An introduction to the book: 41 recipes and three appendices. The complete working edition with all 54 cards is available separately.

A print edition is in preparation

The Sybarite’s
Kitchenat home

Recipes, essentials and small details that give home cooking character. Written and compiled by Andrei Gritskov.

Andrei Gritskov against a city backdrop — editorial illustration
Andrei GritskovAuthor and compiler
54recipe cards in the manuscript
9thematic chapters
3languages: Russian, Estonian, English

From the author

Respect for ingredients. Attention to detail.

For me, the pleasure of good food begins with respect for ingredients, technique and my own time. Good butter or oil, the right temperature and a well-judged finishing touch can transform a familiar dish.

I have brought together starters, breakfast dishes, soups, main courses, desserts, sauces and drinks. Each recipe card includes the ingredients, the method and a small ‘sybarite’s touch’ — an idea for serving or an extra layer of flavour.

A collection of recipes

Inside the book

01Starters
02Breakfast
03Soups
04Lunch: main courses
05Lunch: desserts
06Sauces and basics
07Dinner: main courses
08Dinner: salads
09Drinks

Explore the manuscript

Recipes from the forthcoming book

Selected recipes: 41

02Starters

Quail eggs with umami mayonnaise

Ingredients

  • Quail eggs — 8
  • Mayonnaise — 2 tbsp
  • Worcestershire sauce — ½ tsp
  • Dijon mustard — ½ tsp
  • Smoked paprika
  • Salt

Method

  1. Boil the quail eggs until both whites and yolks are firm; use 3 minutes as a guide. Peel the eggs.
  2. Mix the sauce ingredients.
  3. Spoon the sauce onto the halved eggs and sprinkle with smoked paprika.

A drop of soy sauce brings the flavours together.

03Starters

Bruschetta with anchovies and confit tomatoes

Ingredients

  • Baguette — 6 slices
  • Cherry tomatoes — 200 g
  • Anchovies — 6 fillets
  • Olive oil
  • Garlic — 1 clove
  • Balsamic vinegar — 1 tsp

Method

  1. Roast the cherry tomatoes at 90 °C for about 60 minutes.
  2. Toast the baguette slices and rub them with garlic.
  3. Top with the confit tomatoes and anchovies, then add the balsamic vinegar.

Finish with oil and citrus zest.

04Starters

Beetroot carpaccio with goat's cheese

Ingredients

  • Roasted beetroot — 2
  • Goat's cheese — 60 g
  • Pistachios — 20 g
  • Olive oil
  • Lemon
  • Salt

Method

  1. Thinly slice the roasted beetroot.
  2. Mix the olive oil with lemon.
  3. Arrange the beetroot and add the cheese, pistachios and dressing.

A pinch of umami salt and a little honey create a delicate balance.

05Starters

Herring on crisp potato rounds

Ingredients

  • Potatoes — 2
  • Herring fillets — 120 g
  • Red onion
  • Dill
  • Mayonnaise — 1 tbsp

Method

  1. Slice the potatoes into rounds and fry until crisp.
  2. Top the potatoes with the herring, red onion and dill.
  3. Add the mayonnaise.

A few pearls of roe on top make an elegant finishing touch.

06Starters

Quick salmon rillettes

Ingredients

  • Lightly salted salmon — 120 g
  • Cream cheese — 80 g
  • Dill
  • Lemon
  • Pepper

Method

  1. Mash the lightly salted salmon with the cream cheese.
  2. Add lemon and dill.
  3. Season with pepper.

Serve with cucumber for a fresh contrast.

07Breakfast

Quail egg omelette with herbs

Ingredients

  • Quail eggs — 10
  • Cream, 30% fat — 30 ml
  • Butter — 15 g
  • Dill, chives
  • Salt

Method

  1. Whisk the quail eggs with the cream.
  2. Melt the butter, pour in the egg mixture and cook until the centre of the omelette reaches 71 °C.
  3. Add the dill and chives, then season with salt.

Top with a spoonful of roe and a touch of Dijon mustard.

08Breakfast

Granola with yoghurt and honey

Ingredients

  • Rolled oats — 200 g
  • Nuts — 80 g
  • Honey — 2 tbsp
  • Yoghurt — 200 g
  • Berries

Method

  1. Mix the oats, nuts and honey. Toast in the oven at 150 °C for about 12 minutes.
  2. Serve with yoghurt and berries.

A pinch of salt brings out the sweetness.

09Breakfast

Salmon toast with lemon mayonnaise

Ingredients

  • Toast — 2 slices
  • Lightly salted salmon — 80 g
  • Mayonnaise — 1.5 tbsp
  • Lemon zest
  • Dill

Method

  1. Mix the mayonnaise with the lemon zest.
  2. Toast the bread and top with the salmon.
  3. Add the lemon mayonnaise and garnish with dill.

2–3 pearls of roe add a little sparkle.

10Breakfast

Quick shakshuka

Ingredients

  • Eggs — 4
  • Tomatoes — 400 g
  • Garlic, paprika
  • Olive oil
  • Salt

Method

  1. Fry the garlic with the paprika.
  2. Add the tomatoes and reduce.
  3. Crack the eggs into the tomato base and cook until both whites and yolks are firm.

A touch of Dijon mustard adds depth.

12Breakfast

Coconut milk porridge

Ingredients

  • Rolled oats — 60 g
  • Coconut milk — 250 ml
  • Salt
  • Honey

Method

  1. Cook the oats in the coconut milk until creamy.
  2. Serve with honey and salt.

Pan-fried banana makes an excellent topping.

15Soups

Quick homemade ramen

Ingredients

  • Chicken stock — 700 ml
  • Soy sauce — 2 tbsp
  • Ginger, garlic
  • Ramen noodles — 2 portions
  • Eggs — 2

Method

  1. Heat the chicken stock with the soy sauce, ginger and garlic.
  2. Cook the noodles according to the packet instructions. Boil the eggs until both whites and yolks are firm; use 6 minutes as a guide.
  3. Divide the noodles and eggs between bowls and add the stock.

A little Dijon mustard adds depth.

16Soups

Pumpkin soup with orange

Ingredients

  • Pumpkin — 500 g
  • Orange — ½
  • Cream — 100 ml
  • Cooking fat — 15 g
  • Salt

Method

  1. Roast the pumpkin until tender.
  2. Blend it with the orange juice and cream.
  3. Add the fat and salt, then heat the soup through.

Toasted seeds add texture.

20Lunch: main courses

Steamed salmon with lemon and dill

Ingredients

  • Salmon — 2 steaks
  • Lemon
  • Dill
  • Salt

Method

  1. Season the salmon steaks with salt.
  2. Steam the fish, using 7–9 minutes as a guide. Check with a food thermometer: the centre of the fish must reach at least 63 °C.
  3. Add lemon and dill to serve.

Extra virgin olive oil and salt are all you need.

21Lunch: main courses

Pasta with mushrooms and Parmesan

Ingredients

  • Pasta — 200 g
  • Button mushrooms — 250 g
  • Cream — 150 ml
  • Parmesan — 40 g
  • Garlic
  • Salt, pepper

Method

  1. Cook the pasta according to the packet instructions.
  2. Fry the mushrooms with the garlic.
  3. Add the cream and reduce the sauce.
  4. Combine the sauce with the cooked pasta and Parmesan, then season with salt and pepper.

Add a drop of truffle oil.

23Lunch: main courses

Cod fillets with a breadcrumb crust

Ingredients

  • Cod — 2 pieces
  • Bread — 2 slices
  • Cooking fat
  • Lemon
  • Salt

Method

  1. Mix the breadcrumbs with the fat.
  2. Cover the cod with the crumbs and bake at 200 °C. Use 12–14 minutes as a guide; check with a food thermometer that the centre of the fish has reached at least 63 °C.

Finish with herbs and lemon.

24Lunch: main courses

Mushroom risotto

Ingredients

  • Arborio rice — 200 g
  • Mushrooms — 250 g
  • Stock — 1 l
  • Parmesan — 40 g
  • Cooking fat
  • Onion

Method

  1. Gently sauté the onion with the rice.
  2. Gradually add the stock, stirring the rice, until cooked.
  3. Fry the mushrooms separately and add to the risotto.
  4. Stir in the Parmesan and fat.

A small piece of butter adds a gloss.

25Lunch: desserts

Vanilla panna cotta with honey

Ingredients

  • Cream, 33% fat — 400 ml
  • Sugar — 60 g
  • Gelatine — 8 g
  • Vanilla

Method

  1. Prepare the gelatine according to the packet instructions.
  2. Heat the cream with the sugar and vanilla, then dissolve the prepared gelatine in the mixture.
  3. Pour into moulds and chill until set.

Serve with honey and salt.

26Lunch: desserts

Water-based chocolate mousse

Ingredients

  • Chocolate, 70% cocoa — 150 g
  • Water — 120 ml
  • Salt — a pinch

Method

  1. Melt the chocolate in the water.
  2. Whisk the mixture over an ice bath.
  3. Add a pinch of salt.

Finish with a drop of oil and flakes of salt.

27Lunch: desserts

Peaches in thyme syrup

Ingredients

  • Peaches — 2
  • Sugar — 60 g
  • Water — 120 ml
  • Thyme

Method

  1. Make a syrup with the water, sugar and thyme.
  2. Heat the peaches in the syrup for 2–3 minutes.

Serve with a cream-based dessert topping.

29Lunch: desserts

Berry crumble

Ingredients

  • Berries — 300 g
  • Sugar — 2 tbsp
  • Flour — 80 g
  • Cooking fat — 60 g
  • Rolled oats — 40 g

Method

  1. Put the berries and sugar in a baking dish.
  2. Rub the flour with the fat and oats to form crumbs, then spread over the berries.
  3. Bake at 180 °C for 25 minutes.

Serve with yoghurt.

30Lunch: desserts

Meringues with cream

Ingredients

  • Egg whites — 3
  • Sugar — 150 g
  • Cream, 33% fat — 200 ml

Method

  1. Whisk the egg whites, gradually adding the sugar.
  2. Shape the meringues and dry them in the oven at 90 °C for 90 minutes.
  3. Whip the cream and assemble the dessert.

A pinch of citric acid helps stabilise the mixture.

31Sauces and basics

Basic homemade mayonnaise

Ingredients

  • Pasteurised egg — 1
  • Prepared mustard — 1 tsp
  • Dijon mustard — ½ tsp
  • Oil — 180 ml
  • Lemon juice — 1 tsp
  • Salt

Method

  1. Put the pasteurised egg, prepared mustard, Dijon mustard, salt and lemon juice in a blender.
  2. With the blender running, add the oil in a thin stream until the sauce is smooth.

A drop of soy sauce turns it into umami mayo.

32Sauces and basics

Umami salt

Ingredients

  • Salt — 50 g
  • Dried mushroom powder — 1 tbsp
  • Ground dried tomatoes — 1 tbsp

Method

  1. Mix the ingredients thoroughly.
  2. Transfer the mixture to a jar.

A pinch adds instant depth.

33Sauces and basics

Honey-Dijon mustard

Ingredients

  • Dijon mustard — 2 tbsp
  • Honey — 1 tbsp
  • Apple cider vinegar — 1 tsp

Method

  1. Mix the Dijon mustard, honey and apple cider vinegar until smooth.

A sauce for poultry and vegetables.

34Sauces and basics

Herb butter

Ingredients

  • Butter — 100 g
  • Dill, parsley
  • Citrus zest
  • Salt

Method

  1. Mix the softened butter with the herbs, zest and salt.
  2. Shape into a log and chill.

Serve with steak, fish or vegetables.

35Sauces and basics

Quick aioli

Ingredients

  • Pasteurised egg — 1
  • Garlic — 1 clove
  • Oil — 180 ml
  • Lemon juice
  • Salt

Method

  1. Put the pasteurised egg and garlic in a blender.
  2. With the blender running, add the oil in a thin stream until the sauce is smooth.
  3. Adjust the flavour with lemon juice and salt.

Serve with seafood and vegetables.

36Sauces and basics

Homemade pesto

Ingredients

  • Basil — 50 g
  • Nuts — 40 g
  • Parmesan — 40 g
  • Oil — 80 ml
  • Garlic
  • Salt

Method

  1. Blend the ingredients until creamy.
  2. Adjust the consistency with oil and the flavour with salt.

Serve with pasta, soups or bruschetta.

37Dinner: main courses

Ribeye steak with an umami finish

Ingredients

  • Ribeye — ~300 g
  • Cooking fat — 30 g
  • Soy sauce — 1 tsp
  • Pepper, salt

Method

  1. Sear the whole steak and check with a food thermometer that its centre has reached at least 63 °C.
  2. Remove the steak from the heat and leave to rest for 3 minutes.
  3. Mix the fat with the soy sauce and spoon over the steak.

Finish with a drop of truffle oil.

39Dinner: main courses

Carbonara with guanciale or bacon

Ingredients

  • Spaghetti — 220 g
  • Guanciale/bacon — 100 g
  • Pasteurised egg yolks — 3
  • Pecorino — 40 g
  • Pepper

Method

  1. Cook the spaghetti according to the packet instructions.
  2. Fry the guanciale or bacon.
  3. Mix the pasteurised yolks with the pecorino and pepper.
  4. Combine the cooked spaghetti with the guanciale or bacon. Remove from the heat, add the yolk mixture and stir.

Add umami salt sparingly.

40Dinner: main courses

Beef braised in wine

Ingredients

  • Beef — 600 g
  • Red wine — 300 ml
  • Onion, carrot
  • Garlic
  • Bay leaves

Method

  1. Brown the meat and vegetables.
  2. Pour in the red wine and cook gently for 2–3 hours.

Serve with a purée.

41Dinner: main courses

Teriyaki salmon

Ingredients

  • Salmon — 2 steaks
  • Soy sauce — 3 tbsp
  • Honey — 1 tbsp
  • Ginger

Method

  1. Mix the soy sauce, honey and ginger. Marinate the salmon for 20 minutes.
  2. Fry or bake the salmon. Check doneness with a food thermometer: the centre of the fish must reach at least 63 °C. A glossy glaze alone is not a measure of doneness.

Finish with sesame seeds and spring onions.

43Dinner: salads

Warm salmon salad with Dijon mustard

Ingredients

  • Salmon — 150 g
  • Mixed salad leaves — 80 g
  • Cucumber, radishes
  • Dijon mustard — 1 tsp
  • Mayonnaise — 1 tbsp
  • Lemon

Method

  1. Fry the salmon until its internal temperature reaches at least 63 °C, checking with a food thermometer.
  2. Mix the Dijon mustard, mayonnaise and lemon to make the sauce; assemble the salad.

A few pearls of roe work well here.

44Dinner: salads

Warm mushroom salad with poached eggs

Ingredients

  • Button mushrooms — 200 g
  • Romaine lettuce
  • Eggs — 2
  • Garlic
  • Olive oil

Method

  1. Fry the mushrooms with the garlic in olive oil.
  2. Combine the mushrooms with the romaine lettuce.
  3. Poach the eggs: gently slide them into hot water and cook until both whites and yolks are firm.
  4. Place the eggs on the salad.

Finish with Parmesan and balsamic vinegar.

45Dinner: salads

Tabbouleh with herbs and lemon

Ingredients

  • Bulgur — 120 g
  • Parsley, mint
  • Lemon
  • Oil

Method

  1. Prepare the bulgur according to the packet instructions.
  2. Mix with the parsley, mint, lemon and oil.

Add cucumber and tomato if you like.

46Dinner: salads

Homemade Niçoise salad

Ingredients

  • Tinned tuna — 150 g
  • Potatoes
  • Green beans
  • Eggs — 2
  • Olives
  • Anchovies

Method

  1. Boil the vegetables. Boil the eggs until both whites and yolks are firm.
  2. Combine with the tuna, olives and anchovies.

For the dressing, combine Dijon mustard, oil and lemon.

47Dinner: salads

Roasted beetroot and cheese salad

Ingredients

  • Beetroot — 2
  • Feta — 80 g
  • Nuts — 30 g
  • Balsamic vinegar
  • Oil

Method

  1. Roast the beetroot until tender.
  2. Assemble the salad with the beetroot, cheese and nuts.
  3. Dress with the oil and balsamic vinegar.

A sweet-and-sour note works well here.

48Dinner: salads

Caprese with strawberries

Ingredients

  • Mozzarella — 150 g
  • Tomatoes — 200 g
  • Strawberries — 120 g
  • Basil
  • Oil
  • Salt

Method

  1. Slice the ingredients and arrange the dish.
  2. Add the oil and salt.

A drop of balsamic vinegar is a welcome addition.

49Drinks

Milk oolong, the sybarite's way

Ingredients

  • Milk oolong tea — 6–7 g
  • Water at 90–92 °C — 150–200 ml

Method

  1. Brew the tea in successive infusions of 15–25 seconds.
  2. Serve in fine porcelain.

Pair with cream-based desserts and soft cheeses.

50Drinks

Filter coffee with salt

Ingredients

  • Coffee — 18 g
  • Water — 300 ml
  • Salt — a pinch

Method

  1. Add a pinch of salt to the ground coffee.
  2. Pour 300 ml water through the coffee over about 3 minutes.

It brings out the sweetness.

52Drinks

Hong Kong milk tea

Ingredients

  • Black tea — 8 g
  • Condensed milk — 30 g
  • Water — 200 ml

Method

  1. Brew strong black tea.
  2. Mix with the condensed milk.

Add ice if you like.

53Drinks

Espresso tonic

Ingredients

  • Espresso — 40 ml
  • Tonic water — 120 ml
  • Ice
  • Citrus zest

Method

  1. Fill a glass with ice and pour in the tonic water.
  2. Pour the espresso on top.

Orange zest adds fragrance.

Reference section

Three appendices

Caviar and truffle: a short guide

Storage

Store caviar at the temperature and for the length of time specified on the packaging of the particular product; follow any separate instructions that apply after opening. For fresh truffles, follow the supplier’s recommendations. If you use a paper towel in the container, replace it daily.

Quantity

The author’s suggested amount per serving is 3–5 g of caviar or 1–2 g of truffle. Add truffle to a warm dish that contains fat.

Pairings

Caviar pairs well with eggs, potatoes, salmon and buckwheat. Truffle pairs well with mushrooms, eggs, cream, pasta and rice.

Restraint is the key: caviar and truffle provide a finishing accent and should not overpower the flavour of the dish.

Cooking techniques at a glance

These brief definitions help you navigate the recipes. They do not replace the method for a particular dish.

TechniqueWhat it meansKey to success
Softening butterBringing butter to a pliable consistency without melting it.The butter should mix easily with other ingredients and retain its shape.
ReductionSimmering a liquid or sauce to concentrate its flavour and thicken its consistency.Watch the consistency; make the final adjustment to the salt after reducing.
Sous videCooking food in a sealed bag at a controlled temperature.The temperature and cooking time depend on the food and its thickness. Use a verified method for the particular recipe.
Sweating vegetablesGently cooking vegetables in oil or butter without noticeable browning.Stir and adjust the heat so the vegetables soften rather than burn.
EmulsionCombining the water-based and fat-based components of a sauce.Add the fat gradually while stirring or whisking; the method depends on the recipe.

Glossary

Umami
One of the basic tastes, often called the “fifth taste”. In this book, its sources include mushrooms, mature cheeses, tomatoes and soy sauce.
Reduction
Simmering a liquid to concentrate its flavour and thicken its consistency.
Sous vide
Cooking food in a sealed bag at a controlled temperature. The parameters are determined for the particular dish.
Emulsion
A mixture of water-based and fat-based components, produced by mixing and maintained by emulsifiers or the preparation method.
Base preparations
Prepared foundations — sauces, seasoning blends and other components that make cooking quicker.

Cooking guidance

Check fish and meat for doneness with a thermometer at the centre of the food. Use pasteurised eggs in sauces that are not thoroughly heated. The criteria in these recipes have been clarified using guidance from FoodSafety.gov and FDA.

Materials on the culinary arts

Exploring the Intersection of Food and Art

A separate collection explores the connections between gastronomy, painting, culture and language. It brings together translations, study essays, commentary and completed assignments.

Exploring the Intersection of Food and Art brings together my work preparing, compiling and translating these materials. It complements the practical recipe collection.

This collection is being edited.

Read the introduction

Exploring the Intersection of Food and Art

A collection compiled by Andrei Gritskov, with his translations and study essays

How does bread become a symbol, a still life tell the story of an era, or an ordinary meal become a scene that reveals someone’s character?

In this collection, I have gathered and translated material about food in art, adding my own reflections and analyses prepared as part of my studies. Painting, literature, photography, cinema and performance art allow us to see more in food than the ingredients of a dish: memory, social differences, cultural habits and relationships between people.

Practical assignments have a place of their own: analysing a work through its form, content and context, working with the language of menus, writing about taste and photographing food with a phone. Historical information, literary excerpts and research findings are considered in relation to their sources; my essays connect this material with questions of gastronomy and education.

For me, this work is a way of paying attention to the familiar again. Of seeing meaning behind an ingredient, intention behind a presentation and human experience behind a taste.

Andrei Gritskov in a light interior
Andrei Gritskov

About the author

Andrei Gritskov

Adult educator, curriculum developer and author of learning materials. I have worked in education since 1999.

I am preparing The Sybarite’s Kitchen for a print edition. This page presents a selection from the manuscript.

My education projects