A zapekanka is a super easy cheesecake that comes from Ukrainian roots.  Speckled with dry fruits, plenty of good vanilla and some orange zest, this will be your new go to dessert when you want plenty of flavor without much effort!A zapekanka is a super easy cheesecake that comes from Ukrainian roots.  Speckled with dry fruits, plenty of good vanilla and some orange zest, this will be your new go to dessert when you want plenty of flavor without much effort!  Best of all I even include an Instant Pot option! I am not much of a baker…this has been discussed before.  Howeve ..read more

This is the Russian Holy Grail of comfort food.   Tender and crispy home fries that are sauteed with garlic and onions to achieve savory perfection.  And with 5 ingredients it really does not get much simpler. [wprm-recipe-jump] What I am introducing to you today ladies and gentlemen is zharenya kartoshka, literal translation, fried potatoes, or home fries.  Ask any Russian, Ukranian, Belarussian, Moldovian (me) or most other Slavic countryman what their ultimate comfort food is and chances are this will be the answer. Why?  Because most of our childhoods were full of di ..read more

Juicy ground chicken cutlets mixed together with dill, onion and an egg all in a Vitamix then pan fried to golden perfection.  This is Russian comfort food made even easier! These little ground chicken cutlets are not new to the blog.  Not one bit.  I blogged about them several years ago, however I have deleted that blog post because it was just hideous.  However thanks to the some internet archiving I did find that original post on my very first blog, KISSCOOK.  This picture alone is proof as to why I deleted it from the Girl and the Kitchen blog. Brace yourselves ..read more

A hearty Ukrainian style chicken soup loaded with tons of fresh herbs and veggies!  Perfect for the spring time when all the fresh greens start popping up and we still need some warm comforting soup. As I have mentioned many times before, I grew up in the motherland of Moldova…once a republic of the former USSR.  Our food was highly influenced by the bordering countries of Romania and Ukraine.  This little gem is an influence of the mighty Ukraine. Ukraine just so happens to be where the hubs is from and constantly preaches to me of why it is the the greatest of all previous ..read more

 Chebureki are traditional Georgian meat pies that are more similar to little meat turnovers than anything else.  Traditionally made with a from-scratch dough and deep fried these babies can be both difficult and loaded with fat.  My recipe features a no fry method and dough that is store-bought without sacrificing any flavor!!!  When I was growing up the only food I would ever eat was my mother’s.  I was not just a picky eater, I discriminated. When I was older and I started coming over to some of my Russian/Ukrainian/Belarussian friend’s houses ..read more

A zapekanka is a super easy cheesecake that comes from Ukrainian roots.  Speckled with dry fruits, plenty of good vanilla and some orange zest, this will be your new go to dessert when you want plenty of flavor without much effort!A zapekanka is a super easy cheesecake that comes from Ukrainian roots.  Speckled with dry fruits, plenty of good vanilla and some orange zest, this will be your new go to dessert when you want plenty of flavor without much effort!  Best of all I even include an Instant Pot option! I am not much of a baker…this has been discussed before.  Howeve ..read more

A hearty Russian style chicken soup loaded with tons of fresh herbs and veggies!  Perfect for the spring time when all the fresh greens start popping up and we still need some warm comforting soup. Jump to Recipe As I have mentioned many times before, I grew up in the motherland of Moldova…once a republic of the former USSR.  Our food was highly influenced by the bordering countries of Romania and Ukraine.  This little gem is an influence of the mighty Ukraine. Ukraine just so happens to be where the hubs is from and constantly preaches to me of why it is the the greatest of all previous rep ..read more

This is the Russian Holy Grail of comfort food.   Tender and crispy home fries that are sauteed with garlic and onions to achieve savory perfection.  And with 5 ingredients it really does not get much simpler. Jump to Recipe What I am introducing to you today ladies and gentlemen is zharenya kartoshka, literal translation, fried potatoes, or home fries.  Ask any Russian, Ukranian, Belarussian, Moldovian (me) or most other Slavic countryman what their ultimate comfort food is and chances are this will be the answer. Why?  Because most of our childhoods were full of dinners, breakfasts and lun ..read more