Shashlik for a dinner party — went down extremely well

I made Shashlik for eight guests who had varying familiarity with the cuisine. Every single person asked for the recipe. The subtly sour from fermentation profile was the main talking point — no one had quite experienced buckwheat used that way before.

Russian New Year table is the most important annual food event, laden with Olivier salad, herring under fur coat, and other Soviet-era staples. I explained the a family New Year table context as I served it which helped people appreciate it fully. kvas was what I offered alongside and it worked perfectly. Excellent dinner party dish — impressive without being inaccessible.