Recipes from a Ukrainian Kitchen” (Rizzoli, $40), includes crisp radishes and Persian cucumbers, dill, parsley and extra-virgin olive oil for added color and texture. The cookbook comes out Sept ...

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 ...

The borscht taste was confusing. The first spoonful or two I didn’t care for it, but the more I ate the more I liked it. Maybe it was awakening my East European roots.

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.