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Ukraine's former Minister of Defense His Excellency Konstantin Morozov at a dinner in his honor hosted by then US Secretary of Defense Les Aspen. July 1993. Ukrainian government subscribes to the "the more the better" theory, the US government feels that "less is more". This is perhaps an oversimplification, but true. Despite today's economic troubles, 1 have yet to be at an official social function in Ukraine where the table was not groaning under the weight of dishes filled with all the bounty Ukraine has to offer. Even simple coffee breaks during negotiations in unheated meeting rooms are brightened with bowls of fruit, cookies and candy. Given the age-old Ukrainian tradition of heartfelt hospitality directed at friends and strangers alike, this is not at all surprising. The same theory applies to all state dinners in honor of US presidents, vice-presidents or secretaries of defense who visit Kyiv. It is the rare US visitor who is not truly impressed by the sheer number and variety of courses presented. These occasions follow a rather strict order and the menu seldom varies. A Ukrainian official dinner always begins with a cold platter of assorted fish, among them, invariably, wonderful Caspian caviar. Next is an appetizer platter of cold meats, garnished with various salads. Usually, there is also a "julienne" -- a very tasty hot dish of mushrooms and onions baked in a sour cream and cheese sauce, one appetizer 1 try to eat at least a few bites of even when I am on duty interpreting. And what would a Ukrainian grand dinner be without the staple of Ukrainian cuisine -- borshch? It is served with garlic rolls or "pampushky" as they are labeled in the menus. The main course is usually a chicken or beef dish, served with rice or baked potatoes. Then there are two or three desserts: varenyky stuffed with cherries or plums (a favorite of US diplomats), ice cream, cookies or cake, and finally coffee or tea. Each course is accompanied by the appropriate beverage. We begin with a vodka toast, go on to white wine, then red wine, and end with a champagne toast. These drinks represent the best that Ukraine has to offer; I have yet to see a foreign wine or champagne bottle on a Ukrainian table, a direct contrast to US hosted dinners where it is not uncommon to be served a French wine or cognac. Official Ukrainian dinners or banquets, whether they take place in the opulence of the Maryyinsky Palace in Kyiv (the official residence where Ukrainian presidents host visiting dignitaries) or in small, dingy halls in rundown buildings owned by the government in the middle of nowhere (somewhere in the steppes of Ukraine south of Kyiv), generally follow this order although unexpected variations on the theme do happen. I will always remember the official luncheon served in honor of our First Lady, Hillary Rodham Clinton, hosted by Mrs. Lyudmyla Kuchma in Lviv in November of 1997. It took place at the Hotel Dnipro in a newly renovated dining hall which was decorated with lovely pink tablecloths, starched white linen napkins and beautiful fresh flower arrangements. The director of the Lviv Palace of Culture was invited to decorate the walls of the hall with the best works of young Lviv artists for the occasion. The luncheon started out like any other, but just as we had finished our meat appetizer and I was looking forward to my favorite "julienne", the waiters placed something familiar yet long forgotten before me and the other guests. It was "kyshka". Looking at it, there in Lviv, evoked memories of tortuous Wednesday night dinners from my childhood, when my mother insisted that I eat what I considered extremely "yucky". I had long ago decided that as an adult I would never have to eat kyshka again and had managed to avoid the dish for twenty-five years. Little did I imagine a situation where it would be quire undiplomatic, not to mention childish, to pronounce "I hate this" and push away my plate. It was especially impossible to react this way with Mrs. Clinton sitting to my right asking me what the dish was. For the first time in twenty-five years, I was about to eat something I had always hated. Tentatively, I took a bite. To my surprise, in the intervening years something, either me or the kyshka, had changed. It was delicious and I told Mrs. Clinton so, while swallowing the last wonderful mouthful. Видання C оюзу Українок A мерики - перевидано в електронному форматі в 2012 році . A рхів C У A - Ню Йорк , Н . Й . C Ш A.
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