Vancouver, BC – 6 May, 2025 – A heartfelt journey from broadcast to bookshelf, Ukrainian Food Flair is more than just a cookbook—it’s a tribute to heritage, a voice revived, and a treasure trove of authentic Ukrainian recipes. Authored by the late Sylvia Molnar and edited by Paulette MacQuarrie, the book celebrates a vibrant culinary culture rooted in Canada’s West Coast Ukrainian community.
This beautifully curated collection offers over 200 time-tested recipes, brimming with flavour, folklore, and personal anecdotes. Based on Sylvia Molnar’s long-running radio segment on Nash Holos Ukrainian Roots Radio, the cookbook Ukrainian Food Flair transforms her beloved voice and legacy into a keepsake that generations can cook from, connect with, and cherish.
A Culinary Voice Reborn
For years, Sylvia Molnar shared her Ukrainian heritage on the airwaves, bringing listeners recipes, cooking tips, and charming storytelling each week. Her segment, “Ukrainian Food Flair,” became a favourite for its warm blend of tradition and personality. But Sylvia’s dream was always to create a cookbook—a dream that nearly faded when she passed away in 2015.
In a touching turn of events, a phone call from Sylvia’s sister, Leone, on Ukrainian Christmas Eve revived the vision. Encouraged by this serendipitous moment, Paulette MacQuarrie, longtime friend, radio producer, and editor, took up the mantle to bring Sylvia’s dream to life. The result is Ukrainian Food Flair, a book as rich in soul as in flavour.
A Taste of Home: Ukrainian Recipes Passed Down with Love
Inside Ukrainian Food Flair, readers will find classic dishes like borscht, pyryzhky, honey cake, pickled herring, holiday treats, savoury spreads, and even traditional Ukrainian drinks like cherry vodka and peppered whiskey. Each recipe is infused with cultural context, cooking tips, and the loving voice of a woman who dedicated her life to sharing her heritage and love of cooking.
“There are recipes in this book I thought were lost forever,” says one early reader. “It’s like opening my Baba’s kitchen again.”
From everyday meals to festive favourites, this cookbook is perfect for seasoned cooks, curious foodies, and anyone looking to reconnect with their roots or explore Ukrainian cuisine.
More Than a Cookbook—A Cultural Keepsake
Ukrainian Food Flair stands out for its authentic recipes and the story behind its creation. With beautifully edited chapters, personal memories, and a touch of radio nostalgia, it offers readers an immersive experience of West Coast Ukrainian Canadian culinary life.
The personal anecdotes, cooking tips, and easy-to-follow instructions make this cookbook a meaningful gift and a practical kitchen companion.
Editor Paulette MacQuarrie adds, “This book is a tribute to Sylvia’s legacy and a gift to anyone who values tradition. It’s about more than food—remembering where we come from and sharing it with the next generation.”
About the Author: Sylvia Pidraziuk Molnar
Sylvia Pidraziuk Molnar was born to Ukrainian immigrant parents in Vancouver and grew up in the iconic Point Grey neighbourhood. From an early age, she found joy in the kitchen, and her childhood cooking antics earned her the nickname “Magic Cookie.” Sylvia’s dedication to mastering and sharing her heritage and was more than a personal passion—it became her profession.
Throughout her 26-year teaching career, Sylvia shared her love of food with her students. Upon retiring, she launched a successful catering company and cooking school, shared her recipes in newspapers and magazines as well as on TV and radio, and left behind a distinguished legacy on the Vancouver culinary scene.
About the Editor
Paulette MacQuarrie Paulette (aka Pawlina on Nash Holos Ukrainian Roots Radio) is descended from Ukrainian immigrants who arrived in Canada at the turn of the 20th century and settled in the Saskatchewan parkland area northeast of Regina. After graduating from Sacred Heart Academy in Yorkton in 1972, she embarked on a 20-year career in the airline industry.
After moving to the west coast in 1988 she became immersed in Vancouver’s Ukrainian community. She helped launch the Ukrainian radio show Nash Holos in 1990, and edited a community newsletter, to which Sylvia was a contributor. An invitation to Sylvia to share her recipes on Nash Holos led to a unique and long-running radio series called “Ukrainian Food Flair,” which culminated in a cookbook by the same name, and a tribute to her memory.
Book Name: Ukrainian Food Flair: Authentic Recipes from Canada’s West Coast
Author Name: Sylvia Molnar
Editor Name: Paulette MacQuarrie
ISBN Number: 0981037828
Ebook Version: Click Here
Paperback Version: Click Here
Media ContactCompany Name: Books Publishing Company Email: Send EmailPhone: +1-213-734-5718Address:2425 West Loop South City: HoustonState: TexasCountry: United StatesWebsite: https://bookspublishingcompany.com
