A Taste of Russia: Blini

Blini, similar to a French crepe, is a thin pancake from either white flour, buckwheat flour, cornmeal, but most Russians use wheat flour. In Russia, blini was eaten during pre-Christian times to honor the birth of the new sun, because of the round shape of the blini. Blini was also eaten to honor the dead. Today, blini is still eaten during the week of Maslenitsa (also known as Butter or Pancake Week) as the last week of dairy and egg products before Lent to follow with the Orthodox Church. Blini gets a lot of it's flavor from the different toppings. Some toppings can be sour cream, caviar, butter, honoey, fruit preserves, or smoked salmon. Here is a simple recipe to make a blini that is perfect for a small lunch or breakfast:

Ingredients

2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 buckwheat flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon instant yeast (not rapid-rise)
1/4 cup warm milk
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 egg, separated
Toppings of choice

In a large bowl, mix flours, salt and instant yeast, and make a well in the center.

Pour in milk, mixing until smooth. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour.

Stir cooled melted butter and egg yolk into batter. In a separate bowl, whisk egg white until stiff but not dry. Fold into batter. Cover and let stand 20 minutes.

Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Drop quarter-size dollops of dough into pan without crowding. Cook for about 1 minute or until bubbles form and break. Turn and cook for about 30 seconds. Cover blini and keep warm. Repeat with remaining batter.

Serve with toppings of choice: red or black caviar, smoked salmon or other fish, chopped hard-cooked eggs, minced red or white onion, sour cream or creme fresh, chopped dill and lemon wedges. Enjoy with some coffee, hot chocolate, or for those who are old enough some vodka.

sources: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_cuisine,
http://easteuropeanfood.about.com/od/noodlesdumplings/r/blini.htm