borscht

[threeplusfire]

Yesterday I browned up some short ribs and then stuck them in a pot with onion and zucchini. It simmered away for almost twenty four hours and became the broth base for today's borscht attempt. I have learned that it makes life so much easier if you peel and chop your beets before roasting them. The juice doesn't stain as deeply, and the beets become even sweeter since more surface area gets caramelized in a hot oven. I partially boiled some potatoes. Then I brown a couple small onions with some beef chunks, then dumped potatoes, cabbage, beets and broth over them. It's basically seasoned with some dill and a hefty grind of pepper. Bring to a boil and then let simmer for an hour or two. It came out reasonably well for not using any sort of recipe. It does need some salting though. I always forget to salt.

At the grocery store I found a decent Cabernet called EVIL. It is surprisingly smooth and tasty for a $9 bottle of wine. I put a little wine into the soup too. It suits this crazy gray day.

Currently I'm craving coffee and a doughnut. I don't even remember the last time I had a doughnut.