BORSCHT, BOOKS AND BROTHERS

     Like many cooks, I seem to know my way around the world in terms of food more than actual geography.  I hate to admit it, but like many Americans, I’m weak in geography.  I know my basics; North America sits below Canada above Mexico, Central America and South America.  Wait . . .  the latter are continents. 

     I do know Costa Rica, is in Central America, I’ve been there.  And perhaps like me, when in grade school, you did a report on another country.  Mine was Chile, so I know this long strip of a country, sits on the western coast of South America.  Argentina is directly to the east, I know this because I’ve seen the musical “Evita” five times.  I am aware of Bolivia’s placement north of Argentina while still neighboring Chile, from the movie “Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid.”  I researched Bolivia after seeing Butch and Sundance shot up in that final scene of the film.  I was curious.   

    Westward, should I venture past Hawaii and go waaay out across the Pacific Ocean, I believe I will land in China.  I was one of those kids who, while playing in the backyard actually believed we could dig our way to China.  No one told us about all that water.  As I recall, Japan and Vietnam are in the vicinity.  I became more concerned about that part of world the day my uncle Frank, a proud marine, came to give dad a hug before shipping out.  After that, I watched nightly news coverage of the Vietnam War, desperately searching for my uncle’s face among those thin yet muscular soldiers standing strong and tough with cigarettes in their mouths, the sleeves of their t-shirts rolled up or even cut off.   

     Traveling eastward across the Atlantic, (with a quick stop in the Caribbean), I’d bump into Africa, (opps continent).  Okay further north, lay Portugal and Spain.  I can speak from experience that France sits above Spain and Italy. Beyond that, I have to refer to a world map. 

     I’m thinking Poland, Lithuania and Russia border Ukraine, but I can’t tell you exactly how these countries line up.  However I do know that Borscht originated in the Ukraine.  While Poland, Lithuania and Russia have their versions, it is Ukraine that claims ownership of this crimson potage.   

     This week, armed with my morsel of knowledge about Eastern Europe and inspired by this month’s book club reading, “The Goldfinch” I decided to prepare a tasting congruent with food Boris would have loved; Borscht with blini and caviar.  Besides my brother was in town visiting and I wanted to do something special. 

    My intention was to satisfy my group’s well developed taste buds with provocative flair.  The weather has already warmed to three digits here in Las Vegas, so I decided to serve my Borscht cold.  Of course blini are best at room temperature to prevent the crème fraiche and caviar from sliding off, but the use of frozen lemon slices to serve the caviar would be both refreshing and unique.     

    I did hesitate for a brief moment, worried not everyone would care for the main ingredient in this soup, beets.  I quickly shook off the thought, how can they not?! – I asked.  Beets are chockfull of potassium, magnesium, fiber, folic acid and vitamins, A, B and C.  They contain betaine, a substance sometimes used in the treatment of depression.  And tryptophan the same stuff that gives us that sense of well-being.  Like eating chocolate but with a slower and more deliberate pace of release.  Perhaps I could share the recent newsfeed I read, blaring beets as “nature’s Viagra!”  Yes, it’s true.  Evidently the Romans consumed beets as an aphrodisiac.  The high amounts of boron are directly related to the production of human sex hormones.  Male or female, I don’t know for sure, but who cares, an aphrodisiac is an aphrodisiac!

     I prepared the Borscht the night before, my batter for the blini the morning of.  My table was set and wine was chilling.  When I got home from work I simply spooned the caviar into small bowls along with the traditional offerings.  The Borscht had been given plenty of time to meld and develop its vibrant flavors. 

     I used a traditional recipe for my blini, a combination of yeast, all purpose and buckwheat flour.  The batter had bloomed to twice its original size and was ready to pour into my prepared skillet.  Our Caviar Baron was closed the day before so I used those small jars of caviar we find in our average grocery store.  Even this “common” caviar, when spooned onto a blin spread with crème fraiche, topped with pinches of chive and egg, a small roll of smoked salmon nestled alongside screams AnR Xopwoi ixi!!

     I had no cause to worry.  There was not one among my literary friends who didn’t appreciate my combination of garden and ocean.  The Borscht was rooted in vegetables, with fresh beets, boiled, peeled, cooled and diced.  I added green onion, an English cucumber, along with a zest of orange.  For liquid I used vegetable broth and for richness I added both plain yogurt and soured milk.  Dill from my garden was added just prior to serving.  The blini were perfectly balanced in taste and texture but my last batch were near perfect in thickness.  And my use of frozen lemon slices as a foundation for the caviar caused the tickled excitement I had hoped it would.   

     Our discussion was lively, amid requests for seconds on Borscht and I stopped counting at three blini.  It was a showcase evening for Ukraine’s garnet of the vegetable garden and the golden-yellow Dutch finch.