Baba's Kitchen: Ukrainian Soul Food: with Stories From the Village, third edition

When I ordered this book, I was honestly looking for a cookbook. We recently spent over two months in Ukraine adopting two children. Now that we are home, my 14 year old daughter and I like to cook together.I had no idea how incredibly funny this book would be. After reading the first chapter on how to make borsch, I could not put the book down! I was crying, I was laughing so hard during some of her cooking advice, and I am pretty sure I snorted a few times too. Baba's voice is so true to life. It sounds very similar to how my children speak while they are learning English. In the midst of giving cooking advice in a hilarious and sometimes irreverent manner, the author also gives history lessons about the country that won over my heart recently and gave me two beautiful additions to my family. It's a country that takes great pride in their natural, flavorful food. If you can't get to Ukraine to try the cuisine for yourself, this is the next best thing!Last Saturday I stained my new copy of this book with beet juice making Baba's recipe for Borscht. The soup took all day to make, and while it was cooking to perfection, I had time to read the story of a woman who murdered her no-good husband with sugar and Baba's opinion of women who wear thongs. Priceless! When the Borscht was finally ready to eat, my Ukrainian children claim it was the best they had ever eaten. Thanks, Baba! I couldn't have pulled that off without you!

This book is a hidden gem! I am of Ukrainian descent and have always wanted something to hand down to future generations so they know their history. This wonderful collection of traditional recipes with added stories and historical notes is exactly what I needed. From a proud Ukrainian woman, I strongly recommend this book! Thank you Raisa🙏🏻 SLAVA UKRAINA!

I am having such a ball reading this book. It’s not a cookbook that you jump around - it’s a book you read from cover to cover! The folklore, legends and of course, baba’s opinion about everything, are totally entertaining! I need more Baba in my life!!! 💜 I am half Ukrainian and rediscovering my roots - my own baba died before I was born 😢 but I feel all the love of my ukrainian mama (who has also passed on 💔) coming through in Raisa’s words. Thank you so much for making this book, Raisa. Please make more! I also get a kick out of your videos too!

Great book with a fun Baba. It is a fun read while looking for ethnic recipies.

Finally I ordered your book. Will give to my grand daughter to appreciate her Ukrainian heritage. Wonderful recipes and will enjoy making some with my grand daughter. It may improve my Ukrainian cooking too.

I picked up Baba's Kitchen: Ukrainian Soul Food With Stories From the Village free during an Amazon giveaway. Collection of Ukrainian recipes, supposedly shared by a grandmother and containing lots of grandmotherly advice.While I found many of the comments patronizing rather than amusing, and the broken-English got old quickly, I would have put up with them as an honorable paean to the author's grandmother except for one thing: there is no Baba. Stohyn admits that she created "Baba" as a composite character, so there is no justification for the poor English-isn't-my-first-language grammar. The recipes themselves look very usable and, in some cases, even tasty. If you want to try Ukrainian cooking enough to put up with being told, "Baba catch you put [sour cream] on her good borshch, she send giant spider to bite you on head," this is the book for you.

Touches of hilarious humour and Ukrainian history enrich traditional recipes from Ukraine narrated from the perspective of a 'seen it all' Ukrainian 'Baba' !The author , Raisa Stone, from Winnipeg, Manitoba is a poet and Ukrainian culture enthusiast and she has done a remarkable job of combiningmany things beyond food in this charming 'cook book'.The recipe for Cabbage Rolls (holubtsi) begins " Clean out your freezer so have room for head cabbage...... Put whole head cabbage in plastic bag. ...leave for 48 hours. OR, if is middle of winter, lock in trunk of that junky car in front you trailer. Don't forget where you leave it, or in spring your relatives will have to move out of car because of smell. "

It is well written and has funny stories.I am enjoying it.