To Eat At Someone Else's Table: Tanya's Borscht
My tenth guest of To Eat at Someone Else’s Table is Tanya Sichynsky! I met Tanya about two years ago while we were both newly-ish navigating the DC food scene. At the time, I was still in my early phases of my blog and private chef business and she was running a newsletter where she shared a new recipe each edition (you’ll learn more about that in her interview). Now, Tanya is a senior staff editor for one of the most popular food publications - New York Times Cooking! Needless to say, Tanya is one to watch and I’m humbled to have had the chance to interview her and share her story and her great-grandmother’s Borsht recipe with you.
Learn more about Tanya, her connection to food, and her Baba’s Borscht in her interview below!
Interview with Tanya
Tell us about yourself!
“I’m Tanya! I recently got a new job: I’m a senior staff editor at New York Times Cooking, as of last month. It’s a bit of a dream gig, I’ll admit. About three years ago, I was kicking around the idea of starting a cooking newsletter after a few friends had encouraged me to channel the energy I was putting toward posting food photos on Instagram toward something a bit more … tangible. I took their advice and set out to write 25 newsletters -- complete with 25 recipes -- leading up to my 25th birthday. I cannot stress this enough: I had no idea what I was doing. I learned a lot about myself, about writing recipes and about newsletters while working on Quarter Cup Crisis (RIP). Not only was that little newsletter an exercise in self-discovery, but it also opened a number of professional doors. I can say with absolute certainty that I would not have the job I have today had I not challenged myself to start that project. But enough about work. While I love to cook, I have a smattering of other hobbies, too. I’ve really leaned into interior design with all this time at home. I love to take on renter-friendly DIYs, hunt for one-of-a-kind vintage furniture and decor, and create a space I don’t just have to be in all the time, but want to be in. I’ve been living in D.C. for six years, but this is my first solo place, and I’ve really loved exploring my sense of personal style and curating a home that feels uniquely me.”
Tell us about this dish. What is it & where do its origins lay?
“My mom is Cuban and my dad is Ukrainian. Growing up, that could mean eating bistec de palomilla for dinner and cheese blintzes for dessert. Christmas Eve dinner was always especially Ukrainian, complete with borscht and a variety of varenyky (aka pierogi). Borscht (or borsch) is a soup typically made with beets, cabbage, potatoes -- you get the gist. Its sanguine color is as eye-catching as the soup is hearty, and while there’s some debate about its origins, I am squarely in the “it’s Ukrainian” camp. There is nothing more Ukrainian than borscht.”
Do you have a special memory associated with this dish? Why is this dish special to you?
“When my paternal grandmother was still alive, the same linguistic debate would creep up between Christmas Eve dishes: varenyky or pierogi? Everyone looked forward to the dumpling course, with its deeply caramelized onions and heaping spoonfuls of sour cream served on the side, but I was always partial to our soup starter. I’d smear an ungodly amount of butter onto a slice of pumpernickel and dunk it into my bowl, and follow that with bites of tender short rib, which were non-negotiable in our family’s borscht recipe. I didn’t think much of these exchanges or these dishes growing up until after my Busia passed and I left home. This past fall especially, as the days grew shorter and the pandemic guaranteed a bleak winter, I found myself craving it. For the first time in my life, I ate it on a day other than Christmas Eve: Halloween. It was the first time I’d even bothered to make it myself. And then I made it again. And again. When I didn’t go home for Christmas this year, it was comforting to know that I could conjure up those flavors, and the memories that come with them, in my own little kitchen.”
What inspires you to cook and/or bake?
“I’d be lying if I said I haven’t hit a wall when it comes to cooking this year. Inspiration can be hard to find, and I’m getting more comfortable admitting that. But it can strike in a number of ways: I see an item at the grocery store I’m unfamiliar with, and then I find myself in a recipe rabbit hole; I order some downright delicious takeout and insist on recreating it at home; someone I admire publishes a recipe so creative and craveable that I catch myself running out to the store to make it that night. I think the throughline is always curiosity. What can I learn from a dish? Why does this recipe work? How can I make this my own? When motivation is in short supply, that little spark can go a long way.”
What’s your favorite spice to cook with and why?
“This is a loaded question, so I am going to cheat! I love spices like cinnamon and cumin that warm from the inside out. Cumin is absolutely essential if you’re cooking Cuban food. But I need to show some love to a truly unsung hero: black pepper. Everyone always jokes about tripling the amount of garlic in a recipe, but that’s my approach to black pepper (always, always freshly cracked). Especially when it comes to soups and salads, catch me unapologetically grinding an ungodly amount of the stuff on top.”
Why are you passionate about cooking?
“Cooking really is the ultimate creative outlet. Name another art form that allows the creator to eat its creation! Better yet, I can create for the people I love most and immediately satisfy a need of theirs, which might be the most gratifying outcome of all. I am a very touchy-feely person, but not everyone vibes with that level of affection. So for me, there is no more effective way to show someone I care about them deeply than to cook for them. I am also an entertainer at heart. Funny thing is, I cannot sing or dance or play an instrument. What I can do is host, and there is really no more fitting way to combine my need for creative expression with my desire to care for others than with an over-the-top dinner party -- whenever the world allows for those again.”
Tanya’s Baba’s Borscht
Recipe Notes:
Serves 6 to 8
Time: About 2 hours 45 minutes
This is a pretty hands-off recipe, so don’t be intimidated by the cook time. It was my great-grandmother’s, and I’ve done little to alter it beyond cutting it in half and searing the short ribs before they simmer for an hour and some change. Sure, I could fuss with it some more and incorporate fresh beets, but you know what they say: If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
This soup is fantastic straight from the pot, but it is even better the next day. It also freezes well for those cooking for one or two. If you’re feeding a group, feel free to shred the meat before serving to ensure everyone gets some. Since I’m normally cooking for one, I’ll just plop a chunk of short rib in one serving, then go “meatless” in another.
Ingredients:
2 to 2 ½ pounds bone-in beef short ribs
Kosher salt
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 bay leaf
1 small yellow onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, smashed
1 green bell pepper, diced
2 large carrots, sliced into ¼-inch rounds
1 medium Yukon Gold potato, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes (about 1 pound)
½ head medium green cabbage (about 12 ounces), sliced into thick strips
½ cup chopped dill, plus more for serving
2 14-ounce cans cut beets and their liquid
1 6-ounce can tomato paste
Sour cream, for serving
Directions:
Generously season the short ribs with salt. In a large pot (one that holds at least six quarts, to be safe), heat the oil over medium-high and sear the short ribs on all sides until a deeply browned crust has formed, about 10 to 12 minutes total.
Remove from heat and carefully pour the rendered fat into a small bowl to discard or save for another use. Add 8 cups of water and the bay leaf to the pot with the seared short ribs and return to heat. Bring everything to a boil, then skim off any foam that rises to the surface. Drop the heat to low and simmer, covered, until the meat is fork tender, but not completely falling apart, about 1 ½ hours.
Discard 1 cup of the braising liquid (you can carefully do this using a glass measuring cup with a handle) and any rib bones that have separated from the meat. Add the onion, garlic, green pepper and salt to taste, then cover and continue cooking for 15 minutes.
Add the carrots and potatoes, then cover and cook for 5 minutes. At this point, the vegetables should still be firm -- you don’t want to overcook them.
Add the cabbage and ½ cup dill, cover and cook just until the cabbage is tender and the potatoes can be pierced with a fork, but don’t fall apart, about 10 minutes.
Stir in the tomato paste, then carefully pour in the beets and their liquid. Stir and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and cook 5 minutes more.
Serve with plop of sour cream, a mess of fresh dill and more black pepper on top.