Going for Gold in Sochi

When the Olympic torch is lit tonight in Sochi, Russia, my family will cheer on hometown girl, Elana Meyers, competing again on the U.S. women's bobsledding team. Having any Olympian from our suburban Atlanta, Georgia, community, is one thing, but quite another to have a winter Olympian from a town that shuts down when two inches of snow falls.

Elane Meyers, Georgia girl and Olympic bobsledder. From Twitter.

Elana was a standout athlete in high school and aspired to become a summer Olympian. In 2007, she was recruited to try out for the bobsled team and made the team her rookie year. She won a bronze medal in the 2010 Winter Olympics and is a favorite to medal again in Sochi. We're proud of you, Elana! Bring some gold back home to Georgia~

Russian tea. Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books

I don't suppose I know any "real" Russian foods, just American foods that are described as Russian ~ Russian dressing, which to my mind is Thousand Island by another name (minus the pickle relish). And Mexican wedding cookies are sometimes called Russian tea cakes ~ I love those shattery cookies dusted with powdered sugar.

And then there's Russian tea, the mixture of Tang, powdered tea, cinnamon and clove, given as hostess gifts throughout the holidays of my youth. Small Mason jars with circles of  gingham lodged between the lid and ring always make me smile.

Here's the recipe that I remember for Russian Tea from a mix:

 1 cup instant tea powder

2 cups orange flavored drink mix

1 (3 oz.) package powdered lemonade

2 cups sugar

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1. Mix all ingredients together and store in an airtight container. Add 2 heaping teaspoons to 8 ounces of hot water to serve.

For a real treat, I made Russian tea from scratch for my family, using freshly squeezed juice. This has been our wintertime luxury ~ fresh juice from oranges, tangerines and Meyer lemons .

Temple oranges. Lucy Mercer

Juicing oranges. Lucy Mercer.

Russian tea from scratch

• 1 cup lemon juice
• 2 cups orange juice
• 4 regular size tea bags
• 3 cinnamon sticks
• 6 whole cloves
• 1/2 gallon water
• 1 cup sugar
•   

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1. Boil water with cloves and cinnamon sticks for 20 minutes, remove from heat, add tea bags and let steep for about 15 minutes.
2. Add juices and sugar, bring to a boil and let simmer.
3. Skim foam from mixture. Let cool slightly, strain and serve.

This post is part of #LetsLunch, a global Twitter party. This month we're celebrating the Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia. Check back for links from these great writers from around the world:

Chocolate Pecan Toffee Bark

 

Chocolate Pecan Toffee Bark. Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books

 It's been a snowy week here in Georgia, and because it only happens every few years, we go a little bit crazy. When the weather forecasters start with the "perfect storm" prognosticating, I make sure the minivan has a full tank of gas, and that I have bottled water and granola bars stashed away just in case I'm in the car a little longer than I want to be. As for groceries, while everyone else heads for the bread, milk, Spam and frozen pizza, I make sure I have plenty of butter and eggs, because the extra time at home means time to bake.

And that's why I had three pounds of butter during this week's Snow Jam. And here's one way I used 1/2 of one of those pounds of butter ~ chocolate pecan toffee bark. This recipe is five-ingredient simple, and hits on all points of the butter-chocolate-salt-crunchy matrix. 

It begins with, of all things, graham crackers:

 And a buttery syrup:

That is poured over the crackers:

The crackers are baked, then topped with semi-sweet chocolate chips that melt into the crackers:

The toffee is finished with a sprinkling of chopped pecans. 

The mixture is popped into the fridge or freezer to cool, then is broken into a beautiful, bark-y puzzle.

Chocolate Pecan Toffee Bark

2 sticks (1/2 pound) unsalted butter

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup granulated (white) sugar

1/2 box plain graham crackers

2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips   

1 cup chopped pecans or other nuts

1. Heat oven to 350. Line a cookie sheet with foil, nonstick if you have it, making sure the foil goes up the sides of the pan.

2. In a medium sized pot, melt butter and sugars together. Let mixture come to a boil over medium heat, reduce heat, then let simmer for five minutes. 

3. While sugar syrup is bubbling away, line the foil covered pan with graham crackers, no spaces in between. Break crackers to fit edges of pan. 

4. When syrup is ready, pour over graham crackers. Place pan in oven and let bake at 350 for 10 minutes.

5. Remove pan from oven and let cool for just a few minutes. Sprinkle and spread chocolate chips over crackers. Use an offset spatula to smooth the melted chocolate over the crackers. Sprinkle nuts over the top of the chocolate. Let toffee cool for about an hour or so, then break into pieces. (If your fridge or freezer can hold the tray, pop it in for about 15 minutes to speed up the cooling process.) Store bark in an airtight container at room temperature.