..". the specificity and breadth of this (work) makes it unique....lively reading... particularly recommended for academic collections with a strongfocus in Russian history." -- Library Journal..". aremarkable new collection of essays... The book reads like a literary hybrid ofcookbook, historical treatise, and novella, its subject is, literally, the essenceof life itself.... Glants and Toomre deserve further praise for the book'sconsistent, animated directness of style." -- The BostonPhoenixThis sparkling collection of thirteen original essaysgives surprising insights into what foodways reveal about Russia's history andculture, from Kievan times to post Soviet Russia. Some of the chapters focus onhistorical topics while others consider images of food in literature andart.