How A Singer, A Writer And A Cook Spent Their Vacation In 1916

The Fyodor Shalyapin House Museum successful St. Petersburg has a uncommon and fascinating archive connected exhibit: a 96-page ruled notebook pinch almost a 1000 recipes written by nan awesome opera singer's individual chef, Nikolai Khvostov successful 1916. Shalyapin was a connoisseur of bully nutrient and good wine. Today we cognize who to convey for that.  

Nikolai Khvostov was calved successful St. Petersburg connected April 30, 1895. The boy of a cook, erstwhile he was 9 years aged he was apprenticed to nan French edifice Cuba. His innate talent and diligence helped him quickly study nan skills and secrets of a chef.

In September 1915, nan cook of nan edifice “Regina” recommended him for activity successful Shalyapin’s home. At first nan vocalist was skeptical. Later Khvostov recalled: “Fyodor Ivanovich looked astatine maine and said, ‘You’re still young — tin you cook?’ Before I could reply he said, ‘Well then, navigator a trial repast and we’ll see’.”

Shalyapin shouldn’t person doubted him. The young cook had already mastered European and Russian cuisine. The vocalist enjoyed exquisite European dishes, but astir of each he loved Russian food: shchi pinch golovina (sturgeon head) aliases mushrooms; food soup; buckwheat porridge pinch homemade condensed milk....

The book “A Taste of History” published successful 2012 by depository workers contains galore absorbing specifications astir this “duet” of navigator and singer. In Shalyapin’s location Nikolai Khvostov recovered happiness: He met a young maid named Pelageya Vinogradova and soon joined her. They lived together for much than 50 years until Khvostov's decease successful 1969. And they support live their memories of nan house, its owner, nan group who lived location and nan friends who visited.

The Revolution of 1917 and nan Civil War put nan young navigator to nan test. It was intolerable to bargain bully ingredients. They drank carrot beverage and only had nutrient erstwhile it was nan interest for a performance. Shalyapin felt blameworthy keeping connected nan cook if he could find a amended paying job. In nan summertime of 1917 Shalyapin was connected circuit and wrote, “Nikolai! If you request thing astatine each — what you need, don’t beryllium awkward and constitute maine — and I’ll beryllium happy to thief nevertheless I can. I tin besides supply you pinch a bully recommendation, since I cognize you are an honorable and conscientious man and employee.” But Khvostov did not leave. He would enactment pinch nan creator nary matter what, successful some joyousness and sorrow.

In move Shalyapin took attraction of Nikolai and his family. Shalyapin decided that nan navigator should beryllium trained additionally to attraction for his wardrobe truthful that he could spell connected circuit pinch nan vocalist and person a salary. Khvostov went overseas pinch Shalyapin successful August 1921.

But he didn’t only recreation connected performance tours. The archives of nan Khvostov family has a recreation certificate signed by nan People's Commissar of Foreign Trade L.B. Krasin stating: “This archive has been issued to People's Artist F. I. Shalyapin and his wardrobe adjunct and dresser N.N. Khvostov to certify that I americium sending these persons overseas to analyse what preparations must beryllium done to resoluteness nan applicable issues connected pinch exporting Russian art.”

Negotiations were successfully held pinch representatives of nan United States and Great Britain. But much importantly, this circuit brought a batch of money into nan Fund to Aid nan Hungry successful Russia. Shalyapin visited Riga, Helsinki, London, Liverpool, New York, Chicago, Montreal, Boston, Philadelphia. And Nikolai Khvostov was pinch him everywhere. The 2 men only returned to Russian successful March 1922.

And astatine nan extremity of June 1922, Shalyapin group disconnected from Russia connected a agelong tour. He left, arsenic it turned out, forever. He expected a tight schedule of performances successful Europe and America. The creator again decided to return to his adjunct Nikolai Khvostov and appealed to nan authorities. The Commissariat of Public Education successful September 1922 issued Khvostov a certificate to recreation abroad.

In nan summertime of 1923, Shalyapin's circuit was interrupted for remainder and treatment. He settled successful France connected nan seashore successful Normandy. Nikolai Khvostov returned to Petrograd and ne'er went overseas again. In December 1923, Shalyapin wrote to Khvostov from New York: “Dear Nikolasha! I received your missive nan different day, and connected nan 3rd time I transferred you seventy-five dollars. I americium very unhappy that you aren’t pinch maine successful America, but to beryllium honorable it is you — aliases alternatively your carelessness — that is to blame. You haven’t written truthful overmuch arsenic a statement to maine since you near maine to return to Russia. I person to say, my beloved brother, that because I didn’t cognize if you were coming aliases not, I was compelled to garbage your services truthful that I could prosecute personification else. But fto america speak of nan future. I opportunity erstwhile again that I emotion you and person nan highest respect for your honesty. I still support reasoning astir really I mightiness thief you.”

At nan clip Khvostov expected to return to his main specialty: cooking. This seems to beryllium why he needed Shalyapin’s confirmation that he had worked successful his location for galore years. In May 1924, Shalyapin wrote from a vessel successful nan Atlantic Ocean: “I hereby certify that Citizen Nikolai Khvostov served arsenic my navigator and costumer from September 1915 to August 1923.” Khvostov sewage a occupation arsenic a navigator successful nan employees’ cafeteria astatine nan Conservatory, and successful 1933 began moving astatine nan Central Restaurant successful Leningrad. His student, V. N. Bobrin, recalled pinch gratitude really patiently and attentively Khvostov taught young cooks and shared nan secrets of nan culinary arts. He said a awesome woody astir his activity for Shalyapin, describing nan singer's bonzer diligence and passion for singing.

But what astir that book of recipes? Before nan Revolution, successful June 1916, Shalyapin went to Crimea and stayed successful Foros astatine nan property of his friend, millionaire Konstantin Ushkov. Shalyapin agreed to constitute an autobiography called “Pages of My Life” pinch Maxim Gorky. Or rather, they agreed that Shalyapin would constitute and past Gorky would edit. The vocalist was successful Crimea and persuaded his friend to travel to Foros.

Of course, they needed a skilled cook to provender everyone connected nan estate, family and friends. Nikolai Khvostov came pinch Shalyapin, and astatine Foros he had nan thought of compiling a book of recipes that were celebrated successful Shalyapin’s house.

In nan end, it was a very productive enactment successful Foros. Shalyapin and Gorky wrote “Pages from My Life” and Khvostov put together a unsocial postulation of recipes.

Here is 1 of those recipes.

Ingredients

• 1/2 apple
• 1 mean achromatic daikon radish
• 4 hard-boiled eggs
• 2 mean potatoes
• paté
• lettuce leaves

For nan dressing

• 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
• 3 ovum yolks
• 3 Tbsp achromatic wine
• 2 tsp achromatic vino vinegar
• 30 ml (generous 2 Tbsp) chickenhearted stock
• 100 g (1/2 c) butter
• 1 tsp sugar
• salt to taste

Instructions

• Prepare nan dressing: Pour nan vino vinegar and achromatic vino into a thick-bottomed saucepan, and bring to a boil complete debased heat. Cool.
• Add yolks and acold chickenhearted broth, stirring pinch a whisk. Place complete debased power and, stirring perpetually without bringing to a boil, power until thickened.
• Cut nan food into mini cubes and adhd to nan condiment successful nan pan. Whisk perpetually until thickened.
• Season to sensation pinch sugar, brackish and mustard. Stir and cool nan sauce.
• Boil unpeeled potatoes, cool, peel and trim into mini cubes.

• Dice daikon radish, apple, 3 eggs. Cut 1 ovum into quarters.
• Mix together nan chopped potatoes, pome pieces, daikon, eggs; adhd brackish and capsicum to taste. Carefully operation successful nan dressing.
• Serve nan crockery connected a furniture of lettuce pinch paté and hard-boiled ovum quarters.

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