• The Recipe: Ukrainian Fried Sauerkraut
• The Song: Christmas Eve is Coming, Anna

I also like to refer to this as 'Dirty Kraut' with a nod to a Southern dish known as Dirty Rice. It's usually used as a side dish but when we were kids, the old Baba's used to smother our sausages in a bun with this stuff. It goes great with any kind of pork product. Really good with potatoes, especially 'Ukrainian Potatoes' (see the recipe archive). It can also be the main attraction too. Even those who say they don't like sauerkraut love this. I usually make it vegetarian style, but the Elders say that salt pork is the way to go. I've made it both ways, but this recipe is my favorite. Enjoy!

Squeeze the liquid out of the sauerkraut and set aside. Shred the cabbage finely. I do this with a knife, but the Cuisinart would work. Set the cabbage aside. You should have equal amounts of sauerkraut and cabbage. Example: If you have 3 cups of squeezed out sauerkraut, then you should have 3 cups of chopped cabbage.

In a large pot or deep skillet add 3 Tbsp of oil and heat over a low heat. Add chopped onions and cook until translucent. Add sauerkraut and cabbage to the onions. Add about 2 Tbsp of black pepper. Add 2 more Tbsp. of oil and mix all the ingredients together. Cover pot with tight fitting lid and continue cooking over a low heat. You will need to add water every once in a while to keep it from burning. I check it quite frequently, stirring it and adding a little water if it starting to stick to the bottom. I try to let this cook for about 2 hours. When it's done it should be a brown color. The longer you cook it the darker it gets. Hence the name, 'Dirty Kraut'.

I make my own sauerkraut at home. There is no comparison to homemade sauerkraut, but this recipe will make any kraut taste good.

I wrote this tune a few years ago down in Rising Fawn, Georgia at the home of my friend Norman Blake. About a week later, we recorded it for an album project we were working on called "Meeting on Southern Soil" for the Redhouse Records label. It was a few weeks before Christmas, and I was looking forward to getting back home to my family for the holidays. I was missing my daughter Anna and wrote this tune for her. It's a laid-back tune tempo wise. It's quirky with it's slippery, slidey notes and syncopations. The feel is somewhere between a blues and a Cajun two step. When I play it, I use a lot of open string drones on the D and A strings. I hope you enjoy playing it this holiday season.

Comments, questions or other recipes for borscht or other fine treats? Write to me at PO Box 11952, Minneapolis MN 55411 or send an e-mail to Borscht@PeterOstroushko.com.