'Pelmeni: A Conversation Cookbook' presents the starting point of  an investigation into the histories of pelmeni, a type of dumpling originating from nomadic peoples of the Ural mountains. Over a course of four small pelmeni-making sessions with women from different backgrounds, I collected oral histories of language, food and practices of home in 2021.
 

This is part of a longer-term project that looks into the origins of pelmeni from hunters' sustenance to their present status as a national dish of Russia. Alongside looking into this history of assimilation through the expansion of the Russian Empire, I also seek to set down minor histories: stories of day-to-day life for women who have moved to the Netherlands from elsewhere. 
 

The collaborative making of pelmeni—literally translated from Udmurti as ear-bread—foregrounds cooking together as a time for listening. The workshops took place in Rotterdam and Utrecht, in the autumn of 2021 in English, Dutch and Russian languages. 

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The book is available for sale in PrintRoom, KIOSK, and Kunstinstituut Melly.  

Please get in touch if you would like to purchase a copy or to stock these in your premises. 

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This project is supported by Stichting Droom en Daad.

Printed with PrintRoom.

Publication launched at LIFE, Rotterdam with generous help of Ash Kilmartin.

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