Ukrainian Food Flair

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 find this recipe in the cookbook Ukrainian Food Flair — Authentic Recipes from Canada's West Coast available on Amazon and other online booksellers..

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 learned from her mother. This is one of Sylvia's collection recipes, stories, and cooking tips preserved in the Ukrainian Food Flair Cookbook, published as a tribute to her legacy.

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 cheese as well as parmesan. Sylvia offers a straightforward preparation that lets the vegetable remain the star, a small dish with deep roots and a hint of the mountains in its finish.You’ll find this recipe, along with others from the series, in the Ukrainian Food Flair cookbook, available from Amazon and other online booksellers.

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, and cooking tips have been preserved in the cookbook Ukrainian Food Flair — Authentic Recipes from Canada's West Coast available on Amazon.

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 can be used in other classic dishes like strudel and perogies. And yet another bonus: Sylvia's own sweet dough recipe is in the Ukrainian Food Flair cookbook. I have made it myself ... and it is a winner! Смачного!

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, preparing, and storing this vibrant condiment, along with a personal reminder that her recipes and stories live on in the Ukrainian Food Flair cookbook.