Tanya Dzekon
Staff Writer

Upon my arrival to Kiev, I was greeted by an authentically Ukrainian summer – interchanging skies of sunshine and lighting. It happens so quickly that it seems like someone is switching slides in an old Kodak projector from above.

I was born in Vinnitsa, a town about 200 miles west of Kiev, which was famous for its chocolate and kielbasa factories during the Soviet Union. That’s where my grandmother – the one that cooks – is from. She made a variety of Ukrainian and Russian dishes for me while I stayed with her and my grandfather. Borsht soup, Pelmeni, and Beef Stroganoff were all cooked on an electric stove. This new piece of kitchen technology was a recent purchase, because the gas has recently been turned off in their home. Continue reading Letter from Ukraine →