Podcast appearances and mentions of Olia Hercules

Embracing language, traditions, and folklore are an important part of how chef, author, and gardener Olia Hercules grows and cooks. Discover how her Ukrainian roots, spirit, and connection to the land inspire her passion for growing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Olia Hercules is a Ukrainian-born, London-based chef, food writer, and culinary storyteller renowned for bringing the vibrant flavours and traditions of Eastern Europe to a global audience. Olia trained at Leiths School of Food and Wine and went on to work as a chef de partie at Ottolenghi, later becoming a sought-after recipe developer and stylist. Her debut cookbook, Mamushka (2015), won the Fortnum & Mason Debut Food Book Award and earned her the Observer's Rising Star accolade. She's since published celebrated cookbooks including Kaukasis (2017), Summer Kitchens (2020), and Home Food (2022), each weaving rich cultural narratives into home-style recipes. In response to the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Olia co-founded the #CookForUkraine initiative, raising over £2 million for relief efforts and earning prestigious awards from Observer Food Monthly, the Guild of Food Writers, and 50 Best Restaurants. Featured among British Vogue's Most Influential Women of 2022, she continues to advocate for her heritage through writing, teaching, and activism. She hosts workshops, writes for major food publications, and has just released her latest book Strong Roots, a family memoir exploring Ukraine's history and hope through generations. It's available here - https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/strong-roots-9781526662965/Olia Hercules is our guest in episode 501 of My Time Capsule and chats to Michael Fenton Stevens about the five things she'd like to put in a time capsule; four she'd like to preserve and one she'd like to bury and never have to think about again .Strong Roots by Olia is available here - https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/strong-roots-9781526662965The online Ukrainian seed shop that Olia mentions is here - https://organicseeds.topFor Olia's books, workshops, recipes and articles, visit - https://oliahercules.comFollow Olia Hercules on Instagram: @oliahercules & Twitter/X: @Olia_HerculesFollow My Time Capsule on Instagram: @mytimecapsulepodcast & Twitter/X & Facebook: @MyTCpod .Follow Michael Fenton Stevens on Twitter/X: @fentonstevens & Instagram @mikefentonstevens .Produced and edited by John Fenton-Stevens for Cast Off Productions .Music by Pass The Peas Music .Artwork by matthewboxall.com .This podcast is proud to be associated with the charity Viva! Providing theatrical opportunities for hundreds of young people .To support this podcast, get all episodes ad-free and a bonus episode every Wednesday of "My Time Capsule The Debrief', please sign up here - https://mytimecapsule.supercast.com. All money goes straight into the making of the podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Day 1,206.Today, as explosions are heard across Crimea, we discuss the impact of Israel's attack on Iran on the war in Ukraine, especially on drone procurement. Then we do a deep dive into Ukrainian food, visiting a special charity in Kharkiv making salt, and interviewing a bestselling cookery writer about her family's remarkable experiences over the past century, and the recipes passed down the generations.Contributors:Francis Dearnley (Executive Editor for Audio). @FrancisDearnley on X.Dominic Nicholls (Associate Editor of Defence). @DomNicholls on X.With thanks to Olia Hercules (best selling cookery writer). @Olia_Hercules on X.Content Referenced:Join Us for Live Podcast at Chalke Valley (29 June):https://www.chalkefestival.com/Join Us for Live Podcast at Scarborough Fair (9 July):https://scarboroughfair.uk/events/putins-folly-the-war-in-ukraine-three-years-on/Charities Mentioned in Kharkiv Segment:https://www.instagram.com/lavka_deokupatsii/?igsh=dG4wNzVnZjBsdDZy#https://www.instagram.com/volonterska_ua/?igsh=M2Q3ZmJ3YXRhMHlz# Olia Hercules's Book - ‘Strong Roots: A Ukrainian Family Story of War, Exile and Hope':https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/strong-roots-9781526662965/ Nato drafts one-page communiqué to suit Trump's attention span (The Telegraph):https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2025/06/13/nato-drawing-up-trump-one-page-communique/ France blocking Britain from EU's massive defence fund (The Telegraph):https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2025/06/12/france-blocking-britain-from-eu-massive-defence-fund/ Pro-Orbán propagandist's ties to Russian intelligence exposed during national security screening (Direkt36):https://www.direkt36.hu/en/fideszes-propagandista-orosz-titkosszolgalati-kapcsolatai-buktak-ki-egy-nemzetbiztonsagi-ellenorzesen/SIGN UP TO THE NEW ‘UKRAINE: THE LATEST' WEEKLY NEWSLETTER:https://secure.telegraph.co.uk/customer/secure/newsletter/ukraine/ Each week, Dom Nicholls and Francis Dearnley answer your questions, provide recommended reading, and give exclusive analysis and behind-the-scenes insights – plus maps of the frontlines and diagrams of weapons to complement our daily reporting. It's free for everyone, including non-subscribers.Subscribe: telegraph.co.uk/ukrainethelatestEmail: ukrainepod@telegraph.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

My guest today is the Ukrainian chef, food writer and activist Olia Hercules. Olia was born in the South of Ukraine and has lived in the UK since her late teens. After working in journalism she decided to follow her heart, her stomach and arguably her heritage, and become a chef.  She trained at Leith's School of Food and Wine, worked in kitchens, including as chef de partie for Yotam Ottolenghi and as a recipe developer.  But her mission is to make people rethink their attitude to eastern european - and particularly Ukrainian - food. She has written three cookbooks, including Mamushka, which won the fortnum's award for best debut.  When Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, life changed forever for Olia and her family who lived in the Kherson region. As olia says, ‘They lost their homes and their livelihoods, but they are all still alive.”  Her brother signed up ti fight and Olia turned activist, launching Cook for Ukraine and raising over £1million for supplies for Ukrainians.  I was fortunate enough to visit Olia for lunch at home in East London to talk about her new book, Strong Roots, a moving portrait of the history of Ukraine through generations of her family, being descended from a long line of powerful women, making the decision to retrain as a chef and how it felt to discover she is a carrier of fragile X syndrome which meant that she was unexpectedly plunged into premature menopause (and everything that entails) at just 38. * You can buy all the books mentioned in this podcast at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Shift bookshop on Bookshop.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, including Strong Roots by Olia Hercules as well as the book that inspired this podcast, The Shift: how I lost and found myself after 40 - and you can too, by me. * If you enjoyed this episode and you fancy buying me a coffee, pop over to my page on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠buymeacoffee.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. • And if you'd like to support the work that goes into making this podcast and get a weekly newsletter plus loads more content including exclusive transcripts of the podcast, why not join The Shift community, come and have a look around at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.theshiftwithsambaker.substack.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ • The Shift (on life after 40) with Sam Baker is created and hosted by Sam Baker and edited by Juliette Nicholls at Pineapple Production. If you enjoyed this podcast, please rate/review/follow as it really does help other people find us. And let me know what you think on twitter @sambaker or instagram @theothersambaker Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Join us round the kitchen table with acclaimed Ukrainian chef Olia Hercules and Dash's Artistic Director Josephine Burton as they weave together cooking and storytelling in our latest production.Dash's new production, The Reckoning, is a vivid and powerful new play about war, survival and the fragile trust between those who uncover the truth and those who must live with it.Co-writers Anastasiia Kosodii and Josephine Burton created the play from The Reckoning Project's verified archive of witness testimonies of the Russian war in Ukraine. Find out why Olia's insights and beautiful cooking is so vital to our staging of these experiences.To book tickets or to read more about The Reckoning see the Dash Arts website.If you haven't already, you can hear the other episodes of this podcast mini-series on The Reckoning where we explore our process towards production, speaking to author and journalist Peter Pomerantsev on why he shared the testimonies with Dash as well as Rory Finnin, Professor of Ukrainian Studies at the University of Cambridge.In the podcast, we hear from:Josephine Burton - Artistic Director, Dash Arts Olia Hercules - Chef & The Reckoning Food ConsultantZoë Hurwitz - The Reckoning Set Designer Our intro music is Fakiiritanssi by Marouf Majidi and throughout you can hear Tykho feat Syoda by composer of The Reckoning, Anton Baibakov. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, as Trump tramples over the future of Eastern Europe – and indeed the rest of Europe, we're with Siberian-born food writer and co-founder of #CookforUkraine, Alissa Timoshkina.Her latest book, Kapusta: Vegetable-Forward Recipes from Eastern Europe is a celebration of the humble cabbage (and four other vegetables) in the everyday kitchens of Eastern Europe. Her co-founder of CookforUkraine, Olia Hercules calls it ‘A rare cookbook that engages our thinking and delights our senses' and Nigella has already propped it up in her Cookbook Corner. In a world that is in such turmoil at the moment, a book about the rich history of Eastern European food and its peoples can do much to remind us all of the taste and flavour of a part of the world eclipsed by the headlines of war. Pop over to Gilly's Substack for Extra Bites of Alissa. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Victoria and James tuck into some traditional Ukrainian Christmas dishes…Chef Olia Hercules brings some festive food into the Ukrainecast studio and explains how food keeps her connected to her home.Today's episode is presented by Victoria Derbyshire and Vitaly Shevchenko. The producers were Arsenii Sokolov and Diane Richardson. The technical producer was Ben Andrews. The series producer is Tim Walklate. The senior news editor is Sara Wadeson. Email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp, Signal or Telegram to +44 330 1239480You can join the Ukrainecast discussion on Newscast's Discord server here: tinyurl.com/ukrainecastdiscord

Feeling a chill in the air and looking for a way to warm up after a busy fall day?As the days get shorter and cooler, we crave comfort food that are nourishing, while still simple to make at home. But with so many different recipes out there, how do you choose a soup that will truly hit the spot? Whether you want a quick weeknight option or a slow-simmered weekend treat, this episode will inspire you to make the most of soup season. By the end of this episode, you'll…Discover the viral “Glow Soup” — creamy, nutritious, and 100% plant-basedLearn tips for creating hearty, flavorful broths in your slow cooker or Instant Pot that can be enjoyed as a healthy snack or used to elevate classics like tomato, lentil, or chicken noodleGet creative with root veggies and hearty greens, combining them with pantry staples like smoky spices and coconut milk to take your soup game to the next levelTune in now to learn how to create soul-warming soups that will carry you through autumn and into winter with ease and comfort!***Links:The viral TikTok “Glow Soup” by Maddie Harrington/NutriouslyeasySimilar to Kari's soup: Andouille sausage + black bean soup with fire-roasted tomatoes by Sarah Carey for Martha Stewart, or this sausage, kale, and lentil soup (just swap the tomatoes for fire-roasted ones)Olia Hercules' Tarragon Soup from her cookbook Kaukasis: The culinary journey through Georgia, Azerbaijan & beyondClassic French onion soup with beef stock and white wine, and a mushroom farro version from NYT CookingSlow cooker carmelized onions from Gimme Some OvenParsnip soup options – Easiest parsnip soup form Taming Twins , Carrot-Parsnip Soup from NYT Cooking, and Apple parsnip soup from Dana's TableWhite chicken chili (with 3 different methods!) from Add a Pinch, and a 5-ingredient white chicken chili from Gimme Some Oven***Got a cooking question? Call in and leave us a voicemail on our kitchen phone! 323-452-9084Sign up for our newsletter here for special offers and opportunitiesOrder Sonya's debut cookbook

In this episode of Identified, host Nabil Ayers interviews Ukrainian chef and food writer, Olia Hercules. Olia reflects on her efforts to document family history and the challenges faced due to lost records from the Soviet era. She shares poignant family stories of displacement, survival, and the strong sense of community that characterized her upbringing. The conversation touches on the importance of food and cooking, highlighting traditional recipes and the skills passed down through generations. Olia also discusses coping with current hardships in Ukraine by drawing strength from her ancestors' resilience.  Host: Nabil Ayers Guest: Olia Hercules Executive Producer: Kieron Banerji Production Company: Palm Tree Island Music: Nouela and Patricia BrennanSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In recent years women have overtaken men as the majority on allotments and community gardens. These spaces for growing fruit and vegetables to eat at home have been peaceful places that provide families with healthy food. Datshiane Navanayagam talks to two women from Kenya and Ukraine about the appeal of these plots.JC Niala is a writer, academic and creative from Kenya who has written about the history of allotments. Alongside Greenpeace, she has co-created ‘The Waiting List', an allotment-sized artwork highlighting the significant demand and lengthy waiting lists for allotments. Olia Hercules is a Ukrainian cook and author of the award-winning Mamushka cook book. Raised in rural Ukraine she later moved to London where she missed the fresh tastes of homegrown food. This led her to start the lengthy process of securing an allotment, which she says helps make a place feel like ‘home', particularly during times of war and displacement. They've written essays for a book celebrating allotment life called This Allotment: Stories of Growing, Eating and Nurturing.Produced by Jane Thurlow(Image: (L) JC Niala, courtesy of JC Niala. (R) Olia Hercules, credit Joe Woodhouse.)

In this episode we're taking a look at emergency medicine outside hospitals and surgeries – and meeting the people who save seriously-ill people in unusual places.Smitha Mundasad goes on a rainy walk in the hills with the Brecon Mountain Rescue Team and meets the flying medics of London's Air Ambulance. Will she have time for a chat before they get a call-out? We also hear from Sweden where they're making lifesaving changes before the ambulance even arrives.And from kombucha and kimchi to keffir and sourdough, fermented food and drink is everywhere. But as these foods have exploded in popularity, so have claims of health benefits, from digestion and gut health, to immunity and mood.We start by trying some fermenting with chef Olia Hercules and then Smitha chats to fermented food “nerd” Professor Paul Cotter to sift through the evidence. Next week's Inside Health is all about the perimenopause – the time leading up to the menopause when oestrogen starts to drop. Why is it all still such a mystery? Send us your questions – and we'll put them to our panel. It's insidehealth@bbc.co.uk Presenter: Smitha Mundasad Producer: Gerry Holt Editor: Martin Smith Production co-ordinator: Jonathan HarrisDeclared interests: Professor Paul Cotter: “Research in the Cotter laboratory has been funded by PrecisionBiotics Group, Friesland Campina, Danone and PepsiCo. Paul Cotter has also received funding to travel to or present at meetings by H&H, the National Dairy Council U.S., PepsiCo, Abbott, Arla and Yakult. In addition, he is the co-founder and CTO of SeqBiome Ltd., a provider of sequencing and bioinformatics services for microbiome analysis.”

This week, Gilly is on Hove seafront with an old friend of the podcast, Joe Woodhouse to talk about More Daily Veg.A lot has happened since they first met on Zoom to talk about his first book, Your Daily Veg. While the Ukraine war has rocked his family life – his wife is the Ukrainian food writer and Cook for Ukraine champion, Olia Hercules, their three year old son, Wilf was diagnosed with a mild form of autism, and vegetables have actually landed properly on the British plate. Gilly catches up with him on a bench over looking the sea to ponder on the enormity of it all Head to Gilly's Substack to see what Joe has cooked up for us over on Extra Bites Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ukrainian chef, author and activist Olia Hercules welcomed Clover into her unruly garden for this vulnerable conversation about the collective bravery of Ukraine. Olia explains why she decided to raise money for her brother's regiment despite being a humanitarian, the beauty of creative mindfulness in dark times and what you can do to support the war in Ukraine today. She also tells Clover about the colours and smells of her childhood in Ukraine, how to draw strength from the past and why you should have the courage to look after yourself first.Follow Olia @oliahercules and donate to #CookForUKRAINE and Legacy of War Foundation. Connect with Clover @clover.stroud. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we explore the beautiful kitchen of Ukrainian chef Olia Hercules. Over homemade rhubarb beer, Olia talks books, cooking for one and how chicken soup transcends borders. And we have a good nose around her kitchen that she calls messy but we call homely. Home Food  Cook For Ukraine  Dumpling Classes

In Olia Hercules' book title, she describes the power of food to comfort and connect, and nobody exhibits it in such a captivating way as Olia does.Be inspired by the wonders of world food as one of Ukraine's most moving and emotive cooks and writers joins Sarah on ‘grow, cook, eat, arrange', sharing the delights of Ukrainian recipes.In this episode, discover:Olia's background and journey to discovering the joys of cookeryHeartwarming tales of family recipes perfect for you to try at homeRecipes to take advantage of bountiful wild garlic from foragingThe profound connection you form when you cook with what you growGet in touch: info@sarahraven.comShop on the Sarah Raven Website: http://bit.ly/3jvbaeu Follow Sarah: https://bit.ly/3jDTvBpFollow Arthur: https://bit.ly/3jxSKK5

GUEST: Olia Hercules - Food writer, food stylist and chef. ---------- Today I'm talking to one of Ukraine's leading cultural figures and most creative minds, about a very personal and difficult subject – the intentional flooding of, Kakhovka by Russia in an act of monumental depravity and barbarism. We'll also be talking about how culture and food fortify the Ukrainian identify and strengthen their spirit of resistance against tyranny. #OliaHercules #ukrainiancusuine #borscht #ukraine #ukrainewar #russia #zelensky #putin #propaganda #war #disinformation #hybridwarfare #communism #sovietunion #postsoviet ---------- SPEAKER: Olia Hercules is a food writer, food stylist and chef who spent her early childhood in the town of old Kakhovka. She is author of many award-winning cookbooks including Mamushka, Kaukasis, Summer Kitchen and Home Food. She settled in the United Kingdom at the age of 18 to study international relations and Italian at Warwick University. Olia Hercules began working as a chef after completing a course at Leith's School of Food and Wine in 2010. In response to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, Hercules raised money to privately send bullet-proof vests to civilian volunteers in the Ukrainian army, including her brother. With her friend, the chef Alissa Timoshkina, she established the #CookForUkraine social media initiative, encouraging businesses and individuals to raise money for UNICEF by cooking Ukrainian cuisine. She has won many awards, include The Observer Rising Star in Food 2015 and was Winner of Fortnum & Mason's Debut Food Book Award 2016. ---------- BOOKS: Mamushka: Recipes from Ukraine & Beyond (Octopus Publishing (2015) Kaukasis: The Cookbook – A Journey Through the Wild East (Octopus Publishing (2017) Summer Kitchens Inside Ukraine's Hidden Places of Cooking and Sanctuary (2020) Home Food (Bloomsbury Publishing, 2022) ---------- LINKS: https://twitter.com/Olia_Hercules https://www.linkedin.com/in/olia-hercules-2097925a/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olia_Hercules ---------- WATCH NEXT: Orest Zub https://youtu.be/A7MrcwdDvPQ Aliona Hlivco https://youtu.be/yGLUBCfTkD8 Olga Tokariuk https://youtu.be/D5onDse6WJs Anna Danylchuk https://youtu.be/5AenntkSxIs Roman Sheremeta https://youtu.be/olrTPku8EMM ---------- CHAPTERS: 00:00 Introduction ---------- PLATFORMS: Twitter: https://twitter.com/CurtainSilicon Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/siliconcurtain/ Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/4thRZj6NO7y93zG11JMtqm Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finkjonathan/ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtain ---------- Welcome to the Silicon Curtain podcast. Please like and subscribe if you like the content we produce. It will really help to increase the popularity of our content in YouTube's algorithm. Our material is now being made available on popular podcasting platforms as well, such as Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

Day 468.Today, we discuss the latest updates from Kherson as flood waters rise, speak to charity workers active in the region, and bring you the latest reaction one day on from the destruction of the Nova Kakhovka dam.Contributors:David Knowles (Host). @djknowles22 on Twitter.Dom Nicholls (Associate Editor, Defence), @DomNicholls on Twitter. Francis Dearnley (Assistant Comment Editor). @FrancisDearnley on Twitter.Roland Oliphant (Senior Foreign Correspondent). @RolandOliphant on Twitter.With thanks to:Yuriy Tokarski (CEO of U-Hearts Foundation) @YuriyTkr on Twitter. https://u-hearts.com/Olia Hercules (author and chef from Khakova ) @Olia_Hercules on Twitter.The charity mentioned by Olia: https://www.legacyofwarfoundation.com/ukrainecrisisHer own site: https://oliahercules.com/ Francis's article for The Telegraph can be found here: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2023/06/06/ukraine-knows-all-too-well-terrible-cost-dam-bursts/Subscribe to The Telegraph: telegraph.co.uk/ukrainethelatestEmail: ukrainepod@telegraph.co.ukSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Are we still a nation of pudding lovers and does pudding still matter? Join Sheila Dillon in her kitchen where she's joined by some of the UK's best pudding makers to share some of the secrets of great pudding, and why they matter to them. Olia Hercules makes a pudding from her childhood in Ukraine, a cheesecake made from the "cheese of all cheeses"; Regula Ysewijn bakes an early version of a Bakewell Pudding using apricot kernels and sweetmeats; Melissa Thompson brings Jamaican nostalgia into her own pudding invention, Guinness Punch Pie; Jeremy Lee cooks his Granny's Steamed Treacle Dumpling and chef Anna Higham who's book "The Last Bite" is a celebration of seasonal fruit puddings, makes a rice pudding with a rhubarb compote. So what it is about pudding that delights people so much? And why don't we eat them as much as we once did? Sheila speaks to food historian, Ivan Day, who has spent a lifetime researching and recreating puddings from the past, to see what he makes of our relationship with them now. Presented by Sheila Dillon Produced in Bristol by Natalie Donovan

Comment se nourrit-on en temps de guerre ? Comment faire à manger sans électricité ? Quelle place pour la nourriture dans les zones de conflit quand les bombes s'abattent, que les tirs de mortiers résonnent ? Pourtant, des repas sont partagés, des boulangeries créées dans les sous-sols des immeubles, des barbecues communs sont installés, des brûleries de cafés montées, des restaurants ouvrent aussi leur porte. Au-delà de la priorité vitale évidente, manger concrétise le lien social, incarne le soutien et la résistance, la solidarité, le goût de la vie !  Nos invités, Juliette Turrini et Scott Laurent, sont tous deux photographes. Reporter de Guerre, Scott a passé plusieurs mois en Ukraine depuis le début de la guerre. Il est retourné avec Juliette, au début de l'année 2023, pour raconter la nourriture comme lien social, les repas et l'adaptation des civils et des militaires, en temps de guerre. Pour suivre leur travail : Juliette Turrini : son site et sur Instagram.  Scott Laurent est l'auteur de 2 livres, dont le dernier « Deux poignées de terre » vient de paraitre : son site et sur instagram.« On n'apprend pas dans les écoles de cuisine à choisir son générateur » -  Nika Lozovska, cheffe de Dizyngoff à Odessa en Ukraine.  Aller plus loin :- Au sujet de l'Holodomore, la famine provoquée par le régime de Staline au début des années 30 en Ukraine : Le documentaire.- L'Assemblée nationale française a reconnu ce 28 mars 2023 la grande famine de 1932 comme un génocide.« Je n'ai jamais eu faim en Ukraine. L'histoire a cruellement enseigné aux Ukrainiens à toujours faire en sorte d'avoir à manger : ils conservent, cultivent, se débrouillent pour ne jamais manquer de nourriture. » Scott Laurent, photographe. - Nika Lozovska, cheffe et fondatrice de Dyzingof. Instagram de Nika Lozovska.- Summer Kicthen de Olia Hercules, éd. Hachette Cuisine.- Ukraine, Recette et histoire, éd. La Martinière.- Magic food Kitchen.- Refugee food avec Nika Lozovska. En images Programmation musicale- Back in the USRR, Beatles - The other side, de Studio Shap Shap. 

In the latest episode of Life in Food with Laura Price, I talk about Food and War with Alissa Timoshkina, who co-founded the Cook for Ukraine fundraising initiative with her friend Olia Hercules. In the episode, we talk about her campaign to fight conflict and violence with food and love, what she has learned from Russia's war on Ukraine, and how her Jewish-Ukrainian grandmother taught her that the human spirit cannot be extinguished through war.Follow Alissa on Instagram @alissatimoshkina.Follow MotherFood on Instagram @motherfoodlondon.Listen to MotherFood podcast.Follow Alissa on Twitter @alissatimoshkin.Buy Alissa's cookbook, Salt & Time.Try Alissa's recipe for borsch.Get involved with CookforUkraine.org.Visit Alissa's website.Read Laura's interview with Alissa and Olia for The World's 50 Best Restaurants.Restaurants mention in the episode:Mriya Neo BistroAbout Alissa Timoshkina: Alissa is a writer, historian and chef who published her first book, Salt and Time: Recipes from a Russian Kitchen, in 2019, and who hosts the podcast Motherfood. She founded the supper club KinoVino, pairing dishes with films, and has now extended Motherfood into a food service for new mothers.About the host: Laura Price is a multilingual journalist who travels the world writing about restaurants. A proud Yorkshire lass at heart, she spent several years in Latin America before settling in London. Her first novel, Single Bald Female, was inspired by her experience of being diagnosed with breast cancer at 29. A novelist by day and a food writer by night, Laura combines her two passions into this podcast, bringing out powerful stories of survival and healing in a language that everyone understands – food.Buy Single Bald Female.Visit Laura's website.Read Laura's Substack newsletter, Doughnuts for Breakfast.Follow Laura on Instagram @laurapricewrites.Follow Laura on Twitter @laurapricewrite.Life in Food is hosted, produced and edited by Laura Price. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Come dine with us, little dumplings, as we tell you all about Olia Hercules' latest book, Home Food. We've been gone for a little while, but we haven't forgotten how to go off on tangents, so you can look forward to discussions ranging from our prospective applications for Love Island to cabbage tattoos. We do also talk about Home Food, promise! As we approach one year of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, you can donate to #cookforukraine here: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/cookforukraine Music: Upbeat Funk - Infraction Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ukrainian chef, author and activist Olia Hercules shares recipes and traditions from her home, and how she's coping after almost one year of war. Plus, Jess Edberg tells the story of Dorothy Molter, who sold hundreds of bottles of root beer every day in Minnesota's remote Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness; J. Kenji López-Alt teaches us what to do when there's too much lettuce in the house; and Christopher Kimball takes your calls with co-host Sara Moulton.We want to hear your culinary tips! Share your cooking hacks, secret ingredients or unexpected techniques with us for a chance to hear yourself on Milk Street Radio! Here's how: https://www.177milkstreet.com/radiotipsListen to Milk Street Radio on: Apple Podcasts | Stitcher | SpotifyThis episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/milk and get on your way to being your best self. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week's "You've Got to Taste This" recipe comes to us from Felicity Spector, a Harvard Fulbright scholar and London-based journalist, whose interest in Ukraine and Russia far precedes the current conflict there. That interest certainly informs her recipe choice: Makoviy Rulet, a braided babka-ish bread studded with apples and infused with a sweet, complex, frangipane-like poppyseed paste. It's a recipe by Felicity's friend and food-writing colleague Olia Hercules, who's been movingly writing about her family's strife in Ukraine, dealing with the horror of the Russian occupation. Amazingly, Felicity herself has driven into Ukraine from London to bring supplies to bombed-out bakeries there. We talk all about that in today's conversation, one that runs the gambit from British food's bad image in the nineties to her love for a NY-style bagel with whitefish. We also cover the process of making the makoivy rulet, which I served at a dinner party to great acclaim. If you want the recipe, you'll be able to find it on amateurgourmet.com. Also: if you'd like to donate to any of the charities mentioned, here are the links:World Central KitchenCook for Ukraine Bake for Ukraine Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ukrainian cookbook writer Olia Hercules reflects on why it's important to mark this festive season, and the traditional dishes she'll be serving at the Christmas table in London this year. Ruth Alexander speaks to Olia and her Russian born friend and fellow food writer, Alissa Timoshkina, to discuss how these food traditions have developed and how relatives and friends will be marking Christmas in the war-torn country, ten months on from Russia's invasion. Ruth also sits down with a Ukrainian family of refugees and their British hosts in Blackburn in the North of England to find out what will be on their Christmas table this year, and what it's like to be separated from loved ones at this time. For Mariya Dmytrenko and her children, Krystina and Artem, and their hosts Brian and Julie Lamb, food has provided opportunities to bond and learn about each other's cultures as they share a home. If you would like to get in touch with the show, please email: thefoodchain@bbc.co.uk Presented by Ruth Alexander Produced by Beatrice Pickup (Image: Mariya Dmytrenko and her children Krystina and Artem in Brian and Julie Lamb's kitchen in Blackburn England. Credit: BBC)

"Cooking is like therapy to us. I grew up where my big extended family would come together in summer under the walnut tree. The adults would drink and we'd eat, stories would be told and we'd break into song. It was a healing process." In the first of a new series, the cookbook author Olia Hercules tells us why she's picked the Ukrainian artist and activist Alla Horska as her Great Life. A member of the Sixtiers, Alla was a part of the Ukrainian dissident movement of writers, artists and cultural figures who stood against the destruction of Ukrainian identity and rallied for greater freedoms. Growing up in Ukraine, Olia says she was taught so much about Russian culture, and so little about Ukrainian culture, that she wanted to fix that. Now in a time of war, Olia discovers how parts of Alla's life mirror her own. Joining her in studio is Tetyana Filevska, creative director of the Ukrainian Institute. Tetyana moved to London to escape the war in Ukraine. Future guests in the series include writer Olivia Laing on Christopher Lloyd, Bob Harris on Sir Matt Busby, and Noddy Holder on Chuck Berry. Produced for BBC Audio in Bristol by Caitlin Hobbs

I am incredibly honoured to bring you a very special episode this week. I'd like to highlight that this is a very emotional and sensitive conversation between myself and Olia Hercules and Alissa Timoshkina, the ladies behind #CookForUkraine; the global movement of supper clubs, restaurants and chefs supporting the people of Ukraine, since the atrocities began earlier this year. It was a privilege to sit down with these incredible ladies and hear not only about the platform and what they've been doing to raise money; but also hear about their life stories and the different cultures they have both come from. I urge anyone, however small or big, to donate to #CookForUkraine or even host a supperclub in its honour. Follow them on Instagram and go to https://www.cookforukraine.org to find out more. @cookforukraine @oliahercules @alissatimoshkina @crazysexyfood @hannahharley www.crazysexyfood.com Music by @casnova____ I am beyond excited to announce that I have partnered with Magimix for Season 8 of Crazy Sexy Food! Magimix is a family owned business that has the amazing reputation as makers of quality kitchen appliances that are adored by chefs and home cooks alike. I remember growing up and always seeing my mum's beloved Magimix on her counter top, and the utter ease of how she used it. With their 30-year motor guarantee these machines have always been built to last. They continue to be relevant as ever in the busy kitchen and make fantastic food processors that make your food go further and reduce food wastage. They are a God-send when it comes to batch cooking and using up leftovers. I use my Magimix every day! If you're ready to step into the world of Magimix with a new food processor, blender, ice cream maker or any other bit of kit, then simply pop over to their website and use my exclusive code at check-out for a 15% discount. The code is MAGIMIXCSF. Make it with Magimix.

Vi tipsar om nya kokböcker. Mat från Sicilien, Korea, Kina, Ukraina och en ny bok av Ottolenghi. Kocken och krögaren Emma Kolback, Menys reporter Nina Frogneborn och programledaren Tomas Tengby har läst och lagat ur nya kokböcker.Böckerna som det pratas om:Koreanska grytor av Gustav KyhlbergShelf love av Ottolenghi test kitchen (en bok på engelska)Vegetariana siciliana av Francesca Maugeri Holmström och Louise Malmros ManfrinatoMitt kinesiska skafferi av Jimmy GuoMamusia av Olia Hercules (med mat från Ukraina)

In these fractured times l wanted to continue to look at how stories and food can overcome the distance between people and enhance our shared experiences so earlier this year I spent time exploring storytelling through food writing. I interviewed some very talented writers who tell stories through their food writing to find out why how food has shaped their writing and in what ways food enhances their storytelling. They have all had different experiences around food which has influenced how they write and the subjects they write about. In their own ways they use their writing to break down barriers through stories and food. I hope you find these conversations as fascinating as I did. In this fourth & final interview I would like to introduce you to Anna Kharzeeva. Anna is the author of the remarkable cookbook, The Soviet Diet Cookbook, which is not just that but also a fascinating anthropological, historical analysis of the Soviet regime. She is a political refugee and had to flee Russia at the outbreak of the war against Ukraine or face the possibility of decades in jail for protesting against the actions of the current regime. We had arranged to do the interview before the war broke out and eventually managed to do it once she arrived in Australia after fleeing Moscow via Istanbul. We stuck to my original questions which predated the awful events in Ukraine as we wanted this interview to work with the rest of the series. As you will hear however, naturally the war and its effects aren't far from her thoughts. You can find Anna on Instagram and you can buy her book here Anna also mentions the fundraising drive set up by Olia Hercules and Alissa Timoshkina - Cook For Ukraine. You can find Olia Hercules Books here: You can find the rest of the interviews in this series here: How Food Frames Stories. You can find my interviews with storytellers here: Vernacular Voices of the Storyteller You can also subscribe (or just read) my free newsletter for further snippets of folklore, history, stories, vintage recipes, herblore & the occasional cocktail. You can also find out more at Hestia's Kitchen which has all past episodes and the connected recipes on the blog. If you'd like to get in touch about the podcast you can find me on Twitter or Instagram at @FairyTalesFood.

Nikki Bedi and Adil Ray are joined by scientist and best selling writer Carlo Rovelli to discuss life outside of black holes and quantum mechanics and why he's been dubbed the world's most inspirational physics teacher. At the age of 24, Georgina Hurst was severely injured in an car accident caused by her then boyfriend's dangerous driving. She was given a less than one per cent chance of survival. Determined to defy the odds, today she is gearing up to celebrate 25 years since the accident with a pole dancing performance. She tells her story. Nabil Ayres is the son of a white Jewish former ballerina and the famous black jazz musician Roy Ayers. Prior to his conception, his mother had arranged with his father that he would not have any parental input. Nabil grew up to be a music entrepreneur and a writer, and despite living in the same city has he never bumped into his father. He joins us. Olia Hercules is a Ukrainian cookery writer based in the UK. This year she has witnessed from afar the plight of her family and friends in Ukraine. She co founded the Cook for Ukraine movement and has become an activist on social media. She joins us. Writer Roddy Doyle chooses his Inheritance Tracks: River Stay 'Way From My Door - Paul Robeson and Boys From the Betterland - Fontaines D.C. and we have your thank you! Producer: Corinna Jones

From the BBC World Service: The U.S., which has already sent $10 billion to Ukraine, is expected to announce another $3 billion package, the largest so far. Charities of all shapes and sizes have been doing what they can on the ground, but recently giving has slowed. We caught up again with Ukrainian chef and cookbook author Olia Hercules in her London home to hear about her latest fundraising efforts. And, South Africans are taking to the streets to protest against soaring food and fuel prices, and ongoing power cuts.

From the BBC World Service: The U.S., which has already sent $10 billion to Ukraine, is expected to announce another $3 billion package, the largest so far. Charities of all shapes and sizes have been doing what they can on the ground, but recently giving has slowed. We caught up again with Ukrainian chef and cookbook author Olia Hercules in her London home to hear about her latest fundraising efforts. And, South Africans are taking to the streets to protest against soaring food and fuel prices, and ongoing power cuts.

It's been six months since Russia invaded its neighbour Ukraine. In the early days, in late February, March and April, charities were overwhelmed by donations and offers from people who wanted to help. But they're now having to work much harder to get much needed donations. Ukrainian chef and author Olia Hercules is finding new ways to fundraise for families left behind in her home town. When war broke out Olia told the BBC's Victoria Craig about getting money and vital equipment to her brother on the front line. We catch up with Olia in her London home. Ronny Krieger, general manager of Patreon Europe, explains how people looking to raise money are using the fundraising platform. We also hear from Ukraine-based charity Aid Legion. Its co-founder Anna Goncharova tells us how she and her colleagues worked to come up with a campaign to rally people to the cause in an uplifting, impassioned way. Presenter: Victoria Craig Producer: Stephen Ryan Photo: Olia Hercules; Credit: Victoria Craig/BBC

Soaring inflation, food insecurity and an energy crisis are some of the side effects of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Half-a-year after the beginning of the war, we take a look at the global fallout of the ongoing conflict. Nowhere has the economic impact been more dramatically felt than in Ukraine itself, where economic activity has almost halved. We ask Yulia Sorokina, CEO of Ukranian fashion brand Wonder, how she manages to keep her business going in a war-hit country. The impact of the conflict and international sanctions in the Russian economy is hard to assess. Economic analysts have come up with some radically differing methods to do so. We ask one of them, Sergei Guriev, a Russian-born Professor of Economics at the Sciences Po University in Paris. The repercussions of the war in Ukraine are global, and one of the places where the situation has become the most pressing is the Horn of Africa. We hear from Hassan Khannenje, director of the HORN International Institute for Strategic Studies, in Kenya. The huge outpouring of support for Ukraine has worn out after six months, and charities say it's getting harder to raise funds. The BBC's Victoria Craig talks to Ukrainian chef and author Olia Hercules, based in London, about her efforts to get help for relatives and other civilians in her country. And we take a look at the latest developments in the markets with Russ Mould, investment director at AJ Bell.

food is sacral for ukrainians. any rituals around growing, cooking, sharing, and eating foods are synonymous with persisting, surviving, thriving, and connecting with fellow ukrainians against all odds. that's why one of the nicest things you can do to show appreciation for a ukrainian is to learn how to cook ukrainian dishes. today's #UkrainianSpaces is all about nurturing all of us back to life, and decolonizing some stuff about ukrainian cuisine and culture along the way. our featured ukrainian is a celebrity chef and storyteller-foodwriter Olia Hercules. #UkrainianSpaces is 100% independent, volunteer and listener-supported initiative. If you like us, please become our Patreon sponsor and help us to amplify more Ukrainian voices. You can also send us a voice mail: https://anchor.fm/ukrainianspaces/message Find #UkrainianSpaces on more platforms: ukrainianspaces.com Follow Val and Maksym Val's twitter and Insta and tiktoks Maksym's twitter and insta and tiktoks --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/ukrainianspaces/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/ukrainianspaces/support

A visit to one of the most special Austrian farm-wineries, Olia Hercules on food as a tool to unite people and a top cocktail recipe by Ryan Chetiyawardana.

A visit to one of the most special Austrian farm-wineries, Olia Hercules on food as a tool to unite people and a top cocktail recipe by Ryan Chetiyawardana. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, Gilly is with Olia Hercules, the award-winning food writer who put the food of her home country of Ukraine on the map, and has since found herself fighting to keep its stories in the headlines as Russia razes it to the ground. With her Russian food writer friend, Alissa Timoshkina, she has raised millions through their #cookforukraine campaign. It has inspired thousands of pop ups all over the country, not just to raise money but to keep that rich food culture alive in our hearts and minds. She wrote her latest book, Home Food: Recipes to Comfort and Connect in Lockdown just after giving birth to her second child, which is no mean feat, but could have no idea at the time that she would launch it in a war zone. Here she tells us about her mission to tell the story of her homeland, and about her Patreon channel which she has created to support and rebuild Ukraine.Leiths is offering a discount for Cooking the Books listeners. To get 10% off the Leith's Essentials online course that Gilly is doing over over the next 6 months, go to leithsonline.com/courses/essential-cooking Click ‘enrol' on course page and apply the code: GILLY10 at checkout: And if you fancy a Free Hollandaise mini-course – Sign up for a Workshop account or login at: app.workshop.ws/profile and click ‘Redeem Coupon' on the sidebar. Enter code GILLYSGIFT and click redeem. Check the show notes for all those details. And you can follow my adventures in cookery at Foodgillysmith on Instagram. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

On a slightly different episode of Table Talk, chef and food writer, Olia Hercules joins Olivia Potts for a second time on the podcast to talk about #CookForUkraine. Created with Russian friend and food writer Alissa Timoshkina, #CookForUkraine encourages people to post and share Ukrainian recipes and celebrate the comfort of food during this difficult time. On the podcast, Olia tells Olivia Potts about the personal cost of the war on her and her family, how she grappled with guilt when cooking at the start of the war, and the ways we can offer support to the besieged cities in Ukraine. For more information about Olia, visit her Patreon account here.

On a slightly different episode of Table Talk, chef and food writer, Olia Hercules joins Olivia Potts for a second time on the podcast to talk about #CookForUkraine. Created with Russian friend and food writer Alissa Timoshkina, #CookForUkraine encourages people to post and share Ukrainian recipes and celebrate the comfort of food during this difficult time. On the podcast, Olia tells Olivia about the personal cost of the war on her and her family, how she grappled with guilt when cooking at the start of the war, and the ways we can offer support to the besieged cities in Ukraine. For more information about Olia, visit her Patreon account here.

Day 111.Today, we discuss updates from across the battlefront and speak to Ukrainian Chef and Food Writer Olia Hercules about her and her family's experience in the war, Russian colonialism and the challenges faced by Ukrainians who've left, more than three months after the start of the invasion. Contributors: David Knowles (Host)Francis Dearnley (Assistant Comment Editor)With thanks to Olia Hercules. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week, Gilly is with Joe Woodhouse to talk about cookery courses, food photography and launching your very first book in the middle of a war when your wife is Ukrainian food writer, Olia Hercules.His book Your Daily Veg has been lauded by Nigella, Anna Jones and Cooking the Books favourite, Rachel Roddy, and is packed with recipes inspired his career to date styling and photographing food from all over the world, but also by a lifetime of being a vegetarian.To get 10% off the Essentials online course that I'm doing over over the next 6 months, go to leithsonline.com/courses/essential-cooking Click ‘enrol' on course page and apply the code: GILLY10 at checkout: And if you fancy a Free Hollandaise mini-course – Sign up for a Workshop account or login at: app.workshop.ws/profile and click ‘Redeem Coupon' on the sidebar and enter code GILLYSGIFT See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

I am so honored to introduce you to today's guest, Alissa Timoshkina.   In her teenage years, she left Russia for England.  Now, having moved through a career in academia, she is a London based writer, cookbook author, creator of KinoVino, and activist. Most recently, Alissa and her dear friend, Olia Hercules, founded Cook for Ukraine, an initiative they started within 48 hours of the war on Ukraine by Russia.  To date, they have raised approximately 1 million pounds which has been donated to UNICEF.  Aliss and Olia who has shown tremendous bravery and leadership in calling out the atrocities of this war and continuing to raise awareness and funds for the people of Ukraine.   To connect with Alissa and Olia, you can follow them on instagram and all the details of Cook for Ukraine are linked on their websites.  @alissatimoshkina @oliahercules https://www.alissatimoshkina.com/https://www.alissatimoshkina.com/cookforukraine

Olia Hercules is Ukrainian, and Alissa Timoshkina is Russian. Together, the two friends and chefs have started the campaign Cook for Ukraine to highlight Ukrainian cuisine. They talk to Matt Galloway about the personal connections they have with Ukrainian food.

Lauren W. will be co-hosting this non-fiction quarter of Reading Envy Russia. We share books we have already read and freely recommend, and also chat about the piles and shelves of books we are considering. Let us know your recommendations and where you hope to start in the comments, or join the conversation in Goodreads.Download or listen via this link: Reading Envy 244: 2nd Quarter - Russian Non-Fiction Subscribe to the podcast via this link: FeedburnerOr subscribe via Apple Podcasts by clicking: SubscribeOr listen through TuneIn Or listen on Google Play Or listen via StitcherOr listen through Spotify Or listen through Google Podcasts Books we can recommend: Memories from Moscow to the Black Sea by Teffi Tolstoy, Rasputin, Others, and Me: The Best of Teffi by TeffiSecondhand Timeby Svetlana AlexievichThe Unwomanly Face of Warby Svetlana AlexievichLast Witnesses by Svetlana Alexievich, translated by Pevear & VolokhonskyZinky Boysby Svetlana AlexievichVoices of Chernobyl (also titled Chernobyl Prayer) by Svetlana Alexievich, translated by Keith GessenOther Russias by Victoria Lomasko, translated by Thomas CampbellThe Future is History by Masha Gessen Never Rememberby Masha Gessen, photography by Misha FriedmanWhere the Jews Aren't by Masha Gessen Pushkin's Children by Tatyana Tolstaya The Slynx by Tatyana TolstayaImperium by Ryszard Kapucinski, translated by Klara GlowczewskaA Very Dangerous Woman: The Lives, Loves and Lies of Russia's Most Seductive Spy by Deborah McDonald and Jeremy DronfieldPutin Country by Anne GarrelsLetters: Summer 1926 by Boris Pasternak, Marina Tsvetaeva, and Rainer Maria Rilke Sovietistan by Erika Fatland The Commissar Vanishes by David King Gulag by Anne Applebaum The Iron Curtain by Anne Applebaum The Magical Chorus by Solomon Volkov, translated by Antonina Bouis  Shostaskovich and Stalin by Solomon Volkov The Tiger by John Vaillant Owls of the Eastern Ice by Jonathan Slaght How to Tame a Fox (and Build a Dog): Visionary Scientists and a Siberian Tale of Jump-Started Evolution by Lee Alan Dugatkin and Lyudmila Trut Please to the Table by Anya von Bremzen Mastering the Art of Soviet Cooking by Anya von Bremzen Books we are considering: All Lara's Wars by Wojchiech Jagielski, translated by Antonia Lloyd-JonesGulag Archipelago by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, translated by Eric Ericson (there is a unabridged 1800+ pg, and an author approved abridged version, 400-some pages) Journey into the Whirlwind by Eugenia Ginzburg, translated by Paul Stevenson, Max Hayward Kolyma Tales by Varlam Shalamov, translated by John GladRiot Days by Maria AlyokhinaSpeak, Memory by Vladimir Nabokov The Life Written by Himself by Avvakum Petrov My Childhood by Maxim Gorky Teffi: A Life of Letters and Laughter by Edythe Haber Hope Against Hope by Nadezhda Mandelstam, tr. Max Hayward The Genius Under the Table: Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain by Eugene Yelchin Putin's Russia: life in a failing democracy by Anna Politkovskaya ; translated by Arch Tait. A Russian diary: a journalist's final account of life, corruption, and death in Putin's Russia by Anna Politkovskaya Notes on Russian Literature by F.M. DostoevskyThe Sinner and the Saint: Dostoevsky and the Gentleman Murderer Who Inspired a Masterpiece by Kevin Birmingham The Most Dangerous Book: The Battle for James Joyce's Ulysses by Kevin BirminghamLess than One: Selected Essays by Joseph Brodsky Tolstoy Together by Yiyun Li The Border by Erika Fatland Symphony for the City of the Dead: Dmitri Shostakovich and the Siege of Leningrad by M.T. Anderson Red Plenty by Francis Spufford Lenin's Tomb: The Last Days of the Soviet Empire by David Remnick Bloodlands: Europe Between Hitler and Stalin by Timothy Snyder The Last Empire: Final Days of the Soviet Union by Serhii PlokhyThe Gates of Europe: A History of Ukraine by Serhii PlokhyChernobyl: The History of a Nuclear Catastrophe by Serhii PlokhyNuclear Folly: A History of the Cuban Missile Crisis by Serhii PlokhyMan with the Poison Gun: a Cold War Spy Story by Serhii PlokhyBabi Yar: A Document in the Form of a Novel by Anatoly Kuznetsov, tr. David Floyd Manual for Survival: An Environmental History of the Chernobyl Disaster by Kate Brown Plutopia: Nuclear Families, Atomic Cities, and the Great Soviet and American Plutonium Disasters by Kate BrownA Biography of No Place: From Ethnic Borderland to Soviet Heartland by Kate BrownOctober: The Story of the Russian Revolution by China Mieville Nothing Is True and Everything Is Possible: The Surreal Heart of the New Russia by Peter Pomerantsev Across the Ussuri Kray by Vladimir Arsenyev, translated by Slaght An Armenian Sketchbook by Vasily Grossman, translated by Robert and Elizabeth Chandler A Writer at War: Vasily Grossman with the Red Army by Vasily GrossmanThe Road by Vasily GrossmanStalking the Atomic City: Life Among the Decadent and Depraved of Chernobyl by Markiyan Kamysh Midnight in Siberia: A Train Journey into the Heart of Russia by David Greene Mamushka: Recipes from Ukraine & beyond by Olia HerculesRed Sands by Caroline EdenBlack Sea by Caroline Eden Tasting Georgia by Carla Capalbo  Other mentions:PEN list of writers against PutinNew Yorker article about Gessen siblings Thanksgivukkah 2013  League of Kitchens - Uzbek lessonLeague of Kitchens - Russian lessonMasha Gessen on Ezra Klein podcast, March 2022Related episodes:Episode 067 - Rain and Readability with Ruth(iella) Episode 084 - A Worthy Tangent with Bryan Alexander Episode 138 - Shared Landscape with Lauren Weinhold Episode 237 - Reading Goals 2022Episode 243 - Russian Novel Speed Date Stalk us online:Reading Envy Readers on Goodreads (home of Reading Envy Russia)Lauren at GoodreadsLauren is @end.notes on InstagramJenny at GoodreadsJenny on TwitterJenny is @readingenvy on Instagram and Litsy All links to books are through Bookshop.org, where I am an affiliate. I wanted more money to go to the actual publishers and authors. You can see the full collection for Reading Envy Russia 2022 on Bookshop.org.

Food writers Olia Hercules and Alissa Timoshkina have been friends since university and together they have come together to launch #CookForUkraine - a campaign which aims to raise awareness and funds through a shared appreciation of the rich tradition of Ukrainian cooking with supper clubs, events and encouraging people to share recipes, along with the stories behind the dishes. In its first weeks they have whipped up an extraordinary amount of support from everyone from Jamie Oliver to Nigella Lawson as well as numerous restaurants and institutions. Here they talk to Hannah MacInnes about the campaign, about the war and the tragic impact it is having on both the people of Ukraine and of Russia, on their families and friends, the strong cultural ties between the two countries, their rich culinary traditions and much more. Please head to their website and justgiving page at https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/cookforukraine to find out more and to donate. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today's special episode we speak to Ukrainian chef and activist Olia Hercules and Russian chef, podcaster and writer Alissa Timoshkina. Olia and Alissa are best friends who have joined forces and set up #CookforUkraine, a culinary campaign encouraging people to cook traditional Ukrainian and eastern European food to raise money to support the humanitarian effort in Ukraine.Cook for Ukraine's donation page has raised more than £300,000 in donations already, with the money going to Unicef to support children and families impacted by the fighting.We are honoured to have these incredible women on the podcast today, particularly given the circumstances. We talk about family, food from home and friendship during this difficult time. Listen to the podcast and see how you can support this worthy campaign. We want to see photos of the food you cook, the supper-clubs you host, whatever you can manage to do with the #cookforukraine hashtag. Thank you to Olia and Alissa for taking the time to speak to us during this time. Xx See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In this special bonus episode we hear highlights from an episode first recorded with Olia Hercules in 2020 where she shared stories showing the beauty and diversity of Ukranian food. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Chef Olia Hercules invites us into her London home to reflect on her country's rich culinary heritage and the power of food in even the darkest of times. She opens her well-stocked kitchen cupboards and fridge to reveal the varied flavours, colours and scents of a cuisine she says is often wrongly dismissed as being ‘beige' or boring. Ruth Alexander joins Olia and her Russian friend and fellow food writer, Alissa Timoshkina, to discuss the close ties between their nation's traditional dishes, and the importance of the two women's own personal friendship. The conversation was recorded on Tuesday 8 March; 12 days into the Russian invasion of Ukraine. If you would like to get in touch with the show, please email thefoodchain@bbc.co.uk (Picture: Olia Hercules and Alissa Timoshkina. Credit: BBC) Producer: Sarah Stolarz

As Russia's war in Ukraine continues, people across the country prepare for the possibility of a long, drawn out conflict.. Some, are determined to help their loved ones survive. But sending aid to a war zone isn't easy. Not just because access to cash locally is often hard to come by, but rules around fundraising are complicated. Olia Hercules, cookbook author and chef, explains how, over the past two weeks, she's rushed to fundraise and send protective gear to her brother fighting on the front lines in Kyiv. Like so many others, she ran into problems getting money where it needed to go. James Maloney, a partner at London-based law firm Farrer & Co. tells of the legal parameters charities can operate and fundraise for relief efforts. And, we hear from Mike Noyes, director of humanitarian aid at Action Aid UK who is leading the effort to help women and children fleeing the war at Ukraine's border with Poland. Photo: Victoria Craig/BBC Olia Hercules sits with her friends, showing them a video message from her brother after he received protective supplies she raised funds to procure and send him.

Food writers Olia Hercules and Alissa Timoshkina discuss their campaign to raise funds for Ukraine, and we look at how the NGO World Central Kitchen has rushed to offer hot meals for those in need. Also in the programme: a look at the first commercial product from Copenhagen's Noma.