I like to cook. C does not, but that's okay, because she likes to clean. Wait. No, that's the OTHER universe....
Cooking in Georgia presents some rather unique challenges that are really not present in a traditional American kitchen.
1) Space. Georgian kitchens are TINY compared to American kitchens. Counterspace is much reduced, and the actual size of the range and oven is minuscule compared to US standards. This becomes important with dishes that require multiple pots - most of them simply aren't possible here, as they physically can't fit on the stove at once.
2) Equipment. I've been in Georgia almost 5 months, and have seen a grand total of 1 microwave. My office kitchen does not have running water or an oven. That tends to add to the difficulty...
3) Flavors. For the most part, it is possible to get good spices in Georgia. It is not possibe, however, to get most ethnic spices - curry, oregano, Mexican spices, etc, however. Oddly enough, even the hot peppers are different - I'm used to cooking with peppers that let you immediately know you'd bitten it. Here, the burn is much slower coming on, which changes the flavor profile of foods dramatically.
There are, however, some upsides.
1) Freshness. You know when you buy produce that it came out of the ground relatively recently - the dirt tends to be pretty fresh on it. :-)
2) Chemical free and proud... I haven't cooked with anything preserved with chemicals since I've gotten here. You just can't buy goods that have them. What you do make tends to be very fresh and non-processed.
So far, I've successfully made pizza (the dough is the easy part; finding sul guni, a special type of cheese that sort of if you squint resembles mozzarella, is not), curry, spaghetti sauce, and beef taco filling. It's nice to get a chance to make something that you know, and that your coworkers or family has never tasted before. I like the challenge of it. The only major difficulty is that Georgians around us REALLY dislike spicy food, so much of my beloved food is out.
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7 comments:
I'm glad you're able to keep cooking. I often think of when we all used to cook at my house. :)
What is your favorite Georgian dish?
Rachel,
There's a lot. So far my favorite is satsivi, which is chicken in a walnut sauce - it's difficult to describe, but I'll try... it's a light white sauce without dairy; the whiteness comes from the walnuts being processed and crushed. It has a light spice to it (garlic and some fresh herbs) and a little bit of sweetness from the walnuts. Delicious!
Khatchapuri is the national food, and it comes in huge variety; some I like and some I absolutely cannot eat. The usual style is to have EXTREMELY salty cheese in the middle of white bread, heavily buttered. The cheese tends to be, um, not tasty to me, so that kind I stay away from. The flavor combines saltiness and old socks. Not a fan. Other kinds, however... there's one region that includes potatoes in it, which is my absolute favorite - the potatoes add a nice creamy texture and moderate the bite of the cheese.
On another note, there's pretty much nothing here you can eat.
Satsivi sounds really good. :) The salty cheese doesn't sound as good.
What do you mean that there'e nothing here that you can eat?
Ah, I see your confusion. For a celiac, Georgia could be hellish. There's wheat at every meal... bread is an absolute staple. Any sort of dietary intolerance to wheat, dairy, or nuts would make life in Georgia difficult.
Do you think Georgia will recognize Georgia's independent areas like the Philippines has chosen to recognize Southern Minadano? Will Peace Corps recognize these new areas as countries or do they have an obligation to stay within the original country since they PC stayed with the new governments after the military coups?
PC has a policy to stay in country and support the new government after a coup when the government they signed the PC agreement with no longer exists. Shouldn't PC stay with the new government?
Sorry, I should be more clear in the future and post as Rachel Williams. I forgot that I might be confused with your sister. :)
Rachel (Williams
D, answering that question will get me kicked out of PC Georgia. There's your answer for you. :-)
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