100,000+ Books, Games & Puzzles in-stock 🇳🇿

Auckland Bookstore open Saturday & Sunday 🎉 Don't forget Father's Day is next weekend 📅

Chesnok

Cooking from My Corner of the Diaspora: Recipes from Eastern Europe, the Caucasus, and Central Asia
By Polina Chesnakova
0.0 (0 reviews)
4.38 goodreads logo

Ratings/reviews counts are updated frequently.

Check link for latest rating. ( 37 ratings, 4 reviews)
Brief Description
Chesnok: Recipes with Love from Eastern Europe, the Caucasus, and Beyond 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... Read More
Format: Hardback
$5999

International Supplier

This title is in-stock with overseas suppliers. While it is not available locally, we fly books in weekly from the US and UK to our Auckland warehouse for immediate dispatch.

AVAILABLE WITH SUPPLIER Ships from our Auckland warehouse within 4-6 weeks

Found a better price? Request a price match

A lovingly-documented collection of recipes and stories from growing up and cooking in the Soviet diaspora, by one of the industry’s brightest stars.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

Chesnok: Recipes with Love from Eastern Europe, the Caucasus, and Beyond 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.  

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. From Georgian tkemali (sour plum sauce) and Armenian dolma (stuffed grape leaves) to Ukrainian varenyky (dumplings) and Russian okroshka (cold yogurt soup) and medovik (honey cake), Near Abroad showcases over 110 vibrant regional recipes. 

Chesnok paints a portrait 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. 

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781958417577

Publisher: Hardie Grant US

Format: Hardback

Date Published: 18 September 2025

Country: United States

Imprint: Hardie Grant US

Illustration: Full colour throughout

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 29.0mm

Width: 190.0mm

Height: 248.0mm

Weight: 1028g

Pages: 240

Collections

Cook Books & Recipes Cooking & Food Non-Fiction Polina Chesnakova

About the Author

Polina Chesnakova was born in Ukraine to Russian and Armenian parents from the Republic of Georgia. She was raised in a tight-knit Rhode Island community of refugees from all over the former Soviet Union, and has cooked and baked in a handful of professional kitchens. She’s had her blog Chesnok since 2015, and her recipes have been published in Saveur, Epicurious, Salon, and Food 52. She has written two cookbooks: Hot Cheese and Everyday Cake. She also worked for Book Larder in Seattle and presided over the cooking class program as the Culinary Director from 2020-2024. She lives Rhode Island with her husband, Lee, and son, Anton.

More from Cooking & Food

View all
  • New Release
    Lizzy's Pick Lizzy's Pick
    Soph's Plant Kitchen 30 in 30: 30g of protein, 30 minutes or less
    An essential cookbook for anyone looking to increase the amount of plant protein and fibre they eat without spending hours in the kitchen. Instagram sensation and Sunday Times bestselling author @Sophsplantkitchen has created her very best plant-based, high fibre recipes: all with at least 30 grammes of protein, all on the table in 30 minutes or less and all mouth-wateringly...
    By Sophie Waplington
    Hardback
    $4800
    Elsewhere:
    $6000
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Lizzy's Pick Lizzy's Pick
    Lunchbox Bible
    From the team behind the bestselling sensation Baby Food Bible, Lunchbox Bible is your go-to recipe book for feeding children healthy, allergen-friendly, and nutritionist-approved food that’s guaranteed to please. With 75 recipes and a visual library containing 75 different lunchboxes, this comprehensive guide has been carefully created with time-poor parents in mind. The recipes are simple, quick, nutrient-dense, and get...
    By Julia Tellidis and Lauren Skora
    Hardback
    $4700
    Elsewhere:
    $5999
    (1)
    Backorder
    Ships mid September
  • Disney Moana: The Official Cookbook
    New Release
    Disney Moana: The Official Cookbook
    Embark on a culinary adventure with Moana of Motunui with Pacific recipes inspired by Moana and Moana 2! After a long day of sailing to see how far you’ll go or keeping the demigod Maui out of trouble with Te Fiti, catch a break with the delicious dishes in Moana: The Official Cookbook! Featuring more than 50 recipes spanning the...
    By Monique Fiso
    Hardback
    $4499
    Elsewhere:
    $5299
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • New Release
    Fitwaffle's Easy 6
    Discover how simple cooking can be every day with over 100 easy, tasty recipes using only 6 ingredients. "My mission is simple. I want to help people feel more confident in the kitchen and show that baking and cooking don't need to be complicated. Whether you're brand new in the kitchen or you've been doing it for years, my goal...
    By Eloise Head
    Hardback
    $4199
    Elsewhere:
    $5000
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • New Release
    So Good Express
    Simple, nutritious recipes for when time is of the essence. Bringing together delicious and easy-to-follow recipes with the sound advice of a fully qualified nutritionist, number one bestselling author Emily English shows us that good food can make you feel amazing and bring you joy, every single day. Blending her nutrition expertise with a love of simple, fresh food, Emily...
    By Emily English
    Hardback
    $4799
    Elsewhere:
    $6000
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Buy to Win
    On Sale
    20% off
    BBQ
    Britain's best-selling chef shares his BBQ passion and secrets. We all love a good BBQ, but too often they centre around some slightly burnt sausages and burgers. Not anymore! Jamie's got 90 recipes to show us just how brilliant and versatile barbecuing can be, whatever the season. With recipes suitable for both charcoal and gas BBQs, Jamie shares his key...
    By Jamie Oliver
    Hardback
    $4400
    Elsewhere:
    $7000
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • No Stress Recipe Queen
    No Stress Recipe Queen
    Take the chaos out of the kitchen every night of the week with the Masterchef favourite, globally beloved Insta cook and bestselling author of Air Fryer Queen and Easy Dinner Queen. Welcome to the No Stress Dinner Club! Put major taste on the table with these delicious, easy and stress-free recipes by the bestselling queen of simple, fun, and fuss-free...
    By Steph De Sousa
    Paperback
    $2900
    Elsewhere:
    $3299
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • My Mediterranean Life
    Transform your health and boost your energy with more than 200 easy, delicious recipes for weight loss, longevity and disease prevention.Bestselling clinical nutritionist Sarah Di Lorenzo combines her family's cherished recipes, her extensive clinical expertise and science-backed research to present a contemporary adaptation of the Mediterranean diet. The Mediterranean diet involves the type of eating observed in the world’s Blue Zones...
    By Sarah Di Lorenzo
    Paperback
    $3699
    Elsewhere:
    $4699
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • On Sale
    13% off
    The Hungry Cook
    Olivia Galletly, aka The Hungry Cook, loves food - all food. She spends her life creating recipes for her popular blog, Dish magazine, and many well-known New Zealand food brands. Olivia loves to create delicious recipes for the everyday cook, many of which are adaptations of old classics she's loved and experimented with for years. This cookbook gathers Liv's tried...
    By Olivia Galletly
    Paperback
    $3300
    Elsewhere:
    $4500
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • On Sale
    13% off
    Fatimas
    Fatima’s has been serving bold, fresh flavour to Aucklanders since 1995–now, with more than 100 recipes, you can bring a little of that magic into your own kitchen. This book is packed with the dishes and techniques that have kept our kitchen humming for 30 years. From slow cuts to zesty salads, from punchy sauces to late-night pitas, each recipe...
    By Sophie Gilmour and Kirsty Senior
    Hardback
    $4800
    Elsewhere:
    $5999
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Nadias Farm Kitchen
    Nadia’s Farm Kitchen is a warm, inspiring, and deeply personal cookbook celebrating the rhythms of the seasons and the simple joys of life on the land. Featuring over 70 wholesome, seasonal recipes and more than a dozen heartfelt short stories about life on the farm, this book offers a unique glimpse into the life of beloved cook and TV personality Nadia...
    By Nadia Lim
    Hardback
    $4400
    Elsewhere:
    $5500
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Simple Dinners Every Day
    'This book is here to help! Whether you're here to completely change the way you plan and cook, or just to find a few go-to dinners that will stop you from panic-ordering takeaway, I've got you.' With more than 3 million followers, Nicole Maguire of Simple Home Edit is loved for her flavour-packed, family-friendly dinner ideas, from cosy bakes that...
    By Nicole Maguire
    Paperback
    $3799
    Elsewhere:
    $4999
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow

Why buy from us?

Book Hero is not a chain store or big box retailer. We're an independent 100% NZ-owned business on a mission to help more Kiwis rediscover a love of books and reading!

Service & Delivery

Service & Delivery

Our warehouse in Auckland holds over 100,000 books, toys, board games and puzzles in-stock so you're not waiting for your order to arrive from overseas.

Auckland Bookstore

Auckland Bookstore

We're primarily an online store, but for your convenience you can pick up your order for free from our bookstore, which is right next door to our warehouse in Hobsonville.

Our Gifting Service

Our Gifting Service

Books make wonderful thoughtful gifts and we're here to help with gift-wrapping and cards. We can even send your gift directly to your loved one.

Cooking & Food lists from the team

Explore our curated lists from our heroes to find your next read!

The Latest at Book Hero

View all