On the day of the solstice, when, despite the snow and cold, begins the triumphal procession of light, everyone wants to believe that his fate will be a turn for the better. For most people, Christmas is a celebration of hope. Only completely desperate people are not waiting for him. Two thousand years ago, with the same hope waiting for the Savior of mankind, exhausted by constant wars and strife. However, the majority represented Him in the form of an earthly king, which will give the peoples of the world, will connect the countries into one Kingdom of happiness and prosperity and, therefore, did not notice the day of His Nativity. Fish are often mentioned in the pages of the gospel. Many of the apostles: Peter, Andrew, and others, before calling them Christ were fishermen. Christ miraculously fed those who came to him five thousand people with five loaves and two fish. Broiled fish He ate, when, after His Resurrection, visited His disciples. The early Christians, the fish was a symbol of Christ, as its Greek name "ichthys" was a monogram of His name and represented the initial letters of the words "Jesus Christ Son of God Savior." She was depicted on the walls of catacombs, temples, clothing, utensils, similar to how now is represented by a cross. And the main craftsmen to make fish dishes in Russia were... monks.

Fish had long been a favourite dish and the Russian people. In rivers and lakes Russia has found it in abundance, and it is well known that freshwater fish are much tastier sea, used from the Mediterranean Greeks. Peeped that the monks used for this cake.

The fish ate all types: fried, boiled, baked, dried, cured, salted and raw... (just caught). Extremely skillfully cooked ear: bare (without spices), white (with pepper), yellow (amber fat sterlet), red (with saffron), sweet (from ruffe), fishing (mixed cereals), formation, team etc. the Fish must thaw if frozen and rinse thoroughly with cool water, Yes, wring out excess moisture, it would be good to give a little bit of time that is left under the lemon juice and the price is normal, but it does not matter if you cut into slices and then season with lemon.

During lent 1761 Patriarch brought the great Emperor "brownie dishes in three articles of the four esty: first article — pike steam live, live steam bream, sterlet steam alive, back whitefish; the second article — the muffin tive of live fish, fish soup pike live fish pie with the body of the live fish; the third article — pike head alive, half a head osetra alive, teshka Beluga; drink tray rescue, but Romney, Yes bastr" (M. N. Pylaev. "Old habitation"). Well, we have tea, now not the 18th century, so grate 3-4 carrots.

Here is how the Abbot of the monastery in winter in the Post greeted the guest: "At the hotel, at the corner of the large, rich, but neatly tucked away of the room there was a table, and on it was boiling a brightly cleaned the samovar. On another table father gostinic Spiridony arranged the plates with the mushrooms, small mushrooms, volnuchini and boiled in vinegar mushrooms, immediately appeared and comb honey, and soaked cranberries, and cranberries with honey, pickled apples, carrots, dates, raisins and different nuts"... In prepared pan put the first layer of carrots.

But monastic lunch, again, on the occasion of the guest, described in the same affair: "Lunch was served a hearty, savory food account was not. On the first change set different pies, vegetable and fish. There was a pie with millet and mushrooms, was another with vaigai, fats, milk and Siberian sturgeon"... Add a carrot to the fish pieces and sprinkle a little gelatin, do not forget to salt and pepper this, and who the lemon is not given to make friends first, and that it was his time.

... "Around them, even small kids around parents, were the meals with different cakes and preguntame. What was not here!.. Hearth and sour to peanut butter, and pregancy salmon, and cheesecake with mushrooms and pancakes with caviar, and cakes of pike" Fish... hot and covered with chopped prunes and chopped onion.

... "Guests coped with the first, the second began... there was the juice noodles, but the soup with mushrooms and an ear of fatty vetluzhskih of starlady"... Repeat the procedure with the carrots, fish, gelatin, prunes, onions, well, I added to taste a little slice of the salmon.

... "Eat ushytsya fact, you're my lubaszenko — treated father Michael Potap Maksimych, — sterlet, I think, wow, perfect,' he said, putting the plate dear guest huge two level amber sterlet and burbot liver. — Night purposely went to the Vetluga to the fishers. You are, after all, at hand, twenty miles... of Rastegayev to ushytsya is!.. eat, dear guests"... the Top layer ought to do of carrots, he must be handsome if not enough from the first time, do not be lazy, dotrice another little.

... "The new change was on the table — pickled dishes. Here again was the sterlet razmernye with pickles Yes carrots, in addition there was the cold sturgeon with horseradish, Yes Beluga teshka with kvass and cabbage, taranchuk oetry, pike with garlic and horseradish, salmon, salt podnovskiy cucumbers, mushrooms razmernye with horseradish, but strained peas and peanut butter, juice and porridge with poppy seed oil"... Now take the three eggs from Flycatcher and combine with fresh milk from Cows.

... "For brining a change was served grilled sturgeon, bream stuffed with mushrooms and excessive quantities of carp. Then, sweet cake with jam, lewanika, pancakes with honeycomb honey, sweet jelly, Kiev jam, Rzhevskaya pastillas and boiled in syrup melons, watermelons, pears and apples"... Pour this mixture over the entire surface of the pie, trying to blend soaked.

..."And brandy - one better than another: and cherry brandy, and pineapple, and palenikova, and cloudberries, and the Queen of all liqueurs — sweet Siberian sea buckthorn. And what a beer monastery which honey — a miracle!"... And send in a preheated 180-190 degrees oven for 50-60 minutes.

The purification of the heart need each. But not everyone is called to the monastic service. Nevertheless, the laity have the means of purification, mentioned by Christ Himself is Fasting and prayer.

The days of Fasting tear man from the bustle of everyday life, require a pure life for God. It's like another neoteroi time.

The basis was taken the recipe from the same book, slightly altered and added to, so I cook, I can't stand mayonnaise out of the oven...