Favorite dishes of famous writers. Favorite food of famous politicians Favorite dishes of writers and poets

Agree, it would be interesting to know what the favorite dishes of great people were. It turns out that Tolstoy had a terrible sweet tooth, and Pushkin slept and saw baked potatoes. What Stalin treated his guests to and how to prepare chocolate jelly according to Sofia Andreevna Tolstoy’s recipe.

Oddly enough, despite European reference points, Peter the Great has always remained one of the adherents of Russian cuisine.

According to the memoirs of his contemporary, mechanic Andrei Nartov, the emperor’s usual “foods” were jelly, pickles, sauerkraut, sour cabbage soup, porridge and roast with cucumbers and pickled lemons. Before eating, Peter drank aniseed vodka, and during the meal - kvass. The emperor preferred to give public dinners with European dishes for foreign guests at Menshikov's.

Potatoes for Pushkin

Most of all, Alexander Sergeevich loved simple village dishes: cabbage soup and green soup with boiled eggs, porridge, chopped cutlets with sorrel and spinach, etc. But, according to the recollections of his contemporaries, the greatest pleasure was given to him by baked potatoes, which he could eat in huge quantities. They prepared it according to the traditional recipe: rolled it in a peel in coarse salt and baked it in the oven, burying it deeper in the ash. And for dessert, the poet loved to eat white gooseberry jam.

Sweet tooth Lev Nikolaevich

It is a well-known fact that Leo Tolstoy did not eat meat. All dishes prepared in his house were from plant products, milk and eggs. Every day for breakfast he ate oatmeal, sour milk and eggs. The writer did not think about the amount of food he ate and could easily drink up to three bottles of kefir, several cups of coffee, eat mashed rice, and pies in one day. The wife, Sofya Andreevna, was very worried about her husband’s stomach. “Today at lunch,” she wrote in her diaries, “I watched in horror as he ate: first salted milk mushrooms... then four large buckwheat croutons with soup, and sour kvass, and black bread. And all this in large quantities."

Lev Nikolaevich also loved sweets very much. There were always nuts, dates and dried fruits in the house, as well as jam, including Yasnopolyanskoe. Rather, it was even an assortment of fruits and berries, since it included melon, cherries, apples, peaches, plums, gooseberries and apricots.

Sofya Andreevna herself kept a “Cookbook”, in which she eventually collected over 160 recipes. One of them is chocolate... jelly. So, you should take one “plank” of chocolate (two standard bars), two cups of potato flour, a cup of sugar and two bottles of milk (one bottle in those years was about 0.75 liters). The chocolate was grated, mixed with starch and sugar and a small amount of milk. The rest of the milk is boiled and the resulting mixture is poured into it. The drink should be stirred until thick.
Luisa Contreras, 2013

Stalin's buffet

Stalin had a rather strange attitude towards feasts: they began late in the evening, lasted a long time, and the tables were literally bursting with dishes, while the leader himself ate little, preferring to treat the invitees to his fullest. Usually boiled pork, lamb or poultry rolls, sturgeon, pies, fish and, naturally, real Georgian dishes - shish kebab, lobio, pkhali, etc. were placed on the tables.

Anastas Mikoyan once recalled that Stalin’s favorite dishes included fish (frozen nelma, Danube herring, boiled). “I loved birds: guinea fowl, ducks, chickens. Loved the thin skewered lamb ribs. Very tasty thing. Thin ribs, little meat, dry roasted. Everyone always liked this dish. And boiled quail. These were the best dishes,” he said.
Photo from Instagram account shvepa, 2016

And General S. M. Shtemenko, the head of the operational department of the General Staff, who more than once dined with Stalin at the Near Dacha, in the book “The General Staff during the War” said that “dinner at Stalin’s place, even a very large one, always took place without the services of waiters. They only brought everything they needed to the dining room and silently left. Cutlery, bread, cognac, vodka, dry wines, spices, vegetables and mushrooms were placed on the table in advance. As a rule, there were no sausages, hams and other snacks. He didn’t tolerate canned food.”

Hitler's Night Snacks

An interesting fact about Adolf Hitler: it is known that he had problems with the spleen, so the Fuhrer followed a strict diet, which was personally monitored by his cook. But a couple of years ago, Hitler's former maid Elisabeth Kalhammer told reporters that at night, when the servants went to bed, the Fuhrer would sneak into the kitchen and secretly eat cookies and cream pies. According to Kalhammer, the cooks prepared a “Führer pie” with raisins, apples and nuts especially for him and left it in the kitchen before going to bed.
Lenin's hearty link

In the family of the future leader, the daily routine was quite strict: breakfast at eight in the morning (on holidays at noon). Lunch on ordinary days is at two o'clock in the afternoon, and on holidays - at four. Dinner was served every day at eight or nine o'clock in the evening. Vegetable, cereal and milk soups regularly appeared on the table, and less often - cabbage soup and fish soup. Meat was usually eaten boiled, fish was also boiled or smoked. In addition, milk and chicken eggs, which were eaten often and in any form (fried eggs, omelet, boiled, etc.). There was no cult of bread in the family: on weekdays they ate only black bread for lunch, and white bread was served for tea or dinner.

This diet generally had a beneficial effect on the children growing up in the family, but as soon as the future leader was deprived of his usual home-cooked food, having entered Kazan University, he almost instantly acquired gastritis, because of which he subsequently suffered throughout his life.

As a famous researcher says different types kitchen William Pokhlebkin, “at the end of 1895 the first arrest followed. In prison, Lenin's gastritis first worsens. But regular Russian prison food (cabbage soup, porridge) gradually stabilizes the situation. And even more favorable conditions are developing for Lenin in exile.

Once in Krasnoyarsk on private apartment with full board, that is, with plentiful Russian food four to five times a day and a real Siberian menu (mushroom cabbage soup, veal, boiled fish, pies, dumplings, shanezhki, lamb with porridge, etc.), Lenin writes enthusiastically to his relatives : “I live well, I’m quite happy with the table. I forgot to even think about mineral gastric water and, I hope, I will soon forget its name! “While in exile, I felt good.”
Laurel F, 2005

And among drinks, Lenin loved tea most of all, sometimes very strong. In exile, he sometimes drank beer, and upon returning to Russia, according to Vyacheslav Molotov, wine, but was not keen on it.

Menu of genius. What did the greats love?

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Scientists are trying unsuccessfully to unravel the cause of genius. It depends on the set of genes received from parents, from talented teachers who surround the child in childhood, and maybe from food? There is a reason for the latter. With certain foods we get vitamins, minerals and trace elements. They are vital for the functioning of the entire body and the brain in particular. Perhaps the combination of these components obtained with food is the impetus for the development extraordinary abilities in painting, literature or science. So, let's look at the gastronomic preferences of the greats.

Leonardo da Vinci, whose inventions were made back in the Renaissance but are still relevant today, could not live without Minestrone soup. It is made entirely from vegetables that have undergone minimal thermal processing, therefore, all the gifts of nature have been preserved beneficial features. In addition, zucchini, tomatoes, carrots and celery stimulate brain function and memory.

Dostoevsky was very fond of nuts. Thinking over the character of any character from his book, he could eat a dozen walnuts or pistachios.

A dish that was very often on the writer’s table was chicken, and he washed it down with warm milk, precisely this temperature was preferred for the great classic.

Leo Tolstoy was the first vegetarian in Russian literature. Fruits, vegetables and honey helped write the great novel War and Peace. But his favorite delicacy was cucumber. The writer ate them in huge quantities.

Another cucumber fan was Napoleon. Even on long campaigns, the emperor was accompanied by a cart of green and crispy vegetables. He even promised a reward to anyone who could come up with a way to keep this vegetable fresh for as long as possible.

Pushkin also didn’t mind having a tasty meal. Pancakes, potatoes, buckwheat, pickled apples, fruits and jam, especially gooseberries. Simple, tasty and at the same time elegant.

Gogol was a culinary esthete. He loved pasta very much (the word “pasta” was not used in those days). He cooked them himself, added butter, cheese, pepper and slowly savored the dish.

Mikhail Lomonosov gave preference to traditional dishes of the north. Being a true Pomor, he could not do without salted cod, navaga and salmon. He also loved porridge and sour cabbage soup. One day he treated them to Empress Catherine II, who unexpectedly came to visit. She was satisfied and ate everything clean. And when Mikhail Vasilyevich was in the palace on a return visit, she treated him to cabbage soup, prepared by her cooks, to show respect for the scientist.

Anton Chekhov loved crucian carp fried in sour cream. Yours favorite dish he even mentioned "Siren" in the story.

The modern genius Steve Jobs was a strict vegan, and he did not love apples, as one might think, but carrots. And he preferred to brew tea from fragrant herbs that grew in his garden.

The artist Salvador Dali was original in everything and, of course, in food.

“I only eat what keeps my shape. My mind rejects everything else,” he once said. For breakfast, he preferred sea ​​urchins with bread and butter. For lunch he ate garlic soup, and his Russian wife Gala introduced him to black caviar, which the eccentric was crazy about.

From all of the above, we can conclude that there is no one dish that all geniuses would prefer. They ate what they liked, and what they like is incredibly inspiring.

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Minestrone by Leonardo

The unforgettable genius of the Renaissance, Leonardo, was unpretentious in food, preferring vegetarian food. Therefore, his diet most often consisted of fresh tomatoes, zucchini, cabbage, carrots and Parmesan - foods that stimulate brain function. Da Vinci's favorite dish was vegetable minestrone soup, which, oddly enough, he became addicted to in early childhood.

The classic Florentine minestrone is full of vegetables and yet thick and filling. First, boil 1.5 cups of dry white beans in salted water for two hours. Remove half the beans, rub them through a sieve and return to the pan. Pour sunflower oil into another pan and lightly fry the garlic-onion mixture in it. Then dilute 2 tbsp. l. tomato paste Pour a small amount of water into the pan. We also send chopped vegetables here one by one: a head of cabbage, carrots, a couple of zucchini and leeks. Lastly, add half a glass of rice or short durum wheat pasta. The finishing touch is a spicy mixture of basil, rosemary, mint and salt. Minestrone is cooked for no longer than half an hour over low heat, after which it is immediately served.

Poetic potato from Pushkin

The sun of Russian poetry devoted himself to gastronomic pleasures without reserve. However, Pushkin was in no hurry to sign up as a gourmet, preferring to dine for a long time and on a grand scale without false modesty. Many friends called the poet a terrible glutton. Once, getting hungry on the road, Alexander Sergeevich deigned to buy a couple of dozen peaches, which were immediately destroyed in one sitting. After which half a dozen soaked apples suffered the same fate.

Pushkin's taste preferences were entirely given to Russian country kitchen. His favorite dishes were thick cabbage soup and green soup with boiled eggs, chopped cutlets with sorrel and spinach, peasant porridge, botvinya with sturgeon, and crumbly pancakes made from mashed beets. But the poet’s soul especially froze at the sight of baked potatoes, which he could happily eat several times a day. They prepared it according to a special recipe: together with the peel, they rolled it in coarse salt and baked it in a Russian oven, hiding it deeper in the ash. For dessert, Alexander Sergeevich loved to indulge in white gooseberry jam.

Gogol's sweet inspiration

But Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol, although he enthusiastically praised the irresistible Rus'-three, gravitated towards Italian cuisine. Having lived in Rome for several years, he was forever captivated by the tastes and aromas of local cuisine. Most of all, the writer loved traditional pasta. As usual, I prepared it myself, adding a fair amount of butter to the pasta and covering it with a mountain of grated Parmesan. Gogol also had a childish, sincere passion for various sweets. Therefore, his pockets were never full of sweets, gingerbread cookies and bagels, which he endlessly feasted on and treated to his friends. In the writer's house, no matter where he was, there was always tea. And as if by magic, buns, cookies and rolls always appeared from somewhere along with a cup of hot aromatic drink. Probably, sweets gave the writer inspiration for writing his immortal creations.

Dali's Garlic Madness

His Majesty the king of shocking Salvador Dali dreamed of becoming a chef since childhood, he told about this in his memoirs. And the fact that in his entire life he had never learned to cook did not bother him at all. The eccentric artist expressed his personal taste preferences in an abstract formula: “I only eat what keeps its shape. My mind rejects everything else.” Based on these considerations, spinach, “a grass like freedom, limp and boneless,” was included in the list of hated foods. But the restless genius’s favorite dish was garlic soup.

First, peel the head of garlic without breaking it into cloves. In this form, wrap it in foil, after greasing it with olive oil. Bake the garlic at 180 degrees for half an hour. Then we pass it through a garlic squeezer. Next, fry the onion rings in oil, add potatoes and fill everything with pre-prepared vegetable broth. When the potatoes become soft, add the garlic pulp, pour 100 ml of milk into the pan and beat with a blender. Now put the pan on the fire again and add 200 ml of cream, stirring constantly, but without bringing to a boil. The best addition to this soup would be garlic croutons.

Agatha, nicknamed Gargantua

The queen of the detective genre, Agatha Christie, was distinguished not only by her outstanding talent, but also by her indomitable appetite. If she had a chance to participate in any gastronomic competition, she would undoubtedly win first prize. According to the writer, as a little girl, she competed in “digestive prowess” along with adults. Young Agatha, together with one of the guests, could deal with roast turkey, a couple of pieces of beef fillet, tamping them down with a complex dessert of plum pudding, sweet pie, cookies and a generous portion of fruit. The rest of the evening was devoted to chocolate and candies, with which they barely had time to fill the vases on the table in the living room. Christie’s favorite treat was cream, which she consumed in mind-boggling quantities, even in old age. It is surprising that despite all this, the writer never experienced stomach problems and remained invariably a slender and attractive woman.

Surely, you will like some of the dishes offered, especially since preparing them will not be difficult. Who knows, maybe there really is a piece of genius hidden in them.

Pushkin, Lermontov, Dumas, Gogol, Krylov. Only Agatha Christie could figure out which of them ate 20 peaches at a time, who couldn’t get enough of the royal dinner, who wrote a cookbook, who loved spaghetti, and who once ate pies with sawdust. By the way, Agatha Christie herself was an insatiable woman - in the gastronomic sense, of course.

In her autobiography, the English writer recalls that since childhood she was prone to gluttony: “Taking into account the amount of food that I consumed in childhood and adolescence (because I was always hungry), I simply cannot understand how I managed to remain so skinny " As a 12-year-old girl, Agatha Christie even competed in “digestive prowess” with a 22-year-old young man: “He was ahead of me in terms of oyster soup, but otherwise we were “breathing down each other’s necks.” We both ate boiled turkey, then fried turkey, and four or five pieces of beef. Then we started on plum pudding, sweet pie and sponge cake. After this came biscuits, grapes, oranges, plums and candied fruit. And finally, for the rest of the day, handfuls of chocolate of different varieties were brought from the pantry, depending on who liked what.” The writer herself was not only surprised that after such dinners she did not have stomach problems, but also doubted that “people today are able to overcome such a meal.” And Agatha Christie considered cream to be her favorite dish, which she became addicted to as a child and continued to “stuff it all her life.”

Alexandre Dumas Sr. Between a book and a frying pan

The famous French writer was known not only as the author of the legendary trilogy about the Three Musketeers, but also as a gourmet and glutton. Cooking and writing are two passions between which Dumas was torn all his life. Contemporaries recalled that he could part with a pen only “for the sake of a frying pan handle.” However, Dumas often combined two types of activities, which resulted in the “Great Culinary Dictionary”, which, however, the writer never had time to complete - Anatole France later did it instead.

What’s nice: in the cookbook Dumas included five recipes for Russian jam (from roses, pumpkin, nuts, radishes and asparagus). However, in general, the writer did not really like our cuisine, and during two years of traveling around Russia he was not able to fall in love with it. The only dish that captivated the mind and belly of this gourmet was kurnik - a pie with eggs and chickens, prepared in the house of the Russian writer Avdotya Panayeva, with whom he was visiting. Later, she recalled the Frenchman’s incredible gluttony: “I think that Dumas’s stomach could digest fly agarics.” Dumas impressed her as a man with a great appetite and very brave, because he could eat “two plates of botvina, fried mushrooms, pies, pig with porridge - all at once!” This requires great courage, especially for a foreigner who has never tried such dishes in his life...”

Alexander Pushkin. Potatoes as bait

“Don’t put off until dinner what you can eat at lunch” is one of the writer’s “Gastronomic maxims.” However, Pushkin was not a gourmet, he just loved to eat, and was unpretentious when it came to food. Pushkin’s friend, the poet Pyotr Vyazemsky, wrote: “Pushkin was not at all a gourmet... but he was a terrible glutton for other things. I remember how on the road he ate 20 peaches bought at Torzhok in one breath. The soaked apples also took a fair beating.” Pushkin was also familiar with French cuisine, which was popular in his time, but, nevertheless, he loved simple, one might even say, rustic Russian cuisine. “The genius of pure beauty” Anna Kern recalls that Pushkin’s mother, Nadezhda Osipovna, even lured her son to dinner with baked potatoes, “which Pushkin was a big fan of.” Pushkin was very fond of apple pie, which was prepared in the house of his neighbors Osipov-Wulf. Well, all the dishes of Pushkin’s nanny were appreciated not only by himself, but also by his friends. For sweets, Alexander Sergeevich was very fond of gooseberry jam.

Mikhail Lermontov. Lover of sawdust pies

Unlike Pushkin, this poet had no reverence for food, moreover, he did not understand it at all. As his first lover, Ekaterina Sushkova, recalls in her Notes, Lermontov never knew what he ate: veal or pork, game or lamb. However, this did not stop the poet from arguing with his friends, convincing them of the sophistication of his gastronomic taste. They listened, listened, and then took and fed Mikhail Yuryevich buns filled with... sawdust. Young Lermontov (at that time he was only 16 years old), not suspecting anything, managed to eat a whole such bun and start on the second, but he was stopped, pointing to the “indigestible filling for the stomach.” Bearing in mind that in the future Lermontov took revenge on Sushkova for numerous ridicule of himself, we can confidently say that the way to a man’s heart lies through his stomach.
Ivan Krylov. 30 pancakes for a snack

Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol is rightfully considered one of the best “verbal cooks” of Russian literature. The writer’s works are filled with so many detailed descriptions of dishes and feasts that it becomes clear that the cult of food played a significant role in his work. It is not for nothing that the symbolist Andrei Bely, in his literary study “The Craft of Gogol” (1934), called the story “Dead Souls” Zhratviada, and the philosopher L.V. Karasev noted that “in Gogol, the movement of the plot is largely subordinate to the will of the stomach.” But Gogol not only knew how to brilliantly describe gastronomic joys; on occasion, he himself could stand at the stove and cook an excellent dinner.

Few people know that the future classic, in addition to his undoubted literary talent, also possessed a wide variety of abilities. In a letter to his uncle Pyotr Petrovich Kosyarovsky, he wrote: “ You don't know all my virtues yet. I know some crafts: I’m a good tailor, I paint walls well with alfresco paintings, I work in the kitchen, and I know a lot about the art of cooking...“. He drew, knitted and embroidered beautifully, and once he himself cut and sewed dresses for his sisters Anna and Elizabeth. At his parents' estate, Gogol devoted himself with all passion to another of his passions - gardening.

And yet, his greatest passion, besides literature, was cooking. Gogol’s gastronomic tastes and inclinations were shaped by his native Ukrainian cuisine, and complemented and enriched by Italian cuisine, of which he became a great admirer in his mature years.

Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol was born in the village of Velikie Sorochintsy, Mirgorod district, Poltava province, into a family that belonged to an old Ukrainian family. The Gogols had over 1,000 acres of land and almost two hundred serfs, which provided modest income. Simple-hearted morals, leisurely and unpretentious way of life, family habits will later be reflected in “ Old world landowners " Gogol's mother, Maria Ivanovna, was in charge of running the household. Concerns about preparing various foodstuffs took up most of the time. There was always something cooking, frying and baking in the kitchen, and the pantry was filled to capacity with supplies prepared for future use. Traditional Ukrainian dishes were prepared in the old fashioned way - Poltava borscht with dumplings (always prepared with chicken or gander broth), pampushki with garlic, krucheniki with mushrooms, sicheniki (chopped cutlets) and, of course, the famous Ukrainian dumplings, later glorified by the writer in the story “ Christmas Eve ” (1831-1832):

Patsyuk opened his mouth, looked at the dumplings and opened his mouth even more. At this time, the dumpling splashed out of the bowl, plopped into the sour cream, turned over to the other side, jumped up and just landed in his mouth. Patsyuk ate it and opened his mouth again, and the dumpling went out again in the same order. He only took upon himself the labor of chewing and swallowing.
“Look, what a miracle!” - thought the blacksmith, his mouth open in surprise, and at the same time he noticed that the dumpling was climbing into his mouth and was already sticking out sour cream on his lips. Having pushed away the dumpling and wiped his lips, the blacksmith began to think about what miracles there are in the world.

The secret of real Poltava dumplings – in dough, unusually airy and soft, which is prepared exclusively on “ Kislyak” – sour milk (yogurt). Modern version- kefir, yogurt, whey or a mixture of them. Under no circumstances should soda be extinguished. Once in a fermented milk environment, it extinguishes itself. Dumplings amaze a true gourmet with a variety of fillings - with cabbage, potatoes, liver, mushrooms, meat, cottage cheese, poppy seeds, etc. A mixture of fillings is often made: potato-cabbage, potato-liver, cabbage-mushrooms, etc. In the Poltava region they prepare dumplings with boiled peas mashed with viburnum. Dumplings are served with sour cream, fried onions or cracklings. Sweet dumplings with fruit are especially famous. Before serving, they are sprinkled with sugar or served with syrup, honey or jam. Dumplings with cherries are a classic of Ukrainian cuisine.

Sift the flour, combine it with soda and salt. Beat the egg, adding sugar. In a deep bowl, mix flour, egg, yogurt and knead into a soft, not too dense dough. The finished dough should rest for 30 minutes. Then roll out the dough into a “sausage”, cut it into pieces, roll each of them into a circle with a rolling pin (not thinly).
Place the filling on each circle of dough and seal the edges. Cook the dumplings in salted boiling water until they float (about 5 minutes). Using a slotted spoon, remove the dumplings, place them in a dish and pour in melted butter to prevent them from sticking together.
Filling for dumplings with cherries. First, remove the pits from the cherries, mix the cherries with sugar and leave for 30 minutes to release the juice. Drain the juice and digest it with sugar to make syrup.
Place 3-4 cherries on each circle of dough and seal the edges. Boil the dumplings in boiling water. Serve the finished dumplings to the table, pouring the prepared syrup over them.

Gogol's Evenings on a Farm Near Dikanka " And " Mirgorod” opened to the reading public Ukrainian cuisine, virtually unknown in Russia. Gogol himself, having moved to St. Petersburg and yearning for the peaceful life of provincial life, often organized Ukrainian dinners with friends, where he personally prepared his favorite dishes.
“With a tousled forelock, a colorful tie around his neck and an apron on his stomach - among his friends he looked like a rooster strutting on the threshold of his kitchen”. ( )

As you know, Gogol was not in good health. “ “I feel sickness in the most noble part of the body - in the stomach,” he wrote to N. Ya. Prokopovich. Despite this, the writer could never resist some of the next “yummy”" Large meals led to sad consequences. Suspicious beyond measure, Nikolai Vasilyevich in letters to friends described in all details the peculiarities of his digestion and bitterly complained about the need for a diet. But the slightest improvement in health immediately ended in another “culinary” binge. The passion for discovering new taste sensations was realized abroad - in Germany, France, Italy.

French cuisine quickly won Gogol's favor, and he will always remember Parisian restaurants with nostalgia. He also liked the famous Tortoni cafe on Italian Boulevard, which was famous for its excellent coffee and especially ice cream (lemon, raspberry, vanilla, etc.). But the writer received a real culinary shock in Rome, becoming a passionate admirer of Italian cuisine until the end of his days. Gogol called Italy “the homeland of his soul.” Here he lived for more than 4 years, and “The Overcoat”, “Taras Bulba”, “Dead Souls” were written here. “ You fall in love with Rome very slowly, little by little - and for the rest of your life. In short, all of Europe is for watching, and Italy is for living.”.

In Rome, Gogol constantly visited, which was a kind of international art club, and loved to eat at numerous local trattorias, completely surrendering to the culinary and gastronomic joys. M.P. Pogodin left interesting memories about Gogol’s “light afternoon tea” at Trattoria Falconi.

He sits down at the table and orders: macaroni, cheese, butter, vinegar, sugar, mustard, ravioli, broccali... The boys begin to run and bring both to him. Gogol, with a beaming face, takes everything from their hands at the table, in complete pleasure, and gives orders: he lays out all the supplies in front of him - piles of all kinds of greenery rise, a bunch of glass bottles with light liquids... Here they bring pasta in a cup, the lid opens, steam pours out from there the club. Gogol throws butter, which immediately melts, sprinkles it with cheese, takes a pose like a priest preparing to make a sacrifice, takes a knife and begins to cut... At that moment our door opens with a noise. We all run to Gogol laughing. “So, brother, your appetite is not good, your stomach is upset? For whom have you prepared all this?“ Gogol was embarrassed for a minute, but then he immediately recovered and answered with annoyance: Well, why are you shouting, of course, I have no real appetite. This is an artificial appetite, I deliberately try to excite it with something, but hell, I’ll excite it, no matter how bad it is! I will eat, but reluctantly, and it’s still as if I haven’t eaten anything. Better sit down with me; I’ll treat you... Hey, chamberriere, bring the following dishes... “The feasting began, very fun. Gogol wrote for four and kept proving that this was so, that it all meant nothing, and his stomach was upset”.

A. O. Smirnova-Rosset recalls Gogol’s reverent love for ravioli, which she constantly ordered for her Italian cook while expecting the writer for dinner.
Ravioli - small square dumplings. They are prepared from unleavened dough with a wide variety of fillings - meat, fish, vegetables, cheese. The most popular is minced chicken with Parmesan, spinach and parsley.

Ravioli recipe

Ingredients :
400 gr wheat flour
4 eggs (approximately 70 g each)
A pinch of salt
1-2 tbsp. spoons of warm water

Sift the flour, form a well in the center and break the eggs, kept at room temperature, one at a time. Add salt and knead into a tight dough, adding 1-2 tablespoons of warm water if necessary. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and leave in a cool place for 30 minutes. Roll out the dough into a thin layer and cut into squares. Place the filling in the squares and form the ravioli. In Italy, ravioli is made using special devices, placing the filling between two layers of dough.

Filling for ravioli.
Ricotta and spinach . Wash 500 g of spinach and lightly simmer in olive oil and garlic. When cool, finely chop with a knife. Mix spinach with 300 g ricotta (can be replaced with cottage cheese), a handful of grated Parmesan cheese, 2 egg yolks, salt, pepper and nutmeg.
Meat filling. Grind 400 g of fried or stewed beef, add 150 g of finely chopped ham, a beaten egg, a handful of grated Parmesan cheese. Season with nutmeg, salt and pepper.
Cook the finished ravioli in boiling salted water until they float.

Returning to his homeland, Gogol intensively promoted Italian cuisine, preparing macaroni and cheese for his many acquaintances. Zhukovsky called it “pasta joys in broth.”

Standing on his feet in front of the bowl, he rolled up his cuffs and with haste and at the same time with accuracy, first put in a lot of butter and began stirring the pasta with two sauce spoons, then he put in salt, then pepper and, finally, cheese and continued stirring for a long time. It was impossible to look at Gogol without laughter and surprise; he was so passionate about this business, as if it were his favorite craft, and I thought that if fate had not made Gogol a great poet, he would certainly have been an artist-cook.”

(S. T. Aksakov, “The story of my acquaintance with Gogol” )

Gogol had a special passion for various sweets - sweets, honey gingerbread, bagels. Princess Repnina, knowing this weakness in him, personally prepared compote for the writer, which Nikolai Vasilyevich called “ commander in chief of all compotes”.

In Gogol's time, compote was a dessert made from fruits and berries boiled in sugar syrup, which was not drunk, but eaten. Orange or lemon zest, cinnamon, cloves and other spices, as well as grated coconut, candied fruits or raisins were added to the syrup. Sometimes flavored with wine or rum and served with whipped cream.
Among drinks, Gogol preferred pear kvass, which he prepared himself from soaked pears.

Knowing about Gogol's addiction to food, it is difficult to believe that his death was caused by a complete refusal of food (as is now believed, under the influence of manic-depressive psychosis based on religious fanaticism). He practically starved himself to death, punishing himself for the sin of gluttony and failure to observe fasts. Almost 20 years before his death, Gogol described the death of the old-world landowner Pulcheria Ivanovna, as if foreseeing the tragic ending of his own life:

“Her confidence in her imminent death was so strong and her state of mind was so attuned to this that, indeed, after a few days she went to bed and could no longer take any food. Afanasy Ivanovich became completely attentive and did not leave her bed. “Perhaps you could eat something, Pulcheria Ivanovna? “- he said, looking into her eyes with concern. But Pulcheria Ivanovna did not say anything. Finally, after a long silence, as if she wanted to say something, she moved her lips - and her breath flew away.”

Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol lived a short life, only 42 years old, however, he managed to create works that became classics of not only domestic but also world literature. He lived " torn by a passion for great ideas and luxurious dinners, with an eternal love for Italy and nostalgia for vile Russia, with worship of the cult of beauty and the desire to portray ugliness, with a claim to sincerity and the need to cry, deceive, split in two in order to avoid the judgment of his contemporaries”. (Henri Troyat, “Nikolai Gogol”, 1971 )
His unusual, contradictory personality left behind many mysteries, both in terms of his personal life and creativity, which many generations of literary critics, psychologists and ordinary readers are trying to solve.