The Authentic Ukrainian Kitchen: Recipes from a Native Chef

Chef Klopotenko showcases and celebrates Ukrainian cuisine in his appetizing debut. Asserting that decades of foreign rule have homogenized and diluted Ukraine’s native food, Klopotenko aims to reclaim his people’s culinary heritage, placing long-forgotten recipes kept alive in remote villages alongside staples such as borscht, halushky (a type of dumpling), and more. Klopotenko offers up a wide range of dishes, from breakfast options to appetizers, breads, and dips. While each section includes numerous appealing recipes, the true highlights are all in the chapter on main dishes, including zrazy (potato patties) with mushrooms, homemade kovbasa sausage with garlic, a mouthwatering beer-braised roast pork, and a simplified chicken kyiv made with ground chicken. Desserts are also stellar and include a cherry torte with walnuts, a spectacular honey layer cake called medivnyk, and syrna babka, a farmer’s cheese cake. Though many of the names may be unfamiliar to a U.S. audience, there’s plenty here to appeal to even the pickiest of palates. Klopotenko proves a capable guide both for Ukranians seeking to reclaim their distinctive cuisine and for any home cook looking to expand their culinary repertoire. (May)