Try it: Sirki Glazirovannii

Сырки глазированные (aka Glazed Cream Cheese) sounds amazing right?! These tasty little treats are traditional desserts for kids, but we figured we all have a little kid in us especially when it comes to unchartered food territory. Sirki have a chocolate "glaze" that wraps around a thick layer of creamy cheese, and usually there is some sort of fruit filling tucked away in the middle. There are numerous different brands and some boast as many as 24 flavors! You can find these en masse at Russian bazas, such as Net Cost Market, where this picture was taken (located on East 16th Street between Avenue U and V). Net Cost probably has the best selection of Sirki that we have seen and you can check out a ton of other tasty Russian foods while you are shopping. Our personal favorite is anything peach, but we also recommend the double chocolate flavor. Keep these in the freezer to maintain their freshness and make sure to eat them right after you pull it out...that is for optimum flavor (and so it won't get smashed up). The price ranges from $1-2 per bar depending on the brand, but for that cheap you can afford to try more than a few.

Try it: Pelmeni

We are back from the holiday weekend and are deeply sorry that we missed the first ever hot dog eating contest "over-time". I can only imagine the feeling of cramming down 59 hot dogs in ten minutes, only to be told that you have to suck down 5 more as fast as possible. But speaking of gorging out, our team found the perfect meal-on-the-fly to break you out of those mac n'cheese blues....PELMENI!! These delicious little dumplings come in frozen packages at nearly any Russian baza (store) out here in the Brighton area. As can be seen by the photo, the flavors are almost limitless! You can choose from chicken and onions to cabbage with potato and cheese, although our favorite is the kind with veal made by the Russian Style Ravioli Co. No matter which you choose they are uber easy to prepare (about 5 minutes in boiling water) and are delicious with a little bit of sour cream and smudge of Russian-style hot mustard made by Zakuson (be careful it kicks more than wasabi). We recommend shopping for them at either Net Cost Market (see the site for location) or at Золотой Ключик (Golden Key Market @ 1067 Brighton Ave) as they have the largest selection to choose from and because you can check out all the other cool Russian foods while you are there.

Oh, and we saved the best for last, pelmeni come frozen so you can keep them stashed in your freezer for the late night munchies when you stumble home from the bar.

Try it: Borjomi water

This sparkling sensation from the Republic of Georgia is the best (in our opinion) of the Russian-style mineral water. Borjomi is heavily carbonated and slightly salty, but the don't let that turn you off. I found it surprisingly refreshing after a day at the beach, or a few hours at the banya (Russian bath) as it restores the salt that was lost from the body. And, check out how good it is for you:

"Regular consumption of Borjomi improves immunity, strengthens blood vessels and the nervous system, cleanses the organism. Possessing unique therapeutic properties, this water assists in curing bronchitis, cough and even reduces probability of caries.

Borjomi also helps fighting catarrhal diseases, mitigating febrile states at high temperature. In this case it is better to drink mineral water 20–30 minutes before meals at room temperature or slightly warmed (up to 30–40оС). The water should be warmed very carefully, on boiling-water bath only and by no means to let it boil, because when boiling it loses its healing properties. It is useful to inhale warm Borjomi. For this, pour a bottle of mineral water into boiling water, cover the head with a towel and breathe the resulting “steaming” alkaline water."

Wow! Who knew water could be that good for you?! Anyhow, see the "health" link on the website for more tips.

As for finding the stuff, you can get it at nearly any grocery store, deli, or bodega around Brighton. Feel free to try the other waters as well and let us know what your think!