Valentina Fomenko, Dallas Texas

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I am a passionate foodie on a mission to "normalize" Russian and other foods that are often considered "exotic" or simply "weird." I want to share the excitement of discovering new ingredients and techniques and to help people expand their palates and their horizons.

 

G.rowing up in the Soviet Union, I cooked every day with very few ingredients i had available. Cheap meat, potatoes, cabbage, carrots, onions, maybe rice, cucumbers and tomatoes in the summer. Rinse and repeat. I will never forget the first time I tried an avocado, well into my 20s, after moving to the United States. It was absolutely amazing! This was the beginning of my love affair with food. I have spent countless hours in markets around the globe, took cooking classes in Singapore, Paris, and New York, and have brought local seasonings and condiments from all my travels. I am now ready to share what I have discovered about the food - and the people.