Chesnok: Cooking from My Corner of the Diaspora

Chesnok: Cooking from My Corner of the Diaspora: Recipes from Eastern Europe, the Caucasus is Polina Chesnakova’s third cookbook, a love letter to the food of her childhood. Born in Ukraine to Russian and Armenian parents from Georgia, she grew up cooking and eating at the hip of her mother and aunts.  

From Georgian tkemali (sour plum sauce) and Armenian gata (butter pastry) to Ukrainian varenyky (dumplings) and Russian Olivier Salad and medovik (honey cake), Chesnok showcases over 110 vibrant regional recipes. Essays, stories, and profiles of the amazing cooks in her life are peppered amongst recipes as diverse as the communities from which they blossomed and the immigrant experience they were subsequently passed down in.

Chesnok paints a potrait of the Soviet diaspora through food, and is for the children of that diaspora, but it is also for anyone looking to expand their palate and pantry and learn the rich history of a people through their most cherished recipes and traditions. 

Publication date is September 2025.

Hot Cheese

Turn up the heat, it's time to get cheesy! Hot Cheese celebrates the magical and comforting combination of heat and cheese in over 50 ooey, gooey, melty recipes.

Whether melted between crusty bread, baked until browned and bubbly, or fried for the perfect crunch-to-ooze factor, there are limitless ways to enjoy the thrill of hot cheese.

Everyday Cake

A humble slice, square, or wedge of homemade cake never fails to delight. Everyday Cake offers 45 simple, easy cake recipes to make any day feel a bit special.

Whether you’re a novice baker or pastry chef extraordinaire, you’ll find a cake for any mood, occasion, or craving in Everyday Cake.