What foods did you wife miss most?

[Kuna]

I had an interesting conversation with "My Girl" on the phone last night about food and cooking...  It's made me wonder what foods, sweets and drinks your lady missed most when she left FSU.

My Girl knows she'll adjust to the produce available in Australia but said that smoked fish will never be the same for her again.  (I don't think she could get the same kind of smoked fish in Germany as she can get in Ukraine). I noticed the smoked fish we had together was very oily and I haven't seen any similar in Oz.

I've been cooking Ukrainian and Russian dishes at home in preparation for my next visit to her but I think some ingredients will be hard to source once she immigrates.

Are there any items your girl really missed???  What were they?

Kuna

[Bruno]

Are there any items your girl really missed???  What were they?

None... with 4 russian food shop, 1 russian media shop ( book/video ), 2 russian restaurant, 1 russian thee-room, 2 russian cafe, 1 russian cultural center,   ... all in the same city... it was not a problem...

In any case, you can always go to http://www.russianrestaurant.com.au/index.php for eat with your future wife... 

Maybe a site very interesting for your girlfriend with a lot of information :

The Russian Ethnic Community
http://www.russiansinaustralia.org.au/

Place for go out : http://www.russiansinaustralia.org.au/Clubs_restaurants/clubs_restaurants.htm

My Girl knows she'll adjust to the produce available

She can maybe read the 3 article in Russian about food in Australia :
http://www.russiansinaustralia.org.au/Arts_Crafts_History/Food_In_Australia.htm
http://www.russiansinaustralia.org.au/Arts_Crafts_History/Food_In_Australia_2.htm
http://www.russiansinaustralia.org.au/Arts_Crafts_History/Food_In_Australia_3.htm

A other site for her... http://www.russiancanberra.com/ ... they have a forum... and speak about russian food and a local shop...

http://www.russiancanberra.com/forums.php?m=posts&q=33

... one more link... http://www.rerc.org.au/ ... if you wish more info, use Google or visit the orthodox church near your home and speak with people there 

[BC]

In most major cities here there is at least one Ukraine/Russian store for imported goodies.

A host of minivans from Ukraine bring goods to the smaller cities every week, bi-weekly or once a month depending on demand. Vodka, beer, saltfish, smetana, sausage, spices, magazines, cd's and dvd's all available.  As the vans empty they fill up with post packages for folks back 'home' for EUR 1.50 per kg.  We're quite a ways down the 'boot' so is quite surprising how far this mobile market network extends.  My guess is that the number of 'these kiosk on wheels' is in the hundreds in this country alone.  Prices are fairly reasonable too.

[Kuna]

Bruno,  thanks for the links... Unfortunately they're not in my city (though will still be good resources for her).

I know there used to be a Russian Restaurant in my city but I can't find it now... 

As for groceries I've now found a delicatessen about 1 hour away and I'll check out another I've seen which is only about 10 minutes away from me.  Would be very cool if she could buy sweets and some little "home comforts" when here.

Kuna

[jb]

Kuna,

Trust me on this, the availability of Russian foods are the least of your worries.  If your girl is any kind of cook at all, she will adapt her kitchen to the locally grown foods in a very short time.   She will have some failures at first, that you must eat anyway and swear that it's the best thing you ever tasted, but she will make the adjustments herself very quickly.  The biggest problem my wife had was with converting oven temps from Fahrenheit to Celsius.  Our kitchen stove is still calibrated using the old Fahrenheit scale.   If Oz stores are anything like ours, you will have a goodly supply of fresh salad stuff, and since most Russian women exist on salads anyway, no worries.

During the 1st year or so after my wife arrived she found fault with just about everything in the American supermarket,,, from the quality of fruits and veggies, to the amount of red meat on the shelf, (where is the fish?).   Then she made a trip back to Russia for a visit.  When she returned home things were not so bad here after all.  Without her realizing it she had become more Americanized than she knew.  She liked not having to shop everyday and lug all those bags home plus a big jug of drinking water, she liked having a ready supply of good clean fresh water in the house, she had grown accustomed to being able to hop in her new car and go wherever she wanted on a moments whim and not have to deal with mini-buses, taxis, Metros, and traffic, etc.  Since she went home to Moscow in the winter she got a taste of what cold weather was like again and suddenly the idea of being able to go to the beach in November was very appealing to her.

During the past several years she has made more trips back to Russia, the last one was in November/December when her mother got sick and died.   There she got an updated dose of dealing with Russian bureaucrats.   Getting death certificates, bribing officials for the smallest bit of paper needed for anything has left a strong bitter taste with her about the "motherland".   She is now faced with selling the Moscow flat and the country dacha, more bureaucrats, more bits of useless paper, more bribes, more headaches she isn't looking forward to.  She now relishes the speed and efficency of American business and government.

She mentioned the other day that she now considers herself to be an American woman who just happens to have been born in Russia.  I thought to myself, "Well, that's the final peg, it's all downhill from here".

[GregfromGa]

jb hits the nail on the head. Food is the least of your worries once she arrives. My wife was the same at finding fault with everything having to do with America. So much to the point that I questioned myself for knowing muchless marrying this crazy focking woman. She got much better after she got her own little business started and the first trip home sealed the deal. I found that my wife had a tremendous amount of pride in her country and way of life.

My wife likes the occasional visit to a Russian supermarket and she usually buys crap she doesnt finish eating. I think there is also a glimmer of hope that her mother might come around one day. Although she's been to visit us 3 times there is still a huge wall built up by pride.  I remember after we got married and Katy had received her visa that I said the hard part was over and a very wise man named Steve from Ohio told me the easy part was over and the hard had yet to begin. 

[Bruce]

As far as food, we have all the Russian and FSU food right here close to my neighborhood, better than it is in Russia, though more expensive.  Food was never an issue. 

Being homesick and not understanding how the USA works, now those are other issues.

[I/O]

Kuna:  From the TINY bit of experience I can share, (My fiance' was here for several weeks in June/July '06) and of course this is yet to be tested under a long term deal, I can only concur with the other guys. 

She adapted in a matter of days to the food thing.  She was heartfully delighted with what she found in the supermarkets, struggled a bit to start with identifying certain things, but within a few trips to the supermarkets, she quickly chose the one she liked most and could find her choices quite easily.

She is not a fussy eater, likes her fruit, salads and fresh meats which are of course available in abundance here. 

Just a clue. (It worked for us) I took her several times to a supermarket and we were making good progress, but the watershed came when I said one morning, here is xyz amount of money, go (By Bus) to the supermarket, spend several hours fosicking around and fill a trolley.  When you are done, call me and I will collect you.  She spent about a half day in the supermerket and really gained her confidence and was henceforth pretty relaxed about it all.

As for special "Home Treats" check this place out.  "Continental Food Warehouse" 25 Balaclava Street, Woolloongabba.  It is only minutes from you and there is about 4 similar places side by side.  If they havn't got it, they will get it. (If it is possible to get)

Might help FWIW

I/O

[groovlstk]

While I'd agree w/IO that it's a great idea to turn your girl loose in the supermarket and let her make her own selections, one of the things you'll have to guide her through is the plethora of diet and reduced sodium and diabetic stuff that line the shelves of Western supermarkets. My wife sometimes mistakenly picks up sugarless marmalade or diet teas and such and I have to explain to her that they taste like crap (and why they taste lousy and who should buy such foods and subsequently why do stupid Americans try to fool people by not making it clear on the packaging and why the Hell don't they sell any smoked fish, anyway?).

It's a difficult dance because by giving her a bit of independence you don't want to ruin it by peeking over her shoulder, but that's a topic for another thread, perhaps

[ScottinCrimea]

I remember I got thrown into the fire when my wife told me to go to the market and buy whatever I thought we needed.  The supermarket was great because I could take my time, try to figure out what it was by the pictures and didn't have to ask anyone for what I needed, I could just pick it up.  As far as the kalbasa and cheese, I had no idea what the various kinds were like so I just picked a different one each time until I found what I wanted.  Now I go regularly to the outdoor markets and taste test everything, haggle with the babushkas and overall have a good time.  Based on my experience, I agree that one of the best ways to help her learn to shop in the US is to let her go alone to the supermarket and spend as much time as she wants there with no pressure.  Maybe the first time you shop, go together so you can explain a few things, though. But I wouldn't advise doing the same with a clothing store or, God forbid, the mall.  You don't want her to become TOO good at shopping!

[jb]

But I wouldn't advise doing the same with a clothing store or, God forbid, the mall.  You don't want her to become TOO good at shopping!

You forgot the shoe store.  My wife is the Imelda Marcus from Russia, she never met a new shoe she didn't like. The longer and pointier the toe, the better.

[ScottinCrimea]

Can you even find those long pointy-toed shoes outside the FSU?  I thought I was in elf land the first time I went there and saw those.  But they're great for getting your point across (sorry for the pun).

[Chelchov]

WHere can I find a pair of black Russian-style long pointed-toed dress shoes here in the USA?   

They are so hard to find here in the states.  Otherwise, I'd have to travel to FSU and buy one of those shoes.   

[groovlstk]

If my experience is any indicator, another area she'll need gentle guidance in is meats. For chicken she'll be more than fine (she'll shy away from boneless and skinless chicken products) but sausage, for instance, may confuse her and unless she wants to experiment you'll have to steer her past the pepperoni, salami, and chorizo towards the more bland, fatty sausages similar to kielbasa or bologna that she's familiar with.

I haven't spent a huge amount of time in markets in Ukraine and Russia but I did note that our cuts of beef and pork are quite different, and during our first few times shopping my wife was lost when it came to choosing good cuts. She learned very quickly, however. I'd say her favorite cut is pork tenderloin as there are about a 1/2 dozen dishes she can whip together using this.

Like everything else, food shopping will be a learning experience for her and if you have to toss out a box of diabetic cupcakes or a roast that goes bad... well so be it, a little bit of patience in such matters goes a long way.

[START2]

GROOV,
    You're learning fast my brotha!!!
Chelchov, are you looking for yourself or a lady. Either way, there's a chain called Off Broadway, that carries those long pointed weapons. Yea guys, I go shopping with the Mrs...... jb, I thought my wife was Marcos 2. It's shoes before anything else. Didn't realize there was every spectrum of color. For me it's black, brown, and white sport shoes( I mean tennis shoes) . I've already been shown the bright patent leather heels for this spring and summer.  Gotta say I like watching those heels comin and goin.

[LEGAL]

I do not miss any Russian food.

The vegetables and fruits are more better here in America and it is not secret. I prefer see food and meet to  sausages and don't eat bread so much. Of course I cook Russian food and even pelmeni     Sometimes we buy in Russian store the Russian chocolate, kvas with honey and some Russian sausages for LEGAL 

Olga.

[jb]

Olga,

Where we live we have all kinds of foods...  You can drive down the road here and see a Mexican cafe, a Chinese restaurant, a Mexican cafe, an Italian restaurant , a Mexican cafe, a Vietnamese restaurant, a Mexican cafe, a German restaurant, a Mexican cafe, a French restaurant, a Mexican cafe, and then you will find a TexMex Tacaqueria selling Mexican food.  So, you see, we have great diversity here.

What we don't have is a Russian Tea Room.

[LEGAL]

What we don't have is a Russian Tea Room.

It is not a big problem to organize it, especially if you have samovar 

Olga.

[LEGAL]

Olga just made my favorite dish from scratch PELMENI. Time for me to eat paka paka

LEGAL

[Gator]

I think much depends upon the woman.  Not being married, I have stayed out of this.  However, my ex-fiancee was here for two months, so I have a little experience to share.

She did not complain about anything and I mean ANYTHING.  The closest to a complaint was stating that our watermelons are not as sweet as Russian melons (and I agree).  The only time she ever complained about food was when we were in Russia.

While here she developed a fondness for:  Gulf seafood (grouper and oysters), Maine lobster, Big John's BBQ porkribs (a Russian craves a little pork fat in her diet), Cuban food, Maryland crabcakes, southern vegetable plates (collard greens, blackeyed peas, sliced tomatoes), mescal, etc.  She even ate my typical breakfast:  high fiber cereal with skim milk and berries.

At restaurants she preferred the fusion style especially seafood with an Asian flair.  When in San Francisco and New York, I suggested the possibility of Russian restaurant, which she vetoed immediately.

[BC]

Well one food we will not see that often here anymore.... Caviar.

My wife used to bring back a kilo or so when she returned from trips home.  Most was used as a daily vitamin supplement for our baby son.. two teaspoons after breakfast.. he goes nuts when he sees the stuff.. pure joy.

Prices though have more than quadrupled over the last years so last trip we didn't bother. 

Red salmon caviar is great though on buttered toast and still affordable.

LEGAL,

Try your pelmeni with mayo mixed with dijon mustard.. yummy

[LEGAL]

BC That sounds very yummy. I put a nice Alfredo sauce on mine. The next time Olga makes Pelmeni I will try your method of mayo and Dijon.  thanks for the tip  Have you tried Alfredo sauce?  Maybe we should post more in the cooking section?


LEGAL

[Chelchov]

Well one food we will not see that often here anymore.... Caviar.

My wife used to bring back a kilo or so when she returned from trips home.  Most was used as a daily vitamin supplement for our baby son.. two teaspoons after breakfast.. he goes nuts when he sees the stuff.. pure joy.

Prices though have more than quadrupled over the last years so last trip we didn't bother. 

Red salmon caviar is great though on buttered toast and still affordable.

LEGAL,

Try your pelmeni with mayo mixed with dijon mustard.. yummy

If caviars are hard to find in your local place, you can try order from this website: 

http://www.russiantable.com

but, it sells all of Red caviars from Alaska, not Russia...  There's no black caviars.  Again, I prefer Red Caviars over black caviars. 

[Jet]

Food was never an issue. 

Being homesick and not understanding how the USA works, now those are other issues.

  BINGO!

[timothe]

Olga just made my favorite dish from scratch PELMENI. Time for me to eat paka paka

LEGAL

It has been so long since I had Pelmeni and I miss it so!