Bonnie Morales

We didn’t realize how much we loved Russian food until Chef Bonnie Morales and her husband, Israel, opened up their groundbreaking Portland, OR, restaurant, Kachka, in 2014. Now, we’re all about zakuski and vodka! Bonnie sent us the following note with her playlist. So, in her own words…

“This playlist is a little all over the place, but it really does represent what I listen to. First of all, we play a lot of Russian music at the restaurant, and the funny thing is that I never get tired of it. I've heard some of these songs thousands of times, and it doesn't phase me. There are old-school favorites like, Alla Pugachova, Vladimir Vysotsky and Pesnyary, as well as some 80’s pop artists like, Mirage and Yuri Shatunov. It is all amazing. You're welcome.

“A good chunk of the other music is actually stuff my husband covers on the guitar -- like ‘Danny's Song,’ ‘Lady on the Water,’ ‘Kodachrome’ or ‘Make you Feel My Love.’ So, when I hear those songs I actually would rather hear Israel's version, but, alas, Kenny Loggins, etc., will have to do.

“I also love classical music, so I included a few of my favorites. I actually labored to the cello suites when my first son was born, so I had to throw that in here. Shostakovich is one of my favorite composers, and this movement of his 8th string quartet is my jam!”