The heart of Russian cuisine

As a graduate student in an American government-sponsored program in Moscow in the 1970s, Darra Goldstein had the privilege of shopping for groceries at a well-stocked market for diplomats. She rarely used it. She and her husband were there to immerse themselves in Soviet life, even when it meant standing in endless lines at state-run stores to purchase basic goods before those disappeared from near-empty shelves.

Yet they ate well, thanks to the hospitality of friends who were adept at transforming meager supplies into sumptuous feasts. Along with borscht and cabbage soups, that meant kasha sautéed with onions or freshly foraged mushrooms, savory pies in myriad shapes, wild game stews flavored with horseradish and juniper berries, pancakes topped with home-cultured sour cream, pickles and preserves made from the bounty of their own garden plots, and ample rounds of vodka.

The granddaughter of Russian Jews, Goldstein now teaches Russian studies at Williams College and has written numerous articles and books on the cuisine and culture of her heritage. In researching her latest volume, "Beyond the North Wind: Russia in Recipes and Lore" (Ten Speed, $37.50), she traverses the rugged arctic landscapes of its northernmost region to reveal the honest and complex flavors currently being coaxed from the austerity by a younger generation of enterprising artisans and home cooks.