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<\/a>\nI\u2019ve written about steamed manti before \u2013 the Turkic\/Central Asian fist-sized dumplings often filled with juicy, delicately seasoned lamb and onions diced into chunks. These are Uyghur style fried <\/em>manti, every bit as delicious as their steamed cousins.<\/p>\n
So of course, I bought some.<\/p>\n On my way out, I glanced at the receipt: \u201cSalad Men Caprice\u201d was the spelling this time \u2013 still no help. But from having shoveled into it, I inferred that a connection to Italian caprese salad was specious: no sign of tomatoes or basil although the shredded cheese looked not unlike a firm mozzarella.<\/p>\n Later, I did manage to turn up a single website specializing in German and Russian travel and restaurants that referred to it: “The ‘Men\u2019s Caprice’ salad is an invention of the Soviet era (although the name likely appeared quite recently). The gist of it is to take the most simple and satisfying ingredients and prepare a salad so that a hungry man has a full belly.”<\/p>\n Sounds right to me.<\/p>\n Lots more on my Little Odessa ethnojunket \u2013 if and when! And some undercover detective work. Read on…. Continue reading <\/a>
\nAnd the inner workings, of course.<\/p>\n<\/a>
\nThis one was new to me. The sign read \u201cMen Caprese Salad\u201d, the dish itself was hidden beneath a snowdrift of freshly grated cheese (therefore no visual clues) and nary a staffer could tell me anything about it in any mutually intelligible language.<\/p>\n<\/a>
\nWhen I got it home, this is what I found: chopped hard boiled eggs, cubes of beef (likely boiled), shredded cheese (a semi-firm cow’s milk cheese it seemed), and lots of mayo and salt. So sort of a pumped-up egg salad. Pretty tasty, actually.<\/p>\n
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