Potato Manty

On March 8, 2015 · Leave a Comment

Manty are eaten in Turkey (as tiny lamb-filled purses – recipe coming soon), in Korea (called mandoo there), and in Silk Road locations across Central Asia. This recipe is Kazakh, but could just as easily come from Kyrgyzstan, Bosnia or Afghanistan.

 

Thanks to the wonderful Eric Johnson (authorericjohnson.com), who is a trained […]

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Tatar Beef Pelmeni

On February 22, 2015 · Leave a Comment

In Central Asia, every grocery store teems with frozen pelmeni.

They can’t compare with homemade, handcrafted little pockets bursty with juicy meaty goodness. Here is a recipe from Tatarstan, which lies on the Volga River in Central Russia.

Tatar Beef Pelmeni

Tatars are Muslims and not supposed to eat pork. Though this recipe only […]

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Contemporary Wall Art, Almaty, Kazakhstan

On November 18, 2013 · Leave a Comment

Until forced settlement in the 1920s by Soviet Union authorities, Kazakhs were traditionally nomadic people, and, as such, left little in the way of monuments as testaments to their civilization.

Since independence from the USSR a little over twenty years ago, some Kazakhs have pointed to the ancient history of their culture by publicizing the […]

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Jibek Jolu Restaurant

On May 10, 2013 · 2 Comments

When I toured Kazakhstan’s Roksonaki in the US, we ate at Jibek Jolu, treated by members of the local Kyrgyz community. Food is superb!!!

Here the restaurant is featured on local Chicago TV.

Jibek Jolu on TV

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Camels!

On December 18, 2012 · Leave a Comment

Spurred by a conversation with a Kazakh architect here in Almaty who told me of the camel herd her great grandmother’s “white bone” – or aristocrat – family kept before the Bolsheviks took over in the 1920s, I started reading about camels online. I discovered, much to my surprise, that dromedaries and bactrians – one […]

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Handpulled noodles are the secret to tasty lagman

On November 2, 2012 · Leave a Comment

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For the Love of Lagman

On November 2, 2012 · Leave a Comment

Helen’s three-year-old daughter, Bernadette, has an intense love of the Uighur/Uzbek noodle, meat and vegetable dish called lagman. Some say it’s a version of Chinese lo mein.

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Roksonaki in the Studio

On November 1, 2012 · Leave a Comment

As we speak Roksonaki are in the process of a groundbreaking adventure creating a new album that combines Americana with their trademarked shamanic lyrics. Beats provided by SuperProducer Bobbie Rae.

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Stay Tuned!

On June 18, 2012 · Leave a Comment

Mosaiqa Records Founder Helen Faller will soon embark on a great Silk Road Adventure! Beginning in September 2012, she will spend nine months traveling through Central Asia researching local foodways and posting stories about her exciting trip to a Silk Road Adventure blog. There will be fresh new music from the region, videos of Helen […]

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Roksonaki Playing the song Karakurt

On March 2, 2011 · Leave a Comment

Roksonaki has uploaded a video clip of themselves playing Karakurt on their Almaty sound stage. Click below to watch!

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