Review of "What's Cooking in the Kremlin" on 'Goodreads'
4 stars
Oh the anecdotes! I just ate this up- the real people wrought from the tragic and brutal history of 20th century Russia sitting side by side at the table with some of the most nefarious despots- and what's for dinner is a historical feast with surprises. And it is in the company of this excellent and likable writer/researcher with an impressive gift of gab that the most awful tragedies are unwound with compassion and attention rather than maudlin pity- These are harrowing accounts of famine and murder and injustice, but they are also peppered with gallows humor and fun culinary facts. Witold withholds nothing in delivering us a stream of fascinating stories from some truly brave and commendable ordinary people/ chefs. I am not sure if you can say that an empire was "built with a knife and fork", but then again it is also not that much of a …
Oh the anecdotes! I just ate this up- the real people wrought from the tragic and brutal history of 20th century Russia sitting side by side at the table with some of the most nefarious despots- and what's for dinner is a historical feast with surprises. And it is in the company of this excellent and likable writer/researcher with an impressive gift of gab that the most awful tragedies are unwound with compassion and attention rather than maudlin pity- These are harrowing accounts of famine and murder and injustice, but they are also peppered with gallows humor and fun culinary facts. Witold withholds nothing in delivering us a stream of fascinating stories from some truly brave and commendable ordinary people/ chefs. I am not sure if you can say that an empire was "built with a knife and fork", but then again it is also not that much of a stretch.