Until the Last Pickle, Family & Sirniki with Yuliya Patsay | Taste Buds with Deb Ep 86

On this episode of Taste Buds with Deb, host Debra Eckerling speaks with Yuliya Patsay, author of “Until the Last Pickle: A Memoir in 18 Recipes.”

A Soviet-born, San Francisco-raised storyteller, Patsay started this project as a collection of family recipes; it turned into a celebration of her past and a legacy for the future.

The first two recipes Patsay collected were her grandmother's blinchiki, which is crepes, and her dad's borscht, a popular Ukrainian soup with beets and cabbage and potatoes. She also asked them questions like, ‘Where did you learn to cook?’ ‘How did you first start making this?’ and ‘What's your favorite thing to cook?’

“As I did that, I realized I wanted to talk about my relationship to having grown up in the former Soviet Union and then immigrating to the United States, to San Francisco,” she explains.

This gigantic culture shock, particularly in terms of the food, also led to a greater appreciation of the foods she grew up with. There was a nostalgia of having certain foods at every holiday meal and family gathering. For instance, mashed potatoes and pickled herring were non-negotiable; they were always on the table.

One of her favorite, easy recipes is from her mother-in-law. It’s called sirniki, but is basically fried cheese.

“That's a hit in the house, especially with the kids,” she says. “[They are] these little very fragrant, delicious little balls of fried cheesy dough.”

Yuliya Patsay talks about her, her book’s, and its title’s origin stories, along with holiday traditions, family favorites, and the importance of hospitality. She also shares the recipe for sirniki.

Subscribe to Yuliya Patsay’s Substack, Buckle Up Bubelah, and learn more about “Until the Last Pickle” at YuliyaPatsay.com.

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Read the highlights and get the recipe at JewishJournal.com: https://jewishjournal.com/category/po...

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Debra Eckerling is an award-winning writer and podcaster, goal-strategist, and foodie. She is the author of “Your Goal Guide” and “52 Secrets for Goal-Setting and Goal-Getting.” Join Deb every week for bite-sized conversations about food, cooking, and community. Follow @TheDEBMethod on social media and learn more at TasteBudswithDeb.com.