Page 51 - Журнал «Русский Берег» #9-2021

RUSSIAN COAST | № 1/9 2022 ЛЮДИ | PEOPLE

Chef's career was not Elena Vorontsova's childhood acuity of the first sensations was lost, she decided to write everything
ENG dream. A native Muscovite grew up in an intelligent family, down. The idea to create a book was born. A blog “About Turkey with
studied at an English special school and, on the advice of Love” appeared, where Elena shared exclusive recipes.
her father, entered the Moscow Automobile and Highway Institute. And My interest in Turkish cuisine turned into a passion. The desire to serve
then she went to work as an economist at the Pushkin Museum. this "dish" to the world drove our heroine constantly. While in Moscow,
“My childhood was imbued with this museum, I studied in circles, she ended up at the Festival of Turkey. I met the chefs who prepared treats
studied the history of art. In our family, it was called "my museum", ”says for the exhibitors and offered them my help. The acquaintance grew into
Elena, accompanied by the ringing of cicadas on the observation deck friendship. A short time later, Elena Vorontsova, on the recommendation
of ancient Syedra. We fled here from the heat of the day in Alanya. The of the chairman of one of the divisions of the Turkish Society of Chefs and
sea was sinking in the evening twilight. The lights of the villages scattered Pastry Chefs, received an invitation signed by Turkish President Erdogan
like islands along the slopes of the mountains. The multi-colored cat treated to participate in an exhibition of halal products in Istanbul as a member of
herself to chips and settled down beside her. the jury.
… Several years later, Elena's professional baggage included diplomas Since then, the culinary pilgrim from Russia has been traveling around
from the All-Russian Academy of Foreign Trade and the Moscow the country, making new friends and colleagues. Ali Usta, one of the gurus
State Linguistic University. Interest in hospitality work led him to Planet of the art of cooking, twice visited Elena's kitchen. He came to Alanya from
Hollywood, a famous restaurant that opened in Moscow in the mid- Adana, overcoming quarantine barriers.
90s. Then she called for exhibition activities. Motocross, ATVs, marketing "I adore my teachers who generously share their knowledge. I never
lectures. Everything is in full force and at high speeds. I got tired of cease to admire the facets of Turkish cuisine, which occupies an honorable
continuous movement and searching. third place on the world culinary pedestal after French and Chinese. But
She wanted to stop, see sunsets and sunrises. Life in the Tver village the Turks believe that the first! I'm not arguing," Elena smiles.
dragged on, slowed down. “Once I was looking out the window at the "MAKING AMENDS"
bare branches of trees and thought: here is winter again … It turns out that "There are 205 varieties of bread wheat and 67 varieties of wheat
it was April”. for pasta grown in Turkey! Reading the book "Guns, Germs, and Steel"
THIS OUTLANDISH RUSSIAN by Jared Diamond, I was surprised: how did the question of the origin
Thirteen years later, Turkey's largest news agency Anadolu Ajansı of wheat not occur to me before? Now I know a lot about the Fertile
filmed a report about our heroine, who passed an exam on cooking the Crescent region and understand why there is such a variety of wheat flour
king of kebabs — Adana kebab at a master class by one of the famous varieties in modern Turkey!" exclaims Elena.
chefs of Adana. Elena deftly wielded a huge knife, chopping the meat of Russian Russian Deli occupies an honorable place in her home flour
a young lamb. collection — either "crazy Russian wheat" or "crazy Russian wheat",
In the presentation of the regional cultural heritage of Denizli province, discovered in 1923 by the outstanding botanist Pyotr Mikhailovich
Elena Vorontsova was presented as a "gastronomic author from Russia". Zhukovsky.
In recent years, she has been a participant in numerous culinary schools Turkey, standing at the crossroads of times and events, absorbed the
for the exchange of experience and a member of the jury of professional best of the world and regional cuisines. But, unlike many, she carefully
cooking competitions in Turkey. preserved and multiplied her own and foreign culinary rarities.
The road to success was not fast. But as if an unknown hand guided her "During the hard times of the Ottoman Empire, only 500 cooks
from the moment Elena ended up in Turkey. remained in the Topkapi Palace kitchen. At the best of times, there were
“I didn’t perceive this country as my habitat at all. After my village fifteen hundred of them. Coffee was delivered here from Yemen, butter
"hibernation" I decided to work as a guide in Crete. Very soon I ended up from the Crimea, wheat from Egypt," says Elena enthusiastically.
in Alanya, where my father had bought an apartment by that time. I spent Today, our heroine considers her main mission to be educational
the whole summer here, then the winter, and then another five years, ”says activities, and the immediate goal is to publish a book about Turkish
Elena. cuisine. It contains about thirty original Turkish dishes. These are short stories
A professional translator, she taught English at the American about the history of their origin, connections with ancestral places and
Cultural Center. “Turkish was not easy for me. During the seasons, personal feelings, recipes.
conversation lessons, we studied speech episodes related to the "I make amends for my previous dislike of Turkey. I want to tell you
preparation of Turkish dishes. I was hooked on the word "cheburek". about her culinary traditions worthy of respect," admits the "outlandish
Oh, I know that! — Elena recalls laughing. — So, together with Russian," as her Turkish friends initially called her. For many of them,
the "cheburek" Turkish language entered me and strengthened my she became an equal colleague and more than once heard the best
interest in the national cuisine. " compliment: "You cooked it better than my mom."
Traveling around the country became the main source of knowledge. Vorontsova is constantly on the move. She hosts online evenings
Our heroine trembled with admiration in front of an ancient stone or a bringing together kebabs and meze lovers from different countries and
mosaic that unexpectedly opened through the layer of centuries. cities. He talks about what's what in the Turkish market and what you can
“By reading history books, I learned about the culinary traditions buy in a regular market to prepare a chic dinner in the Ottoman style. She
of Turkey. There is not a single rootless dish here. Each has a place of doesn't have time to go to Alanian restaurants. Her kitchen is an exquisite
origin, an area of distribution, depending on the product that is used in restaurant. Gourmets from Russia, who miss the fragrant "chernushka", hunt
preparation. It's incredibly interesting for me to paint a picture of the world for bread from the "Culinary boutique of Elena Vorontsova". And small jars
through cooking, ”says Elena. of jams from a personal collection are now and then distributed as a gift
When the volume of knowledge began to go off the scale, and the on an interesting occasion.

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