March 2011 Trip Back to Russia

After many complications with getting a new visa to return to Russia, it was finally time to head back. This time I was taking many gifts back with me since I missed Valentine's day with my sweetheart. On my last trip back to Russia just before New Year's Eve, the airline had lost my bags, and I wasn't the only one. There was a sea of bags in the Moscow arrivals area that did not arrive with their corresponding owners. It took 3 weeks for them to finally find my bags, even with me calling daily to try and hasten the situation. After this experience, I decided the common black luggage I had was a bad idea. Since my bags were severely beaten up and damaged beyond use when I did finally receive them. I needed to buy new luggage.

Remembering that the people I was speaking with in the Moscow airport while trying to find my bags frequently asked me to describe my bags so they could go look for them, I realized that "black, average size, with rollers, and an extending handle" was not going to help differentiate my bags from the hundreds of others that matched the same exact description. I shopped around a lot of places, even going to a Macy's 70% off sale, but nothing really seemed like a good deal on luggage that wasn't going to disintegrate during actual use like so many of my previous bags did. I finally found a great set. Conveniently online, at Amazon.com. Travelers Choice Malibu 3 Piece Hard Case Luggage. And I can't stress how much I love this luggage. I got the orange set. It looks great and it is so easy for me to spot my bag from across the room.

The carry-on bag was roomy enough inside to pack books, clothes, and still fit my 17" laptop comfortably without crushing it. I feel much more comfortable having a hard case protecting my computer when traveling. Even with all this room, my new carry-on bag was still small enough to fit in the overhead compartments, even on the smallest 3-seat-wide Embraer 120 Brasilia plane I took from Santa Barbara to LAX. I never had any agent tell me I needed to check it, while they were picking others out of the crowd left and right. Anyway, I won't drag this out. All I have to say is that after 16 years traveling back and forth to Russia, I finally found a luggage set I love that is light, durable, and unique enough that I know my bags won't get lost for long.

My trip began pretty early in the morning. My itinerary started at 6:10am for my first flight from Santa Barbara to Los Angeles International airport, where I would catch my connection to Dulles International in Washington D.C. and then directly to Moscow from there. I had only 1 hour layovers in LAX and IAD and since I had flown this path before and knew exactly where I needed to be, I was confident that I would have no problems making my connections as long as the flights were not delayed.

Checking in at Santa Barbara was fine with the airline. I got my 2 checked bags checked and I headed to the security line. I have flown many times over the last decade, so I am well aware of the security process and what is allowed and what will cause problems going through security. I even have some very comfortable boots that have a zipper up the side so I don't have to spend a bunch of time tying and untying my shoes to put them through the scanner. I never carry any liquids in my carry-on bags even though they have the 3-1-1 rule allowing 3x 1 ounce clear bottles in 1 quart-sized plastic bag for inspection. Well, even keeping all this in mind, I forgot that my keys to my flat in Russia had a Leatherman Squirt on them. I fought with the security agent about it, who was really being a jerk telling me I had to throw them into the trash.

When I suggested giving my keys to the gate agent who could then give them to me when I left the plane, he simply said "I don't do that". He clearly had some ego trip going, and didn't even answer me when I asked for alternative solutions. I had to go back out the security line before they would give me my keys, and my carry-on bags back so that I could go back to the front gate where I checked in, and ask to have my keys put into my checked bags. Well, the security agent separated my keys from the Leatherman Squirt, I guess so that I could just put the tool in my bags. In my anger and haste to get back out, ask to have the tool placed in my checked bags, and processed through security again for a flight I was already late for, I guess the keys ended up in the grey trash can the jerk was so proud of. Of course I didn't realize this until I arrived in Russia and started looking for my keys.

They key to the story (pun intended) is to just remember that if security has a chance to break up their boring and pathetic lives while trying to assert their pseudo-authority by making you dance, they will. Don't give them the chance. Review the TSA and your airline's policies and guidelines before even driving to the airport to get started.

Once I got on the plane, I felt better. I made it. My bags were checked-in and they would meet me in Moscow. I didn't have to worry about collecting them and checking in again at each connection. That's a big deal. I've had to do that before and it really sucks. Make sure your connections are with the same airline, or at least with an airline in the same terminal so you don't have to exit the terminal, take some tram to another one and start all over again. Staying on this side of security saves a lot of time and headaches.

When I got to the gate for my connection to Washington D.C., I was slightly excited because I had been placed on the waiting list for a complimentary upgrade to business class. This meant that if there were any empty, unpaid business class seats, that the airline would fill them. Since I fly so much, I joined United Airlines' Mileage Plus program years ago. I am an elite member so I got put on the waiting list automatically. Little did I know, I am elite, but not elite enough. I was #51 on the list of people in-line for the free upgrade. The gate agent said there were 2 seats in business that would be open to that list. I might as well forget about it.

Anyway, I wasn't too disappointed. As a Mileage Plus Premier member, I automatically get the Economy Plus seating upgrade for free when I book an economy ticket. I am a tall guy at 6'3" (190cm) so the extra leg room does make a difference. And I always call the airline a few days before my flight to make sure they put me at the bulkhead so I have absolutely nobody in front of me that will recline their seat into my lap. I've always had pretty good luck with that. After taking the trip so many times, I even know the row numbers and seats that I prefer on each aircraft. Exit rows are overrated, everybody fights for those. Let them fight, and go for the bulkhead seats (the best is next to the door, tons of room). On the flight from LAX to IAD, we were full, but I had a pleasant lady sitting next to me who was returning from Hawaii who had many interesting stories.

After arriving in IAD, it was a short walk to catch my flight to Moscow. I remember passing a Dunkin' Donuts kiosk on the way and thinking to myself, goodbye donuts, hello blinis. I arrived at the gate with time to spare, and I asked the gate agent about a business class upgrade. I was told that there were seats available and it would cost me 20,000 miles plus $500. No free upgrades for empty business class seats even for mileage plus elite members. I considered it, but since I had already come across America in economy, and an award ticket in business class isn't much more for the whole trip, I couldn't bring myself to do it. I'm saving though, and one of these days I'll get to fly up there. Anyway, I was getting excited because many of the people at the gate were speaking Russian and it was getting my mind back in that mode. It felt good to be one flight away from being back in Russia. I wondered what the arrivals area at Domodedovo Airport looked like since the bombing that happened in January.

 Sometimes you get lucky. And this time, it was my turn. I got my preferred economy plus seat at the bulkhead, but the bonus was that the flight was maybe half full. I haven't seen a flight that empty in a long time. For me, this meant that both seats next to me in my aisle were empty. I was able to stretch out a bit and be comfortable. As you can see from the photo, most people had empty seats next to them.

With so few people on the flight, the attendants had time to make sure everybody was comfortable and well taken care of. I was really impressed with Chris, the attendant in this photo. He had a great attitude, and helped the time go by quickly. Maybe it had something to do with the 2 Heinekens ("don't worry about the charge"), or maybe it was because I had 3 seats to myself, but I felt really good on this flight, and I give Chris a lot of the credit for that. Job well done, Chris.

Airline food. Just those two words make most people's faces crinkle, sticking out their tongues and creating various, unpleasant sounds. I'm among them. I'm even noticing that my face is contorted and probably looking quite funny as I am writing this. It seems to me that the airlines have been doing a good job over the last couple of years trying to upgrade their in-flight meals. However, I find it offensive that United only offers snack boxes and overpriced sandwiches that we must pay for on domestic flights. Not even free peanuts. What, my $1500 ticket didn't cover something to keep me from turning into the incredible hulk in that 5 hour flight (plus the 2 you said I should take to get through security), you want another $10 for food I would avoid like the plague if it weren't the only edible option now since security threw away the food I brought from home? Joyful and triumphant. Can you tell I'm cranky-hungry?

With that said, international flights do include meals. Kind-of. On my 10 hour flight from Moscow to Washington, we were given a meal shortly after take-off, then nothing for 10 hours. Not even snacks available for purchase.

On this flight from Washington to Moscow, we were given a choice of chicken or pasta for our meal. From the picture, can you guess which one I got? Are you sure? Since I hadn't eaten on the flight from LA to Washington, I was pretty hungry and it didn't taste as bad as it looked. They gave us drink service and a 3 ounce muffin with a half-sized yogurt cup about an hour before we landed, but by then I was so hungry I was wondering what the nutritional value was of the plastic packaging that came with the yogurt.

I know that food in a pressurized cabin doesn't taste the same as it would on the ground. The pressurization causes us to loose taste; our taste buds don't register flavors as good. So, often airline food is over-salted to compensate. however, lately, the health concerns of salt have forced airline chefs to cut back on the salt, leaving their food flavorless again. If you are concerned about salt, I recommend asking for a low-sodium meal, and then adding your own salt. Yes, the low-sodium meal I ordered last time came with salt and pepper packets. At least this way you can monitor your own salt intake and balance it with the desire to actually taste your food at 30,000 feet.

Usually when I fly into Russia, the attendants hand out immigration forms for us to fill out about an hour before we land. I forgot to bring a pen, so I was going to have to either wait, or ask an attendant to borrow a pen. I decided to beat the rush and went back to ask the attendants to borrow a pen and an immigration form so I can fill it out early. I was told that about a month ago, they changed the process, and we no longer need to fill out this form. As I went through Passport Control before getting to the baggage claim area in Moscow, they scanned my passport and the immigration card was automatically printed, given to me to sign, and we were finished. Nice and clean.

Collecting my bags was very simple, and I can't tell you how happy I was to see both of my bags made it with me. My last trip through here was when they lost my bags for 3 weeks. Not this time. I spotted my orange bags on the carousel immediately and grabbed them. I chuckled at the taxi warning sign above the carousel and then walked straight through customs to find the Saratov Airlines desk to check in.

Saratov Airlines gives you 20 kilograms of baggage weight for free, but then you pay 1% of your ticket price for each additional kilo. I had 41 kilos of baggage weight so I paid a little less than 1200 rubles (about $45) for the bags and got my boarding pass. Since everything had gone so smoothly, I had really nothing left to do but wait... 12 hours.

I should mention that it has become commonly known around here that Moscow is the most expensive city in the world to live. I find it hard to believe with places like Tokyo and New York on the list, but I can definitely say... Moscow Domodedovo Airport is not cheap.

Since I had so much time to kill, and I was still pretty hungry, I decided to grab something to eat. After converting some dollars to rubles at a ridiculously bad rate (about 20% worse than it should be), I found the nearest food and looked at the menu. Prices were amazingly high, even after being generous with the currency conversion numbers in my mind. I decided to have a beer and some pistachios to curb my appetite.

This place had all kinds of sweet snacks for sale. Russian cheesecake. I really wonder what they are using for ingredients. I have been looking for cream cheese for years here, and have never been successful. The best I could do is combine something that is similar to a very dry cottage cheese with sour cream to create something resembling cream cheese, but still not the same. In the last year or two I have seen cheesecake offered more frequently at some of the restaurants, so I guess the flavor has caught on, now hopefully the cream cheese product will be soon to follow. As of now, I still can't find it in the stores so I am definitely curious about their cheesecake recipe. I'll have to investigate further. By the way, the exchange rate I got was 24 rubles per dollar... so that means this small piece of cheesecake was $10.

Chocolate-Caramel Slice. it really did look good. And instantly my mind started thinking of creating a modified recipe with a peanut butter layer. Sounds so good. This small bite, $5.

Some of the other offerings all looked really tasty and tempting, but I really wanted to find some real food, not just a sugar high.

It was snowing here in Moscow, quite a change from the warm weather I left in Santa Barbara, and even the nice conditions in Washington D.C. and it was interesting to see people waiting in the terminal, wondering what their story was. Are they waiting for somebody to arrive, are they about to travel outside of the country for the first time, where will the story take them next?

I ventured upstairs, slowly heading towards the direction of my gate where I will need to board my flight to Saratov in about 10 hours. I was still looking for something reasonable to eat and I came across this Subway. Yeah, that's right, Subway in Domodedovo Airport in Moscow. I remember reading an article recently saying that Subway had overtaken McDonald's as the world largest restaurant chain. Wow, really? Subway has more restaurants in the world than McDonald's? I had no idea anybody else was even close.

It did look like a typical Subway offering sandwiches with various ingredients. I didn't see a $5 foot-long offered (flash to Pulp Fiction scene... it must be because of the metric system), or even a choice to get anything more than one size which was about 6 inches.

The pickles looked a little questionable, and the lettuce was not actually lettuce but rather shredded Chinese cabbage, other than that the produce looked good. They even had jalapeños, something I have never seen in Russia before.

The meats were mostly unrecognizable, but I am sure they are quite common and popular in Russia. I saw something that looked like barbecue chicken breasts but I have been fooled before, barbecue sauce here does not taste anything like what I am used to.

I decided to order a turkey sandwich because the meat looked familiar. It tasted quite good. I was glad to have some food in my stomach. I didn't buy any chips or drink, trying not to open an international debt trade line just to eat some lunch.

Prices ranged from about $8 to $10 for a 6 inch sub.

The napkins advertised for more franchises, and it looks like their Central and Eastern European offices are based in Prague. It doesn't look like Subway growth is going to be slowing down anytime soon.

A little further in, closer to my gate I saw this Russian restaurant. I wish I had not just eaten. They look like they have some really tasty food. typical Russian fare. I didn't have a chance to look at the prices, but the ladies at the gate next to it said it was the best restaurant in the area, better than the ones I would find past the security control check-point. It made me smile anyway, the restaurant name is Moo Moo Cafe, and the dishes and color theme had the familiar black and white cow pattern.

I still had hours and hours to go before my flight so I ventured past security relatively painlessly, and ended up at the end of the terminal, where there was this restaurant. Kroshka Kartoshka directly translates to crumb potato, but it has a lot of cute meanings and I think this word pairing is more about the cuteness of the name.

Yes, I think it was former president Vladimir Putin at the next table. (ok, not really but a good look-alike).

Prices were insane here. After a few hours I finally broke down and decided to go buy a potato. I saw a price of $5 for a potato with what I thought was 3 toppings. When I ordered it, it turns out it's $5 for the potato, toppings extra. The potato with mushrooms and some meat topping with a bottle of water came to $15. I was smiling in shock. Really? a $15 potato? It better be one damn good potato. It wasn't.

There was a gate change for my flight to Saratov so I headed down to my new gate to wait out the last couple hours.

At the gate where I was supposed to board my plane to Saratov, they had this vending machine. I have seen them in a few places in Moscow, but never anywhere outside of Russia. Russians love their juice. It appears to me that juice is the most popular drink, maybe next to coffee and tea. Think of juice in Russia like we have soda in America. A much healthier choice.

This vending machine was great. For 100 rubles (about $4) it would squeeze a few oranges right in front of your eyes and leave you with about 8 ounces of freshly squeezed orange juice. It was really fun to see.

 Another juice bar nearby, with a wide selection of juices to choose from.

All-in-all my flight back to Saratov was great, and painless, except for the 12 hour layover in Domodedovo. I will definitely plan that better next time. I was really happy to get off the plane and see my girlfriend. We collected my bags and grabbed a taxi home. Ahh, home sweet home. Snow is still on the ground here, not like the 70 degree weather I left in California, but the temperature is quite nice. It's not the -15 degree I left in January when I started my trip to California.

It's good to be back in Russia, and I am looking forward to some of the recipes I have planned. I already had a request for osso bucco from my girlfriend who says she has been missing it almost as much as she missed me. I guess that dish will have to be first on my list. Until then, enjoy the flavor of your day.

Filet with Apple Slaw & Stuffed Potato

Filet with Wine Glazed Mushrooms and Apple Pear Slaw

The most notable difference I encounter between America and Russia when I am cooking is the availability of meats. Actually I should say that meat is available no problem, but that there are major differences between American meat and the meat I cook with in Russia. The American public is rapidly becoming aware of the appalling conditions in which meat is raised and slaughtered. I'm not going to go into details about the system, however the result is that we get relatively inexpensive meat, marbleized with fat which produces more flavor.

By contrast, most of the meat available to me in Russia does not have this fat marble and so the meat must be cooked differently. Another big difference that is difficult to get used to is the way meat is cut and portioned. In most traditional markets, they don't have band saws and cutting equipment that is commonplace in American slaughterhouses and butchers. So as I walk the aisles of the marketplace, middle-aged women sling large cleavers with blood splattered across the front of their smock. They chop through a chunk of meat while calling out to me trying to get my attention towards their wares. It always causes a cold shiver to crawl up the back of my neck and I can't help but wonder if they have a hockey mask under the table somewhere. At least I know the meat is fresh.

Since meat is generally hacked up in whichever fashion they choose, premium cuts are often lost, unrecognized, and tossed into the pile for making farsh (ground beef). Occasionally I find steaks that could be called T-bone, but almost never a good filet. The filet is the most luxurious piece of meat on a cow. I remember the first time I cooked a porterhouse steak in Russia for my girlfriend. After taking a bite she couldn't understand the difference; why had I made such a big deal out of finding these 2 steaks? I told her she should now take a bite from the other side of the bone. Watching her eat bite after bite of the filet side, all I heard were unique noises of approval and a simple "wow". There is a difference!

So a good filet is definitely another one of those indulgences I don't pass up when I spend some time in California. Tonight, I made classic filets with a simple twist. Seared filet topped with a white wine, mushroom reduction and topped with some apple pear slaw.

We should prepare the slaw first so when the filets finish cooking we can simply top them and get to eating!

Apple Pear Slaw

1 medium carrot

1 fuji apple

1/2 anjou pear

juice from 1/2 lime.

 Peel the carrot, apple and pear and cut them into 1/8 inch (3 mm) matchsticks.

Place them in a bowl and cover them with the juice of 1/2 lime. The lime juice will keep the slaw from turning brown while we cook the steaks. Toss to coat everything with the lime juice.

You see the two filets here have a beautiful fat marble running through them which is a good sign of flavor. Start off by washing them under running water and drying them completely. Season the filets with salt and pepper on both sides. Preheat the oven to 350F (177C).

Add 2 Tbsp (30 ml) of olive oil to a pan. Don't use a non-stick pan because we actually want the nice brown bits to stick to the pan while we sear the filets for 2 minutes on each side.

After searing the filets on both sides. Place them onto a lightly greased pan (or use aluminum foil) and place them into the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes (depending on the thickness) or until the internal temperature of the meat reaches 135F (57C). 

You will notice in this picture, I have stuffed potatoes to go with the filets. The stuffed potato recipe is below.

While the filets are finishing in the oven, return to the pan we seared them in. You will notice lots of tasty little brown bits on the bottom of the pan. This is all great flavor!!

Add 1 cup of dry white wine to the pan and stir over medium heat, scraping all the tasty brown bits off the pan with a wooden spoon. Keep scraping and cooking for 2 minutes, allowing the liquid to reduce and being sure to scrape the pan clean.

Mince 1 clove of garlic, 1 small shallot (or 1/2 small red onion), and 2 mushrooms.

Add the mushrooms, onion, and garlic to the pan with 1 Tbsp (15 ml) butter. Stir gently until combined. Cook for 5 minutes until the liquid is reduced slightly.

When the filets have reached their perfect internal temperature of 135F (177C), remove them from the oven and place them on a plate. Top the filet with the mushroom mixture.

I have had this debate with my friends in Russia several times. Russians generally (and I hate to generalize) will overcook their meat until it is dry and without any color in the middle. Since there are not many controls for meat quality and preparation, there is a scare of disease. Russians compensate by cooking meats so much that nothing could survive (including the meat). We need to remember that juiciness is determined by temperature. Everybody loves a juicy steak right?

Most bacteria, including salmonella that might be in the meat, die at 140F (60C). By cooking our meat to 135F(57C), the carry-over cooking time will raise the internal temperature to 140C (60C) before it starts to cool again. this will give us dead bacteria (if it was ever there to begin with) and juicy meat!! Sounds like a win-win situation to me. Let the meat rest for 5 minutes before cutting so the juices will settle back into the meat and not just run out when the meat is cut. This rest time also allows the carry-over cooking to do it's job.

Top the steak with the apple slaw and serve.

Stuffed Potatoes

3 medium baking potatoes (russets are perfect)

1 cup (225 ml) cheddar cheese, grated.

2 green onions, chopped

1 Tbsp (15 ml) butter

1/4 cup (59 ml) milk

salt and pepper

Clean the potatoes thoroughly under cold water. Do not peel the potatoes. Poke each potato 3 or 4 times on each side with a fork. This helps the moisture escape while they bake, instead of tearing a hole in the skin to let the moisture out. Bake the potatoes for 50-60 minutes, or until the feel soft when squeezed. 

Cut the potatoes in half lengthwise. 

Using a clean kitchen towel to protect your hand from the hot potatoes, use a large spoon to hollow out the skin. 

Continue to spoon out each potato half and put the scouped potato into a bowl with the grated cheddar cheese. Save the empty skins.

After all the potato halves are hollowed, add 1 Tbsp (15 ml) butter and 1/4 cup (59 ml) milk to the bowl.

Use a potato masher or a fork to mash the potato and cheese mixture with the milk and butter.

Once the potato and cheese is combined, add the chopped green onions and use a spoon to combine. We don't want to add the green onions before this time because the onions would also become mashed while mashing the potatoes.

Take each empty skin and use the large spoon to fill them with the mashed potato mixture. I usually overload the skins a little so I will end up with 1 or 2 extra unused skins. This helps in case you accidentally tear a skin too much while refilling them.

After filling the potato skins with the mixture, top them with some of the grated cheddar cheese and place them on a lined pan. Place into the oven on the highest rack and broil for 10 minutes or until the cheese melts and begins to brown.

You can enjoy these stuffed potatoes with many different meals, or even alone by themselves. Top them with bacon, sour cream, or many different condiment ideas you might have. Experiment and see what you like.

There was not much talking while we were eating these filets and stuffed potatoes. It's always a good sign when there's silence, it means people are too busy eating!!

Unfortunately, before you know it, you'll be down to your last bite!! So remember, find a good piece of meat, and we like marbleized fat when looking for a tender piece of meat. Don't overcook the meat!! Cooking meat until there is no color inside means there is also no juiciness and flavor inside, so lets cook it only enough to kill the possible dangerous bacteria, but not so much that we loose our flavors.

The filet is one of my favorite pieces of beef, and when I find it in Russia, it's a big treat. It's usually pretty cheap too because it's sold as just another piece of meat. In any case, finding some great ingredients to go with it, and using just enough heat to get the job done, is one of my favorite American Flavors.