The best borscht I ever had was in a punk house the summer before I turned 18. At that point, I’d been on my own for nearly two years, living with whoever would take me after my mom left town ...

Ukrainian Borscht is a hearty soup with beets, cabbage, potatoes, carrots, onions, garlic, and tomatoes at its core. Often, a piece of meat, pork, is used to prepare the broth.

prepare the short ribs . In a heavy medium pot, heat the oil. Add the short ribs and cook until browned all over, about 5 minutes. Add the wine and stock and bring to a boil.

At Ruta Ukrainian Restaurant, chef Dima Martseniuk offers the food of his home country — borscht, varenyky, honey cake — near Eastern Market.

The Borscht Belt Delicatessen is trying to keep old traditions alive, too. Nick Liberato, the chef, brought his suburban Philadelphia-based, New York-style Jewish deli to the festival grounds.