Cookbooks & Beverages
A few years ago my employee Elizabeth and I generally unpacked UPS shipments from our book distributors and publishers around lunchtime, and we found ourselves particularly vulnerable to all the fine cookbooks arriving. This listing is by no means all of our cookbooks. It is a gathering of recent and/or interesting titles along with a few classics added to show we have grounding in our selection. My mother raised me to read cookbooks somewhat the same as a novel or a history or a biography. Pretty pictures and clever premises are not enough to stock a title. It must have accessible content as well, and a cookbook with good writing is a treasure.
Mamushka: Recipes from Ukraine and Beyond
Mamushka: Recipes from Ukraine and Beyond
A celebration of the food, flavors, and heritage of Eastern Europe—from the Black Sea to Baku, Kiev to Kazakhstan—Mamushka features over 100 recipes for fresh, delicious, and unexpected dishes from this dynamic yet underappreciated region.
Olia Hercules was born in Ukraine and lived in Cyprus for several years before moving to London and becoming a chef. In this gorgeous and deeply personal cookbook, she shares her favorite recipes from her home country with engaging and loving stories about her culinary upbringing and family traditions.
Featuring personality and panache, Mamushka showcases the cuisine from Ukraine and beyond, weaving together vibrant food with descriptive narratives and stunning lifestyle photography. From broths and soups to breads and pastries, vegetables and salads to meat and fish, dumplings and noodles to compotes and jams. You’ll also find some of Olia’s favorite dishes, like a Moldovan giant cheese twist and garlicky poussins, to sublime desserts such as apricot and sour cherry pie and a birthday sponge cake with ice cream, strawberries, and meringue.
Including new flavor combinations, vibrant colors, seasonal ingredients and straightforward cooking techniques, Mamushka’s earthy dishes appeal to home chefs everywhere. Join Olia on this delicious and diverse culinary tour through Eastern Europe.