Olha Franko (Bilevych, 1896–1987), my grandmother, was a wonderful cook. It's no surprise: from 1920, she lived in Vienna where she attended culinary courses at the Higher School of Home Economics. In 1929, in Kolomyia, she published her first cookbook, Practical Kitchen (Persha ukrainska zahalno-praktychna kukhnia). As a child, I loved being in the kitchen watching my grandmother cook. The recipes in my family have been passed down from generation to generation: from grandmother Olha to my mother Vira, from mum to me, and from me to my children and grandchildren. That's why I want to share these recipes not just within the family, but make them accessible to everyone.
Bon appétit everyone!
Ivanna Miliyanchuk
(From Olha Franko's book "Practical Kitchen") Apple pie has been known since the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. Apple pies appear in English, French, Italian, and German recipe collections. Interestingly, a recipe for apple pie using the same pastry as in this transcription can be found in the book «The Forme of Cury» …
(From Practical Kitchen by Olha Franko) Buckwheat legumina is a variation of the Chiffon Cake. It gets its name from its light, airy texture, reminiscent of fine, delicate fabric. The inventor of this recipe is considered to be Harry Baker, whose 1927 recipe was kept secret for twenty years before he sold it to General Mills…
(From Olha Franko's book "Practical Kitchen") My grandmother Olha made a wonderfully delicious crab apple preserve. We had a lovely garden, but those little apples didn't grow there. Not far from us lived an elderly Polish woman whom we were a little afraid of, and in her yard grew a magnificent small tree with long branches sweeping all the way down to the ground…
(From Olha Franko's book <em>Practical Kitchen</em>) Plum Knödel is a dish of Austrian, Hungarian, and Czech cuisine. The name "Knödel" comes from the Latin <em>nudel</em>, meaning "knot." During the 18th and 19th centuries, the influence of Bohemian cuisine on Austrian cooking became clearly apparent, and many Bohemian cooks brought their recipes to Vienna…
From Olha Franko's culinary notebook — Ingredients — Preparation
(From Olha Franko's book Practical Kitchen) Almond soup has been unjustly forgotten for more than 100 years. It is difficult to say in which country this cream soup was first prepared, but we observe that at roughly the same time, at Christmas, an almond cream soup was made as a symbol of prosperity and well-being. In Spain, renowned for its almond tree plantations…
A young Ukrainian cook stumbles upon a 1929 cookbook — and its author's ghost. The Taste of Freedom is the film that brought Olha Franko back to life for a whole new audience.
