Christmas Cookie Swap 2015: Christmas in Russia

I never feel like the semester is over and it's truly winter break until the Padulas' Annual Christmas Cookie Exchange is upon us. And every year, Janice and Domenica seem to raise the bar, and the event gets more and more fabulous! For 2015, the theme was Christmas in Russia, and it was amazing. BEHOLD the photographic evidence thereof.

From top to bottom, you can see:
1) The gorgeous table setting
2) Hello from the other side
3) This year's cookie assortment (with my favorite milk from Vermont)
4) Roasted Marrow Bones with Onion, Caper, and Dill Relish, Cornichons, and Rye Bread
5) Beef Pirozhki
6) Left to right: Kutya (traditional Christmas wheat berry pudding), Smoked Salmon with Creme Fraiche, Caviar, and Fresh Dill, a Russian caramel, and a cookie shaped and decorated like a mushroom
7) Ukrainian Beef Borscht
8) The co-host's boyfriend...and kitchen help, Marcus! :-)
9) A dish with salmon, mushrooms, rice and crepes inside pastry with a beautiful wreath design on top--I think it's called Kulebyaka
10) Inside the Kulebyaka and a potato pancake stuffed with meat and mushrooms called Kolduny
11) Russian Honeycomb Cake
12) Inside the incredible cake: Puff pastry, cream, tart cherries, and dark chocolate ganache
13) Slice of the cake
14) The packaged cookies (and my friend, June and Martie, chit-chatting--which is the best part of the party, of course)