The Cooks: Yunia and Regina Sovietov

By Lena

Related to: Poltava (Province), 

Yunia (or Chaim) and Regina ( called Varia at home) SOVIETOV

Lena Yelkova's recipes from Grandmother and Grandfather

Lena Yelkova, who heads up our Poltava Gubernia Research effort and today lives in Bratislava, sent this message: "Dear Freya! See if you can make out some sense of these recipes. My mom gave me quite a number of them. For one thing it takes time to translate them and many of these recipes are quite complicated. I was breaking my head over them. I put 3 in there. I realize that people's tastes and habits are quite different these days.

Women here in Ukraine can still spend the whole day cooking in the kitchen, which doesn't seem to be the case in America. Anyway, I'd be glad if these are of any help to anybody. Please feel free to correct the mistakes and clarify things from me.

I attached a photograph of my relatives in Poltava. My grandpa and grandma are the people who are sitting on the left. I realize the quality is not that good. The photograph was taken in 57 or 58. But it is one on the very few pictures of two of them together. They both loved to cook!..."

Yunia (or Chaim) and Regina ( called Varia at home) SOVIETOV and family in Poltava

Their Recipes

Stuffed Pike and a Story

Chicken Bullion with Noodles

Home-made Noodles

Forshmack (herring spread)