Kubanski Borsch - one of the tastiest and most loved by Russians first course. There are lots of recipes of this delicious dish, of course. Every Russian woman has its own way of cooking Borsch, but the general ingredients and method of cooking are as follows

Method
Preparing meat broth: Put beef into a large saucepan and cover with 1.2 gal. (4.5 l) cold water. Bring to a boil; reduce heat. Remove the grease and froth from the broth surface with a spoon. Add one onion. Cook at low heat for 1-2 hours. If beef is with bones, filter the broth. Simmering red beets: Melt 1 tablespoon margarine in a saucepan. Cut red beets into sticks and add them into the cooking pot. Add sugar, tomato paste or sliced tomato, 0.13 gal. (0.5 l) meat broth. Simmer at low heat for 1.5 hours. Add vinegar. Pan-frying vegetables: Melt 1 tablespoon margarine in a frying pan. Add chopped onions and carrots cut into sticks. Cover and saute at low heat 250 F. (120 Celsius) for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Heat broth to boiling. Add chopped cabbage and potatoes cut into bars. Cook for 5 minutes. Add saute and cook another 10 minutes. Add bell pepper cut into sticks and simmered red beets. Cook another 5 minutes. Add salt, black pepper, and grated garlic. Served with chopped dill and sour cream. Servings: 3-4.

Russians take great care of nutrition. A person's food must be abundant, tasty and nourishing. Though public restaurants and bars numerous, especially in big cities, the Russians would prefer home-made food. Naturally, the major daily responsibility for cooking lies upon the woman. Nobody pays attention whether she likes it or not; the cooking is her moral obligation.

Russian women prefer natural products to feed their families with. This is what you would find in a typical Russian family rations...

Speaking about general tendencies in a Russian woman's attitude to nutrition and cooking we should bear in mind that women in Russia differ from one another, as women everywhere in the world, in their habits, ways and affections. Some are fond of cooking and are culinary geniuses, others feel like criminals serving a life sentence of cooking. Still others would be happy to devote some time to cooking but can't allot any. One person is a culinary connoisseur, the other - is utterly unsusceptible to what she eats. One person adhere to some specific diet, the other will eat anything in any combinations.

So what are some of the most common traditional foods on a traditional Russian restaurant’s menu?
Borshch, of course, is beet soup, and one of the most famous Russian traditional foods. Beets seem a strange base for soup to many Westerners, but there are plenty of reasons that this hearty soup is one of Russia’s most famous dishes.
Full of vegetables and meat, the layered flavors in this soup are especially nice with a dollop of fresh sour cream.

You may have already heard of pirozhki. These little pastries can be packed full of potatoes, meat, cabbage, or cheese.

Caviar, or ikra is really something to get worked up about in Russia. Briny and sharp, it is often served on dark, crusty bread or with blini, which are like pancakes or crepes.

Russian kebabs are called shashlyk. Like any kebab, they can be a combination of meat and vegetables.

Most Russians love to eat! And especially they like to share their meals with friends. That's why Russians often receive guests at home on different occasions and share the table with them. Of course, Russians also go to restaurants to have parties, but not that often as Americans or some europeans do.

There exists an opinion that all Russians are heavy drinkers. Of course, it's just a stereo-type. People are different everywhere. And they prefer different drinks - alkoholic and soft ones. But the one thing is absolutely right - of all alkoholic drinks the most popular( and not only among Russians, but among all former soviet people) is certainly vodka.