It’s Back!
Guess what Kristen? Yep. It’s that time of year again.
Just in time for warming you up in the midst of your Christmas shopping, or for a post-Hanunkah treat, one of my Five Foods To Eat Before You Die, Veselka’s Christmas Borscht has returned!
I had it yesterday night for dinner, and it’s as good as ever, but…
I’m now uncertain as to whether it’s the best clear borscht with uzka available in the five boroughs. I think the stuff, available year round at our neighborhood joint Polonica, just might be better.
So you know what that means. There’s only one way to settle this.
Kristen said,
December 9, 2007 @ 9:10 pm
So, here I am, Sunday night, half-heartedly writing a paper on Samuel Pepys and I got an email, letting me know I had a pingback on one of my posts. I read as far as the URL and I actually squealed with glee.
I’m goin’ tomorrow!
Susan in Italy said,
December 10, 2007 @ 7:31 am
Had borscht once at a Ukranian friend’s house. I was surprised that it had all kinds of vegetables in it and meat as well. Is that standard or is borscht more of a family of soups than a single recipe? The thing on your spoon looks like a pink-dyed ravioli or maybe a mini space alien. Can’t be sure from here.
ann said,
December 10, 2007 @ 9:27 am
Yay Kristen! Always glad to help people out of their Pepys-induced funks! Hope you love it!
Susan — There’s a whole world of borschts. Traditional meat-based borscht can have a lot of veggies in it; beets, of course, but cabbage, carrots, and other root vege too. They can be hard to spot since everything’s dyed inky beety purple, but they’re there. This type of borscht, often referred to as Ukranian Borscht (Barszcz Ukrainski) is usually very thick and makes a warming winter dinner.
White Borscht (Barszcz Zabielany) is made with a “starter” called Zurek that you can make yourself by letting a piece of Rye Bread ferment, or you can just buy it in a bottle at your local Polish deli. White borscht is in fact white and is full of delicious chunks of kielbasa, pickles and boiled egg. It’s often served with mashed potatoes on the side to dip into the sour broth. I *heart* white borscht.
Finally (at least for this comment which is beginning to run over long), there is Clear Borscht (Barszcz Czysty), which is made from beets, but is clear and not so chunky. At it’s best, clear borscht has little dumplings filled with mushrooms called uzka or uzkami floating around in the broth which is scented with vinegar and garlic. At Veselka this borscht is meatless (I think) for the time before Christmas when Catholic Poles and Ukranians keep a meatless diet. It is crazy delicious and one of my favorite things to eat in the entire world, especially when dusted with a little dill. Yum!
There’s also cold borscht, but since it’s the wrong season, we’ll leave that ’til summer.
Ann said,
December 10, 2007 @ 11:38 am
Mmmm… now I really want some, dammit. I guess I’ll have to wander off to Greenpoint in the next few days.
Julie said,
December 10, 2007 @ 1:02 pm
How long does this stuff stay around? I want to make the trek to taste it. (Nice little borscht essay too!)
Kristen said,
December 11, 2007 @ 10:50 am
I would like to follow up with the fact that about two hours after I posted that comment, I made my husband stop at Velselka on his way home and bring some home.
Eating Christmas borscht in bed at 1am… why would I ever want to live anywhere else?
Brooklynguy said,
December 11, 2007 @ 7:37 pm
as a big brooklyn borscht fan, i must weigh in before the results of the de-beet are released. i would not for a moment knock Veselka. but i would say that there are many places that offer more distinctive borscht (and other eastern european food in general). as a centrally located hip late night inexpensive artistic place - Veselka rocks. But I cannot believe that someone whose culinary tastes are as erudite as your own, Ann, would conclude that Veselka is the NYC place for borscht.
Glad you’re comparing to Polonica. I bet you’ve explored Nassau street in Greenpoint too, right? Right? RIGHT? One of my favorite soup spots in Greenpoint is called “Pyza” on Nassau street, a laborer’s lunch joint. Although it is their white borscht that is so earth shattering (and the pig’s knuckle and the veal chop, and the….), the regular borscht is also wonderful, and you can basically make your own by choosing from all of the different toppings. and we’re talking about $3.95 here.
Clumsy said,
December 11, 2007 @ 8:25 pm
I’ve never had borscht, and have been wary about making it myself since I’ll have nothing to base what it should taste like from… though maybe that would be a good thing.
ann said,
December 11, 2007 @ 10:23 pm
Julie — I’ll ask them this weekend and let you know. I’d love to meet up with you for a bowl of soup! Let me know when you have a weekend that you could make it up. I’d be willing to organize a holiday get together!
Kristen — JEALOUS! oh my god, so jealous! Christmas borscht in bed? Sublime.
Ah, Brooklynguy… I have shame, so much shame… I have never been to Greenpoint for borscht. It’s on my list though. On a nice weekend day, Isaac and I are planning to walk the length of Bedford, ending in Greenpoint. That said… It was Veselka that reunited me with my Borscht-loving heritage.
I hadn’t had borscht in over ten years before I had it there. Both my grandmothers had stopped cooking years before I discovered them. I now know that there are better borscht places in the five boroughs, but for a gateway borscht, it’s pretty damn good.
(finally, I think we may need to have a Brooklyn v. Brooklyn white borscht-off, Polonica’s is pretty damned exceptional)
Clumsy — Hie thee to Veselka (or uhm, not to Veselka but to your nearest Polish/Ukranian joint) and have some borscht woman! It’s delicious, and good for you, and then you can make your own and know what its all about… Or if not, come visit NYC and we’ll show you some good borscht.
Brooklynguy said,
December 12, 2007 @ 10:17 am
I can’t wait to read your reaction to food-ing in Greenpoint. You’re going to be a kid in one huge Polish candy store.