Cycle 5 – Item 281

13 (Mon) October 2014

Russian Goodies

3.0

in my room

(Crowne Plaza)

-Central Administrative, Moscow, Russia-

solo

Mission to Russia (Day 3)

• • Day 1 (5.279 Assorted Hot Mezzah)
  • Day 2 (5.280 Black Sturgeon Caviar with Mini Pancakes)
  • Day 3 (5.281 Russian Goodies)
  • Day 4 (5.282 Pancakes with Rabbit)
  • Day 5 (5.283 Kyurza)
  • Day 6 (5.284 Borscht)
  • Day 7 (5.285 Red Mullet Fillets with Couscous)
  • Day 8 (5.286 Chili Mango Prawns with Asparagus Couscous)

In Moscow.  Here to provide technical/legal support to Member States from the Western Pacific at the 6th Conference of the Parties (COP6) of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC).  Very exciting, both as the biggest tobacco control event of the year, and my first mission outside our region.

WORK

SHOPPING

The World Trade Center has a supermarket.  More of a glorified convenience store, shelves stocked mostly with items of the prepackaged or heat&eat variety, little in the way of fresh foods, except some fruit, bread, and a service deli with cheeses and other cold cuts.  As WTC doesn’t include any residential properties, the customer base would seem to be comprised primarily of hotel guests, event attendees, or others working within the complex, people looking for quick-fix snacks/meals.

DINNER

After the first day of the conference, I dropped by the supermarket for various sundries on the way back to my hotel room.

With so much great stuff, I decided to stay in and make a meal of it.

Reminded me of that time in Barcelona (see 5.201 La Tabla Barca).

The food was quite good.  Bite-sized tidbits, everything slightly salty and/or smoky and/or vinegary, excellent accompaniments for booze, very much in the spirit of Korean anju.  The mushrooms were perfection: chewy in texture, smoky/earthy/salty in flavor.  Got kinda heavy after awhile, four of the items in oil.  But I enjoyed myself, nevertheless.

Hopefully, I’ll get a chance to emerge from the hotel and explore the city.

(See also BOOZE)

(See also GLOBAL FOOD GLOSSARY)

(See also RESTAURANTS IN RUSSIA)