A Look In While Making Kulich

When I was young, I had a Russian "grandma". Olga often came to our house for Easter and other holidays. She always wore a soft scarf on our head that she would take off as soon as she stepped in the door. As it fell off her grey hair, I would always smell good things: lavender and other more exotic perfumes that were unfamiliar to me and took my imagination for a spin. Her gift to us at Easter was a perfectly shaped and decorated Kulich. Wrapped in the sheerest of papers, we would unwrap it to find the tall cylindrical loaf with the the initials for "Christ" and a couple of small decorative eggs precariously balanced on top.

After a rich and tasty dinner made by my mother, we would visit with Olga. The timbre of her voice still sounds in  my head. A slight lisp and a lower register made me listen to the stories she might have to tell.

Later, we would have an afternoon snack with tea and the Kulich. My mother always sliced off the top and set it aside. Then she would cut us pieces of the rich bread. The top went back on when it was stored for the next few days.

Today, I made a new version of this egg rich bread. Saffron soaked in brandy, many eggs, cardamom all went in this morning. Now it rests.