Hi Everyone,

From My Kitchen

I never realized after creating the podcast show, how much I personally would get out of it, and how many of my conversations would stay with me long after the first interview.

While looking back through the conversations from In My Kitchen with Paula, I couldn’t help  wondering which ones still had something to teach us. 

Those questions became Paula’s Picks, a series of eight conversations, newly edited and polished, that take us into cultures, kitchens and lives we might not otherwise have the opportunity to know.

The first takes us to Ukraine.

It’s Not “The” Ukraine

I was embarrassed when my new editor Abby gently let me know in this new version of my conversation with Anna she removed as many “The” from Ukraine she could.  My embarrassment faded to a reminder of why I do what I do.  I hope that people can learn from each other, perspectives will broaden and understanding and respect will blossom.  I am always the first that experiences this when I chat with my amazing guests from around the world.  This is why this episode had to be the first in my new series “Paula’s Picks”. 

When I first interviewed Anna back in 2025 I continuously referred to Ukraine as “The” Ukraine.  Anna was being kind not to correct me but I wish she had, I didn’t know the difference at that time.  Now I do and so much more. I have just received Anna’s new cookbook Ukraïne: Recipes and Stories from Kyiv to the Black Sea. Just this morning, I was transported to Ukraine; my mouth watering as I read Anna’s descriptions of the meals she was anticipating soon after her most recent arrival in Ukraine.  The second page is a full-page explanation of why we do not say “The” Ukraine, included is a blunt description of how it makes Ukrainian people feel.  That hit home for me, and I was even more grateful for Abby and the new version of my podcast episode with Anna.

Bread, Pickles and a Taste of Home

Imagine preparing a meal while wearing a bulletproof vest.

Explosions can be heard in the distance. The people gathering around the table are soldiers stationed near the front lines, many of them far from their families and from the regions they call home.

Ukrainian chef, writer and culinary activist Anna Voloshyna wanted the meal to carry something of the whole country to each of them.

As she travelled east through Ukraine, she gathered ingredients along the way: pickles from a market in Kyiv, bread from a bakery outside the city and produce from Kharkiv. Each food carried the flavour of a different place. Together, they became a feast; and, for a short time, a taste of home.

Anna shared this story when she joined me on the podcast on May 8, 2025.

Most of us encounter war through headlines, maps and numbers. Anna offers another way in. She introduces us to the bakers who keep their ovens lit, the innovative winemakers, the families who hold on to their recipes and the soldiers who still have opinions about exactly how much garlic belongs in dinner.

Anna provides us the opportunity to see into Ukraine.

More Than Preservation

Near the end of our conversation, Anna said:

“I don’t want to be the one who preserves our culture. I want to be the one who helps our culture to blossom.”

Preservation protects something precious from disappearing. Blossoming suggests movement, growth and a future still unfolding.  My perspective of a country in war shifted significantly after hearing this from Anna. Anna shows us how food is nourishment, memory, identity and most importantly resistance.

When Anna and I spoke, she was heading off soon to travel  through Ukraine with photographer Jason Perry, meeting chefs, farmers, bakers and home cooks. Together, they were gathering the regional recipes and stories that would become her second cookbook.

That book has now arrived.

Ukraïne: Recipes and Stories from Kyiv to the Black Sea contains 100 traditional and contemporary recipes. Part cookbook and part travelogue, it guides readers through a country many of us cannot currently visit and introduces us to the people keeping its culinary traditions not only alive, but expressing creativity and innovation through the cuisine.

My copy arrived this week. It is beautiful, delicious, generous, full of life and heartbreaking all at the same time.  I feel like Anna provided a way for me to travel through Ukraine with Anna as my guide.

EXPLORE ANNA’S NEW COOKBOOK

Listen to Anna’s Story

Anna’s story reminds us that a country is more than the conflict taking place within its borders.

At The Table

This month we have Barbara-jo McIntosh joining us at our Culture & Connection Club. Taking place online this Sunday, Oct 25th at 12pm PST. We will be making two recipes from her book: Cooking For Me and Sometimes You, A Parisienne Romance. The dishes are: Crab and Turnip Gratin and Smoked Salmon and Frisée Salad wtih Mustard Lemon Vinaigrette. But really it will be about the conversation, you don’t need to cook, we will be continuing the conversation from our podcast chat.

If you would like to join us, you can become a member here - pause or cancel your membership at anytime.

The Story I’m Following

I just finished reading CRACKDOWN by Garth Mullins.

Another type of war, another type of frontlines and another activist. And another major shift in my perspective, growth in my understanding, knowledge and so much respect.

Part memoir, part manifesto, Crackdown follows Garth Mullins’s journey from a childhood marked by bullying over his albinism and blindness to finding belonging in punk rock and activism, living with heroin addiction, and becoming an advocate for people who use drugs. Through his experiences of overdose, incarceration and losing friends to a toxic drug supply, Mullins reveals the human cost of the war on drugs, and asks what might change if our response began with care rather than punishment.

This book was given to me by a friend from the Dr. Peter Center here in Vancouver. When I opened the book I immediately recognized the photo of Garth and his name…we went to highschool together. I was saddened to read of the bullying he experienced and in awe of what he has accomplished. Garth is also part of an award winning podcast show called: Crackdown

Happy Travels and Happy Cooking! Just hit reply to this email to say hi or to get in touch!