Well, this has been hard to live without internet — OMG, what am I turning into? Next thing you know I’ll be obsessively checking facebook, sign up for twitter and instagram. Nah. Though I am an email junkie. By now, Tuesday, I have to think what has been going on since last we wrote. We went a bought something that sticks onto our computers — whatever it is — wonder why we didn’t think of this earlier? Our friend Sergei told us about it when we went to his house on Sunday — another great spread, great dinner. Saturday we went to our friend, Galina’s. I know you aren’t going to like this Daniel, but for the rest of you, believe me it was delicious and you should try it: grated beets and raisins. Yummy. Galina rehydrated the raisins before putting them with the beets. Also an excellent Oliviet salad, the best I’ve ever had! Made best, I think, because it was without mayonnaise — Galina didn’t want to put it in in case we didn’t like mayo, but it tasted so good without it, just veggies in that small dice that Russians can do and I can’t. Other things that by now I have forgotten — but Laird took pictures so I’ll try to publish soon. Dinner was meat, kind of boiled, but very tasty, and potatoes. Two bottles of wine between five of us, actually four since Laird doesn’t drink very much; cognac for toasts. Sunday feast included tomatoes and cukes Sergei and his wife had grown and pickled, very good. A cheese and mayo salad and other things. Dinner was cutlet, looks like our hamburger, but much, much better tasting, and mashed potatoes. I love mashed potatoes! Several shots of vodka and French wine.
My world has devolved a little too much: we have finally resorted to washing all our clothes by hand in the bathtub because we haven’t figured out how to get it done elsewhere. What a pain in the ass that is — literally! We’ll have to get it figured out or we’re going to look like college students coming home from college when we get to Marita’s!
I am proud to announce that I found a store in Yekaterinburg that has my size! Mark & Spencer, a British store, was at the mall — and what a mall it is. Waaaay more impressive than Villa Linda or Coronado. Of course, I need black pants because I decided to stick to that one color set when I started packing (brown clothes = brown shoes = too much stuff) and I only found navy blue that fit and didn’t have to be hemmed, but maybe Sasha will take us again another time. It looked really good, but I was trying to hurry since I had three men standing around outside waiting for me — I just grabbed and didn’t notice until I got in the dressing room that they were blue. Oh, and they’re really kinda summer pants since they are some percentage linen. They might look lovely in South Africa. Also pilgrimage to IKEA — why can’t we have an IKEA in ABQ?!? — to get a couple of things. My list is still not done, but I can get a wine bottle open (which perhaps can make me forget the other stuff, huh?) and can drain pelmeni at least.
We are having a birthday party for Laird on Saturday and have invited our few friends. We’re going to try to make sausage biscuits — don’t know how well that will do or whether we can actually find non-cased sausage. Then mostly I think we’re going to buy finger foods. There are lots of meat and veggie pies, kind of like empanadas though more bready, so we can get lots of them, and lots of cheese and crackers, which I have never seen at someone’s house here. Not sure how many, how much or what to get, but I know I can’t make most of their stuff because I can’t cut as small as they can. I really just try to make stuff somewhat smaller without cutting my fingertips off. If we get lots of vodka and wine, it will be good, right? Daniel or Dona or anyone else, do you have any ideas of things to make???????? What about you, Alex or Louise, y’all are good cooks. I sure hope they have paper plates and plastic glasses at our little supermarket. Well, it’s not really super, you understand, just market. Otherwise, nothing to hold the food or the drink. We do now have 6 wine glasses. That’s a start. Another call to Sasha might be in order to take us someplace to get everything we need.
We have a class at 2:15 so best start getting ready. So glad to be back in touch with everyone. Please write comments so I feel like I’m talking to someone! Earnestly yours, jm & lg
lairdandjonelle 
How about a little caviar and vodka? Now that sounds like a great birthday dinner. Happy Birthday, Laird.
WHEW! Glad to know it was just internet problems that have kept you silent for so long. With things in Ukraine heating up, and hearing that a Russian fighter jet was buzzing a US Destroyer in the Black Sea recently, it makes me worry.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY Laird! I sent you a B’day message on your Facebook page on the 14th. It sounds like Jonelle has plans to put on one of her extravaganzas for your celebration on Saturday. Sausage Biscuits…..in Russia…..imagine that! Jonelle, you can always take the ground pork out of its sausage casing to get the “bulk-sausage” you’ll need, BUT, what about the Bisquick? Do they have that there? If they don’t you know you CAN make a good substitute by mixing 1 cup (125g) flour, 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder, and 1/4 teaspoon salt together, then blending in 1 Tablespoon (15g) shortening, oil, or melted butter. As far as any suggestions for party-fare beyond what you mentioned, I don’t know what ingredients you have available there to make stuff we might make here. Anything (like baked or grilled chicken wings) with “American-style” BBQ sauce might be different. Maybe make little finger-sandwiches filled with pimiento cheese spread, or celery sticks filled with it are good too. These kinds of things sound “American” to me. And while y’all are THERE in the land-of-caviar, one of my personal favorite “finger foods” is “Buterbrodi.” Method: slice a baguette into 2cm-thick slices, butter both sides and lightly toast each slice on both sides in a skillet on the stove, and serve the toasts at room-temp with some salmon roe caviar on top….YUM! YUM!! YUM!!!
And while I’m thinking about food, I just have to ask…..does that Mall have a bookstore that sells LOCAL cookbooks printed in English? I think I mentioned this before, that I’m looking forward to some time this summer when we can ALL get together and cook up some dishes from your travels and “pig out” while we look at pictures of your trip!
Y’all be well, have fun, and keep on writing us about your travels. Daniel
What do they say about the Ukraine? Nothing, I’ll bet; you’re too polite to ask and they are equally polite and avoid a touchy subject. Still, it would be interesting to know. Happy birthday, Laird!
Washing clothes in the bathtub! That sounds so pre- glasnost Soviet! What an exciting cross- cultural adventure. But it’s been my experience that adventure is just another word for extreme discomfort. Great to hear that your culinary adventures are so much more positive. How about your classes? Very curious to know what the teaching and students are like. Happy birthday Laird! Can’t wait to see the pictures. Is it warming up?
been reading all the posts. Sounds like a big, fun adventure. Tell Laird happy birthday for me since this is about the only way I know to get in touch with him.