10/31/11
meal after unsuccessful search for tokat kebab. Tokat is famous for a kabob which features alternating slices of lamb, eggplant, onion, tomato and the whole thing is studded with garlic. The tower of power spins in front of the fire and the juices from all items intermingle and baste. We spent several hours in search of this culinary golden fleece. We tried kabob store after kabob store without success. Finally, starving, we found ourselves in that paralyzed brain cramp of crum. Barely getting one foot in front of another we looked up and saw people eating and drinking on a balcony. It ended up being a harshly lit cafeteria with plastic menus and big color pictures of bad overpriced entrees. Live to fight another day.
butter tea. This Himalayan staple is reportedly a tonic that has a lot of vitamins. However it is made from rancid butter and may be one of those things that one needs to "acquire a taste for." Let me be more specific--RANCID!
chili and cheese again. The national dish of Bhutan is chili and cheese. Bhutan is in a valley surrounded by the Himalayas, and there is no salt occurring in Bhutan. So historically and currently, chili is used a preservative and to kill bacteria. Spicy chillies cooked with cheese. It's actually pretty tasty but after fourteen straight meals...you get the picture
no meal on train. Our first overnight train ride found us unprepared. Twenty four hours from Istanbul to Bucharest. I think we figured that we were going to get fed. But no. Twelve hours in and we were rifling through all our bags in search of crumbs. We located a tin of anchovies (lesvos), a tin of preserved figs (Ikaria) and a jar of honey (also Ikaria). Our sigh of relief did not last long. The anchovies had disintegrated to salty hair and the preserved figs tasted like bad spiced liquid fruitcake. Honey can only get you so far.
meal after unsuccessful search for tokat kebab. Tokat is famous for a kabob which features alternating slices of lamb, eggplant, onion, tomato and the whole thing is studded with garlic. The tower of power spins in front of the fire and the juices from all items intermingle and baste. We spent several hours in search of this culinary golden fleece. We tried kabob store after kabob store without success. Finally, starving, we found ourselves in that paralyzed brain cramp of crum. Barely getting one foot in front of another we looked up and saw people eating and drinking on a balcony. It ended up being a harshly lit cafeteria with plastic menus and big color pictures of bad overpriced entrees. Live to fight another day.
butter tea. This Himalayan staple is reportedly a tonic that has a lot of vitamins. However it is made from rancid butter and may be one of those things that one needs to "acquire a taste for." Let me be more specific--RANCID!
chili and cheese again. The national dish of Bhutan is chili and cheese. Bhutan is in a valley surrounded by the Himalayas, and there is no salt occurring in Bhutan. So historically and currently, chili is used a preservative and to kill bacteria. Spicy chillies cooked with cheese. It's actually pretty tasty but after fourteen straight meals...you get the picture
no meal on train. Our first overnight train ride found us unprepared. Twenty four hours from Istanbul to Bucharest. I think we figured that we were going to get fed. But no. Twelve hours in and we were rifling through all our bags in search of crumbs. We located a tin of anchovies (lesvos), a tin of preserved figs (Ikaria) and a jar of honey (also Ikaria). Our sigh of relief did not last long. The anchovies had disintegrated to salty hair and the preserved figs tasted like bad spiced liquid fruitcake. Honey can only get you so far.
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