Another Borshch marathon

I made Borshch again and I made my family happy.

Over the years, I've translated our family Borshch recipe. I've posted it. I've used it to illustrate lectures in my folklore course. I've ranted about it. And of course, I've cooked it innumerable times.

My own recipe has at least 4 variations.

It's the quintessential recipe of the Russian cook. However faithfully you follow your teacher's instructions (whoever your teacher may be -- grandmother, mother, aunt, cousin, friend, even cookbook) it will never taste the same as the original. It's one of those country recipes that take on the spirit of the cook and reflect the cook's qualities in the flavor and the body.

Don't ask me what it means. Taste someone's Borshch and learn from them, and then try to duplicate it. Right away, it will be Borshch (not borsht), but it will be yours, not the original.

Why? I don't know.

Maybe because chopping the onions into 3mm chunks instead of 4mm chunks makes a difference. Or not. Because I've substituted potatoes for beans and back again, depending on my mood and what was in the pantry -- and it was still MY Borshch (not borsht), unmistakably, and I choose the meat according to what looks best in the meat department, not by name or price. It's usually a roast, though.

This is the magic of traditional recipes.

They're fluid, none any more right than others, but some are still "righter" than others.

No, I'm not posting the recipe here. Maybe, once I finally (SIGH) solve my site issues the recipe will appear there once again (shortly, so be on the lookout), but I won't leave it on my blog.

It's MINE. MINE, I'm telling you.

I'd rather feed you than tell you. I'd rather teach you and show you, than tell you and leave it to languish in the archives of a blog.

A traditional recipe is a living thing.

Merry Christmas

The cookies are baked (and munched on), the presents are open (and giggled over), and the weather is sunny and cold. It's Christmas, and all is quiet (except the kids, busy playing video games and making a lot of sound effects of their own).

Happy Holidays and Peace to all!

I've been invited to guest blog!

Delilah Devlin is off on a cruise, the lucky woman! Unlike this scatterbrained writer, she never abandons her readers (of course her children are grown and they don't need snacks and referees), so she's set up guest bloggers to fill the space.

That works out just fine for me, because when I promise a friend I'll write something, I kind of feel obligated to do it... And then I post on MY blog as well. It all works just fine.

So tomorrow, December 15, I'll be at Delilah Devlin's blog talking about a fascinating aspect of her writing you probably didn't notice. Mind you, she's a great storyteller, so you shouldn't notice, but hey, folk tales and legends are my thing, so...

And while you're there, check out the post by her other guests.

Weekend News

It was a good weekend. I accomplished what I set out to do with my current project, and I did a lot of the web work for my husband that he's been begging for. More on this later.

But the real highlight was the SARA (San Antonio Romance Authors) booksigning at B&N. For one thing, I brought Daughter #2 because one of our members is Tara West, and I knew my kid would love her book. I was right, Sonia devoured it, and can't wait for the sequel. She also got a kick out of meeting real authors who are "mom's friends". And to hold a book she bought in a store whose author she knew personally and about whom she knew a lot, too.

Well, I got to hang out with friends, and read their books (I shouldn't have, I meant to keep them as treats, but I couldn't resist). I love to hear their voices tell me their stories -- sometimes it's like sitting in a cozy living room listening to gossip (oh my, what gossip), and sometimes, it's a completely different persona taking over the storytelling.

Never a dull moment.