She now works as a freelance chef, food stylist and recipe writer, and has taken great pride in producing a book that reflects the culinary treasures of her homeland. When she started the book, she thought of it as a journey into a little-known culinary quarter for people interested in extending their cultural horizons, but by the time she finished it, she realised it had universal appeal. Luscious Cake Recipes Mix the minced meats, rice, the barberries, if using, some salt and pepper and the remaining diced onion in a bowl. Place 50g of the filling on to each cabbage leaf and fold up into parcels. In a large bowl, combine the ground meats, barberries (if using), parboiled rice and the remaining diced onion. Season with the salt and gently toss with your hands to mix, just until combined. Olia Hercules (born 1984) [1] is a London-based Ukrainian chef, food writer and food stylist. In response to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine she initiated a programme of fundraising, for individuals and for UNICEF.

Meanwhile, make the noodle dough. Lightly beat the eggs in a bowl, then slowly sift in and mix in the flour – just enough to create a firm dough. Flour your work surface generously. Divide the dough into 4 pieces and roll out each piece as thinly as you can. Roll up each sheet of dough into a tube and cut across into 5mm noodles. Leave the noodles to dry for 30-60 minutes. Once the goose is ready, cook the noodles in a large saucepan of salted boiling water for 2 minutes. Salivating over the recipe in Mamushka, I can see where he is coming from. Olia Hercules, author of Mamushka.The cakes and breads are truly divine, so I couldn’t resist sharing one of the sweet treats from the book, Ukrainian biscotti, the perfect accompaniment to morning coffee. The author says her mother usually uses walnuts, but she prefers pecans. You could also use pistachios – they will add an incredible colour. SUKHARYKY (UKRAINIAN BISCOTTI) 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.

Add the dill and serve at room temperature with the Kurka tabaka ( see above). You can keep the chutney for a few days in the refrigerator. If sealed in a sterilized jar, it will keep for ages. Add the red pepper and tomato purée to the onion and carrot and cook it out for 2 minutes, then add the grated fresh tomato, stir and reduce slightly before adding all of this to the broth. Finally, add the shredded cabbage and beans to the broth and cook for about 7 minutes until cooked through.Brush with an egg wash and bake! While the bread is baking, make a garlic oil by chopping green garlic (or regular garlic) and flat-leaf parsley and mixing it with sunflower oil. When the bread is done baking, immediately brush the hot bread with the garlic oil, infusing it with the sharp earthy herby oil. Sprinkle some salt on top and serve. Can you skip the sponge step? My small critique is that it would have been helpful to have the words "for frying" next to the second inclusion of "sunflower oil". The formatting of the recipe was, in general, not as clearly laid out as it could be. From Olia Hercules - Observer Rising Star of 2015 "Exotic, earthy dishes, vibrant colours, big flavours. This is real cooking, written about with so much love" Diana Henry

Line a baking sheet with silicone paper and set aside. Blitz half the nuts in a food processor until finely ground. Cut the rest of the nuts in half lengthways and set aside. OUR MISSION CookForUkraine aims to increase awareness of the humanitarian crisis the world faces right now, as well as raise the funds needed to aid children & families in Ukraine who have been displaced by the current situation. It's food so familiar to me that I hadn't realized it was something special until I became a chef, and even more so when the conflict in Ukraine erupted, prompting me into frantically documenting the recipes that I was so scared I might suddenly lose," Hercules explains in the book's introduction. 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. 

Comments

Whaite, John (2015-06-21). "Olia Hercules: the chef bringing East European food to our tables". Telegraph.co.uk . Retrieved 15 December 2016. First make a ‘sponge’, which is a type of yeasty starter. Dissolve the yeast and sugar in the measurement water (make sure it’s blood temperature – hot water would kill the yeast!). Add 200g (7oz) of the flour and mix roughly. Cover with clingfilm and leave to prove in the refrigerator overnight. This is really charming book - the author has such an effortless way about her when she tells stories of her childhood and her love of food. I've sadly never been to Ukraine or any of Eastern Europe. I'd really like to go and this book has inspired me even more! And despite their protests, Hercules managed to carefully document her aunt's and mother's cooking, and carry it into the 21st century. Many of the book's recipes show the hand of a creative contemporary cook: Pomegranate molasses is added to a lamb and prune soup, adding a tart depth; dried barberries are mixed into the filling of the stuffed cabbage to stand up to the sourness that came from the whole fermented cabbage leaves Hercules's grandmother used in her original recipe.

This is an incredible book – as I began to leaf through I started to smile, and I didn’t stop” Diana Henry Yes, you can skip the sponge step of this recipe, just keep in mind the resulting bread will not have a complex a flavor. Just proof the yeast in the warm water. Once the water has bubbly foam on top, add all the flour, knead the dough, and let it rise until double in size, about 1 hour. Then proceed with the recipe as directed. What is green garlic? Lately I’ve been obsessed with baking breads from around the world. These include recipes like my Italian tomato focaccia made with a small boiled potato, traditional Bavarian pretzels dipped in lye, and Swedish cardamom buns to the less conventional mash-ups that I bake like my pretzel shakshuka. So, it’s no surprise that I have Ukraine on my mind and wanted to bake a traditional Ukrainian bread, which led me to making this pampushky recipe, a Ukrainian garlic bread. Divide the dough into 8 pieces and shape into round buns. Put them side by side in an oiled round ovenproof dish or a 24cm (9½ inch) round cake tin, cover and let them prove again, this time in a warm place, until doubled in size. They will join together just like hot cross buns do.

Mix the cinnamon with the apples, then tip the apples into the prepared cake tin and pour the cake batter evenly over the apples. Bake for 35 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean. These are basically the most incredible stuffed savoury doughnuts. We often went to Genichesk by the Sea of Azov, the shallowest sea in the world. You had to walk for at least 300m (428 yards) until the water started reaching your knees...a five-year-old's knees at that!" Stir in the honey or maple syrup, strain and discard the fruit. Chill, then serve in a jug with ice and mint. Russian chef joins forces with Ukrainian best friend to serve food across frontiers". the Guardian. 2022-03-06 . Retrieved 2022-03-07. Blanch the cabbage leaves for 2 minutes, then refresh them in cold water and drain well on kitchen paper.