Near Abroad

Near Abroad: Life and Cooking in the Soviet Diaspora is Polina Chesnakova’s third cookbook, a love letter to the food of her childhood. Born in Ukraine to Russian and Armenian parents from the Republic of Georgia, she grew up cooking and eating at the hip of her mother and aunts.  

From Georgian tkemali (sour plum sauce) and Armenian dolma (stuffed grape leaves) to Ukrainian varenyky (dumplings) and Russian okroshka (cold yogurt soup) and medovik (honey cake), Near Abroad showcases over 110 vibrant regional recipes. Essays, stories, and profiles of the amazing cooks in her life are peppered amongst recipes as diverse as the communities from which they blossomed and the immigrant experience they were subsequently passed down in.

Near Abroad paints a picture of the Soviet diaspora through food, and is for the children of that diaspora, but it is also for anyone looking to expand their palate and pantry and learn the rich history of a people through their most cherished recipes and traditions.