{"product_id":"chesnok-cooking-from-my-corner-of-the-diaspora-recipes-from-eastern-europe-the-caucasus-and-central-asia","title":"Chesnok: Cooking from My Corner of the Diaspora: Recipes from Eastern Europe, the Caucasus, and Central Asia","description":"\u003cp data-start=\"871\" data-end=\"1161\"\u003eNamed for the head of garlic found in nearly every dish across the former Soviet Union, \u003cem data-start=\"959\" data-end=\"968\"\u003eChesnok\u003c\/em\u003e is a warm and thoughtful collection of traditional recipes from Eastern Europe, the Caucasus, and Central Asia—regions often grouped together, yet rich with culinary distinctions of their own.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"1163\" data-end=\"1634\"\u003ePolina Chesnakova, born in Ukraine to Russian and Armenian parents from Georgia, doesn’t offer “Russian-ish” food or modernized takes. These are traditional recipes, gathered from a lifetime of cooking alongside family and community. In essays and profiles woven throughout, she addresses the realities of Soviet-era cultural labeling—where diverse regional cuisines were often collapsed under the label “Russian”—and how those distinctions matter now more than ever.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"1636\" data-end=\"1946\"\u003eRecipes include \u003cem\u003egrenki\u003c\/em\u003e, a savory pan-fried bread; \u003cem\u003ekhinkali\u003c\/em\u003e, Georgian soup dumplings filled with meat and herbs; \u003cem\u003ematsvnis supi,\u003c\/em\u003e a warming yogurt and rice soup; and \u003cem\u003echakapuli\u003c\/em\u003e, a Georgian lamb braise with tarragon and white wine. There are sweets, too—like Armenian gata and the many-layered Medovik (honey cake).\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"1948\" data-end=\"2151\"\u003eThe recipes are carefully written and well-researched. The publisher’s effort to fit each one on a single page keeps the book compact, though readers should be aware that the type is on the smaller side.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"2153\" data-end=\"2304\"\u003e\u003cem data-start=\"2153\" data-end=\"2162\"\u003eChesnok\u003c\/em\u003e contributes meaningfully to the growing bookshelf of post-Soviet diasporic cooking, offering depth, specificity, and a strong sense of place.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"2153\" data-end=\"2304\"\u003eHardcover. Color photographs throughout.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"HGUS","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":41360352641157,"sku":"Polina Chesnakova","price":35.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0297\/5046\/0549\/files\/ChesnakovaChesnokCover.jpg?v=1758274669","url":"https:\/\/www.kitchenartsandletters.com\/products\/chesnok-cooking-from-my-corner-of-the-diaspora-recipes-from-eastern-europe-the-caucasus-and-central-asia","provider":"Kitchen Arts \u0026 Letters","version":"1.0","type":"link"}