Food!

So I am now in Moscow:

(This picture was chosen specifically for Kelly Jo and Heather because they have both commented on how much they like it when I do NOT smile in my pictures)

Behind me in the above photo, rising on the overcast horizon, are the famed and storied gothiс-like towers of МГУ (Moscow State University)

Built between 1948 and 1953, the МГУ building is the largest of seven similar structures in Moscow constructed during this period in what I call the "Soviet Neo-Gothic-lets-replace-all- the- Orthodox- Cathedrals- with- scary -and- impressive-but- similarly- religious- looking- buildings- only- taller" style!


It really is impressive. I actually really like the style. It's cool, isn't it?

So, yes, I'm in Moscow and blogging again--thanks for reading--BUT now, on to what this post is really about:

FOOD!

As many of you know, I love food. I'll eat anything. Really....(almost anything).

Below are some things I've been eating recently here in Moscow.

This is a Слойка с сосиской (a sloika s sosiskoi):


Yes. That's right, a pig in a blanket. Please note that in the above photo we have examples of both cooked and uncooked pigs in blankets.


Here are some more Слойки :



The above Слойки have cheese filling.


This слойка ,though you can't see it, has cherry filling.
Near any Metro station here in Moscow in many of the sometimes hundreds of kiosks you'll see as you exit the Metro, one can find numerous varities of Слойки for sale. They have слойка with cabbage, with cheese and potatoes, with apricot filling and with this gray and brown stringy filling that is called meat.

Since they are very cheap and since as I've aged I've lost all fear of ingesting the unknown and unlabled, I've been eating them a lot lately.

There is one thing here that I have not been able to bring myself to eat:

Холодец!

(kholodets)

As you are looking at the above photo and contemplating--asking yourself "What...is...that?", you will undoubtedly notice the thinly sliced hard boiled egg in the center.

Your keen eyes will quickly surmise that the green leafy garnish is surely parsely or dill.

And as you peer closer, below what you may perceive as a wet and liquid like surface, you'll discover expertly carved florets of carrot.

But you are still wondering " What...is....that?"

It's Холодец. But what is холодец? It's gelatin. Jello. That wet and liquid like surface is actually a food item so familiar to the Utah household, Jello. Gelatin. Meat Jello to be sure. And there, suspended in the cold, compact, jigglying lower depths near the serving platter...meat. Most likely beef.

Meat Jello.

Served with mustard!

Cold.

(холодо means cold)

Холодец is also often made with fish:

Try some today!!!

Returning to more North American perspectives, below is a link to an article I read in the NY Times online entitled:

"6 Food Mistakes Parents Make"

(I know I'm not a parent, but many of you are and I found it interesting so I wanted to pass it along...and I'm not pointing a finger at all...its just info. I mean, hey, you don't feed your kids pigs in a blanket or холодец do you?)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/15/health/healthspecial2/15eat.html?ex=1379304000&en=916e6480bc36f917&ei=5124&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink

Anyway, if it seems like I'm bagging on Russian architecture or food, I'm not. I love it all. Just having a little fun.

For those of you who have commented on what a glamorous life I lead traversing the globes northern climes, I'm in Moscow teaching English for the next little while....that's sorta glamorous, isn't it?

More on that later!

Now get yourself some cold meat jello and hot mustard!