A Cookbook Without Borders – Interview with Vasylyna Saievych

By Olianna Dimitropoulou and Alaïa Lafleur

During Refugee Project Maastricht’s Ukrainian Culture Café, a group of Ukrainian volunteers, headed by Vasylyna Saievych, prepared a variety of Ukrainian dishes for more than 80 participants. Afterward, RPM had the pleasure of sitting down with the talented Vasylyna for an interview, with translation assistance from Iryna Busol, who also generously shared the varenyky recipe below.

 

Do you cook often? Which was your favorite dish to cook for the Ukrainian Culture Café?

“We cook every day. There is even a joke that Ukrainian women cook food for entire festivals. Besides, Vasylyna works in a restaurant so she cooks every day. And, her most favorite dish of all [from this event] is Syrnyky.”

How are all these dishes here pronounced?

“The soup is borsch(t)” (*Emphasis on the ssch*)

“Varenyky” (Vuh-rreh-ne-ke)

“Deruny” (Dhe-roun-ay)

“Syrnyky” (Surh-ne-ky)

Do people often get it wrong? 

“Yes (laughs).”

So, you work in a restaurant. What does cooking mean to you?

“Generally speaking, the motto for Vasylyna is to cook delicious food for people and for people to realize how special Ukrainian food is. It’s very important for her to make people happy and more kind. And while cooking, the most important ingredients are love and to be in a good mood.” 

So, then, do you feel like you don’t cook as well when you’re not in a good mood? 

“(Laughs heartily). The main thing is to first be in a good mood, and she has to be hungry.”

Why did you chose these specific dishes to cook today?

“Because these dishes go back to ancient times, to Kyivan Rus’. People cooked these dishes many many years ago: our grannies, our moms. There are a huge amount of recipes for borscht, for example. So, these dishes best present Ukrainian tradition. And of course, Vasylyna has her own recipes for these dishes. But the core is the same.”

How many variations of these dishes are there? Which is the best one?

“So, Borscht and Varenyky [are the most representative Ukrainian dishes]: In Ukrainian cuisine, we say there are 52 variants of Borscht, (one for each day of the year). In fact, Borscht is a registered UNESCO Ukrainian heritage dish. And there are various recipes for Varenyky. First, the dough. It can be made with or without eggs, with boiled water, milk or kefir. As for stuffing, you can cook with stewed cabbage, mushrooms, meat, they can be meat, with cottage cheese, cherries. Varenyky with cherries and honey, it’s so delicious. We can’t count how many variations.”

On what occasions do you make these dishes? Are they special days, or just for every day?

“As for traditions, yes, they are everyday foods. Vasylyna says it depends on her mood, but frankly speaking, she can eat Borscht every day, three times a day (laughs). Borscht is an ordinary, common dish. Varenyky as well. But, Syrnyky is our favorite. Usually, because it takes time, women make it on the weekends. As for me, I made it with my husband together on weekends.

And in Ukrainian cuisine, there are hundreds of delicious dishes that aren’t very expensive. You can cook with everything you have in your fridge. Like in Three Men in a Boat. They cooked with everything they had. [There is, for example,] a very healthy dish, a soup without any spices. No spices at all, even without salt. It’s a special kind of soup with vegetables; that’s what gives taste to the food.” 

Where do you usually get these ingredients from?

“In supermarkets. And, there also is a Turkish market where we can buy vegetables. We [Ukrainians] like herbs: parsley, dill, basil, etc. Yeah, there is no one place to buy produce. Just the nearest place (laughs).”

What do you associate with these dishes? What does it remind you of?

“You know, we have these dishes every day. They are so common for us. Ukrainian women cook Syrnyky in the morning, for example for their kids. It’s a nice food for starting a day. Borscht is usually cooked in the middle of the day as Ukrainian people prefer to have something liquid for lunch. It’s common. Our great grannies, our mothers, our great grandmother’s grandmothers used to eat these. It’s like, to breathe.”

How do you like the food where you live now?

“She likes only food she cooks herself.”

Thank you so much for granting us your time. Do you have any last words or a final message you would like to share with our readers?

“Delicious food makes people happier, more friendly and helps people to come together. That’s why it is very important.”

Varenyky recipe (Ukrainian dumplings)

INGREDIENTS

(Yields approximately 30 dumplings).

For the dough:

• • 250 g of flour
  • 2 g of salt

• • 160 g of hot water

• • 35 g of oil

For the filling:

• • 500 g of potatoes

• • 30/40 g of butter (or oil)

• • ⁠1 medium onion (around 100 g)

• • 1 clove of garlic

• • salt and pepper for taste

Toppings:

• • Sour cream

• • Chopped dill

INSTRUCTIONS

“There are many variants of dough recipes, but I will tell you about the one which is very cheap and simple.” – Iryna Busol

1. 1. To make the dough: Put the flour into a bowl, add some salt, and gradually incorporate the hot water and mix everything with a big spoon. Then, when it cools a bit, start kneading the resulting dough, adding a small amount of oil, until it no longer sticks to your hands – This requires about 10 minutes of active kneading. Then, leave the dough to have a rest, covering it with cling film.
   2. Meanwhile, let’s make varenyky fillings: There are various fillings like mashed potato, stewed cabbage, mushrooms, ground meat, and farmer cheese. Sweet variants can be stuffed with different berries (sour cherry, strawberry, blueberry, etc.) In this recipe, we will make varenyky with mashed potato and stewed onion. So, peel the potatoes, cut them into small pieces and cook in salted water. When soft, drain and mash them.
   3. Cook the onions and garlic: Meanwhile, heat butter (or oil) in a frying pan over medium heat, cook the finely chopped onion and garlic. When the onion is soft and slightly caramelised, season with salt and pepper. Add the onion and garlic to the mashed potato and mix. Leave to cool.
   4. Roll the dough: Then we have to roll the dough into big sheets and punch out circles with an upturned glass. Each circle should be around 3 in/8 cm.
   5. Then we shape the varenyky: Take one dough circle at a time and place a teaspoon of filling in the center. Fold the dough over the filling to create a half-moon shape, then pinch the top closed, followed by both edges. Arrange the formed varenyky on a surface with flour, ensuring they do not touch to prevent sticking. Repeat the process with the remaining dough and filling.
   6. Boil the varenyky: Once shaped, it’s time to cook them. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add a generous amount of salt. Boil the varenyky 6 to 10 at a time, depending on the size of the pot. Cook them for 2 to 3 minutes. Once they float to the surface, bring the water to a simmer, and leave them for about 1 minute. Be careful not to overcook.
   7. Transfer: Using a small mesh strainer or slotted spoon, transfer the varenyky to a large bowl. Add a small pat of butter or drizzle of oil, gently tossing them to prevent sticking. Repeat the process with the rest of the varenyky. Once all are done, mix in the fried onions and toss everything together.
   8. Optional: After they are boiled, you can choose to also fry them over medium heat with butter until lightly crispy and golden brown.
   9. Ready to serve: Your varenyky are finally ready! Serve with sour cream (smetana) and start enjoying.

Syrnyky recipe (cheese pancakes)

INGREDIENTS

(Yields approximately 16 pancakes).

• • 600 grams of farmer’s cheese – (called tvorog or syr). Can be substituted with dry quark

• • 2 large eggs

• • 120 grams (or 1 cup) of flour

• • ½ tsp of baking powder

• • 3 tbsp Sugar

• • 1/2 tsp Salt

• • Sunflower Oil or other neutral alternative, for frying

Toppings:

• • Typically, sour cream (smetana), jam, fresh fruit, honey, melted butter, powdered sugar or condensed milk.

• • But you can get creative with peanut butter, Greek yoghurt, maple syrup, mint, nuts and anything you can think of.

INSTRUCTIONS

1. 1. Make the dough: In a large bowl, mix together all the syrnyky ingredients—cheese, eggs, flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt—until well combined. Be sure not to mix for more than 3 minutes. If the result is too wet and sticky, gradually add more flour, one tablespoon at a time, until it becomes easy to shape.
   2. Form the syrnyky: Take a portion of the dough, lightly dust both sides with flour, and flatten it into a patty about 2 cm thick. Set it aside and repeat with the remaining dough.
   3. Cook the syrnyky: Heat some oil in a non-stick or cast-iron pan over medium heat. In batches, fry each side until golden brown, about 1-3 minutes per side. Avoid overcrowding the pan so they have enough space to cook evenly.  
   4. Transfer: Once done, transfer them to a plate lined with a paper towel. Serve with your favorite toppings, as most of the sweetness will come from them. The outside should be crisp and golden, while the inside remains soft and fluffy. Enjoy!
   5. For storing: Store leftover syrnyky in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days, or you can freeze them for up to 3 months