Russian mushroom soup a la Milla Javits. Put 1/4 cup of pearl barley in a 4 quart pan, add 2 cups of water, bring to boil, after this cook on low for 20 min with closed lid. Meanwhile finely chop 1 medium sized onion and 1 large carrot. Take a medium sized frying pan, put 2 tablespoons of oil in it, then add the chopped onion and sautee until it is lightly golden; then add carrot and keep sauteeing for another few minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the contents of the frying pan to the soup while the barley is cooking, preferably within 20 min. At the same time, add at least 1 lb. of washed fresh mushrooms, cut into bite size pieces; if the mushrooms are dried (frozen), rehydrate (defrost) them in advance. Add boiling water (which had been boiled in advance in a separate container), to fill the pan almost to capacity. Keep cooking for 20-30 more minutes on low, with closed lid. Add 2 large peeled and finely chopped potatoes, salt and pepper to taste. Keep cooking until potatoes are soft. Then the soup is ready. Serve hot with (regular!) sour cream. Enjoy!