This
month's feature is a recent tune I composed on May 30th and performed
on June 1st on the Prairie Home Companion live broadcast
from the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles, California. I believe
that you can still hear this piece of music (and the entire broadcast)
by logging onto the Prairie Home Companion website. I
call this piece "When the City of Angels Sleeps". Ritchie
Dworsky, the pianist and musical director of PHC, wrote this
chart. Ritchie and I, along with dobro player Greg Leisz performed
this on the broadcast. I wrote it on the mandolin, but I'm sure
it could be played on any number of instruments quite beautifully.
Ritchie referred to it as a parlor tango! I hope you like it.
Now, on to Food...
Those of you who know me, know that I am "built low to
the ground for picking potatoes", due to my Ukrainian heritage.
Being built low to the ground doesn't make me an expert on cooking
food, however I consider myself a better cook than I am a musician.
So that counts for something. I think for the next few months
I will feature the Ukrainian National Meal: Borscht...
Click here for the lyrics to my song "Borscht"*, where I sing out my
recipe in rhyme. It's all there, and easy to follow. Now I'm
also including a recipe for borscht which is really quite different
(click for
printable recipe). I got this recipe from Ann Kelley of Lincoln,
Nebraska. She made me this meal some years ago when I was staying
in her home. She informed me that she tried my recipe (from the
song), but liked her version better. I tried it, and have to
admit I enjoyed it very much, but also informed her that it didn't
have much to do with the Slavic borscht that I grew up on. At
any rate, here is her recipe, and I'll let you be the judge.
Ann Kelley's Borscht
1 lb beef (cubed stew meat
5 cups beef broth
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 bay leaf
2 tbs. butter
1 onion (chopped)
2 carrots (sliced |
5 beets (shredded
1/2 cabbage (shredded)
1 8 oz. can tomato paste
2 tsp. vinegar
2 potatoes (cubed)
1 lemon (sliced)
sour cream |
| Put beef in cold stock with salt, pepper and
bay leaf. Simmer for 1/2 hour. Saute onions, carrots, beets and
cabbage in butter. Add to stock. Add tomato paste and vinegar
to stock, and simmer for 10 minutes. Add potatoes to stock and
simmer covered until meat is tender. garnish with lemon wedges
and sour cream. |
Comments, questions or other recipes for borscht? Write to
me at PO Box 11952, Minneapolis MN 55411 or send an e-mail to
Borscht@PeterOstroushko.com.
