By Rachel Semjenow
When Gary Semjenow opened a Christmas gift containing a shirt that read “Powered by Halupsie,” memories of his Omi cooking flooded his mind. Though at home during childhood his plate would be filled with meat and potatoes, going to Omi’s meant borscht or halupsie (cabbage rolls).
Around 1946, “Papa George” Semjenow, Gary’s father, immigrated to Oakland, Calif., from a German community in Russia. At 17, he was in the company of his mother, Marta “Omi” Semjenow, stepfather and younger brother and sister.
Omi’s family had lived in what is now Odessa, Ukraine, for at least three generations strictly among Germans. Keeping the German culture alive was important to the community far away from their home country.
“Even when she was 90 years old Omi was adamant that she was not Russian,” Gary Semjenow said. “She was German even though she grew up in Russia.”
In adjusting to the culture of the United States, Omi Semjenow clung to the familiar recipes to make the transition easier for her family. She cooked borscht, halupsie or cabbage rolls, buckwheat kasha, and rye bread. Food was a way to keep culture alive. It was a reminder of home in a new place far away from family and friends.
Papa George Semjenow married a young American girl from Oakland who did not know how to make the tastes of his home country. As a manual laborer, Papa George cared more about a full stomach than keeping his culture alive.
“He just came home hungry after working hard every day,” Gary Semjenow said. “We had meat and potatoes and some vegetables for most dinners.”
But on special holidays spent with Omi Semjenow, the family was treated to her true German-Russian cooking.
“I never knew how much I liked that food until I didn’t have it anymore,” Gary Semjenow said.
Semjenow married and moved his family to Kansas where little of his favorite German cuisine was available. But that does not mean he did not pick up a thing or two from his Omi.
“I always have loved making Omi’s version of kasha, basically just cream of wheat stirred slowly over the stove with lots of milk,” Gary Semjenow said. “It was fun to make it for [my kids] and tell [them] stories of their great-grandmother.”
Growing up in the Black Forest of Russia in the early 1900’s, Omi used this Poor Man’s Soup recipe often. A staple in many Eastern European and Slavic countries, this beet-based red soup has been passed down through generations and is still common today.
Many variations are available for the creative cook to try, but all include beets, cabbage and meat. Measurements here are suggested, but the cook should feel liberty to add and omit ingredients.
Russian Borscht
Yields 4-6 servings
4-5 pound chuck roast, cubed
2 cups fresh cabbage, finely chopped
15 ounces canned beets
2 carrots, peeled and diced
2 celery stalks, diced
1 onion, chopped
1 potato, diced
16 ounces canned tomato sauce
16 ounce sour cream
Boil chuck roast until tender in 2 quarts of water. Add cabbage, beets, carrots, celery, onion, potato, tomato sauce. Simmer over low heat.
Borscht is done when the potato is tender. Serve in individual bowls with a dollop of sour cream.
Variations:
- Saute celery, carrots, onion, potato and cabbage in 3 tablespoons of butter for 5 minutes before adding to the roast.
- Use 2 quarts beef broth instead of water.
- Substitute cut-up stew meat instead of chuck roast.
