Food from afar
 

Greetings from sunny Dushanbe! I got to the hotel here at 6am, so didn't consider it worthwhile getting some sleep.
I forgot to photograph the splendid breakfast at this lovely guesthouse - maybe tomorrow?
But this afternoon I sloped off to a local supermarket to get some supper.
This is USD6 of supper - I largely picked things which I remember fondly from my days in Rostov on Don in the 1990s.
The box in the foreground contains what we in Blighty call Russian salad. The Russians and post-Soviet nations to which it spread call it Olivier ... because it was reputedly invented by the French chef of some Muscovite aristo. Chopped cooked veg and sausage in mayo.
The other box further back on the left contains kuraga - dried apricots, but what a taste, and of what size!
The bottle is half-a-litre of Borjomi - Georgian mineral water. To say that this was a "product" which was "marketed" throughout the Soviet Union would be misleading, but it was certainly sold everywhere in the old SU and they were rightly proud of it. The packaging has had a makeover, but the water itself, with a slight sparkle and a hint of salty mineralishness is just as good as I remembered.
The bread is a little chewy, it may be that this particular loaf is more for show than consumption. More pictures of it in the next post.

The swirly underside of the bread, and the topside studded with seeds, nut, berries ...

Kuraga (pronounced kuraGA)
About 3/4 inch high, dense and flavourful. Nothing like the flabby, limp, wrinkled things we get at home :p:

what is that orange thing? The Kuraga?

Yes :p:

Ok. So we've established the name. :p What the hell is that thing?

What is the point of me going into extensive (or even brief) detail in my posts if'n you don't REEEEEaaad it? Eh?

:blush:

What takes you so far from home?

Always working, our Limey.
Great pics, thanks.

You make that mineral water sound wonderful.
Off dowstairs to get some Tesco Value carbonated water from the fridge.

The breakfast table. I think this is heavily slanted towards a Tajik interpretation of a Continental breakfast. From the left, clockwise: two types of apples, I haven't tried one yet but I suspect the green ones are imported and the yellow ones are local; a plate of apfel strudel (yesterday this was replaced by local pastries, very nice); cherries and strawberries; pat of butter; assorted jams (all very runny), honey, nutella; a jug of UHT milk, a jar of cereal, a bottle of still and a bottle of fizzy water, another jar of cereal and a jug of orange juice all in a line; pots of yoghurt; sliced cheese.
Not in the photo, but on the table was dark brown bread, sliced, and flat round white bread (see my supper pic!). Also served, cooked to order by Very Smiley Woman, fried eggs sunny side up, or an omelette, and toasted imported dull bread, coffee or tea.

Now that's a great way to break your fast.

And here is USD 4.50 of supper. More Borjomi (you can buy it in Britain, but it's hellish expensive), some pistachio nuts, a very garlicky beetroot salad, bread. The bread was much cheaper than yesterday's (about half the price at a dollar thirty cents), but fresher and nicer with it. I still have some kuraga left over from yesterday, too.
I find it too hot here to want lunch; the management provide two 1.5 litre bottles of water which you can see in the background there and which I swill at leisure. Perhaps I'll lose a little weight ... that'd be good.

nom nom nom!!!

Today's issue of food from afar is brought to you courtesy of food from ajar ...
As well as the, by now, familiar Borjomi mineral water and round, flat bread, today we see red caviare in a jar (twist off top, no bottle opener required) sat atop the bread. The box rear left contains highest quality raisins (three times as expensive as 1st class raisins, I'll have you know), and the box in front ... well ...
I vaguely recognised one word on the box - Конопляная - and when I read on the end of the box that these seeds in no way contain any THC and so are not classified as a prohibited substances I knew that you Dwellars would insist that I just had to buy this. Hemp seed snacks (also contains walnuts, sunflower seeds, starch, salt, saffron), to go with beer! Didn't buy any beer (I'm quite enjoying not having booze for a while). The seedy snacks are a little dusty tasting, but OK.
This little lot set me back the princely sum of USD24. Most expensive item was the caviare at $13, then the raisins at $6.

I know, I know .... you want to know what such precious raisins look like! Here they are, some of these babies are over an inch long!

And the seeds, well, they're seeds, stuck together, just about, in squares (with the starch (presumably).).

Sure those aren't dried plums instead of dried grapes?

Yyp. I know my prunes from my raisins ;)

Sent by thought transference

Livin' on the edge. :thumb:

Not sure about the seeds.
I'll help with the bread, water and monster raisins though!

Prunes or plums? ;)

:yum:Much Yummyness!!!

I was the last one down to breakfast so this is all they left me :(
Foreground left - my freshly cooked omelette, foregound centre - sliced black bread and butter, foreground right my coffee (not a pint, but two cups this strong sets me up for the day here!).
I asked Smiley Woman if she'd cooked the delicious cakes (containing berries and walnuts) and she said yes, then suggested I take a couple up to my room for later. I didn't have to be told twice :)

What a spread!

The only thing that's different on today's supper menu (Borjomi, Olivier salad, raisins and black bread) is a fabulous crusty black bread roll. The texture was wonderfully dense and chewy, almost treacly, and it was fragrant with caraway seeds. Wonderful! All gone!!

Poor Mr Limey, sitting alone in the dark, eating Ramen noodles... with cat hair. :haha:

No food pic today - there's nothing particularly photogenic about a box of beansprout salad, though it was delicious. You may have noticed a certain caution in my food choices. I came here all determined to try the cuisine, armed with the necessary meds to fight off the awful Tajiki trots I got last time I was here. But I'm just not hungry in this heat, and the memory of the awful months of lingering effects also steers my choices. I dithered for a few minutes over some charming looking meat pasties in the supermarket today, but decided not to try them. :(

Sent by thought transference

Meat pasties! Now you're talking my language.
Gosh, I haven't darkened the doorstep of Greggs since the summer...

They always disappoint though.
Now that they serve them lukewarm to avoid getting sued (and presumably to avoid paying tax these days) but if you reheat them at home they go all floppy.

Meat pasties? In the States that would describe Lady Gaga wear. Great thread Limey!

We have Pasties here in Wisconsin. YUM YUM!!!

Tonight's dinner. I an now in Kazakhstan, in a swanky hotel, and thought I'd risk a proper meal (these are not particularly linked ideas, just I don't know where the nearest supermarket is). I chose the "local dish of the day" which turned out to be boned and rolled roast mutton with mint sauce. Sauce (gravy) is in the pot top right, and the mutton bottom left.
The mutton was more likely year-old lamb. Almost a British meal!
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Oh my gosh - looks very good.
Mouth is watering now. I have a steak waiting to reach room temperature, I'm not a red meat person, but my stomach has started growling now.

Medium rare is the Only way to eat a steak , unless its a crap piece of meat , then make fajetas , or stew, just this carnivores opion

I have the restaurant to myself tonight again. Attachment 44098
I'm trying to work out which is less glum, eating alone in my room or eating alone in the restaurant.
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Is it off season, or just a low tourist traffic area?

I have no idea. This is the hotel restaurant, and yesterday the waitress said it was empty because it was Sunday. Maybe it's empty today because it's Monday ?
At least I have teh Cellar for company :p

Sent by thought transference

Your waitress sounds like Annie...

The people come out
Tomorrow
So ya gotta hang on
'Til tomorrow
Come what may
Tomorrow! Tomorrow!
I love ya Tomorrow!
You're always
A day
A way!

We have a second diner! Maybe by Friday there'll be six of us :D

Sent by thought transference

The sad thing is, you rarely get better service in an empty restaurant. Especially as a lone diner...

Zip, I went for rare, but with the understanding that I can't cook steak properly for love nor money.
Ended up with medium rare, or maybe just slightly over.
It was still good and succulent and if it had been ordered as well done it would definitely have been sent back.
I then fried up some garlic and onions in the juices while it was resting.

I now have heartburn.
Still, it may be the last one I eat for a long time, so I'm glad I enjoyed it. AND cleaned the hob so well that Mum assumed I'd grilled it. High five to me.

BTW Limes that restaurant looks gorge.
You look like you're in a good hotel for sure.

I like the hotel, and it really wasn't all that pricey: I reckon you could easily pay twice to four times as much as it costs here for something similar. I was vaguely wondering if I should eat in the bar tomorrow, but that's deserted too. And there is always the slight possibility that my ... uh .... morals may be under scrutiny if I do that ;)
Anyway, here is tonight's dinner. I think I will choose the "national dish of the day" every day, so today we have "manty". If you've been paying attention you'll have seen something similar posted by me from my travels previously.
Attachment 44101
The manty are pasta-wrapped parcels of finely chopped (not ground/minced) meat and carrot which look endearingly like trilobites. The white sauce is sour cream, the red sauce is made of red pepper, garlic and oil. I was expecting it to be hot (spicy), but it wasn't.
Attachment 44102

Wow.
Right up my alley.

This post refers to off-Cellar conversations :)

Now you do have to remember, chick, that I am generally a good travel companion. By which I mean I am a bloody good travel companion. Just without your language skills. Think Denholm Elliott; foreign but sanguine.

I am used to spending long periods of time alone. I am happy with just a book, and ideally a camera, in any location.
I can even deal with extreme weather without complaint.
And the prospect of long and/ or uncomfortable journeys does not phase me. As long as I am allowed to reference them later. I don't think I've ever been really moany but I admit I've not experienced really bad travel.

So.
A little bit of food-pickiness is allowed. Right?
Pick, pick, picking on food....?
I promise when you work out a way to take me along as a retinue (ie on expenses) I will not cause any trouble. If I can't see my way clear to eating what you do I just won't eat. Sorted.

C'mon! Pigs trotters, jellied eels, anything bought from Iceland, kidneys, heart, tripe (although I admit I didn't like that) spotted dick and pork scratchings and everyone who knows me...? Caraway seeds are nothing.

Love you :)

You're a great house-guest, too ;) x

Thanks hon.
I'll report back on all hospital food. Doubt there'll be anything contentious.

There is a substantial variety of dishes available at this hotel on its breakfast buffet, including many "classic" items like cheese, ham and baked goods, grilled bacon, eggs any way you like, yoghurt, fruit and cereals. But who wants to eat that sort of stuff, eh?
Here we have my choice for today, starting at the top and going clockwise: plum tomatoes, french toast, fish in batter, meat in a pancake, pasty containing spinach and cheese, chicken in batter.
Attachment 44110
Curd cheese topped off with dried fruit.
Attachment 44111
A lovely, light, fluffy, airy doughnut about 1" in diameter in front of a couple of bread rolls.
Attachment 44112

Hmmm. Pastry and batter for breakfast...?
I'll stick with bacon and eggs.

Very science-y. I on the other hand thought BRAAAIIIINNNNZZZZ!!!

Monkey brains at that.

that all looks yummy to me !!

No pic of yesterday's dinner as I went for a beer and a curry at an expats' watering hole called The Shakespeare.
Tonight's dinner was 'Meat in Kazakh style'.
Thin slices of what appeared to be roast beef on a bed of soft pasta sheets, the whole drowned in tasty bouillon and garnished with very finely sliced onion and chopped syboes. And a glass of very passable local red wine. Yum!


Sent by thought transference

Syboes? Oh onions, learn something new every day.:cool:

Today's dinner was kuyrdak.
Attachment 44117
This is roasted heart, liver, kidney and lights (lungs), served with boiled potatoes and garnished with onions and tomato. I've eaten heart, liver and kidney before as they were cheap and nutritious ingredients in some of the dishes of my childhood and I'm still quite a fan, but lung was a new one for me. The texture was very light, soft and sort of springy without being chewy. It reminded me of cow's udder, which I was once given as a great delicacy during a long Russian train journey. I'd not rush to eat either again, but am glad to have had the chance to try them.

I would try all of that , but I have a general rule Not to eat innards,

An enormous strudel measuring about 9 x 5 inches which cost me just over a dollar next to a cup of coffee from the tea trsy in my room.

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I've seen naan breads that look the size of a duvet.
But never a strudel that size!

Good reportage Limey, thanks.

There's just time for one more before I head back to Blighty.
Tonight's dinner was lagman (pronounced lagMAN). A truly wonderful finish to my week of culinary adventures.
Attachment 44152
Teeny tiny (quarter inch) cubes of beef (probably, but could have been horse) with Kenya beans and red pepper in a rich tomato sauce on a bed of thick, almost chewy, noodles, garnished with coriander leaves. Fantastic! :thumbup:
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Limey, it looks like they use a lot of fresh veggies. Do you know if they're local, or coming in from elsewhere?

In a hotel like that it's hard to say, but the local markets are bursting with fruit and veg at this time of year until early autumn, at least ...

Yeah, this is a bad time to wonder where it comes from, when they're up to their ears. :haha: