I don’t know why I have not made this sooner, as this dish literally encapsulates all the flavours of the summer that I grew up with. There is a vast tradition of cold summer soups around Eastern Europe and this one blends (pardon the pun!) a few of them together. It takes about 3 minutes to make, is full of life-giving gut bacteria and tastes so refreshing! Give it a try before we can no longer pretend it’s summer out there! serves 2 2 tomatoes or one cooked peeled beetroot 1/2 a cucumber, peeled Dill, coriander and parsley (a fistful of each) a teaspoon of mustard (or to taste) 100ml 4 Radi ..read more

This has been the culinary highlight of the summer: a simple salad of fresh in-season tomatoes in a rich, creamy and tangy ‘eggocado’* sauce. Loosely inspired by the Italian ‘tomato’ sauce this magical concoction features parsley, capers, mustard, mayo and lemon juice blitzed together with hard boiled eggs. While this has been a must-have of the summer, I know the sauce will continue its life in my kitchen throughout the seasons! * the credit for the brilliant name goes to my wonderful friend, chef Melek Erdal. 3 hard boiled eggs 100ml of extra virgin olive oil 1/2 juice of lemon 1 tbsp of ap ..read more

Mariupol - a port city in South East of Ukraine - has captured our attention and broke our hearts. It has become the symbol of Russia’s illegal, senseless and violent war on Ukraine, but equally a symbol of Ukraine’s strength, courage and resilience. For some reason, I became so drawn into the story of Mariupol, its people and locations maimed by the aggression, and my desire to help sometimes renders me feeling hopeless and helpless, but at the same time there are glimpses of hope, unity and solidarity across the globe. Seeing some of the children evacuated safely from underneath Azov Steel P ..read more

Enjoy it warm or cold with a slice of toasted rye bread and copious amounts of fresh dill! Serves 6 For the pate 3 tbsp vegetable oil  1 onion, finely sliced  4 medium beetroots, peeled and grated  2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped 1 tsp of balsamic vinegar  1 tsp of mild honey  A large pinch of chilli flakes  Sea salt flakes to taste  For the topping  A large handful of walnuts  6 soft prunes  A small bunch of dill, stalks removed  Heat up 1 tbsp of oil in a medium frying pan with a lid on medium heat. Add the onions with some salt and ..read more

Serves 4-6 200g of salted herring fillet (in oil not in vinegar) 1/4 white onion 1 granny smith apple, peeled and cored 15g of white bread, soaked in milk 1 lemon, zested and juiced 1 tsp of salt 1 tsp of sugar A generous pinch of freshly ground pepper 1 tbsp of sunflower oil 1 tbsp of chopped dill 6 hard-boiled eggs, yokes removed Make sure to get the right herring for this dish, as only salted herring in oil would work; the ones brined in vinegar will taste too sharp and bitter. Place all the ingredients, apart from the cooked egg whites, together into a food processor, making sure to sque ..read more

Here is one of my fave family recipes, a signature one from my babushka! Blini stuffed with apricot tvorog  Serves 4  For the blini: 200g of plain flour 200ml of full fat milk 150ml of boiling water  50g unsalted butter, melted, plus more for frying 2 eggs  A pinch of sugar For the filling: 200g goats curd (or 100g ricotta cheese and 100g plain cottage cheese)  150g semi-dried apricots  1 tbsp sugar  ½ lemon, juiced To serve: 50g unsalted butter  1 tbsp sugar 4 ripe apricots or peaches (or a mixture of both) Flaked almonds, toasted  To make t ..read more

This recipe is kindly donated by the wonderful Zuza Zak, a dear friend and now a fellow campaigner! Green nettle pelmeni dumplings Serves 4 × About 80–100 g (2¾–3½ oz) nettle leaves × 150 g (5½ oz) feta or crumbly goat’s cheese × Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg × 25 g (1 oz) butter × Salt and white pepper × Soured cream and finely chopped dill, to serve For the dumpling dough × 300 g (10½ oz) plain (all-purpose) flour, plus extra for dusting × 2 egg yolks × 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted The dumpling of choice in most of the Baltic States is probably Siberian-style pelmeni. Tradition ..read more

Today, more than ever, I feel how important food is to our understanding of the world around us! As my heart breaks to see my native country forging a war with its close neighbour, I turn to food for its power to heal, to educate, to unite and to support. Like millions of Russians, I too have Ukrainian roots, and grew up on a beautiful diet of Ukrainian and Russian dishes. These countries have shared a complex and rich history, and the culinary language reflects this relationship in the most powerful and relatable way. I am so grateful to have had first hand experience of it and it i ..read more

It’s 1pm on the 31st of December, the snow is falling and our windows are steamed up from the pots boiling on the stove. Each contains carrots, potatoes and eggs for the centrepiece salad, which will grace the festive table later that evening. The salad is called Olivier in Russia but to the rest of the world it is known as the Russian salad. There’s a bowl of tangerines and two champagne flutes as my mom and I prepare for our chopping marathon. The salad consists of many ingredients - potatoes, green peas, gherkins, carrots, eggs and boiled chicken breast - which must be finely diced. If you ..read more

Here are some of my favourite beverages for the festive season inspired by some recipes and flavours of Russian cuisine. You can find more ideas in my cookbook. MEDOK Makes 1  200 ml hot water 2 tsp of honey 50ml of whiskey 2 tbsp of apple puree  4 spring of thyme, plus more to decorate  1 slice of apple to decorate   Put all the ingredients in a cup and let them infuse for a few minutes. To serve decorate with an additional slice of apple and a sprig of thyme.  SILVER BIRCH TEARS  Makes one  25ml of vodka  100ml of silver birch juice  1/4 juice ..read more