Ukrainian Food Flair

A classic Ukrainian summer dish served cold and lightly sweet. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

To most North Americans buckwheat may be an unknown...or an acquired taste. If the latter, it's certainly worth the effort. Buckwheat is highly nutritious, has a long shelf life and is very versatile. In this episode Sylvia shares two delicious buckwheat recipes, and tips for other ways to use it. This recipe for basic baked buckwheat kasha is in the cookbook Ukrainian Food Flair: Authentic Recipe...

Sylvia shares two rich, cream‑baked dishes from her mother’s kitchen, beginning with new potatoes seasoned simply and cooked until tender in whipping cream. She also recalls her mom preparing chicken the same way, browning the pieces first and finishing them in cream with chopped dill for a superb, home‑style meal. You’ll find this recipe, along with others from the series, in the Ukrainian Food F...

Fresh dill and soft butter transform a simple French loaf into a warm, aromatic treat that freezes beautifully and pairs perfectly with any meal. This easy make‑ahead recipe brings a touch of Ukrainian kitchen comfort to modern tables. You’ll find this recipe, along with others from the series, in the Ukrainian Food Flair cookbook, available from Amazon and other online booksellers. Hosted on Acas...

Duck has long held a special place in Ukrainian kitchens, valued not only for its rich flavor but also for the down and feathers used in traditional pillows and wedding bedding. This episode revisits two time‑honored preparations — fried duck and roast duck — along with the practical cooking wisdom, serving ideas, and old‑world techniques that continue to resonate with home cooks today. You’ll fin...

Sylvia Molnar takes a deep dive into the secret behind the dainty, delectable and now quite rare sweets called Khrustyky in Ukrainian, also known as "nothings" because they literally melt in your mouth. She shares the ingredients, shaping methods, and frying techniques for these traditional treats, along with the intricate process for creating the ornate rose shape for these cookies that she learn...

In this segment, Sylvia Pidraziuk Molnar brings forward a fabulous, simple recipe in praise of asparagus — a plant that has grown wild in Ukraine for centuries and still appears in Ukrainian kitchens across the country. She speaks to its quiet presence and long history in Ukrainian cookery, and the way its character pairs so naturally with familiar flavours, including the Carpathian bryndzia chees...

From the Nash Holos audio archives and the Ukrainian Food Flair Cookbook , this flashback features Sylvia Molnar sharing her distinctive spring sorrel borscht recipe — a bright, seasonal variation of Ukraine’s national soup. She explains how to prepare it with sorrel or simple substitutes, and how this traditional dish reflects the freshness of Ukrainian home cooking. Sylvia's recipes, stories, an...

Makivnyk is the Ukrainian name for the poppy seed roll that has long anchored Ukrainian sweet‑dough baking. A timeless favourite shared by other East European cultures, it nonetheless remains a signature dish in Ukrainian kitchens. This episode highlights tips and techniques for creating a luscious poppy seed filling for a roll using your own preferred sweet dough recipe. A bonus is this filling c...

This Ukrainian Food Flair episode features Sylvia Molnar presenting the classic beet and horseradish relish deeply rooted in Ukrainian, Slavic, and Ashkenazi food traditions. She explains its place on Easter and Passover tables, its popularity in home kitchens and Jewish delis, and the importance of using fresh horseradish when possible. The segment also highlights her practical tips for selecting...

Cabbage is a staple in Ukrainian cuisine, not just for its many outstanding health benefits but for its versatility and economy. The quintessential Ukrainian cabbage dish is of course holubtsi, aka cabbage rolls. The traditional rolls can be quite time consuming to make, so modern cooks often opt for "lazy cabbage rolls" which is basically a layered casserole of cabbage, rice, and other ingredient...

Long before it became a staple on Ukrainian Easter tables, horseradish had a life that stretched across continents, and centuries. In this Ukrainian Food Flair episode, Sylvia Molnar opens a window into the world of horseradish (hryn in Ukrainian)—a root unassuming in appearance yet powerful in chemistry, folklore, and culinary tradition. Sylvia traces its fascinating journey from ancient Egypt to...

In this episode of Ukrainian Food Flair on Nash Holos Ukrainian Roots Radio, Sylvia Molnar shares a tomato and yogurt salad made with sliced ripe tomatoes, sweet onion, yogurt mixed with salt and pepper, a bit of sugar, and finished with fresh dill. She also reflects on the quality of Ukrainian dairy products and offers a tip for choosing sweet onions. This podcast features the voice of the late S...

In this episode of Ukrainian Food Flair on Nash Holos Ukrainian Roots Radio, Sylvia shares the storied tradition of Ukrainian Easter Babka—a tall, cylindrical sweet bread that’s as demanding as it is rewarding. Babka is made from a delicate raised yeast dough and was considered one of the most important and demanding tasks of the Ukrainian homemaker during the Easter holiday season. The preparatio...

In this archival feature of Ukrainian Food Flair , a long‑running series on Nash Holos, you will hear the story and recipe behind beetniks — traditional Ukrainian bread rolls wrapped in beet leaves. Beetniks hold a special place in Ukrainian Canadian kitchens — a dish instantly recognized across Canada yet virtually unheard of in Ukraine itself. For Ukrainian pioneers and their descendants, these...