuisine of these lands, and created a wealth of traditions that vary from region to region and country to country. This book invites you to accompany us on a unique culinary journey - from the Carpathians to the Pacific, and from the Arctic Circle to the Caspian Sea. Sit down with us beside the stove in Russia. Marvel at the gigantic zakuska tables and the opulent feasts of the Tsars. Warm to the Russian winter with ice fishing, steam baths, and tea from a samovar. Learn all there is to know about vodka and caviar, and discover many different peoples and their specialties. Travel to the Ukraine, the home of Crimean champagne, borscht, and the great writer Nikolai Gogol. Wander through markets and the Black Sea metropolis of Odessa. Marvel at fine wines that have been stored in...