Short audio stories exploring Ukrainian dishes, traditions, and culinary heritage.
Ukrainian Food Flair has been part of Nash Holos Ukrainian Roots Radio for many years, sharing the recipes and stories originally created and presented by Sylvia Molnar, a Vancouver culinary figure whose recipes and stories shaped the original radio series.
This podcast brings those segments together into a dedicated space for easier listening and discovery.
It also serves as a companion to the Ukrainian Food Flair cookbook, which preserves and honours the original recipe collection.
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A classic Ukrainian summer dish served cold and lightly sweet.
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5 Jul 2026
Versatile and delicious buckwheat kasha
To most North Americans buckwheat may be an unknown...or an acquired taste.
If the latter, it's certainly worth the effort. Buckwheat is highly nutritious, has a long shelf life and is very versatile.
In this episode Sylvia shares two delicious buckwheat recipes, and tips for other ways to use it.
This recipe for basic baked buckwheat kasha is in the cookbook Ukrainian Food Flair: Authentic Recipes from Canada's West Coast. Available at Amazon (https://www.amazon.ca/dp/0981037828)and other online booksellers.
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25 Jun 2026
New Potatoes (and Chicken) Baked in Cream
Sylvia shares two rich, cream‑baked dishes from her mother’s kitchen, beginning with new potatoes seasoned simply and cooked until tender in whipping cream. She also recalls her mom preparing chicken the same way, browning the pieces first and finishing them in cream with chopped dill for a superb, home‑style meal.
You’ll find this recipe, along with others from the series, in the Ukrainian Food Flair cookbook, available from Amazon (https://a.co/d/07N3VLb3) and other online booksellers.
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28 May 2026
Dill Bread Express: Fresh Dill & Butter Magic
Fresh dill and soft butter transform a simple French loaf into a warm, aromatic treat that freezes beautifully and pairs perfectly with any meal. This easy make‑ahead recipe brings a touch of Ukrainian kitchen comfort to modern tables.
You’ll find this recipe, along with others from the series, in the Ukrainian Food Flair cookbook, available from Amazon and other online booksellers.
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21 May 2026
Duck the Ukrainian Way
Duck has long held a special place in Ukrainian kitchens, valued not only for its rich flavor but also for the down and feathers used in traditional pillows and wedding bedding.
This episode revisits two time‑honored preparations — fried duck and roast duck — along with the practical cooking wisdom, serving ideas, and old‑world techniques that continue to resonate with home cooks today.
You’ll find this recipe in the cookbook Ukrainian Food Flair — Authentic Recipes from Canada's West Coast available on Amazon and other online booksellers..
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7 May 2026
Ukrainian Khrustyky and the Art of the Rose Cookie
Sylvia Molnar takes a deep dive into the secret behind the dainty, delectable and now quite rare sweets called Khrustyky in Ukrainian, also known as "nothings" because they literally melt in your mouth.
She shares the ingredients, shaping methods, and frying techniques for these traditional treats, along with the intricate process for creating the ornate rose shape for these cookies that she learned from her mother. This is one of Sylvia's collection recipes, stories, and cooking tips preserved in the Ukrainian Food Flair Cookbook, published as a tribute to her legacy.
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25 Apr 2026
Centuries of Asparagus and a Classic Ukrainian Dish
In this segment, Sylvia Pidraziuk Molnar brings forward a fabulous, simple recipe in praise of asparagus — a plant that has grown wild in Ukraine for centuries and still appears in Ukrainian kitchens across the country. She speaks to its quiet presence and long history in Ukrainian cookery, and the way its character pairs so naturally with familiar flavours, including the Carpathian bryndzia cheese as well as parmesan. Sylvia offers a straightforward preparation that lets the vegetable remain the star, a small dish with deep roots and a hint of the mountains in its finish.
You’ll find this recipe, along with others from the series, in the Ukrainian Food Flair cookbook, available from Amazon and other online booksellers.
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19 Apr 2026
A Ukrainian Spring Borsch Variation
From the Nash Holos audio archives and the Ukrainian Food Flair Cookbook, this flashback features Sylvia Molnar sharing her distinctive spring sorrel borscht recipe — a bright, seasonal variation of Ukraine’s national soup.
She explains how to prepare it with sorrel or simple substitutes, and how this traditional dish reflects the freshness of Ukrainian home cooking.
Sylvia's recipes, stories, and cooking tips have been preserved in the cookbook Ukrainian Food Flair — Authentic Recipes from Canada's West Coast available on Amazon.
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10 Apr 2026
Poppy Seed Roll (Makivnyk): A Sweet Ukrainian Tradition
Makivnyk is the Ukrainian name for the poppy seed roll that has long anchored Ukrainian sweet‑dough baking. A timeless favourite shared by other East European cultures, it nonetheless remains a signature dish in Ukrainian kitchens.
This episode highlights tips and techniques for creating a luscious poppy seed filling for a roll using your own preferred sweet dough recipe.
A bonus is this filling can be used in other classic dishes like strudel and perogies.
And yet another bonus: Sylvia's own sweet dough recipe is in the Ukrainian Food Flair cookbook. I have made it myself ... and it is a winner!
Смачного!
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2 Apr 2026
Ukrainian Beet and Horseradish Relish
This Ukrainian Food Flair episode features Sylvia Molnar presenting the classic beet and horseradish relish deeply rooted in Ukrainian, Slavic, and Ashkenazi food traditions.
She explains its place on Easter and Passover tables, its popularity in home kitchens and Jewish delis, and the importance of using fresh horseradish when possible.
The segment also highlights her practical tips for selecting, preparing, and storing this vibrant condiment, along with a personal reminder that her recipes and stories live on in the Ukrainian Food Flair cookbook.
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29 Mar 2026
Quick and Easy Lazy Cabbage Rolls
Cabbage is a staple in Ukrainian cuisine, not just for its many outstanding health benefits but for its versatility and economy.
The quintessential Ukrainian cabbage dish is of course holubtsi, aka cabbage rolls. The traditional rolls can be quite time consuming to make, so modern cooks often opt for "lazy cabbage rolls" which is basically a layered casserole of cabbage, rice, and other ingredients.
In this episode of Ukrainian Food Flair, Sylvia shares her recipe for a hearty dinner variation with ground beef, rice, and cabbage.
She also shares some very interesting anecdotes about cabbage folklore and medicinal qualities.
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26 Mar 2026
Horseradish at Easter: The Fiery Ukrainian Tradition with Ancient Roots
Long before it became a staple on Ukrainian Easter tables, horseradish had a life that stretched across continents, and centuries. In this Ukrainian Food Flair episode, Sylvia Molnar opens a window into the world of horseradish (hryn in Ukrainian)—a root unassuming in appearance yet powerful in chemistry, folklore, and culinary tradition.
Sylvia traces its fascinating journey from ancient Egypt to medieval medicine and, finally, to Ukrainian kitchens and Easter baskets. Along the way she explains why this fiery root demands respect: how its pungency is released, why it must be handled with care, and what makes its sharpness so fleeting yet so prized.
She also shares her traditional Ukrainian Easter horseradish sauce—a deceptively simple blend of grated horseradish root, sour cream, salt, sugar, and vinegar. More than a recipe, it’s a glimpse into the sensory and cultural rituals that shape this traditional Easter dish.
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24 Mar 2026
Tomato Yogurt Salad
In this episode of Ukrainian Food Flair on Nash Holos Ukrainian Roots Radio, Sylvia Molnar shares a tomato and yogurt salad made with sliced ripe tomatoes, sweet onion, yogurt mixed with salt and pepper, a bit of sugar, and finished with fresh dill.
She also reflects on the quality of Ukrainian dairy products and offers a tip for choosing sweet onions.
This podcast features the voice of the late Sylvia Molnar, a beloved culinary personality in Vancouver, who presented her recipes, stories, and cooking on Nash Holos in the series Ukrainian Food Flair.
The recipe appears in Ukrainian Food Flair: The Cookbook, published as a tribute to her culinary legacy and now available from online booksellers (including Amazon (https://a.co/d/0bs6kfuj)) to home cooks everywhere.
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24 Mar 2026
Ukrainian Babka – A Traditional Easter Bread
In this episode of Ukrainian Food Flair on Nash Holos Ukrainian Roots Radio, Sylvia shares the storied tradition of Ukrainian Easter Babka—a tall, cylindrical sweet bread that’s as demanding as it is rewarding.
Babka is made from a delicate raised yeast dough and was considered one of the most important and demanding tasks of the Ukrainian homemaker during the Easter holiday season. The preparation is time‑consuming, but the end result—rich, tender, fine‑textured, spongy, and very light—is well worth the effort.
This version is more manageable with modern kitchen conveniences, while maintaining the character of the original. It includes a yeast starter, enriched dough with citrus and raisins, and a simple icing of icing sugar, lemon juice, and warm water, finished with baker’s confetti.
Whether you’re a seasoned baker or trying Babka for the first time, this episode offers a glimpse into the heritage behind the loaf—and why its successful rise is considered a true triumph
For the full recipe and more legacy-rich dishes, check out the cookbook Ukrainian Food Flair: Authentic Recipes from Canada's West Coast.
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24 Mar 2026
Beetniks: A Ukrainian Canadian Culinary Original
In this archival feature of Ukrainian Food Flair, a long‑running series on Nash Holos, you will hear the story and recipe behind beetniks — traditional Ukrainian bread rolls wrapped in beet leaves.
Beetniks hold a special place in Ukrainian Canadian kitchens — a dish instantly recognized across Canada yet virtually unheard of in Ukraine itself.
For Ukrainian pioneers and their descendants, these beet‑leaf‑wrapped bread rolls have long been a cherished seasonal treat, made only when the garden offers perfect young leaves.
This podcast features the voice of the late Sylvia Molnar, a beloved culinary personality in Vancouver, who presented her recipes, stories, and cooking on Nash Holos in the series Ukrainian Food Flair.
The recipe appears in Ukrainian Food Flair: The Cookbook, published as a tribute to her culinary legacy and now available from online booksellers (including Amazon (https://a.co/d/0bs6kfuj)) to home cooks everywhere.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.
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