Discovery!

I really am having flashbacks to 25 years ago, when, as a student in Russia I would go to obscure shops and hunt down food items... I remember once finding vinegar and also cocoa powder in a 'gastronom' " the their side of the river" in Voronezh.

As I've now unpacked my cookery books, I've been thinking of what I can bake in the new year. There is no such thing as self raising flour or brown sugar in the conventional suoermarkets, so I've been on a treasure hunt.

I ventured "over the river" and came across an Indian minimarket, which had ingredients I would get excited about in the UK! I got some ancho chilliest (for a Wahaca chilli) some corn maize flour to make tortillas, some semolina for shortbread, and to dust pizza dough. PLus baking powder and bicarbonate of soda! I also got 'jaggery' as the closest thing to soft brown sugar..they also had Thai 'lady chef' oyster and fish sauce... but the coup was Birds custard powder...

This 'almost' made up for M. Failing to ship 15 metres of millinery buckram...And my winter shoes..... Almost.....