A friend of mine recently informed me of a Russian festival going on this weekend, in the Cincinnati-area. I've attended Greek, German, and Italian festivals but never Russian, so it should be interesting and enlightening. The festival promises delicious Russian food such as piroshki, stuffed cabbage, and borscht. In case you've never heard of piroshki, it's a stuffed bun of many different ingredients, depending on the region, in Russia. According to the above photo, I think it looks quite delish. As for stuffed cabbage - no surprises there... I even make it myself. (Photo taken this summer, and yes, I make it with purple cabbage... a big hit with Karrigan!) As for the borscht... I've seen Ina Garten make it on Barefoot Contessa, one of my favorite Food Network shows. It's basically a cold beet soup. Hmmm... don't know about that one, but I'll give anything a try once.
I'm sure the festival will deliver more than just Russian food. I did read something about live music, activities for children, and imported crafts such as the traditional wooden nesting dolls. All of this sounds ok, but I think we'll definitely be stopping in around lunch-time... to try the food!
Food definitely equals comfort while shared around the dinner table, with family. Food brings about traditions and warm memories of togetherness and days past. Families bond over recipes handed down from generation to generation. And tomorrow, it will be food that will make us feel... just a little bit closer, to our sweet daughter, a continent away.
Borscht is not always cold. It depends on the region and grandmother who makes it. "Borscht" means "soup" essentially. My wife makes the classic red borscht with beets, potatoes, and beef chuck (served hot). And in the summer she makes green borscht, which is a semi-sour/tangy soup made with sorrel, potatoes, chicken (or ham), and hard boiled eggs. So, you can try borscht and not have to eat it cold.
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