Cocoa and Lavender: Cooking for the KGB

I bet you thought I was kidding. Truly, I entertained a member of the KGB one night in my little bungalow in Upstate New York. You may well ask, how did this happen?

In 1986, there was a cultural exchange between the New York State Theatre Institute and the Moscow Children's Theatre, while Russia was still part of the USSR. I often played in the orchestra for the NYSTI.

The Moscow Children’s Theatre brought an orchestra to Albany and we played several performances together. We presented Puccini's Madama Butterfly (sung in Russian), a concert of Beethoven and Shostakovich, and - my favorite - a children's concert featuring Peter and the Wolf.

My copy of Peter and the Wolf in French, autographed by my Russian friends.

Sure, we all love Peter and the Wolf, but this performance was out-of-the-ballpark special. It was narrated by Natalya Sats, the woman who commissioned the work from Sergei Prokofiev for the Moscow Children's Theatre and narrated it at the world premier. Amazing. I got to meet and talk with her. and I was suddenly one degree of separation from Prokofiev - a true master, one of my favorite composers, and a genius. (Sure, he was dead, but still...)

My favorite gift from them was a 1970s recording of Peter and the Wolf
narrated by Natalya Sats, which she graciously autographed for me.
It includes a photo of her from 1936 with Sergei Prokofiev at the piano.

During their residency, we did everything we could to help those wonderful musicians who quickly became "family" to those of us playing side by side with them.

A photo from the exchange: form left to right are Igor (horn), Vladimir (cello)
and Susan (cello), my friend and colleague from the Albany Symphony Orchestra.

We bought the harpist, Margarita, an electric tuner. We got them sheet music they couldn't get in Moscow. We went to their hotel rooms and learned to drink vodka. Good vodka, they said.

One night, I invited several of my favorite Russian orchestra members to dinner at my home. For rehearsals, we were able to communicate using a little German and French, but I decided to include my friend Mary too. She had been a Russian studies major, and could help as interpreter.

My table sat six comfortably; in addition to Mary, I asked four of the Russians: Margarita (harp), her husband Paul (principal clarinet), Sasha (French horn), and Vladimir (cello).

The time came, and the Russians arrived. One, two, three, four, .... five? I pulled Mary aside and asked if she could find out why the second clarinetist had come along uninvited. The second clarinetist was, by the way, a terrible musician. The other Russians told her, "It's okay. He's not going to eat." Ahh... it all made sense now. KGB.

I learned so much that night. In Russia, you always bring a special gift for the host. There is always bread at the table, even if you are also serving mashed potatoes. (I ended up putting a pre-sliced loaf of sandwich bread on the table that night; it made them happy.) There is always vodka. Lots of vodka.

The most important things I learned were that music is an international language, and words are not needed to form friendships. One Russian phrase I did learn, though, was Mir y Druzhba. Peace and Friendship.

Mr. KGB sat in the corner all evening, silently watching us laugh, share stories, and eat my "All American Meal": meatloaf, mashed potatoes, peas, gravy, the unfortunate sliced bread, and Key lime pie.

They loved it; we loved it. It remains one of the most memorable meals I have ever made or shared.

I heard once from Margarita about a year later via a postcard that was smuggled back via one of the New York State Theatre Institute employees. I would give anything to find her again to say hello, and to tell her how much her - and their - friendship meant to me, and to us all.

Adapted from Julia Child's The Way to Cook

1 large yellow onion, minced

2 tablespoons butter

2 pounds ground chuck (85% lean)

1 pound ground pork tenderloin

1 cup - lightly pressed - fresh bread crumbs

3 ounces grated cheddar cheese

1/2 cup beef broth

2 teaspoons dried thyme

1 teaspoon hot paprika

1 teaspoon sweet paprika

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon ground allspice

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

6 fresh bay leaves

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Sauté the onion in the butter until lightly browned, about 5-10 minutes. Place them in a large mixing bowl.

Add all remaining ingredients, except bay leaves, to the onions, and mix well with our hands, making sure all the ingredients are well distributed.

Pack the meat mixture into a 2-quart loaf pan (10-inch by 5-inch), and top with the bay leaves.

Bake for 90 minutes, then let to sit for 30 minutes, allowing the loaf to settle. Drain off all the fat, and turn loaf out onto a board. Slice, and serve with mashed potatoes and gravy or tomato sauce.

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons flour

1 cup strong beef broth

2 tablespoons light cream

salt and pepper to taste

Melt butter in a saucepan, then add flour and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the broth and cream and cook, whisking, till thickened. Season with salt and pepper, and serve.

Another photo from the exchange: In the front row are
Leo (concertmaster form the Albany Symphony Orchestra,
Anna (violin), Viele (Bassoon), and in the back row are
Vladimir (cello), and Nina (can't remember what she played!)
Thanks, Susan for sharing your photos for this post!