Birch Juice Season Has Arrived!

Spring is finally moving into Odessa and the rest of the country, and we all know what that means: birch juice season? Yes, available in most supermarkets now is the juice from Betula pendula, the white birch tree, or берёза (beroza) in Russian/Ukrainian.



After reading all about the practice of extracting and drinking birch juice in Ukraine (as documented by The Pickle Project), I decided to give it a try. I went to my local market and found a glass bottle of birch juice on the bottom shelf of the nectar/juice aisle. I know that this store-bought version is nothing like fresh juice from the forest, but oh well that's what I get for living in a big city. After buying the juice, I quickly brought it home and let it cool in the fridge for a few hours before pouring myself a nice, tall glass. The taste is basically like a woody, watered down maple syrup. Because the juice spoils quickly, the supermarket version I bought was pasteurized and pretty heavily sweetened, killing what I imagine to be the juice's naturally subtle taste. Trying this store-bought variety just made me want to get on a marshrutka headed north and drink a glass straight from the source.


And on a somewhat related note--Apparently in Belarus there's a company that puts out birch vodka.


Well!


SaM.

1001 Uses for Chickpeas: Part I

I went to Privos market the other day and bought a kilo of dried chickpeas. If you haven't been enlightened by the presence of chickpeas in your life, I think you are missing a vital part of existence. I am here to spread the chickpea gospel.

The chickpea (aka "garbanzo bean") is among one of the most protein-rich foods out there and was perhaps the earliest cultivated vegetable, as 7500 year-old remains of chickpea cultivation have been found in the Middle East. One cup of chickpeas contains about 269 calories and 14 grams of protein. It's also a great source of iron, potassium, zinc, and calcium. Not too shabby, little pea.


In Israel, this thing was everywhere. I ate hummus (a mix of chickpeas and tahina), chickpea soup, chick pea sauce on spaghetti (I'm serious), falafel (a mash of chickpeas, deep fried), and just about every other form imaginable. When I first arrived in Ukraine, I thought I would have to give up chickpeas cold turkey, as I didn't find any trace of them, canned or dried, in any supermarket.

Then, one day I went to Privos market, an amazing outdoor food and product bazaar that deserves its own post. At one stand, near the pickle section, I found a man selling kilo-bags of dried chickpeas, or наот (naot) in Russian. Last night I decided to get a little brave and test out a new recipe: Chana masala, a popular Indian recipe for cooking chickpeas.

Chana masala spice is a mixture of coriander seeds, salt, dried mango, pomegranate seeds, red chili, cumin, black pepper, cloves, mint, nutmeg, ginger, cassia, cardamom, and... mace.
Pre-packaged boxes of this spice mix can be found in Indian food markets if you don't just happen to have mace lying around. I found a box of the spices in Krakow and brought it back with me, but I think the recipe would taste just as good with some fresh ginger, cumin, nutmeg, clove, salt and pepper: spices that are all easily found in any supermarket.

This is the recipe that I followed:




Ingredients:
1 onion, chopped
2 cups dried chickpeas or 2 small cans of chickpeas
2 tomatoes, chopped
1/4 head cauliflower, chopped
1 tablespoon chana masala spice
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon cooking oil
1/2 liter of water

Soak two cups of dried chickpeas overnight (or use two small cans of chickpeas and skip this step). In a large pot heat two tablespoons of cooking oil (I used sesame oil) and fry the onion until translucent. Then add the tomatoes, cauliflower, chickpeas, salt and spices and stir for five minutes. Add 1/2 liter of water and baking soda, bring to a boil and cover.

(Sorry about the quality of these photos... a light bulb blew out in our kitchen and it was pretty dark so I had to use *flash* which I try to not to use when taking food photos)

Simmer on low heat for 40 minutes until all the water evaporates.
Serves four or two very hungry people... especially tasty paired with rice or a crusty baguette.


It came out a little spicier than I expected (it even fogged up the entire apartment!), but it was still very tasty.


Next time I'll try to cut back on the mace.


SaM.

Cheap Eats

Living on a, let's say, "modest" teacher's wage and part of a US government research stipend *cough cough* -- I'm always appreciative of inexpensive ways to eat quality food. Though Ukrainian prices are usually more forgiving than American prices, living anywhere isn't cheap and it's always nice to get a break every once in a while.

That's why I thought I'd post on perhaps the most amazing lunch I've ever purchased under $6. In Florida, the only quick, vegan "meal" I could've expected to buy for six bucks would have been a bag of pretzels, an apple and maybe a fountain soda. Today, however, my $6 (or about 50 gryvnas) stretched a little bit farther. Here's a picture of a delicious $6 lunch for two:




That's two large salads to-go from Tavria B, a local supermarket chain (I still haven't figured out if there's a Tavria A), 6 apples, a baguette from our local French bakery (or "backery" as the sign says), and a 2-liter bottle of water, без газа (without gas).

The only unfortunate thing about this meal was that it was entirely wrapped in plastic.
But that's a topic for an entirely different post.


SaM.

Snacks!

With my sporadic teaching schedule, I can't always plan on eating at the same time every day. Sometimes I rush out the door without eating breakfast and other times I'm too far away from the apartment to make lunch and I don't want to go out to a restaurant. This is why snacks come in handy to keep me going throughout the day.

Unfortunately, most Ukrainian snack food (pastries, mini-sandwiches, dried fish, sour cream/caviar flavored chips) is off limits for me. Luckily, seeds of all kinds are very popular here, especially sunflower seeds, as well as nuts, and are both available at kiosks and mini-markets all over the city. Perhaps this has to do with the fact that these salty foods go so well with beer, a favorite Ukrainian "soft drink."

I have a few favorite snacks in my rotation that keep me energized all day.
First, there's dark chocolate and oranges. Fortunately, I found an amazing 60% dark chocolate that's 100% vegan. Melissa introduced me to pairing chocolate with oranges/orange juice and now I'm hooked. Also, peeling and eating oranges reminds me of lazy afternoons spent sitting on the porch of my father's house in Tampa, eating naval oranges straight from the tree. This thought always puts a smile on my face.


Another great combination is strawberries and... Well, I'm not sure what these are, but they taste like bagel chips and are available absolutely everywhere. In Odessa, there are special bread kiosks that sell loaves of fresh black bread, pastries, as well as these bagel-shaped snacks that are not only vegan but certified kosher parve! The salty/starchiness pairs very well with the sweet, tart berries.



For less of a sugar rush, I reach for my tried and true favorite snack: hummus and cucumbers, or any other vegetable for that matter. I'll be honest, I wasn't able to find hummus for my first two or so months in Odessa, which was pretty difficult to handle after five months at Ein Gev. Living in Israel had basically taught me that hummus belongs in its own food group and I was going through some serious withdrawal. Fortunately I found a falafel stand that sells huge containers of hummus for only 13 gryvnas (that's about $1.75). Cucumbers are and have always been plentiful in Ukraine, so that wasn't a problem.


Last but not least, I can't get enough of apples and peanut butter. OK, this snack is kind of cheating, because I didn't buy the peanut butter in Odessa, I bought it in Poland. Unfortunately, they don't sell peanut butter in Ukraine, as far as I know. I did find one jar of imported peanut butter at a gourmet grocery store near my school, but it had long expired. No matter, Melissa and I bought enough peanut butter during our trip to Krakow to last us until the next trip!


Happy snacking!


SaM.

МЯСА НЕТ!!!

I just wanted to share something ridiculous (amazing?) that I found at a souvenir market the other day. First, though, I must explain one thing.

In Ukraine, all different sorts of astrology are very popular, particularly the Chinese Zodiac. Some of you may know that this year is the Chinese Year of the Tiger. Living in Odessa, it's difficult not to be reminded of this fact, as there are representations/images of tigers everywhere. There are tiger displays in the supermarket, stuffed animal tigers in every toy store, tiger calendars, tiger key chains. I have even seen dogs dressed in tiger-print track suits walking around Shevchenko Park.

Most notably, Yulia Tymoshenko, the Presidential candidate who was defeated in the last elections a few months ago, was presented with an albino tiger cub named "Tigriulia" in August, 2009. Accepting this gift, she said,

2010 is the Year of the Tiger so this gift is a talisman for the next year and I am dreaming to take it somewhere to political negotiations, especially when it grows a bit. I am convinced the Year of Tiger will be successful for Ukraine and for everyone of us.

Since the Year of the Tiger is so popular, all the souvenir markets and booths are full of tiger-themed memorabilia. I'm a pretty big fan of kitschy novelty items and had been looking for a tiger-themed souvenir for some time.

Then the other day I came upon this:


The first magnet says, There isn't any meat!!
The second says (basically), What about Kompot?

So now I have a magnet that represents the Year of the Tiger, includes a reference to an Eastern European fruit drink, and can also be read as pulling for a meat-free lifestyle.

YES!

SaM.

My kind of medicine!

So I'm sick in bed with the flu. Or at least I think it's the flu... Whatever it is, it's miserable and I've lost my voice completely.

Whenever I used to get sick as a child, my mother would whip up some good ol' Jewish penicillin: chicken soup. Yesterday, I made my own vegan version, which was just as effective! Fortunately, I had just gone out to Privos, the big, outdoor market in Odessa, and purchased plenty of vegetables.


Here's the recipe Iused...

Ingredients

1/2 head of cauliflower, chopped
3 medium white potatoes, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
2 medium parsnips, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 cup parsley
1 tsp olive oil
1 cube vegan bullion
1 teaspoon celery flakes, (optional)
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:


Chop all of the vegetables and put them in a large pot. Add enough water until the vegetables are just covered. Add the bullion and olive oil.

Boil the vegetables until the potatoes and cauliflower are soft (about 20 mins)

Turn off the heat. Add salt, pepper, and parsley.

Serve with a baguette and soy margarine... Or, better yet, a large salad.

YUMMMMMMM

Serves: 4

Preparation time: 30 mins




The salad I made was basically just diced veggies (cauliflower, tomato, onion, cucumber), romaine lettuce and a couple carrot-stuffed cabbage rolls that I bought at Privos. I drizzled it with a simple oil/balsamic vinegar dressing.


If all those vitamins don't kick this bug then I don't know what will! Well... maybe penicillin, but I'm not even gonna go there.


SaM.

LENT!

Lent ends tomorrow and I'm devastated.

I know, you're probably thinking: What's a nice, Jewish girl worrying about Lent for? Well, I'll tell you. According to Russian Orthodox tradition, Lent means giving up all animal products and basically adopting vegan diet for almost two months out of the year. So what does that have to do with me? Well, since many Ukrainians keep Lent, and many restaurants don't want to exclude much of their customer base during these strict fasts, a good number of these restaurants offer "Lent menus" in the weeks leading up to Easter. These special menus offer 100% vegan food! That means no asking servers if dishes are cooked with butter, no walking out of restaurants after realizing that the only vegan option they have is french fries, and best of all, no special ordering meals, a practice that is sometimes frowned upon in this part of the world.

Though some restaurants offer a pretty limited Lent menu, with a few dishes and maybe a soup or salad, most restaurants really step up and get creative with their vegan dishes. Since lent ends this weekend, I thought I'd make a post all about the best Lent dishes that I've ordered over the past month and a half.

I'll start of with one of the fanciest dinners I ate during the Lent season. A few weeks ago, Melissa, our friend Dave and I went out for dinner at this restaurant called Three Bulgarians on Ekatarinskaya. They offer a mix of Italian, Greek, and Ukrainian cuisines. Their lent menu was pretty extensive and included soup, salad, full entree, and dessert options.

I ordered a Greek salad with tofu "feta cheese" and fresh vegetables...

and the most amazing lasagna layered with spinach and tofu, topped with homemade tomato sauce.


Another one of my favorite places to eat, Kompot on Daribosovskaya, also offered a great variety of vegan options on their lent menu. This soviet-kitsch themed restaurant offers home-style Russian/Ukrainian dishes just like babushka used to make.

Doesn't it look just like a Russian grandmother's kitchen? Notice the large jars sitting on the table? The one on the far right is full of sour cream. Oh well, not everyone keeps Lent! Luckily when I order off the lent menu, servers know to "hold the sour cream."

Here's a vinaigrette, my favorite salad at Kompot. A vinaigrette includes diced beets, carrots, potatoes, pickles and onions. Delish!

Here are some potato pancakes stuffed with grilled mushrooms and a side of boiled cabbage. It doesn't look like much, but it sure is tasty.

Kompot is named after the signature Central and Eastern European drink, kompot, which is most often made of dried or fresh fruit (cherries, strawberries, apricots, etc.) boiled in water with sugar and left to cool and infuse

The best part about kompot is that you can eat the marinated fruit afterward.


So what was my favorite lent food that I've come across? Vegan strudel. Although I do enjoy baking cookies, I've never been much of a dessert person. This dish changed my mind. In Gorsad, or City Park, there's a cozy little cafe with great coffee and a warm atmosphere. Though their Lent menu wasn't too impressive, offering some potato dishes and vereniki, or ravioli-style stuffed pasta pockets, they boasted some amazing dessert options.
Pictured here are their warm strudels, apple and cherry, topped with a raspberry glaze and powdered sugar. Seriously.

Look at these happy faces!


Warm apple strudel and cafe americano? I can deal with that.


Unfortunately, not every restaurant in Odessa embraces the Lenten season. Here's a statue of a cow painted like cuts of meat in front of Steakhaus, one of Odessa's most well known steak restaurants...
And, yes, that is a picture of a flower with meat-petals. Sick!
Apparently March is meat month for Steakhaus.


On a less disturbing note, the one Lent offering that I will probably miss the most is not a fancy lasagna, nor is it a warm dessert or even a fresh spring salad.

Its a roll.

Offered in a local supermarket just down the street, these vegan rolls are stuffed with either cabbage and onion or mashed potatoes. At about 30 cents a piece, these rolls have been great, fast options for breakfast and midday snacks.


Little Lenten rolls, you will be missed.


SaM.