January kick off

What an interesting month!

The Russian Christmas party went well - lots of friends

and food, I looked down the stairs at one point and couldn't believe the number of people all in my home. Normally I rattle around in here like a dried pea but this was something else. It was wonderful. I had worried about not having enough food, about not getting to speak to everyone I wanted to, about some folks not getting along and about my dogs eating too many 'dropped' bits - all the normal things pre-party.

This is the shoe pile by the front door. Trixie was checking it out for potential treats or bricks of cheese.

Instead, I had Marnie, Jenn, Patrick, and Deena all helping me out in the kitchen. I can't tell you how much they helped.

Jenn has a touch for dough - the vereniki were perfect and I'm sure the legions of babushki were

satisfied and telling each other that Ukrainian

is good enough.

Marnie filled each round, a Chic assembly line as it were.

Deena took the reins for the borscht - she's had my Uncle's borscht years ago and knows what Doukoborscht tastes like. And Patrick was everywhere, mostly cleaning and tidying because he's afraid of me when I'm in the kitchen :)

Once again, Trixie is all about the cheese.

At some point, I realized that I had whatever food I had, and that the rest of it didn't matter.

We took a break, ate some vereniki fresh from the pot with melted butter like we did when I was little, we talked about everything and nothing while we cooked and it was beautiful.

In the kitchen, we talk about those times when it all just falls into place and everyone is just moving like a dance or a play, where it comes together like a song. We had flow that day, people. We had flow.

Then the guests started arriving. The out of towners first - which was perfect as I hadn't seen them all day. Family next - also perfect. I love my family, I'm sure you know that. I get as excited as a kid before Christmas when I'm going to see them, I kid you not. Then my friends.

Friends from every stage of my life in Toronto, people who have witnessed the best

and worst of me and seen me change and lose hair and gain pounds and helped me move and everything else. I must be doing something right.

I'll post the recipes shortly - they (mostly) worked, although we did get creative at a few points!

If you made it to the dinner - thank you for coming!!

If you couldn't, I hope to see you next year!

Thank you.

Back in the kitchen

Over a year since I posted - Wow. Sorry!

Well, 2009 was a busy year, and a good one. I'll probably do a year in review post later, but for now I'm more focussed on the upcoming Russian Christmas party!

VERY EXCITED. And a little stressed. Will people come? Will there be enough food? Will Trixie freak out on my amazing brother and his amazing girlfriend? Will I be a maniac and make Patrick stomp his feet? Will I ever get the smell of butter and onions out of the floorboards/walls/clothes? Hosting a party can be hard.

But I kinda love it. I'll be making many traditional Doukhobor dishes again this year - lapshevnik, borscht, vereniki, nalyesniki, pyrahi, ploh, etc. But this year I'm going to try something old but new, if that makes any sense.

Among the things I received when my father passed away were some recipes. His, my fabulous stepmother's, my grandmother's. I've got a little metal box filled with weathered and smudgy recipe cards, almost all in my Grandmother's careful hand, covering a whole range of things to eat and drink. There are some recipes she snipped out of the paper or from a package, there are recipes she got from friends and family, and there are many many many of hers.

All of them talk to me. I can hear her voice and that of my Auntie, I can smell the dough rising and picture the faces of the people she references in the recipes. I can also hear my Dad, Grandpa and Uncle - three men who sure knew a good meal when it was put in front of them. It hurts a little, there is so much I wish that I would have said or done. But it's wonderful at the same time, and I wouldn't trade it.

Anyhow, I'm going to use some of the recipes in the box instead of my own ones this year. Ann Rilkoff, Dorothy Popoff, Ann Lebedoff and Anne Plotnikoff will all be showcased. I'm loving Grandma's little notes "Delicious!" or "Peter likes this" - that's my grandfather. The only problem is that she assumes a level of knowledge that isn't necessarily there. One recipe for lapshai lists the ingredients and then says "Mix in the usual way". I'm sure when she jotted it down that she didn't even think that anyone could NOT know how to make lapshai from scratch.

Argh.

But somehow I'll forge on and do my best, and on Saturday I'll be celebrating life with my friends, my partner and my family - living and departed. I hope to do them all proud.

More as it happens, and I'll put up some pictures when I have them.