Mamushka: A Cookbook

A beautiful presented cook book in the Ukrainian colors of blue and yellow/gold, a really gorgeous looking book! Reading this book is like traveling from one house to the next, being invited in and cooked for by women who have cooked forever.The Ukraine has an important place in European history and literature, poems have been written with nostalgia about the golden wheat and sunflower fields of this very special place.Ms Olia Hercules has paid homage to the hardworking people of that area, her photos of cooks and ingredients and the countryside make this cookbook a trip into history and a wish for the future.Well done! Her next book is coming out in fall and we pre-ordered already.

I am not Russian, not that I know have I any Russian ancestry which perhaps could come a long way to explain my incredible love for all things Russian. Food, an object and subject for me of much time and love has been from the fabulous meals at the late and lamented Russian Tea Room to my wondering as if lost- alas, often that was the case - looking for certain ingredients, a delightful journey into a different and wonderful cuisine. For 25 years "Please to the Table" has been my go to with many incredible Russian recipes from here and yonder,that plus many paperbacks collected since the 60s where Orthodox churches in exile would published recipes that were as rare as the ingredients needed to make them. Over the years I have made many Coulebiacs, Vatrushkas, and the real Chicken Kiev, a very distant relative - the only thing in common was the chicken - from those served here in the finest restaurants in the 60s and 70s. Friends of friends in Russia were always happy to share their recipes to my everlasting gratitude. I learned here and there part of the Russian people's history by their food, how it got there and from where.Recently I stumbled into this little jewel and believe it or not, I managed to stay up all night reading it, making shopping lists, and deciding that some of the recipes are worthwhile staying up all night and making time to cook them. The author is a charming tale weaver of memories, family recipes, choices and substitutes for some hard to find ingredients. Those of us who have been blessed with an imagination capable to foresee what something may taste have only to look at the wonderful photographs to know. A couple of photos which I assume are from some relativesof the author.made me smile. There is a sense of love that translates into the recipes and one can see the joy of the cook as well as the ones who will eat their food.I seldom recommend books - except to my students when I think they are worthy of a recommendation. Tastes are so varied and for those of us who are daredevils for adventures in the kitchen, it is best to surprise friends with the food already made rather than just waxed poetically about some recipes. If you are interested in discovering simple but exquisite recipes, this is for you. Приятного аппетита!

The cover of the book is even better than the photo! I gave the book as a gift and the person loved it! We can’t wait to try the recipes. There are a lot of photos inside that really show the culture behind the food. I would recommend it to anyone!

My grandmother told me about this cookbook (after she heard about it from a friend who heard about it on NPR. But I digress.) and I'm so glad she did!I ordered it right away and it arrived today. Two of our sons are recent arrivals from Ukraine and they and I just spent an hour looking at every page. They just about hyperventilated on almost all of them- they were familiar with most of the recipes, declared most of them their favorites, and begged me to cook Ukrainian food for supper tonight. I can see that some of the recipes will be a little tricky for me, in that some of the ingredients aren't easy for me to find around here. But there are plenty of recipes that include common ingredients, or that provide suggestions for substitutions. The book itself is gorgeous, beautifully photographed, with nice write ups about each recipe and clear instructions.So I'm very glad to have this book. I did buy a couple of cookbooks while in Ukraine, which was a nice idea in theory, but the added challenge of having to translate recipes on top of cooking unfamiliar foods means that I have yet to even open one of them. Any Ukrainian food I've cooked so far has been thanks to google. Looking forward to trying some new recipes with the help of this beautiful cookbook!

This cookbook is beautiful with a picture for every recipe. Each recipe also has a little information written about the origin. Reminds me of cooking with family and hearing stories while working.

Lavishly illustrated with easy to follow recipes. A cornucopia of Eastern European cuisine.

I have ukranian blood on my dad's side, so I've been eager to find a cookbook with some of the recipes I grew up with. This book is both beautiful and sentimental, in just the right amounts.The author draws on a number of family friends and relatives for source material, and includes very homemade, straightforward recipes, as well as giving her own take on some classics. She also takes the time to spin short family anecdotes into the pages; not too mushy in my opinion, but heartfelt nonetheless.A nice bonus to these recipes is that they are simple enough that I was able to adapt many of the dough-based dumplings and noodles to be gluten free. (I used the Pamela's all purpose artisan blend.)I have the hard copy of this book, which I also recommend. The photos alone are worth the price of an actual book. But I find the digital copy helpful for having nearby when I'm actually making one of her recipes.

Interesting and unique recipes from all over Eastern Europe

I pressed buy by accident, and was about to return, but luckily decided to have a look before I do so. WOW, I paged the entire book, read number of recipes, loved the pics, and wanted to cook them all. I know I will try many. Lucky mistake.

Disappointing. This cookbook is not special or practical. I have cooked Ukrainian food my lifetime and was hoping for something remarkable, which this book failed to deliver.

This is probably one of the best books on the subject matter that I have come across. Great recipes, background stories and photography. An all around well put together product. Highly recommend.

Wonderful photographs and stories, to showcase a great variety of Heritage Recipes andthe beautiful countryside of Ukraine. Beautiful work, Olia!! A treasured volume for sure!!

Lovely book with many alternate ideas for creating dishes I am familiar with. I have purchased several of these for gifts and they have been appreciated in a major way! This will be a fabulous gift for the holidays.Arrived promptly.