I learn a lot from cookbooks, far more than just how to make a recipe. In the beautiful new book Summer Kitchens: Recipes and Reminiscences from Every Corner of Ukraine by Olia Hercules (Weldon Owen, July 2020), I learned so much about Ukraine, a uniquely special place with deeply ingrained traditions, especially relating to food.

* Complimentary book received for review. This post contains affiliate links.

Prior to reading Summer Kitchens, I could point to Ukraine on a map and recite a few facts about it, but I had no idea just how truly rich its culinary culture is. Olia Hercules, now a London resident, has combined her Ukrainian childhood memories and her journalistic talents to bring Ukraine vividly to life in Summer Kitchens, through the people, customs, and foods of Ukraine’s different regions.

The book’s title refers to a special type of Ukrainian kitchen, which Hercules describes as “separate buildings with the main purpose of being a kitchen. People cooked and ate there all summer, and sometimes used them to prepare bigger feasts in winter as well, especially during festivities.” In describing her grandfather’s summer kitchen, built around an existing cherry tree, she says “…it seems to me that the underlying intention is to try to live in harmony with nature, with gratitude to the land and what it gives you. Summer kitchens encourage a very intimate, almost spiritual connection with everything living around you.”

The book’s many photographs of summer kitchens throughout Ukraine testify to both the diversity and the universality of these special places. I find the photographs in Summer Kitchens quite touching; I especially love the people pictured. I want to sit at their tables, cook alongside them, taste their food, and share their stories.

Aside from the interesting informational chapters, each of the seven recipe chapters is devoted to a category of food. If you enjoy pickles, you’ll love “Fermenting, pickling, and preserving: The September sessions.” If you associate borsch with Ukraine, you won’t be surprised that “Broths and soups” has an entire section called “On Borsch.” Many of the breads in the chapter “Bread, pasta, and dumplings: The alchemy of flour and water” employ either a rye or sourdough starter (instructions included). “Breakfast and bites: From sunrise to sunset,” “Vegetables: From field and forest,” Meat and fish: From pasture, river, and sea,” and “Cakes, desserts, and pastries: Life is sweet” are all of full of recipes and information about Ukraine and its foods.

Hercules’ recipes are a delight, with twists and tips from a cook who obviously loves food, along with a good helping of history, remembrances, and stories. And the range of foods is amazing, from simple to sumptuous. I wish I had space here to list them for you, but alas, you’ll just have to read Summer Kitchens for yourself to discover them!

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Giveaway: One lucky winner is going to win a copy of Summer Kitchens, thanks to Weldon Owen.

Giveaway Details: This giveaway is open to residents of the US ONLY age 18 and over. Please read our Terms of Service & Disclaimer Policy before entering. This giveaway will close on August 29th, 2020 at 11:59 pm EST time. No purchase necessary to enter or win.

Disclaimer: A. Bailey received a complimentary product for review purposes & feature on The Classy Chics blog. No monetary compensation was received. A. Bailey’s thoughts, opinions and words are 100% her own. Your thoughts may differ. Please read the blog’s terms of service policy before entering any giveaways. The Classy Chics are NOT responsible for prize fulfillment or shipping of any items won from this blog. This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase through an affiliate link, we may or may not make a small commission which helps to support this website. Thank you!!!