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Moscow Market Day

Refreshed after a good night’s sleep in our comfortable bed, we were ready for our first full day in Moscow. Alexey, who’d already been up for hours which is his way, gave us a tutorial on using the new, high-tech DeLonghi coffee maker. We were nervous that he may have bought it because he knew we were coming, but when we saw him and Victoria enjoying bowls of cappuccino, we felt somewhat less guilty, and dug into our coffee with vigor.
It was a sunny, clear day, and a great opportunity to enjoy the view from their window, which overlooks both a park and the river, with the occasional view of a river cruise liner coming in to dock.

 

Time to buy groceries

Having been out of town for a week vacationing with us in St. Petersburg, our hosts needed a chance to restock the kitchen with food for our visit. This gave us a great chance to follow Victoria around and see how she shops for meat and produce. The nearby market is quite large, with many vendors competing for customers. Masses of fresh fruit and vegetables, cleaned and neatly stacked, made us want to buy at least one of everything. Liz admired the fresh strawberries and cherries, and the next thing we knew, strawberries and cherries were in the bag. (We were still learning that the Russian spirit is so generous you will probably be gifted whatever it is you admire). Ex-beekeeper Mike found a beekeeper stall, and we sampled the honeys, buying one to bring home. Then, Liz scored at an Uzbekh spice stall where, with the help of Alexey’s negotiations, she bought painted figurines as gifts to bring home.

Watching lavash baking in a tandoor

In the market bakery, we watched bakers turn out fresh lavash by slapping flattened pieces of dough onto the interior sides of a clay tandoor oven. Watching this process made our mouths water, as we had already sampled soft and puffy lavash, smeared with fresh tomato and then folded around crisp herbs, and it was a treat not to be missed. After seeing how it was made, Liz immediately regretted that she wouldn’t be able to make this at home. Well-stocked for the week, we made our way back home for a satisfying lunch of small plates and of course, more coffee.

 

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One comment

  1. Jane Lentz
    #1

    I love e the colors of market foods in these, and how they stack in pyramids. Finally figured out the photo showing the lavosh.

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