Anna Pavlova's table oscillates between two worlds: on one side, the zakuski and refined service of St. Petersburg (small appetizers, soup, main course, tea from the samovar); on the other, the frugal discipline of the stage and the improvisation of dining cars during her endless tours. So the meal is organized not by starter-main-dessert, but by function in her life as a ballerina: the light pre-performance meal, the comforting samovar ritual, the portable train food, and the festive gala evenings where her name became a dessert.

For Pavlova, the signature ingredient is not a spice but a requirement: everything must be airy. Clear broth (boullon), dill (ukrop) omnipresent in Russian cuisine, and above all whipped egg whites made into meringue — the lightest possible substance — sum up her philosophy: eat nothing and serve nothing that weighs down the body before taking flight on stage.