Great Decisions (like, what's for dinner) Recipes for the 2011 Season

Great Decisions (like, what's for dinner)

      Recipes for the 2011 Season

                       "Chefs"

                   Alethia Cook
                   Ann Eleanor
                  Sylvie Henning
             Mary Louise Rothschild
          Ekaterina Mikhailovna Kalinina
                 Elena Murenina

                 Brought to you by the

    World Affairs Council of Eastern North Carolina
              Sylvie Henning, President

                     Spring 2011

We are very glad that the food served this semester has met with such a positive response! Many
have asked for recipes. This document is an accumulation of all of them from the GD season.
Items in italics are those that were altered from the original recipe or a commentary on the
experiences we had when following the recipes. Where possible, we have provided citations for
the sources from which the recipes were adapted.

Horn of Africa
Ethiopian Cabbage and Potatoes

I honestly do not know where I found this recipe, nor was I able to find it again! It was from an
online source and I found it when researching Ethiopian food in 2009.

1/4 cup Niter Kibbeh (below)
1 medium onion, quartered and sliced
1 head of cabbage cut in large pieces
4 medium potatoes, in about 1 inch cubes
1 cup carrot, sliced or shredded work well
Salt and pepper to taste

Cook onion in butter until it is browned a little.
Add the carrot and cabbage. Cook until they have softened. Add the potatoes.
Cover and cook until the potatoes are done.

OK...you're going to want to add water to this. The potatoes really will cook completely in the
steam of the cabbage...and be extra-yummy because of it...but you'll have to stir and scrape the
bottom frequently to keep it from sticking and burning. I would not use a pan I had burned
something in before, as it would be likely to stick and burn in the same area. The original recipe
calls for 2 medium potatoes, but I love them so I use more.

Ethiopian Lentil Stew
(Misr Wot)

From: Saveur, Issue 110, http://www.saveur.com/article/Recipes/Ethiopian-Lentil-Stew

Serves 4 – 6

The small lentils (variously called red lentils, pink lentils, Egyptian lentils, and, in South Asia,
masoor dal) used for this dish turn yellow when cooked. The recipe for this version comes from
an Ethiopian cook, Alemtshaye Yigezu, who cooked this dish for us while visiting her home.

1 cup red lentils
4 tbsp. nit'r qibe (below) or unsalted butter (I just can’t imagine this is as good with just butter)
1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 tbsp. berbere (below)
1 small tomato, cored and chopped
Kosher salt, to taste

1. Rinse the lentils in a sieve under cold running water and set aside.

2. Heat the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring
occasionally, until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly,
until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the rinsed lentils, 1 tbsp. of the berbere, tomato, and 4 cups
water to the saucepan. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thick
and the lentils are tender, 45–50 minutes. Stir in the remaining berbere and season generously
with salt. Serve immediately.

The mild version of the lentils we served had only about a teaspoon of berbere, which added a
lot of flavor. The spicy version had more of the berbere. No salt was added.

We used chicken broth rather than water...and not nearly 4 cups per cup of lentils. We used
about 2 cups of broth per 1 cup of lentils.

Berberé
from Eastern Africa

From The Congo Cookbook: African Food Recipes: Traditional Cooking & Easy Everyday
Recipes from Africa, plus observations about African cuisine, culture, and food.
www.congocookbook.com, 12/20/2005, p. 109.

Berberé (or Berbere) is an Ethiopian spice mixture that is the flavoring foundation of Ethiopian
cuisine, a basic ingredient in Dabo Kolo, Doro Wat, and many other dishes.

Berberé is made from a cupboard-full of herbs and spices, fresh-ground, pan-roasted, and then
packed into jars for storage. Among Ethiopian cooks there are many variations of which spices
and what amounts. (In the recipe below, ingredients marked "optional" seem to be the least
common.) Basic berberé is made by combining roughly equal amounts of allspice, cardamom,
cloves, fenugreek, ginger, black pepper, and salt with a much larger amount of hot red (cayenne)
pepper. The combination of fenugreek and red pepper is essential to berberé; while one or two of
the other ingredients may be left out, the fenugreek and red pepper are must-haves. Milder
berberé can be made by substituting paprika for some or most of the red pepper.

Berberé is sometimes made as a dry spice mix, and is sometimes made with oil or water to form
a paste.

What you need

• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander (optional)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin (optional)
• 1 teaspoon ground fenugreek
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg (optional)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 4 to 6 tablespoons of a combination of ground cayenne pepper (red pepper, dried chile peppers,
or red pepper flakes) and paprika
• 1 tablespoons salt
• 1 teaspoon ginger, fresh (peeled and grated) or dried (ground) use dried ground ginger if
making dry berberé
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped onions or shallots, omit if making dry berberé (optional)
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic, omit or use dried garlic if making dry berberé (optional)
• 1/4 cup oil, water, or red wine (omit if making dry berberé)

What you do

• In a heavy skillet over medium heat, toast the dried spices for a few minutes -- stirring or
shaking the skillet continuously to avoid scorching. Remove from heat and allow to cool. If
making dry berberé powder: grind the mixture in a spice grinder or blender, or use a mortar and
pestle. Store the berberé powder in a tightly-sealed container.

• If making berberé paste: combine the toasted spices with the fresh ginger, onions or shallots,
garlic, and oil (water, or wine). Grind together in a blender or with a mortar and pestle. Store the
berberé paste in a tightly-sealed container.

Starting with whole spices, the various nuts and seeds and dried red chile peppers, then pan-
roasting, grinding and mixing them will produce the most authentic berberé. However, perfectly
satisfactory results can be obtained using already-ground or powdered spices.

All the ingredients above are fairly easy to find here in Greenville (Fresh Market or Harris
Teeter), with the exception of the Fenugreek, which I don't think I have found here. I generally
make the wet version, with olive oil to make it into a paste.

Ethiopian Spiced Butter
(Niter Kibbeh)

From The Congo Cookbook: African Food Recipes: Traditional Cooking & Easy Everyday
Recipes from Africa, plus observations about African cuisine, culture, and food.
www.congocookbook.com, 12/20/2005, p. 111.

Ethiopia's Niter Kibbeh (Nit'ir Qibe) is a spiced clarified butter, something like India's ghee, but
flavored with spices. It is used in many Ethiopian dishes, for example, Doro Wat. It is usually
made in large quantities and kept on hand for daily use.

What you need

• one pound butter (unsalted), cut into pieces
• two cloves garlic, finely chopped
• one small piece of fresh ginger root, peeled and chopped (about two teaspoons
• one very small onion (a couple of tablespoons), very finely chopped
• one-half teaspoon ground turmeric
• one-half teaspoon ground cardamom
• one-eighth teaspoon ground nutmeg
• one-eighth teaspoon ground fenugreek
• one piece of cinnamon stick (half inch)
• one whole clove

What you do

• If possible the turmeric, cardamom, nutmeg, and fenugreek should be fresh ground from seed,
then toasted. If that is impractical, already-ground spices may be briefly toasted in a hot, dry
skillet.
• In heavy saucepan, heat the butter over moderate heat. Stir and turn the pieces so that they melt
evenly. Do not allow the melted butter to brown or bubble — lower heat if necessary.
• As soon as all of it is melted, increase the heat and quickly bring it to all to a bubbly butter boil.
A mass of small bubble will form on the top. Stir in the "wet" ingredients: the garlic, ginger, and
onion. Cook for a minute or two, then add the "dry" ingredients: the turmeric, cardamom,
cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, and fenugreek. Reduce heat to a very low simmer.
• Simmer on a very low heat for thirty minutes to an hour. Do not stir. The milk solids should
sink to the bottom of the pan. A clear butter liquid should float on top.
• Carefully strain the liquid through a clean cloth (cheesecloth). Repeat as necessary to obtain a
liquid that is clear and free of spices and milk solids.
• Pour the niter kebbeh into a clean jar with an airtight cover. Keep in the refrigerator and use as
needed. Niter Kebbeh will turn solid when chilled. Will keep for three months.

For the version we had, I didn't have the fenugreek...

The Caucasus

Layered Rice Pilaf with Dried Fruits & Chestnuts
(Parcha-Dosheme Plov (Fruit under rice)

Downloaded from AZ Cookbook: Food from Azerbaijan and Beyond:
http://www.azcookbook.com/layered-rice-pilaff-with-dried-fruits-chestnuts-parcha-dosheme-
plov/ (Some commentary and all images were deleted, in the interest of space).

Preparation time: 30 minutes (This took quite a bit longer than 30 minutes...)
Cooking time: 1 hour
Servings: 4 to 6

3 cups long-grain white Basmati rice (you can also use long-grain American rice)
4 tablespoons butter, melted
1 cup peeled chestnuts
½ cup pitted dried apricots (you can half them, too, if they are too big)
1 cup dried sour plums, pitted
½ cup pitted dates
½ cup golden raisins
1 ½ (700g) pounds skinless, boneless chicken cut into 2-inch (5cm) cubes
1 medium onion, peeled, cut in half lengthways, then thinly sliced in half-circles
1/3 teaspoon ground saffron threads, dissolved in 3 tablespoons hot water
salt
ground black pepper

1. Pick over the rice carefully, removing any stones or other extraneous particles. Place the rice
on a fine-mesh strainer or colander and wash thoroughly under lukewarm water until the water
runs clear (as close to clear as possible). The rinsing process removes the starch so that the rice
grains will remain separate after cooking.

2. Soak the rice in a large container filled with lukewarm water mixed with 1 tablespoon of salt.

3. While the rice is soaking, prepare fruits and chestnuts. In a medium frying pan, heat 2
tablespoons butter over medium heat. Add peeled chestnuts and stir-fry for about 3 minutes. Add
dried apricots, plums and dates and stir-fry for another 3 minutes. Add raisins (add them last
because they brown fast and can be easily burned) and stir-fry for 1 more minute. Remove from
heat.

4. In a large non-stick saucepan, combine 10 cups of water and 2 tablespoons salt. Bring to a
boil. Drain the soaked rice (do not rinse) and add it, in batches, to the pot. Boil for about 7 to 10
minutes, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, to prevent rice grains from sticking to the
bottom. Watch the rice closely so as not to overcook. The rice is ready once it surfaces to the top.
Try one grain to see if it’s ready - it must be barely done - not fully cooked and not too soft
(VERY IMPORTANT). Drain the rice in a large fine-mesh strainer or colander. Set aside.

5. Rinse the pot you boiled the rice in. Melt 1 tablespoon butter over medium heat. Tilt the pan to
distribute it evenly. Arrange meat in one l layer at the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle with ½
teaspoon salt and pepper, to taste. Follow with the layer of sliced onions. Simmer over medium
heat uncovered, without stirring, for about 3 minutes to let the flavors develop.

6. Place half of the rice in the pot over the onion. Arrange the dried fruits and chestnuts in one
layer on top of the rice. Pile the rest of the rice on top of the fruits, mounding the rice nicely in
the shape of a pyramid. Pour 1 tablespoon melted butter over rice.

7. Place a clean dishtowel or 2 layers of paper towel over the pot and cover firmly with a lid to
absorb the steam. Lift the corners of the towel over the lid to keep them from catching fire on the
burner!

8. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 30 minutes. Then open the lid and sprinkle the saffron
water on top of the rice.

9. Cover again and simmer for another 30 minutes. When ready, meat should be cooked and
lightly golden on the bottom. The onion will almost melt into the meat and will not be that
visible. Rice grains should be separate and fluffy, and not sticky.

10. When ready to serve, gently take 1 spatula full of rice, fruits and meat at a time, placing it on
the large serving platter.

In this one, I used almonds rather than chestnuts. 1) chestnuts are difficult to find and 2) I don't
like them :-) In what was served at Great Decisions, I used dates, dried cranberries, dried
cherries, yellow raisins, apricots, and slivered almonds.

Based on an online discussion of this recipe, I soaked the fruits in some warm water for about 15
minutes before cooking them in the butter. It softened them nicely.

Creamy chicken from Kabardino-Balkariya
(Gyadlibzhe)

From Ekaterina Mikhailovna Kalinina

6-8 servings

You will need:

Chicken legs and thighs (around 4.0 lb)
1 onion
2-3 tablespoons of butter
2 tablespoons of flour
1 cup of sour cream
Garlic salt
Black pepper

Boil chicken legs and thighs. In a separate pan sauté onion with butter, until onion gets soft. Add
flour and mix everything thoroughly to make sure that there are no lumps. Then, one by one add
3 ladles of the chicken broth from the pot where you are boiling the chicken. Make sure you mix
the souse very well. Finally, add sour cream, garlic salt, and pepper, mix, and add chicken
pieces. Enjoy!

Germany Ascendant
Warm German Potato Salad

Essentially, this was my grandma’s recipe. It had been a long, long time since I had made it, so I
went online and found one that was similar so I’d get the proportions right. The recipe I used for
reference was ―Authentic German Potato Salad,‖ from Allrecipes.com:
http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/authentic-german-potato-salad/Detail.aspx

Prep Time: 30 Min; Cook Time: 20 Min

       3 cups diced peeled potatoes
       4 slices bacon
       1 small onion, diced
       1/4 cup white vinegar
       2 tablespoons water
       3 tablespoons white sugar
       1 teaspoon salt
       1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
       1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

Place the potatoes into a pot, and fill with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, and cook for
about 10 minutes, or until easily pierced with a fork. Drain, and set aside to cool. Place the bacon
in a large deep skillet over medium-high heat. Fry until browned and crisp, turning as needed.
Remove from the pan and set aside. Add onion to the bacon grease, and cook over medium heat
until browned. Add the vinegar, water, sugar, salt and pepper to the pan. Bring to a boil, then add
the potatoes and parsley. Crumble in half of the bacon. Heat through, then transfer to a serving
dish. Crumble the remaining bacon over the top, and serve warm.

In a lot of ways, the dressing on the potatoes is the same as a hot vinegar dressing used for
wilted spinach salad that was also a family favorite. To make that, do everything above that
doesn’t have to do with the potatoes. Once you have mixed everything together and boiled it for
a minute or so, let it cool for a few minutes. While it is still quite hot, pour it over some fresh
spinach. Certainly takes something quite healthy (spinach) to a less healthy place, but it is
soooooo good.

Bread Pudding

From: Southern Living: 1995 Annual Recipes (Birmingham, AL, Book Division of Southern
Progress Corporation).

1/3 cup melted butter or margarine
24 slices bread or Panettone
3/4 cup or more of raisins and / or other dried fruit
1/2 cup pecans or almonds
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/2 cups sugar (Less if you are using the Panettone)
3 cups milk
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon apple pie spice
1 teaspoon vanilla

Pour butter into a 13x9x2 baking dish. Add bread pieces and sprinkle nuts and dried fruit over
the top. Set aside.

Combine eggs and sugar. Stir in milk and next 3 ingredients. Pour over bread mixture.

Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until golden. Let cool completely.

Rebuilding Haiti

Riz National

From: Everything Haiti.com http://www.everythinghaitian.com/eHaitianCuisine/Riz_National

2 cups              Long Grain Rice
1/2 cup             Dried Red Kidney Beans
3 cups              Water kidney beans was boiled in
1/4 lb              Salt Pork or Bacon
2                   Chicken bouillon cubes (Maggi)
1 1/2 Tsp           Salt
6-8                 Whole Cloves
1/4 Tsp             Ground Black Pepper
1/2 cup             Finely Diced White Onion
1/4 cup             Vegetable Oil
1 Whole             Habanero or Scotch Bonnet pepper (optional)
3 cloves            Garlic, peeled and crushed

Bring dried beans to boil in 8 cups of water. Cook until tender, but shape remains. Do not over
cook. Strain beans and put bean water aside. Sauté salt pork or bacon, spices, and beans in oil,
until beans are crispy. Add salt, cloves, and black pepper. Add 3 cups of bean water and heat to
boiling. Add rice, bouillon cubes, and hot pepper to boiling liquid. Once water has evaporated,
remove whole pepper and mix in 1 Tbsp of butter. Cover pot tightly and continue cooking on
low heat (approx. 20 minutes) until done.

I did not use salt pork or bacon in the dishes we served. One was vegetarian, the other had 1 lb
of ground chicken in it, added and cooked as indicated for the salt pork or bacon.

I did not use the habanero pepper in the recipe. I think they are too hot for serving to a group. I
have cooked with the, but never used them as indicated above, boiled whole. I had no idea how
much heat that would impart. (I have also seen recipes where you pierce the pepper with a knife
and then boil.) While it likely would have been more authentic, I did not want to risk making
something so hot people were uncomfortable or could not eat it.

Sweet-Potato Bread
(Gateau de Patate)

From the Time Life Series Foods of the World, Recipes: The Cooking of the Caribbean
Islands (pp. 108-109)

To make one 9-inch loaf

5 tablespoons butter, softened
2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into quarters
1 large ripe banana, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup dark corn syrup
1/2 cup milk
1/2cup evaporated milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg, preferably freshly grated
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup seedless raisins

Preheat the oven to 350°. With a pastry brush, spread 1 tablespoon of the softened butter over the
bottom and sides of a 9-by-5-by-3-inch loaf pan.

Drop the sweet potatoes into enough lightly salted boiling water to cover them completely and
cook briskly until they are soft. Drain the potatoes thoroughly, then force the potatoes and banana
through a ricer or food mill set over a deep bowl.

Beat in the remaining 4 tablespoons of softened butter, add the eggs, and mix well. Add the
sugar, corn syrup, milk, evaporated milk, vanilla, nutmeg, cinnamon and raisins, and beat until
the batter is well blended. Then pour it into the prepared pan.

Bake in the middle of the oven for 1 1/2 hours, or until a cake tester or toothpick inserted in the
center comes out clean and the top is golden brown. Let the cake cool in the pan for about 5
minutes, then turn it out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Gateau de patate has a somewhat pudding-like texture. Traditionally it is sliced and served as a
dessert or with tea. You may if you like accompany the cake with whipped cream, sweetened and
flavored with vanilla or rum or coquimol

African (Recipe for Meatballs from 2010 Season)

Cape Curry Powder

Dave DeWitt and Arthur Pais, A World of Curries: From Bombay to Bangkok, Java to Jamiaca,
Exciting Cookery Featuring Fresh and Exotic Spices (New York: Little, Brown and Company,
1994), p. 179.

1 tbs whole cloves
2 tbs whole black peppercorns
1/2 cup coriander seeds
3 tbs cumin seeds
1 tbs fennel seeds
1 tbs mustard seeds
3 small dried hot chilies
1/4 cup ground cardamom
1/4 cup ground turmeric
3 tbs ground fenugreek
1 tbs ground ginger

In a dry skillet, toast separately the cloves, peppercorns, and the coriander, cumin, fennel and
mustard seeds over medium heat, taking care not to burn them. They will be very fragrant and
the mustard seeds may start popping when they are toasted enough.

Combine the toasted ingredients with the other ingredients in a spice grinder and grind to a fine
powder. Store in an airtight container.

Most ingredients for this can be bought at Fresh Market or Harris Teeter. I use this powder
anytime I want a nice curry. I'll cook onions, spinach, garlic and chickens, add some chicken
broth and then put in some curry powder. Sour cream is nice too if you want a creamy curry.

Frikkadel Curry
(South African curried meatballs)

Dave DeWitt and Arthur Pais, A World of Curries: From Bombay to Bangkok, Java to Jamiaca,
Exciting Cookery Featuring Fresh and Exotic Spices (New York: Little, Brown and Company,
1994), p. 185.

A frikkadel is a curried meatball that, in this case, is recurried in a sauce. It is usually served
with white rice in South Africa. The heat of the curry is cut by the yogurt, so feel free to add
more curry powder or chilies or want a spicier result.

1 lb ground sirloin
1 tsp fresh pepper
1 tsp salt
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1 egg, slightly beaten
2 Tbs vegetable oil
2 onions, sliced thin
1 large tomato, diced
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 Tbs Cape Curry Powder (above)
2 small hot green chilies
2 bay leaves
1/2 cup water
1 cup plain yogurt

Combine the steak, peppercorns, salt, garlic, cinnamon, nutmeg, and egg, and mix well. Form
the mixture into balls about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Set aside.

Heat the oil in a large skillet and saute the onions until golden, about 10 minutes. Add all the
remaining ingredients except the yogurt and cook, covered, over medium heat for 15 minutes.

Add the frikkadels and cook, covered, over medium heat for 15 minutes, stirring once, Add the
yogurt and cook, uncovered, over low heat for 15 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove the bay
leaves before serving.

Russia

Last, but not least, a treat we get to enjoy whenever Russia is on the agenda, though it was not
this year:

Borscht

For those who have been with us for a while, you will be thrilled to see this recipe included. On
several occasions, the lovely Elena Murenina has graciously prepared Borscht for us. Of course,
she doesn’t use a recipe! Below are her instructions for preparing a true, Russian Borscht as told
to me. You will note that, as with any traditional recipe that’s handed down and perfected, the
measurements are sometimes vague! Also, in the tendency of truly great, handed down home
cooking, she’s left out some secret ingredients, but feels this process will still make a lovely
Borscht.

She informed me that it is impossible to cook good Borscht on an electric stove, as you cannot
sufficiently control the heat under the pots. One of your goals in making a great Borscht is to
maintain its beautiful color and not have everything, especially the beets, turn gray.

You will need a roasting pan and a VERY large stock pot. In one you will be roasting the
vegetables, while in the other you will be making the broth.

Make the broth

In the stock pot, you will put about 1-2 pounds of pork and about 1 pound of beef, preferably
with some bones. Put 4-5 liters of water (for 10-12 servings) in with this and cook with some
onion, about ¾ Tablespoons of salt, and some black pepper. As it comes to a boil, skim off the
foam / fat that will rise to the top. Cook over low-medium low heat for 2 to 2.5 hours.

Roast the vegetables

At the same time, you roast vegetables. The order that you add the vegetables is important.
You should roast them in butter or olive oil (I imagine a bit of both would not hurt.) Elena uses
butter, but knows that Americans tend toward the olive oil. Roast 2 onions that have been sliced
kind of large. Add some red paprika to make them a golden color when they are caramelized.
From this point, you will be adding a component about every 5 minutes. Add 2 regular sized
carrots that have been shredded. Then one chopped green or red bell pepper (red is better,
according to Elena). This is followed by some garlic cloves, which have been halved, quartered
or otherwise roughly dealt with. Then you add some tomato paste or fresh tomatoes, with the
fresh being better than the paste. This will take 20 minutes or so. When this phase is done, the
roasted vegetables will be golden and aromatic.

At this point, you will add a component to help keep the color to the roasted vegetables. Elena
listed many things you could add here…a couple of spoons of red vinegar (though this is perhaps
not the best)…a cup of fresh red berries (not strawberries, but maybe red currants or something

with a nice acidity to it)…some jam…black currants…or some raisins or cranberries. If you are
using dried fruit, you have to use some vinegar as well…You may also have to add ½ of a
tablespoon of sugar over the beets if you are using the dried berries

Takes 30-40 minutes with the vegetables.

Chop fresh beets into a large julienne…though, not matchsticks. Maybe 1-2 inch long sticks of
about ½ inch or ¼ inch square. …so, maybe .5‖ by .5‖ by 1.5‖ long… Cook the beets on a very
low fire so they don’t lose their color. You will add them to the roasted vegetables along with a
few large spoonfuls of the broth and cover the roasting pan to steam the beets slowly.

Once the meat is done, you can remove the bones if you want. In Russia, the men in particular
like to see the bones left in and it’s seen as positive to have one in one’s bowl. Elena feels this
goes against American sensibilities, so removes them when she cooks for Great Decisions. 

Add 3 or 4 cubed potatoes and ½ of a head of cabbage that has been cut into long, thin strips to
the meat and stock. Cook the potatoes and cabbage in the stock for 10-15 minutes.

Now, you can add the roasted vegetables and beets to the stock and meat.

Two very important things at this point: 1) You must bring the soup to a boil and 2) you mustn’t
boil it for too long! If you boil it for too long, you will turn it gray. So, bring it to a boil, but boil
it for less than ½ of a minute and then turn the temperature down to its lowest setting. This is
one area where the electric range would be a problem, as the temperature takes too long to drop.
If you are stuck with it, I imagine you could move the pot from the burner on which you boiled it
to another that was set on the lowest temperature.

Cook on lowest temperature for 20-25 minutes. Add some bay leaf.

The best way to do this is to cook it the previous night and, after it’s done cooking, just let it sit
without heat…but not in the fridge…and just be warm. Give it at least one hour to be hot before
you serve it, if you must serve on the same night…but it’s better if you wait until the next day.

Elena tops each bowl with a dollop of sour cream before serving…and accompanies with good
bread with butter.