Today my big foray into cooking was the "beef and brats" thing. My
NH&G Book says it's a "classic American dish". I had never heard of it
before, but it's pretty good, I must say. But that's not the point.

Lately, I've been in an East European Appreciation Mode...... Next
weekend I think I'm going to try to pull off either Bigos or Gołąbki.
The latter seems to be a common household thing here in Wisconsin,
which was settled largely by Poles, Ukrainians and Czechs (as well as
Germans).

Otherwise, I've been learning all kinds of Russian and Polish folk
music. On Youtube it's played on accordion, but the songs transfer
very well to my Hammond Organ. Katyusha, Korobeiniki, Cyganeczka
Zosia, Czarne Oczy.... all very beautiful songs that speak to me.

Other than being purportedly Jewish, I'm not of East European
descent.... but it doesn't mean that I can't still connect with East
European people on a human level. I like to think that in the music,
I can *feel* the same things that made them choose the notes for the
melodies. Music is one of the few things that unites us all as a
common people.

We might be different on the outside, but we're all the same on the
inside, right?

-J