This was going to be a newsletter about syrniki, an Eastern European pancake made with the fresh cheese known as tvorog (in Russia) and syr (in Ukraine). But it wasn’t actually about syrniki — because that’s the thing about the food writing I want to do, make it “about” a food but really that’s just a sneaky way to talk about something else — it was about when I lived in Russia and studied abroad in Moscow in 2009 to 2010.
But you know what? Now’s not the time. The war continues to be terrible and with increasing reports of war crimes committed by Russian soldiers against Ukrainian civilians, it would be insensitive to write about how much I enjoyed my time in Russia and how not all Russians support Putin.
Because even if not all do, some do.
So this is a brief hello, a wave.
Catch you next time (in a few weeks, because we’re officially trekking west next week!) Any recommendations welcome for sites and food in Columbus, OH + St. Louis, MO + Kansas City, MO + Victoria, KS — or anything in between that doesn’t require straying too far from I-70.
P.S. Photos are from Eastern Washington last summer, when we visited my family/where I grew up. Golden wheat below and blue skies above felt appropriate. 🇺🇦
beautiful