It took me two decades but in December 2008, I finally attended The Joffrey Ballet’s iconic “The Nutcracker,” just in time for that 21st anniversary run of Chicagoland’s most popular family holiday dance event. For 20 years, I’ve always heard about the magical experience of Robert Joffrey’s production of this centuries-old tale set to music and choreography. At the time, the Joffrey performed at their anchor stage space at the Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University. Now, more than 15 years later and in recent years, the Joffrey has made its new home at the Lyric Opera House, 20 North Upper Wacker Drive, where their “Nutcracker” continues with performances this 2024 season through Dec. 28. But farther north, another production of “The Nutcracker” with a fun cookbook surprise bonus, played as an international touring production for two performances and just one day on Sunday, Dec. 12. “Nutcracker! Magical Christmas Ballet” featured an international ensemble when it graced the stage at Rosemont Theatre and continues across the country for the 32nd annual North American tour. That production is headlined by principal dancers hailing from renowned opera houses in Ukraine and joined by a troupe of 40 exceptional artists representing Japan, Italy, Ukraine, the United Kingdom, Poland and beyond. This 2024 tour unveils newly reimagined scenes crafted by acclaimed Polish choreographer Viktor Davydiuk, and it is themed with a new hardcover published cookbook of recipes with international flavor in homage to the cast with nods to the ballet’s characters and global culinary traditions. “We’re stepping into a new era of artistic expression and creative exploration,” said Dan Talmi, executive producer of Talmi Entertainment, which is hosting the tour. “Our dedication to pushing creative boundaries and engaging all of the senses ensures that each performance offers an unforgettable experience, weaving together both traditional and modern elements that will strike a chord with audiences of all ages.” I’m told Talmi Entertainment’s “Nutcracker! Magical Christmas Ballet” is the largest touring production of its kind, and the 2024 production includes Ukrainian ballerinas Karyna Shatkovskaya and Elena Pechenyuk alternating to reprise the role of Clara. Exclusive to Talmi Entertainment’s Nutcracker rendition is Act II’s poignant depiction of the “Land of Peace and Harmony,” featuring the signature acro-ballet adagio “Doves of Peace.” It is a powerful, symbolic scene to embody unity and understanding through dance while, according to the show’s producers, resonating with a broader plea for international peace among nations. The 35 pages of the new hardcover “Nutcracker! Magical Christmas Cookbook,” (July 2024 Private Printing $25) are illustrated by Ukrainian artist Yelyzaveta Bondarenko and represent the ballet’s 12 most iconic characters, integrating culinary traditions from the 12 countries visited in the ballet’s storyline. (Philip Potempa/for Post-Tribune) “Nutcracker! Magical Christmas Cookbook” is a private printing and priced at $25, available online at www.nutcracker.com. The cookbook is designed in homage to not only the “Nutcracker” ballet but also presented in order of “The Twelve Days of Christmas.” Each recipe is illustrated by Ukrainian artist Yelyzaveta Bondarenko and represents one of the ballet’s 12 most iconic characters, integrating culinary traditions from the 12 countries visited in the ballet’s storyline. In collaboration with prominent French chefs based in the Berkshires region, Raphael Gimbert and Etienne La Gal, the recipes reflect the international settings of the ballet —from France to China — and also carry forward the ballet’s message of peace and cultural unity. This international tour-telling adopts the traditional centuries-old tale that originated with The Joffrey’s previous incarnation, both based on E.T.A. Hoffmann’s early 19th century German tale, “The Nutcracker and the Mouse King.” The Joffrey rendition premiered in 1987 and became a Chicago holiday favorite since its first performance in the Windy City in 1996. The story opens amidst lavish period costumes and spectacular scenery depicting Victorian America in the 1850s. Snowflakes and flowers dominate the stage in a celebration of dance, as toys come joyfully to life amidst familiar characters such as Clara; her mischievous brother, Fritz; the King and Queen of the glorious Land of Snow; the Sugar Plum Fairy; the warring Mice led by the Mouse King; the Nutcracker Prince; and the mysterious Dr. Drosselmeyer and his handsome nephew. The World’s Columbian Exposition, also the official other name for the Chicago World’s Fair, is now the newly imagined story backdrop for the Joffrey running version of “The Nutcracker.” It explores the design and building of the world’s fair held in Chicago in 1893, which was to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus’ arrival in the New World in 1492. Still set to Tchaikovsky’s famed musical score, this new Joffrey Ballet telling was unveiled in 2016 as led by Artistic Director Ashley Wheater and Executive Director Greg Cameron. More information and tickets are available at 312-386-8905 or www.joffrey.org. My third published cookbook “Further From the Farm: Family Recipes and Memories of a Lifetime” (2010 Pediment Press $29.95) included a delicious recipe for beet and beef borscht, rich, tangy and inviting, made using a slow cooker to meld and simmer the ingredients, as dreamed up by friend and kitchen notable Mary Beth Schultz of Valparaiso. My Aunt Rose, who passed at age 85 in March 2000 and was married to my dad’s oldest brother, my Uncle Joe, loved beet and beef borscht and served it at their Chicago home on cold winter nights. Among the 35 pages of the new hardcover “Nutcracker! Magical Christmas Cookbook,” there is a treasured and tempting recipe for Ukrainian Variation Borscht. Columnist Philip Potempa has published four cookbooks and is the director of marketing at Theatre at the Center. He can be reached at [email protected] or mail your questions: From the Farm, PO Box 68, San Pierre, Ind. 46374. Ukrainian Variation Borscht Makes 6 servings 1 pound beef, cubed 4 cups beef broth 3 medium beets, peeled and grated 1 carrot, grated 1 onion, chopped 1 cup cabbage, shredded 2 potatoes, cubed 3 tablespoons tomato paste 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 bay leaf 2 tablespoons vinegar Sour cream for serving Dill weed for garnish Salt and black pepper to taste Directions: 1.       In a large soup pot, heat a bit of oil or butter and brown cubed beef, then add broth and bay leaf and bring all to a boil of medium or high heat. 2.       Add beets, carrot, onion, cabbage and potatoes to the pot and cook until tender. 3.       Stir in tomato paste, garlic and vinegar and cook soup for another 10 minutes. 4.       Season with salt and pepper as desired and garnish with sour cream and dill when serving.