Special kitchen Kremlin

Special Kremlin's kitchen reveals its secrets.
Already in the 30s for a tasty, healthy, and most importantly - safe food for rukovod¬stva countries fully meet the special services. Since then happened that all cooks, waiters and others special dishes - people "at the shoulder straps».

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Where fished for Stalin?
On the weekly duty at Stalin's dacha in Volyn ("near the cottage") alternated 3-4 cooks. Sometimes, with the arrival of guests kebabs grilled in the fireplace directly on cupronickel skewers. Leader watched as doing barbecue, and at times, will not suffer, said: "You do not know how. Here's how to "- and he was taken to be the case. All products come with spetsbazy, where they were subjected to scrutiny. But the fish was its own, live, from the pools in the basement of the house. Nippy evening (waitresses) were carrying silver dishes and cruets on the table in the "Great Hall". Over dinner that dragged past midnight, Stalin led a meeting with his colleagues.





Meanwhile, employees of the special dishes required skill not only impeccably prepared, but with refinements formalize their dishes and table. Alevtina Kerina, Ensign, chef, cuisine Special Officer from 1956 to 1983, recalls that for the decoration of the tables often consider their subjects. For example, to receive about Gagarin's flight into space in 1961, the table was decorated with missiles made of ... loaves.
One of the dishes that always impress guests - Assorted filet of poultry "Game in flight": "The main decoration served a stuffed pheasant in full size - says Kerina. - Out of bread had to do a pedestal made of sticks - skeleton birds and then provide it plumage, feathers previously had to carefully handle alcohol. "
No less impressive works of culinary art were perch, crab puff, and pig stuffed with ham, tongue, liver pate with cream. Another marine gimmick invented by chefs special person - king crab with glowing red eyes, a battery-powered lights. Or aquariums with fish, the bottom poured lanspik - clear broth, which solidifies to a state of jelly in it - water lilies, algae, crabs, and then to a special deck puts more boiled sturgeon.

"Everything looked beautiful, but the waiters are always scolded me - says Kerina. - Carry it was hard. " By the way, among the waiters po¬etomu Special dishes are almost no women. "Pig with garnish weighed about 7-8 pounds, not including the impressive German silver tray on which he served, - says Gennady Pavlenko, acting officer special cuisine, Major. - Once the waiter made a dish with a piglet and Brezhnev began a speech. Every 40 minutes, until Leonid Brezhnev said colleague had der¬zhat this dish in hand. "



Potchivali than Nixon and Gandhi?
"During the visit to the Soviet Union foreign guests prefer our food, even if they brought their favorite products, - says Nikolay Morozov, deputy chef special dishes Officer from 1965 to 1991, the senior warrant officer. - When coming American delegation headed by Nixon (1972 - Ed.), Reagan, they had the chefs were Filipinos. They brought large refrigerator, but almost none of them did not reach them. Guests ate our traditional hodgepodge, hodgepodge. And the techniques that we organized, everyone always admired ».
"Yumjaagiin Tsedenbal, Mongol leader, asked every day for lunch a piece of boiled meat 300-400 grams with bone, - says Yuri Ponomarev, senior warrant officer, cook, kitchen Special Officer from 1972 to 1997. - It gave him pleasure just for this, used and bone meal. " "I worked with Richard Nixon when he stayed in the Kremlin residence (in the former apartment of heirs to the Russian throne. - Ed.), - Says Igor Netylёv, deputy chief, officer special cuisine from 1970 to 2010, Colonel. - It came with a decent suite, including the chef, but the food was ours. I remember I was on duty, was 3-4 hours of the day, and suddenly comes to Nixon - he wanted to drink a glass of ... More he was very fond of classical music, and it sounded everywhere, in all the rooms ... A couple of times I've worked with Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. She stayed in the Kremlin residence and always breakfasted alone. Serve different salads, cheese cakes, cottage cheese, porridge. For breakfast, lunch and dinner on the table, be sure to put caviar ».



Why Brezhnev poured soup?
In 70-80s special cuisine served 22-26 members and candidate members of the Politburo and Secretary of the CPSU Central Committee, taking into account the state of their health. "In the daily menu (unlike the banquet. - Ed.) Was all very individual - says Raisa Molotkova employee special cuisine from 1969 to 1992, Colonel. - It has been developed in conjunction with the attending physician, dietician, taking into account individual characteristics and preferences of the person. And it was such a normal picture: let lunch, and a number are 20 different soups. It was the same with the second course: no mass, to each his own. "



"When Brezhnev prepared soups, he refused them, not wanting to offend anyone - says Igor Netylёv. - But, since there was no appetite, poured everything into the bowl. And, for example, he liked to eat burgers cold. They brought with particular specialties in thermoses, and that they are cool, nippy stack them in the freezer ... For health Leonid Ilyich drink was not recommended, but sometimes he allowed himself a little. Usually preferred to "bison". Victoria P. (wife of General Secretary. - Ed.) We said, 'Let's go, we will dilute it in half »...
"He had problems dental character - explains Nikolai Morozov chef - and already required to prepare so that the dish was not anything hard. He always recognize my signature burgers: I make them so that they might eat the lips. The secret lies in the fact that scroll across the minced meat grinder 3 times, and then it necessarily creamed ».

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