Beautiful borshch.

Борщ. There is nothing better on a cold day than a big bowl of borshch, the traditional beet soup that's a staple in many Eastern European kitchens. A few days ago we had wandered over to the Shorewood library, where we found a surprisingly large section on Russian/Eastern European cookbooks. A combination of factors lead me to today (flipping through the familiar recipes, the chill in the air this morning, and a touch of homesickness), when I decided I was going to make my mama's borshch. 

Like most Ukrainian kids, my siblings and I had borshch quite often when we were growing up; however, I know for a fact we didn't appreciate it then. Instead of happily eating bowls of the glorious beet soup that our grandmother made for us, we longed for pizza, burgers, anything "American." After we grew up and started to understand exactly what we were missing, borshch, bliny (these incredible jam-filled crepes my grandfather used to make), and pyrishky (dough crescents stuffed with anything, from meat to rice, to sweet cherries) all became special treats. Now we talk about them often, discussing our favorite fillings and reminiscing about past holiday meals where these traditional dishes took center stage; for whatever reason, though, we rarely ever make them. 

Today I was determined to make my mom's borshch as close to hers as possible, but as with most Ukrainian recipes, the ingredients are always listed as "на око," which means "to the eye." Basically, it's a little of this, a little of that...nothing precise, ever. Thankfully, a few summers ago I made sure to write down what my mom was doing as she made her borshch, but making it myself this afternoon, I found that I, too, was adjusting certain measurements "to the eye."

At a fabulous crossroad of modernity and tradition, I was checking Twitter as the borshch was simmering. I happened to come across this beautiful New York Times piece on cooking to preserve your heritage. How fitting, as my borshch was bubbling away on the stove! For so many immigrants, cooking traditional meals is the best keepsake of their past, with their dishes acting as reminders of family gatherings, holidays, favorite places, home. I imagine that's how my family felt many years ago, and was so moved and humbled by this article. 

Ukrainian cooking is not particularly complex or sophisticated, but it's homey, rooted in deep tradition, and full of warmth. There's definitely something special about continuing to make a dish that's been shared over generations and continents. I don't know if my borshch came out exactly the same way as my mom makes hers, or if my grandmother would've approved, but for tonight, it was absolutely perfect.