Home Food: 100 Recipes to Comfort and Connect: Ukraine • Cyprus • Italy • England • and Beyond

by Olia Hercules, Joe Woodhouse (Photographer)

Acclaimed Ukrainian chef and food writer Olia Hercules shares 100 comforting recipes that can unite us no matter where we are from and where we end up.

In her most personal book yet, Olia Hercules distills a lifetime of kitchen curiosity into her 100 most loved recipes. She draws on her broad her childhood in Eastern Europe; her years in Cyprus and Italy; her simple, plant-centric family meals at home in London; and the special festive recipes she has gleaned along the way. All these seemingly diverse recipes are centered in comfort and connection. These are recipes that have been hand written, handed down, and shared among “They are nostalgic like the potatoes of my childhood, they share trade secrets like Bisque-style red mullet pasta, they interweave every day like Joe’s beet, feta, and potatoes, and they make everything ok like Life-giving rhubarb cake. The foods we choose to cook time and again are part of what makes us, and when we share those recipes, we give a little of ourselves.” In this book Olia gives us her food story through her very favorite recipes.

Genres: Cookbooks, Cooking, Food, Nonfiction

308 pages, Hardcover

Published September 27, 2022

Reviews

[X · Rating 3 out of 5]

A real step down from the author's previous books - if I had to rank them, it would be Mamushka > Summer Kitchens > Kaukasis > Home Food.

I understand that a lot of the recipes are based around "I have kids to feed" ideas, but that does leave a few of them not very exciting. Maybe I'm not the intended audience, but I really expected to widen my culinary horizon a bit, not find "this'll do" type of instructions.

[Caro · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my first cookbook from this author but it will not be my last!

Firstly I absolutely loved the stories that Olia shared here, it was a lovely personal touch that I loved reading.

Comfort and connect is the aim of these recipes and that really drew me in. I chose some recipes, prepared, cooked and got family together and they were a hit!

I tried the Cypriot salad, the tomato rice and potatoes of my childhood. There are so many others I want to try too.

A sidenote - I can't eat wheat, barley or rye and it was so easy to adapt the recipes. 

In short this book, packed full of delicious, easy to follow recipes, coupled with the mouth watering photography was a huge hit with me and my family.

[Hayleilei · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favourite food writer of today - her recipes, heartfelt words, creativity and warmth speak so directly to me. I feel both comforted and inspired when reading and cooking from her books. I have already made the “easy crunchy vegetable salad pickle” and “potatoes from my childhood” and while neither were dishes I personally grew up with, the meal felt nostalgic and of course, SO delicious. This is the magic that runs through every Olia Hercules cookbook - her ability to share stories and recipes that someone feel nostalgic whatever your background.

[Olya · Rating 1 out of 5]

Her other books are much better. This is half useless, very basic recipes (think pasta with garlic oil), half desserts (like custard and buckwheat cakes). Oh and lots of stories. Lots and lots of stories (like this is one of those food blogs where you want to click "skip to recipe").

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the premise of this cookbook. It contains so many recipes that I can't wait to make. The overlap of cultures & meaning-making behind cross-cultural stories behind the recipes crafts a sense of universal 'home.' I rarely find a cookbook with more than half recipes I want to make.

[Jackie]

I didn’t find many recipes in this cookbook (its more octopus heavy than anticipated) but I’m sure you’ll find at least one recipe you’ve never heard of. The “Useful Recipes” section was a treasure trove though!

[Elly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love the range of different good from various countries. A lot of vegetarian recipe. The best best feature are the qr codes linking to how to videos.

[LaLa · Rating 2 out of 5]

I made her pickle recipe and it was not good and I was sad.

[Melanie Hunter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Home Food - Recipes to Comfort and Connect by Olia Hercules @oliahercules is a beautiful cookbook! It is more than simply cookbook. Her stories and recipes share how food can comfort and connect us to those around us and the places where the food comes from.

I started following Olia when I wanted a way to help Ukraine. Olia has family in Ukraine, who have suffered so very much and some who still are. Olia shares her love of her Ukrainian culture and food. This book is a celebration of the places she has lived and found connections to. I look forward to sharing more of the foods I make from this recipe book. The QR codes attached to some recipes are fantastic. The book truly comes to life with the videos of Olia making them, in order to see how to do certain steps of the process. The roast chicken and punched potatoes pictured were amazing!!! I can't wait to have more family around to eat them next time.

What a special and comforting cookbook. I am excited to explore more recipes in time and hope to purchase more of Olia's books. Thank you @oliahercules
for sharing your thoughts, culture and food.

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