How to prepare Russian cream of wheat? Remembering William Pokhlebkin

Competition of culinary recipes is carried out in August. Also it would be desirable to remember one of the main culinary specialists – William Pokhlebkin who was born on August 20, 1923. Thanks to its publications, cookery in the Soviet Union started to consider not as a usual cooking, and art. More than 40 books were published by the general circulation over 100 million copies. They were bought up instantly, moreover, were considered as a valuable present. How to prepare Russian cream of wheat? Remembering William Pokhlebkin
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The scientist-historian with a world name, it wrote many books on a world history and the international relations, taught in higher education institutions. But the glory to it was brought by a hobby – cookery. It «The book about tasty and healthy food», published in 1952, till their time is considered the alphabet for all who wants to master secrets of cookery. Still with pleasure all read it «The culinary dictionary», «Cooking art», «History of the major foodstuff», «A hard lot of Russian buckwheat», «Entertaining cookery», «Secrets of good kitchen», «National kitchens of our people» and others. Feature of its books consists that he gave great attention to methods and ways of cooking, history of different products and dishes.

But, probably, one of the most unusual books – «Vodka history». It was written after Poland declared about the rights to the invention of vodka and exclusive use of a brand. The scientist wrote historical research in which proved that vodka in Moskovia appeared for 100 years earlier. As a result Poles were compelled to refuse the idea. To the scientist nicknamed – «the lawyer of Russian vodka», and scientific work was recognized as the best book on alcoholic beverages. But the paradox consisted that published the book in England, and in the homeland forbade. «Culinary Mendeleyev» as its many called, got various awards – Gugo Grotsia’s premium, Kekkonen’s medal, became the winner of the international award Lang Cheretto.

  • How to prepare Russian cream of wheat? Remembering William Pokhlebkin
    E.Goncharuk, personal archive
  • How to prepare Russian cream of wheat? Remembering William Pokhlebkin
    E.Goncharuk, personal archive
  • How to prepare Russian cream of wheat? Remembering William Pokhlebkin
    E.Goncharuk, personal archive

William Vasilyevich wrote the book «That Lenin ate?» And what the author ate? Before the publication he prepared the majority of dishes itself not to bring the reader. Though there were also funny things. For example, when in the Nedelya newspaper the sturgeon recipe was printed, letters of the indignant readers started to come to edition: on sale this product was rare deficiency. The great scientist whom recognized around the world, as well as the majority of the Soviet citizens, lived very modestly. During war at the front after wound, working at soldier’s kitchen, it was necessary to cook soup from a nettle and an orach, to bake corn flat cakes with a stuffing from a lucerne, a sorrel, a ramson.

In the sixties he always told only the truth therefore it appeared without work and without means of support, it was necessary to live on bread and water. When he was compelled to move from Moscow to Podolsk, in the dilapidated furnace found old recipe-books. And it impulsed to new page of his life – cookeries. On an old age of years he lived in loneliness while on the street there were ninetieth years and total deficiency of products in shops. But he never complained, on the contrary, wrote how is tasty to prepare with any family budget, and considered that poverty – not an occasion in order that it is bad to eat. If not to be lazy and show sharpness, always it is possible to find recipes of tasty dishes from available products. As Pokhlebkin spoke, the food is not a stomach question, and «a heart problem … restoration of national soul».

Him called the professor of Russian cabbage soup. Also he wrote much how to prepare tasty porridge. It would seem, well such difficult – filled up grain in water or milk and it is ready? And there was not everything so simply. Here we will take the simplest recipe of preparation of cream of wheat which many began to hate in the childhood. As the author argues, dislike is connected with that prepare incorrectly therefore there are lumps and a film. How we usually do? We boil milk, we fill up with a stream a semolina, we boil some minutes and we put butter.

Pokhlebkin offers such recipe: on 0,5 liters of milk to take 100-120-150 grams of a semolina. Milk to finish to boiling, and it is important to pour a semolina not a stream, and through a strainer to disseminate it. To cook 1-2 minutes, intensively stirring slowly. After that to close a pan a dense cover and let’s to it stand 10-15 minutes before complete swelling. This insisting impacts to porridge special relish. When giving to put oil.

Here one more unusual recipe of preparation of cream of wheat. It is necessary to warm up semolina together with butter in a deep frying pan or in a pan with thick walls to an easy pozhelteniye. To fill in with milk, quickly to stir, boil thoroughly 1-2 minutes, to close a cover and let’s be insisted 10-15 minutes. As the author argues, the first option of preparation is suitable for children, and the second – for adults more.

Though I also do not love cream of wheat, but decided to check the recipe and to prepare it according to the second recipe. The unique moment, it is better what to stir not a spoon, and a nimbus that there were no lumps. Really, taste differed from the habitual. At me dense porridge turned out, but the consistence depends already on your taste. And if to add strawberry jam, it is eaten quicker.

After reading of books of William Pokhlebkin many have an interest to cooking. He the first called cookery art and one of ways of self-expression of the person. In the culinary alphabet «Secret of good kitchen» the scientist wrote so: «After all the person not simply live being, and a being reasonable, and not without reason it created culinary art. For not any food benefits also satisfaction. This property the only well prepared, sound and tasty, beautifully submitted food possesses. Such food – one of bases of normal, safe life».

Updated: 12.10.2015 — 14:16