Day at Dry Bridge

So today the sun was finally shining here so a friend of mine from Belarus suggested we go to the 'Dry Bridge.'   This is a big, outdoor market (over a dry bridge) where people come and try to sell everything from video games to antique dishes.  As with most markets there are no set prices and the expectation is to bargain a little.

An article was written about the market in 2007 and here's a quote...(the market is a )"visual feast, a colorful collage of Georgia’s Soviet legacy and ancient culture. The crowded sidewalks are filled with a bonanza of artifacts – everything from weathered communist propaganda posters to bootlegged Russian pop music tapes is for sale."  

I had a lot of fun browsing through the market, even though I didn't make any purchases.  It was interesting to ask about certain items (a cigarette box from Russia from the early 1900s, a big copper pan used to make jam, statues of Stalin and Lenin, the American flag) and to see how the vendors displayed what they were selling.  You could tell they really took a lot of time and effort into displaying their pieces 'just so' in order to attract buyers.


I will definitely be back to the market and maybe practice my Russian...

Food Friday: Khinkali

I can't believe another week has come and gone and I haven't posted.  Where did the week go? I've spent most of my time organizing things for my trip back to the US (I arrive on Sunday) and making plans to move into our house (hopefully in early February).

So, here we are on Food Friday again.  Today I thought I would highlight a dish called Khinkali.  These are dumplings stuffed with meat (usually pork and beef).  They can be filled with other things (mushrooms, potatoes, vegetables) but I have not seen them sold like this.  They are eaten without any sauce; just a little black pepper.   You eat them with your hands and the juice runs out as soon as you bite into one.

After observing others there are some unwritten rules about eating them.  First, there is a skill and an art to taking the first bite.  You never want the juice to spill out because everyone will know you are a rookie if your plate is full of juice.  Secondly, you don't eat the top of the khinkali--it is made of thick dough and is used as a handle for holding the hot dumpling.  Instead you put the top back on your plate so you (and others) can keep track of how many you ate.  Sounds like something a man invented :-)

If anyone wants to try to make them, here's a recipe I found online:

Makes 25 dumplings

4 cups of unbleached white flour
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1 1/4 cups of warm water
1 pound of mixed ground beef and pork (not too lean)
1/2 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper
1 1/4 teaspoons of salt
Pinch or two of cayenne
1/4 teaspoon of ground caraway seed
3 small onions, peeled
1/2 cup of warm water or beef bouillon

Combine the flour, salt and warm water to make firm dough. Knead for 5 minutes, then let it sit, covered, for 30 to 40 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the filling. Mix the ground meats and spices. Grind the onions and stir them into the meat mixture. With your hands, knead in water or bouillon.

Divide the dough into 25 pieces. On a floured board, roll each piece out to a 6-inch round. Place about 2 tablespoons of filling in the center of each round. Make accordion pleats all the way around the filling by folding the edges of the dough in toward the center. Move in a clockwise

Direction, allowing each fold of dough to overlap the previous one until the filling is completely enclosed in the pleated dough. Holding the dumpling firmly in one hand, twist the pleats together at the center to seal, breaking off the excess dough at the topknot.

Cook the dumplings in salted, boiling water for 12 to 15 minutes. Serve hot.

So, I don't think we'll be seeing this recipe in Cooking Light anytime soon, but the dish is very tasty and you can only eat a few before you are full.  I want to learn to make them and experiment with some vegetarian options.   Maybe I can do a whole wheat version?  I'll let you know.

Food Friday: The Georgian Snickers Bar

Happy Friday (and Merry Orthodox Christmas)!

Since a lot of Georgian culture centers around food and drink I'm going to try to highlight one new food every Friday.  Today's food:  churchela

When I first came to Georgia I saw these weird purple things hanging from strings in most markets.  I had no idea what it was or what to do with it.  Was it a game for children?  Something to start a fire with?  Maybe a candle? The last thing I thought of was food.

Well, it turns out that these funny purple things are a tasty treat and have been around for thousands of years.  They are referred to as the 'Georgian snickers bar' and were designed with the traveler in mind.  If someone needed to travel a far distance many years ago (before gas stations and restaurants), churchela was the perfect snack.  Once a churchela is made there is little that can be done to destroy it.  As our driver, Dato, describes "It does not melt.  It does not freeze.  And if it gets dusty, just wipe it off.  It gives you lots of energy and it made from walnuts and grape juice."   What else do you really need?

I have found several recipes for churchela, and mostly they are the same.  You start with grape juice mixed with flour and boil it down for a long time.  Walnuts are then carefully tied to a string and then dipped into this mixture many times until the juice hardens.  They sell at the markets for about 1 Lari each (50 cents).

We have eaten a few and I can say that they are actually pretty good.  I prefer to cut them up into bite-sized pieces, but Jake prefers to bite off the end.  Bon appetit!

Happy New Year!

Happy 2011!

Christmas Day 1010 wearing fur hats.

Wow, what a year it has been!  Last New Year's Day I could not have dreamed that I would be writing a blog from Georgia.  Some things you just can't predict.

I'm a big believer in writing down goals & ideas and have done so for a long time. For me, there is something about putting pen to paper that makes a goal more real and gets my subconscious working on how to get what I want.  My life coaching lessons have rubbed off a bit on Jon and most years we try to sit down together and write out our goals (which usually involves us getting out the world map!).  For the last few years we have put down something about traveling and finding a place to live that fits our outdoor lifestyle.   Although 'moving to Tbilisi' certainly wasn't on our list, I think we have found a pretty good match.

Greater Caucasus mountains

So, what else is on our list for 2011?  Oh, lots of things.  Host a dinner party once a month to meet new people.  Open a CrossFit gym.  Create a nice home environment in Tbilisi.  Travel to Turkey and Croatia.  Have our families to here to visit.  Play more. Be more patient (with a certain 3 year old!).  Go skiing.  Even though we may not meet all of our goals, it is fun to brainstorm about what the year might bring and what fun experiences we would like to create.

I'd like to thank all of our friends and family who have supported us during this past year.  Without you, our transition here would have been a lot harder.  I wish you peace, happiness and good health in the coming year.  We miss you!

A view of the mountains in Gudauri ski area.

Georgian Christmas traditions

What is Christmas like in Georgia?  I thought I would ask our nanny, Tamuna, a few questions about Georgian christmas traditions so that I could get to know more about how this country celebrates.  Here's what I found out...

The Georgian name for Santa Claus is Tovlis Papa, which translates to 'snow grandfather.' The tradition  is that he comes during the night of December 31st/New Year's Eve and leaves gifts for children.  He has a big beard and his costume is very unique and involves white fur and a large cane.  I will try to find a picture.   He comes by himself (no need for reindeer and sleigh here!) and carries a large bag of gifts.  Children usually write letters to him and there are places to go visit Tovlis Papa and sit on his lap before Christmas.   Just for the record Tovlis Papa is single...no Mrs. is involved.  Maybe he should check out match.com!?

On December 31st there are lots of good things to eat:  walnuts with honey (like peanut brittle), turkey with walnuts and Georgian spices, roasted pig and champagne.  Can't wait!

A traditional Georgian christmas tree involves carving a walnut tree branch into the shape of tree with long spirals.  It is called chichilaki and they sell them in the local markets here.    A lot of Georgians have adopted the Western christmas tree (usually plastic) as well and have both in their houses.

Carson next to our Chichilaki.  He's not quite sure what to think about it!

On January 2nd there is a celebration 'Bedooba' which can determine how your year will be.  Georgians believe that the first person to step foot in your house this day will set the mood for the year, so they throw candies in the doorway and try to ensure that a good person (usually a child) is the first to enter.   Throughout the day Georgians visit each other and celebrate.

On January 7th most people celebrate the birth of Jesus (the orthodox calendar) by going to church and lighting candles at home.

I will be sure to take some pictures throughout the holidays.  The lights here are really spectacular!

Morning Hikes

I've started to hike a couple of mornings a week with a woman named Olga.  She is from Latvia and has been in Tbilisi for a year with her husband and 7 year old son.  She likes to hike and started a small hiking/walking group that goes out most mornings.  Our hikes usually last 1 to 1 1/2 hours--but the time goes quickly because we are talking most of the time.  We have been the only ones hiking recently, but I'm sure more people will join in the spring.

We leave from her house and walk straight up the mountain.  It is really beautiful and quite a workout.  Jon was able to join us last Friday.  We are often above the clouds and get to see the sun coming up over the mountains.  Great way to start the day.  We haven't spotted any animals yet, but we have seen some interesting birds and always pass other people along the way.  The air is much cleaner up in the mountains and you really get a great view of the city and surrounding area.

I have really enjoyed getting out and exercising this way.  I've also enjoyed getting to know Olga and learning a big more about Latvia.  She, like many people we have met, speaks multiple languages including Russian, Latvian, Turkish and English--which is amazing to me.  She has already invited me to go to some of the local markets, so I know she will be a great tour guide and help us get settled into Tbilisi.

Happy Birthday Carson!

Happy Birthday!

Mmmm...this stuff is good.  Why haven't I had it before now?

Where did my cake go?

Wow, what a year it has been!  Our little Carson is one today.  He celebrated by eating some cake given to us by the Sheraton.  He REALLY liked it!

So what's he up to these days?  He's not yet walking, but he is so good (and fast!) at crawling that he doesn't have much incentive to get up on his feet.  He loves playing with all kinds of toys, especially the ones that Jake is playing with :-)  He loves taking walks in the stroller and most of all, likes to be with people.  He's still drinking some formula from a bottle, but we are working on using a sippy cup and he's getting the hang of it.  He seems to have a diverse palate and is especially fond of Tamuna's cheese soup.

We love him so much and can't remember what life was like before he was here.  He is such a lovable, laid-back, funny and social kid.  He wakes up happy and goes to bed happy.  He smiles at everyone and is quite the vocalist.   Can't wait to see what the next year brings!