Why should I find it so difficult to eat? I know how to find grocery stores, restaurants, cafes. I'm pretty good at spotting decent food stands on the street. I have access to a stove, oven, and microwave. So, why should I find eating so tough? I often feel lost in a world of dairy. See, Russia makes some pretty incredible dairy products: tvorog (a bit like cream cheese) that people eat with a spoon; drinkable yogurt (one of my personal favorites); plain and fruit-flavored kefir (like buttermilk); regular yogurt; cheese; milk (definitely NOT anywhere close to my favorite); smetana (sour cream—WOW!). Because I love all of these products (milk excluded), dairy constitutes a large part of my diet and, I'm sad to report, I cannot live by dairy alone.
I find myself stuck when it comes to packing a lunch. Without peanut butter, I confess, I'm at a loss, so instead I'll buy a yogurt and roll while I'm out and about. Upon arriving in Russia my host told me she never cooks, that's why they have a microwave. She graciously invited me to pay her less rent so I could purchase and prepare the kind of food I like (part of the rent was to include home-cooked meals). In an effort to stay out of the way of those wishing to use the microwave, I try to cook dinner as quick as possible. I've seen several nights of eating in my room, and I'm looking at another night of French toast and drinkable yogurt.
I have great hopes that over the next two months I'll conquer the art of feeding myself in this country where I'm nervous about meat. There are so many good things to eat, I'm sure that I'll be able to reacquaint myself with some of them. But, in the meantime, I'm accepting ideas for non-dairy (or slightly-dairy) ways to a balanced diet.
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