Welcome to Korostenka’s Kitchen! Feel free to try my recipes and cooking ideas.
In this space, I’ll share my love for Ukrainian cuisine and beyond, but with a twist. I’m an “intuitivist” cook, meaning I don’t always follow recipes to the letter. Of course, there are exceptions—some dishes demand high precision—but for the most part, I measure my ingredients by eye and add some new stuff following my instincts. Of course, for this blog, I’ll provide clear instructions and explain how you can vary the recipe.
Well, with 40+ years of cooking, the result is quite edible.
Where did my recipes come from? It’s a mix of family tradition (though one of my grannies was my complete opposite, a stickler for the rules!), inspiration from friends, cookbooks, delicious gastronomical experiences, travel, life in different countries, and, of course, my own ideas.
I must confess that traditional Ukrainian cuisine is quite rich in calories, as it was created by people who did hard physical work on the land. For most of my life, I’ve explored various systems of weight loss and food optimisation, and I have obviously tried to make my favourite dishes suitable for those systems. Right now, I’m following Slimming World, and some of my recipes will have variations to fit its recommendations.
Like many Ukrainians around the world, I see our cuisine as a main tool for cultural diplomacy. It’s unique, delicious, and sometimes even exotic for a foreigner to taste.
Have you ever tried Uzvar, Deruny, Green Borscht, or Buzenina? These are just a few examples of the culinary delights Ukraine has to offer. I’m eager to share these and other traditional (and not-so-traditional) recipes and stories behind them with you in Korostenka’s Kitchen!
Korostenka 