Veselka: Recipes and Stories from the Landmark Restaurant in New York's East Village

What started as a modest candy shop/newsstand in 1954 grew into a “humble lunch counter” and is now a bustling 24-hour restaurant in New York's East Village. Ukrainian fare mixed with American favorites fill the pages of this gift-sized restaurant cookbook, interspersed with the history and stories of the people behind the business as well as an introduction to and celebration of Ukrainian culture. Broken down by course (with additional chapters including “Breakfast Anytime”), recipes for popular dishes such as borscht, pierogi and banana chocolate chip cupcakes are accessibly written. Diner food, including tuna melts, hamburgers, buttermilk pancakes and apple pie, have more than their fare share of space, but are offset with Ukrainian gems such as kutya, a wheat berry dish; uzvar, dried fruit compote; and bigos, a pork stew with sauerkraut and onions. The spirit of community that grew from this beloved neighborhood spot (veselka means “rainbow”) informs the pages of this unique cookbook, which brings readers everywhere a little piece of a New York institution. (Nov.)