"Khailmag", a Mongolian sweet cheese with raisins

"Byaslag", a semi-firm Mongolian white cheese

How you helped a little Mongolian girl follow her dream...

You, yes you, have helped a little girl and her mother follow their dreams. And a thank you has come all the way from Mongolia.

You remember the story of Urangoo and her mother, Oyunbadam. Urangoo was just six years old when she decided she'd like to pursue a career in the circus, and so she convinced her parents that that's just what she'd do. Not long after, the family picked up and left their teepee home in the reindeer-herding region of northern Mongolia (a very cold, very harsh place to live), and moved to Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia's capital. As many of you know, Urangoo's father went in search of work in order to purchase a circus costume for his determined little daughter. Sadly, in so doing, he was robbed and murdered, and the family was left destitute. Things didn't get much better from there, at least not yet, and you can read about the family's plight here.

But, one thing eventually led to another, and suddenly there was a fundraiser in New York aimed at helping this family out. And that's where you came in. From Singapore to Ulaanbaatar and Cincinnati, upstate New York and Washington D.C., even the Upper East Side and the Deep South - dozens of you donated your time and money to help this family continue to follow their dreams, despite the odds that have stacked up against them. In this post, you'll see photos of the event's organizers making cheese (myself, Charles Bibilos, and Byambakhuu Darinchuulun), followed by the event itself, and finally all that money getting delivered directly into the hands of Oyunbadam, the mother who lost her husband to a dream.

So what now for Oyunbadam and Urangoo? Oyunbadam happens to be the very last (as I understand it) teacher of the Tuva language of the reindeer-herding Tsaatan people, from which she comes up in northernmost Siberian Mongolia. Without their language teacher, this ancient culture is at risk of dying. It is Oyunbadam's dream to return to her people to teach Tuva, and I'll follow her progress as she tries to do so. For now though, the money she's received from us, via the Mongolian Mission to the United Nations and the Foreign Ministry in Ulaabaatar, has covered her medical bills ($810 was delivered back in March, and the great news is she's cancer-free!) and the $1587 of donations from the NYC fundraiser will help her cover some household expenses - and help her to pursue her dream, as well as her daughter's.

I'll keep you posted! For now though, know that you have changed a few lives.

Delivering the donations to the United Nations

Byambakhuu with our Mongolian grandmother "buuz" maker

Mr Ganbold, from the Mongolian Mission to the UN,  writing a receipt for the donations

Oyunbadam, Urangoo's mother, accepting our donations from the Foreign Ministry

NYC Fundraiser for Mongolian Circus Girl!

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. 

So, here are the details:

Contorted Mongolia

Fundraiser for Urangoo the Contortionist

Jimmy's No. 43

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. 

Still following her dream: from Mongolian Siberia to Washington, D.C.

The announcer's voice cracked as she introduced Urangoo. And for good reason. For those of you who aren't yet familiar with Urangoo, the Mongolian circus girl, hers is a story of dogged determination in pursuit of a dream, even in the face of poverty and a terribly tragic loss. 

After Urangoo's parents chose to take a leap of faith and pursue their six-year-old daughter's dream to work in the circus as a contortionist, the father was robbed and murdered. He'd been panning for gold in the Mongolian mines, and had only wanted to collect enough gold to pay for Urangoo's circus costume. (For more on Urangoo's story, click here.)

Urangoo, sitting on her father's lap, Bat-Erdene

It was this story that the announcer alluded to on Friday night March 2 at The Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., where Urangoo was about to perform. She'd been flown to America by Ed Nef of Santis Productions, who has produced a film on the mining sector in Mongolia. Described as a "rising star" in the competitive world of Mongolian circus contortion, Urangoo definitely would not disappoint her standing-room-only crowd.

Approaching the stage, she affixed two miniature crutches to a platform. Turning upside down, Urangoo then balanced her entire body weight on the wobbling crutches. And, for good measure, she wrapped her toes around her face to touch her nose. But that wasn't all. Dismounting, she removed the two crutches, and replaced them with what looked like a giant Q-tip. On top of the giant Q-tip, which Urangoo put into her mouth, she balanced, inverted, and contorted backwards. Confused? Me too. Watch the video above!

But back in Ulaanbaatar, the Mongolian capital, Urangoo's mother is sick. And that's why I'm writing again today. As many of you know by now, Oyunbadam may have a brain tumor, but could not afford an MRI, or any specialty treatment. In the past month, several of you have made generous donations to Oyunbadam's family. For that, they thank you - deeply. With $810 on its way to Mongolia from donors from Singapore to Cincinnati and New York, Oyunbadam will be able to afford an MRI. 

Better still, a few of us who have been following Urangoo and her mother's story are trying to put together a fundraiser in NYC for the family. I'll keep you posted! If you're out of town, and still want to help, share this story. As KONY 2012 has proven, "Nothing is more powerful than an idea," and change is just one person - you - away.

Urangoo, now 13, says "bayarlaa", or 'thank you!' on Friday Mar 2 at The Kennedy Center