At the Russian table — and at Pasternak's dacha in Peredelkino — the meal unfolds in stages: the *zakuski* (закуски), small salted and pickled appetizers nibbled before anything else; the *pervoyé* (первое), the "first" which is always a hot soup; the *vtoroyé* (второе), the "second" based on kasha, potatoes or fish; and finally, without a fixed time, the *chai* — tea that flows from the samovar all afternoon, accompanied by preserves. It is a structure of conviviality rather than luxury, made to warm and to last.

Three constants of ordinary Russian cuisine: *smetana* (sour cream) that coats soups and kasha, fresh dill thrown in by the handful, and black rye bread present at every meal. Add to that the ritual of the copper samovar, a true tea machine that hums on the table.