NYC FUNDRAISER FOR MONGOLIAN CIRCUS GIRL!
by Charles Bibilos. Accomplished glutton, traveler, and food blogger who has eaten meals from over 120 nations! Charles's dream is to eat authentic cuisine from every single nation in the world, without leaving New York City!
So, I hear that you want to try real Mongolian food. Homemade cheese curds, perhaps, or fermented mare's milk? Or caramelized clotted cream?
Yes? Well I do too. And here's your chance to join me, while helping us raise money for a young artist in Mongolia.
Here's the short version of the Mongolian artist's story: at age 6, a Mongolian girl named Urangoo - the daughter of reindeer herders in a remote region of Mongolian Siberia - decided that she wanted to become a circus contortionist, and she taught herself how to contort by watching a video over and over again. Eventually, her family dropped everything, literally rode their reindeer toward the capital city of Ulaanbaatar, and enrolled Urangoo in circus school. Now 13 years old, Urangoo has thrived as a performer, but her father was murdered trying to mine enough gold to pay for Urangoo's education. And, Urangoo's mother is ill, and struggling to support her children. For the full version of Urangoo and her mother's story, read here.
And here's where we need your help, hopefully in a fun sort of way! At 1:00 on Saturday, May 12, in partnership with Byambakhuu Darinchuluun and "LIVE from Mongolia!", we're hosting a food-friendly fundraiser at Jimmy's No. 43 in the East Village. Suggested donation is $35, and all proceeds will be sent to Urangoo's family to pay for her schooling as well as her family's expenses.
As part of the event, you'll enjoy...
- Authentic Mongolian food samples! Nothing against corner-store "Mongolian BBQ", but it isn't actually Mongolian! Real Mongolian delicacies include steamed mutton tail, fermented mare's milk, and dried camel meat. We can't promise that any of those three items will be served, but we will offer samples of authentic Mongolian dumplings (buuz), homemade Mongolian cheese (byaslag), caramelized clotted cream (khailmag), and perhaps "dried mass of cheese" (eeghzi), or fresh Mongolian cookies. The khailmag and buuz are supposed to be particularly delicious. And whether you find the food delicious or just fascinating, all of it will be based on ancient Mongolian recipes!
- Authentic Mongolian entertainment! Live performances by Mongolian artists, and a video appearance by Urangoo the contortionist!
- Live auction! Featuring Mongolian artwork! A thoroughly entertaining auctioneer will be selling one-of-a-kind Mongolian calligraphy and Mongolian leather art, among other items.
- Beer! OK so the beer isn't Mongolian, and it's a cash bar. Sorry, beer isn't included in the price of admission. But our friends at Jimmy's No. 43 serve some damned fine craft brews. And a legendary international culinary expert will provide craft beer pairings. Wanna find out which microbrew goes best with homemade Mongolian cheese curds? Here's your chance!
- And maybe a few surprises... No promises but we're hoping to feature a cooking demonstration by a renowned Mongolian dumpling-maker and possibly a live performance from a Mongolian calligrapher. And you'll definitely have a chance to sign up for NYC's only Mongolian culture and language class, taught by Byambakhuu Darinchuluun, a charismatic Mongolian scholar.
Contorted Mongolia
Fundraiser for Urangoo the Contortionist
43 East 7th St. (between 2nd & 3rd Ave.)
*suggested donation: $35 per person (beer not included)
Saturday, May 12
1:00pm
Advance reservations are strongly recommended. Capacity at Jimmy's is limited, and we'll be happy to see you if you spontaneously appear at the event, but we can 100% guarantee admission to the event if you RSVP early.
(We can also guarantee that we are not sketchy thieves who will steal your money and spend it on fermented mare's milk. All proceeds will be collected by the Mongolian consular officials, who have generously agreed to transfer all funds to Urangoo's family via diplomatic pouch...and our friends at the Permanent Mission of Mongolia to the United Nations have also generously agreed to make us look less sketchy.)
Contact Charles Bibilos (unitednationsoffood@gmail.com 202.489.2731) or Patricia Sexton (patricia.sexton@gmail.com) to make reservations, and we'll be sure to save some homemade Mongolian cheese curds for you!
Thanks for your support, and happy eating!
To read more from Charles Bibilos and his culinary masterpiece blog, click here.
