Amazon.co.uk: A Year of Russian Feasts: Catherine Cheremeteff Jones: Books

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Product Description

TRAVELLER
'A trip filled with treats...a fascinating behind-the-scenes view of the place and the people'

Independent Magazine
'A perfect "curl up in front of the fire" cookery and travel book"'

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14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

A patronising journey through a fake Russia, 12 Mar 2004

By	Tim - See all my reviews

Having been in Russia recently and seeing how difficult people's lives are, Catherine Cheremeteff Jones (get the names right) seeks to gloss over the reality of comtemporary Russian life. She portrays the people of Russia in a very condescending light, going on about how Russians keep up traditions and how they are in touch with their souls. According to Cheremeteff Jones, the "'real' Russia is to be found in their homes". Her tone becomes quite bitchy towards the end of the book, not hesitating to tell the reader how "tacky" Russian register office weddings are. Despite this, I question whether her subsequent wedding in a Russian Orthodox Church in Washington DC was at the height of good taste either.
Her historical information is interesting, and so are her recipes, but she can't help but add insult to injury by recommending to the reader that "this is great with Tortilla Chips". In other recipes, she suggests adding Western ingredients to make them tastier.
The cringe factor is heightened by her accounts of the frequent vodka toasts "to America" and barely veiled anti-Communist rhetoric.
The result of CCJ's writing is an embarrassing account about a fake Russia that doesn't really exist for many Russians. The realities of Russian life, when not ignored, are simply put down.

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1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

Genius, 20 Mar 2003

By	"cheesiness" - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Year of Russian Feasts (Paperback)

Catherine Chermeteff Jones' book perfectly captures the essence of Russian-ness that travellers, students and Russian enthusiasts the world-over, continue to fall hopelessly in love with...
I am about to order more copies to send to friends and family; this is the perfect ambassador for the warmth, depth and comardeship that Russian culture has to offer.

A fascinating and uniquely insightful portrayal of the Russian kitchen- its culinary delights and the art and ceremony that accompanies it.

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