I spent an exhilarating day in St. Petersburg recently, viewing the magnificent treasures of the Hermitage Museum. Tired and hungry by lunchtime, we wanted a typical Russian meal. Our guide took us to a restaurant that specialized in solyanka, a soup made with pickles, pickle brine and at least three types kinds of smoked meat. Pastrami, smoked ham, sausages, frankfurters, chicken and bacon are all options, but it is common to add some typical Russian boiled sausage that's similar to bologna. (You can chop all the meat into the same sized cubes or not – it doesn't affect the taste.) I used pancetta, chorizo and Montreal smoked meat – you can use whatever you can find at the store or butcher. This dish has become a hearty dinner staple in our household, served with with sour cream, lots of dill and good rye bread. It is like eating a smoked-meat sandwich in a soup.