This beet salad is a Soviet cuisine staple
Vinegret + reflections on immigration 💜
Hi friends,
Today I’m taking a break from Meal Prep Month (see recipe 1 + recipe 2 from the series) to share a very special dish.
September marks 24 years since my family and I immigrated from Ukraine to the States (Brooklyn, to be exact). So, I thought I’d honor the anniversary with vinegret, the classic Soviet beet salad.
I remember the day of our arrival well. Stepping out onto the sidewalk at JFK. Learning the definition of humidity. Meeting my dad’s twin brother and his wife for the first time. Entering the 1-bedroom apartment - a few blocks from Marine Park - they so graciously rented and prepared for us.
For me, a nine-year-old, immigration felt relatively simple at the time. (Although, I was staunchly disappointed that our neighborhood was nothing like what I expected from America. i.e. what I saw on Beverly Hills 90210 and The Parent Trap.)
Things became much more un-simple as I got older - particularly in my college and internship years - and started feeling more and more like a guest. Do I really belong in these places? Am I allowed to take up this space? Questions that still course through my mind regularly.
These days, because of the war, I find myself feeling a bit guilty as well. Why did I get to leave and experience an alternative life, and other people didn’t? Admittedly, some of the guilt is also around losing touch with Ukrainian culture, particularly because it’s now in danger.
Something that will always stick with me, though, is our food. It’s a cliché for a reason: food is an accessible way to remember where you come from.
If Ukrainian food is new to you, vinegret salad is a great place to start because it calls for just a handful of ingredients and doesn’t require any fancy techniques…
P.S. Wanna bookmark this recipe for later? Save it on Pinterest.