After spending a week in Latvia, it became evident to me that much of the Russian culture has sustained its influence. Cultural aspects, from language to cuisine, remind inhabitants and visitors alike of the Soviet Union’s impact in the Baltic states. Having stayed with my childhood nanny, who, like my family, lived under the USSR, I ate nothing but home-cooked meals. Most of the meals originated in Russia, and have since spread throughout Europe and parts of the Middle East. Thus, I have re-created two incredibly popular dishes: salad olivier and plov. From my experience with salad olivier -- a dish I’ve been eating religiously since I could chew real food -- almost every chef has his/her own rendition. Because student life has me short on time, I purchased pre-shredded carrots, whereas the recipe typically calls for cooked, diced carrots. And instead of plain mayonnaise, which was sold-out at my local Carrefour, I opted for a spicy mayonnaise. As for the chicken plov, I stuck with my nanny’s original recipe -- quite common among most plov makers. Of course, there is room for experimentation with the spices, which can alter the taste from one plov to another. In an effort to stay healthy, I decided to stick with her choice of chicken -- a leaner meat. On the other hand, many people, especially my father, prefer plov with beef.
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