Sunday, September 24, 2006

Borscht first, then perogies


Michael and I made borscht last night! While I've promised my Baba that I'll make perogies one day, I decided to start with borscht (an easier project) to get the ball rolling. Also, we had some of Baba's borscht when we were home this summer and it was so good we needed to have it again. I got the recipe for this deli-style borscht out of the Joy of Cooking and it tasted just like Baba's. And it was easy to make - the only thing that took a long time was cutting up the beets.
Ananda brought us flowers in exchange for soup. A good deal all around.


I also got a wonderful new haircut from a wonderful new hairdresser. Robyn said it may be the best haircut I've ever had and I think I may agree - I feel like a new woman.


Here's a shot from the back, because that's the most significant change:


All in all, a successful weekend thanks to satisfying food and less hair. Honourable mentions go to excellent fall weather, improving health, hot toddies and fun times with gracious hosts Sarah and Galen.

12 comments:

Lydia said...

I love beets! I want to make that now. It's hard to see your haircut because it's so dark, so I will just trust you that it's awesome.

robyn. said...

it truly is the best hair i've ever seen erin have....not that her hair isn't always great, but this new do is particularily fabulous.

the joy of cooking is the only cook book i don't seem to have, you should blog the recipe for all to enjoy.

Anonymous said...

Love borscht. But does it turn you pee red and make it smell funny?

And I love the new hair. As Robyn said though, your hair always looks great. I just got a haircut last night. My most masculine yet. I'll send you a full frontal shot to your personal email.

Anonymous said...

Who is the hair dresser!?!
It looks great and I need a new hair dresser.
Did you boil the beets first and then peel them or peel them cold? I've heard conflicting point of view on which technique is better.

Erin Riley said...

so the borscht was basically 3 cups of chicken stock, one carrot, and three beets peeled cold and cut up real small. it all boiled for 10 - 15 minutes. then we added lemon juice. we topped it with dill and sour cream.

i heard no reports of red pee.

sarah m recommended the hair dresser -
karen at licorice (in the same building as bernard's chocolates). i also highly recommend her. obviously.

Anonymous said...

Speaking from experience, you have to eat about 15-20 beets before you risk red pee. And even then, you're looking at more of a pale pink.

Thanks for the recipe outline, Erin! I love borscht (obviously?) and any type of "just like Baba's" certification is a significant credential.

Anonymous said...

So, if the recipe calls for 3 beets, that means Sarah ate roughly 5-7 giant pots of borscht. In one sitting. Well done!

Anonymous said...

I only wish I could eat that much borscht, Imtiaz. The incident with the pee involved my personal kryptonite, pickled beets. Even the shitty pickled beets at the Pacific Buffet on the ferry can destroy my capacity for rational eating.

brie said...

Erin!

I'm island bound for the weekend. I was thinking of heading into Victoria on Saturday or Sunday, but I'm not sure which one for sure. Wanna get together and compare hair cuts?

Anonymous said...

A buffet on a ferry? I wouldn't touch it no matter what kind of kryptonite they were serving. Anyway, back to the pee... I had a few beets last night and have no urinary anomalies to report. However, the beets were accompanied by lots of beer and a kangaroo steak, so perhaps that had something to do with counteracting the ill effects of the crimson vegetable.

Erin Riley said...

Brie - yes, let us meet up this weekend.

Imti - the ferry buffet is a dream for a million reasons. Maybe I'll write a post about it one day because I'm too tired to wax poetic right now.

Everyone - an anonymous source tells me that beets can turn other bodily waste red. Beware!

Lydia said...

I and several other people I know have experienced the red beet pee. I don't know why all you other peoples are anomalies.

I made the soup today, and when it was done, I used my immersion blender to make it look like more than boiled beets. It was divine. The lemon juice is so on!