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10/15/08

My dad's borscht & interview

My parents are visiting from Seattle. They flew to DC, and then tomorrow we are taking Amtrak to Hyde Park for Anna's graduation from CIA (no, not the CIA you are thinking of...the one related to cooking!). Yesterday, before doing any sightseeing, my dad went to the grocery store and made a big pot of his famous borscht. I thought I'd take a picture of it and also ask him a few questions. [My dad is a man of few words; thus, this is quite a short interview :) ]

Q: When was the first time you made borscht?
A: When I was a college student (about 20 y.o.)

Q: Did you use a recipe?
A: No. I just used my intuition.

Q: How did you learn to cook?
A: I watched my mom and grandmother as they cooked when I was young.

Q: When did you know you made the best borscht?
A: When my mother-in-law said it was better than my wife's.

Q: Do you ever follow the same recipe twice?
A: No.

Q: What are the necessary ingredients?
A: Beets, cabbage, carrots, potatoes, onion, tomato paste, garlic, water, salt & pepper, bay leaf.

Q: What are optional ingredients?
A: Beef broth, zucchini, red peppers, celery, broccoli stems (not the crowns).

Q: What do you like to serve with borscht?
A: Chopped parsley, mayonnaise or sourcream, scallions, or fresh dill.

1 comments:

Anonymous said...

Ooh are those Chioggia beets? One of those beets with the swirl in the middle?