Ukraine

A note about my restaurant reviews: New York City counts many Eastern European restaurants scattered across the five boroughs, most of them ignored by restaurant critics and diners alike. I intend to visit…

I’ve said in the past that if you want to avoid crowds, the Monday after Thanksgiving is a good day to fish on the Salmon River. Well, here’s another quiet day to…

I thought I’d written everything one needs to know about varenyky. I’ve prepared the Ukrainian dumplings with potatoes, cabbage, butternut squash, and artichoke. I’ve eaten them at countless restaurants reviewed on these pages, I’ve…

I have seen Chișinău’s sleepy wine cellars, crossed the renegade republics of Gagauzia and Transnistria, fished the Danube delta, and shopped at Odessa’s central market. More details soon!

I’ve already posted a couple recipes for varenyky here and here, so I figured I’d come up with a third one — and write an entry with everything you’ll ever want to…

This recipe will probably remind you of my Venison Goulash and Potato Varenyky. And true, the dish follows the same structure — but with a radically different flavor profile: The leg of venison,…

With this recipe, I’m killing two old Eastern European birds with one stone. The combination isn’t just a gimmick, though; the two dishes actually work really well together! The venison goulash uses…

Here’s a recipe that perfectly illustrates Food Perestroika’s mission. Its Eastern European character is visible in the ingredients and the preparation: with the Mangalica lardo, the chanterelles, the corn, and the faux…

The knish, a kind of stuffed bun, has an interesting history. It originated in Ukraine and Belarus, where it was known as knysh and was a kind of pirozhok usually filled with…

Here’s another recipe made with seafood that can be found in Crimea: skate, shrimp, and mussels. (See also my Crimean Seafood Orzo). Following Ukrainian cuisine’s propensity for all things ground, the fish…