Khvorost for Fred

He was the only one in my extended family who ate my okroshka the right way, and with enjoyment.

Fred was my brother-in-law, the husband of my sister-in-law. We met many moons ago, when I had just come to this country and moved into Daniel’s house. Thirteen years ago, I married Daniel and became part of the family. I was surprised by how well I was accepted. There was no judgment or prejudice. I felt at home, and I was always happy to see my new family at gatherings.

Joanne and Fred, and me

Joanne and Fred

I always tried to make something Russian for my extended family, just to introduce them to some of our dishes. Once, for a family party, I baked khvorost. Fred called it “frost.” He was surprised, because these were the same cookies his Polish grandmother used to bake for him years ago. So I, a Russian, surprised Fred, an Polish American, with a taste from his childhood.

Fred and I did not talk much. We came from different countries, and we were different in age. But khvorost gave us something in common: a shared history from different countries and generations. Since that party, I have baked those cookies for every gathering where Fred would be. I became very good at it.

Now that he has gone to a better life after this one, I am still going to bake them, in his memory. Every time I do, I will think of him.

If you would like to bake khvorost in Fred’s memory, my recipe is here: https://liankacreations.blogspot.com/2024/12/khvorost-recipe.html

P.S. To tell the truth, I did not offer okroshka to many people in my extended family. Why? I already knew that this Russian cold soup is difficult to understand. Plus, how many of you know what kvas is? It is the liquid part of okroshka. But Fred ate it, and he enjoyed it.

Comments

Four days and Three nights of Vacation in Vermont

I love going on vacation, but I love coming back even more. I'll tell you about the most remarkable activities for me. I will try briefly… We spent one night out of 3 in a tent. (We actually planned to have 2 nights in a tent, but the weather decided for us). We visited Sugarbush Farm and Billings Farm & Museum, stopped at a store selling sheds and cottages, looked at the cider production process (Woods cider Mill), met with a representative of the company that will drill a well on our site, and asked questions to city officials. And, of course, we admired the beauty of the season. It’s a pity that we couldn’t stop on the highway for photography. At this time of the year, tourists travel to Vermont and New Hampshire specifically to admire the foliage. Daniel heard about the town of Woodstock even before the vacation. Therefore, we began to look for sights that can be seen there. As the first attraction, Google gave us The Sugarbush Farm. Google says: “ Rural...

Old New Year

Do you know what day is today (Jan 13)? Russians celebrate the Old New Year on the night of January 13-14. How did it happen that Russians celebrate the New Year twice? Simply by adopting a different calendar. Of course, it was not really simple, but after the October Revolution (1917), the Bolsheviks switched from the Julian calendar to Gregorian one. Because of this, all the dates moved 13 days ahead. The year 1919 began on January 1st but in accordance with the new Gregorian calendar. The Julian calendar was 2 weeks behind the Gregorian one, as a result of which the celebration of the new year was postponed from January 14th to January 1st. The Old New year isn't an official holiday. There are definitely no people who would remember the old calendar. Russians, by definition, like to celebrate holidays. The more reasons to celebrate, the better. The Old New Year is usually less festive. There may be no more gifts under the tree. Many Russians will wait until t...

From May Snow to Summer Mosquitoes: A Tale of Two Cities

May 22, and it is snowing in Tomsk. You could say "still" or "again"—both would sound right. And yet, the cool May weather hasn't slowed down the mosquitoes. According to a report by RIA Tomsk, cold weather doesn't kill off the larvae of these blood-sucking insects. The early-spring species have already taken flight "to hunt," and a mass emergence is expected by late May when warmer weather finally arrives. I wish I could say that we don't have mosquito problems here, but we do. I think a lot of it depends on neighbors who keep containers or pools of stagnant water in their backyards, where mosquitoes happily breed and multiply. My husband already got his first bite of the season. Let’s hope for the best this summer. For now, though, Tomichi (Tomsk citizens) aren't too worried about mosquitoes; their real problem, now and always, is ticks. Tomsk had a few warm days earlier this spring, and the ticks became active immediately. Every sprin...

Liankacreations

Search This Blog