A year had passed since Mike, Dave, and I ate the Uzbek national dish, plov, around a raised table in Uzbekistan. It was time to eat it again! On November 6, 2022, Camille, Steve, and three youngest children, and Spencer, Naomi, and Eliza joined us for an Uzbek dinner. We celebrated both the food and the culture of Uzbekistan, which Mike, Dave, and I came to love.
“Let me describe what I’m serving,
for whoever hasn’t had an Uzbek meal before,” I commented. I saw Steve send an amused
look to Ezra. I guess my assumption that
most people had tried Uzbek meals before wasn’t accurate!
For the entrée, we had plov—cubes of chuck roast seasoned
with cumin, garlic, and onion, and then steamed with carrots and rice. I sprinkled pomegranate seeds on top. I steamed manti, or dumplings, filled with onions and pumpkin, and served them with sour tomato sauce from my "Samarkand" cookbook. Making homemade dumplings is an achievement
that I will try to repeat again and again. I discovered that Dave is talented at rolling pasta dough really thin. I also remembered, with fondness, the two lessons on making manti that we had
while we were in Kyrgystan.
For dessert, I served
baklava and apricot ice cream, both traditional favorites at my home. Dave, Mike, and I ate baklava again and again in Uzbekistan. While we were in Uzbekistan, we admired the gorgeous crafts, from suzanis (embroidered hangings) to ceramics to wood carvings.
Even before we traveled to Uzbekistan, Dave and I bought this beautiful suzani that hangs on our living room wall.
During our trip to Central Asia in 2021, we bought many more gorgeous crafts, including embroidered table runners, a large ceramic tray for holding plov, and a small vase in the shape of a pomegranate. Ripe pomegranates were sold throughout the markets when we visited Uzbekistan during the fall of 2021.
Another favorite purchase from Uzbekistan is this intricately designed, lacquer box. We have so many precious memories of that trip!
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