Flavour Files: Ukrainian Chrustiky

Cousins are like the built-in best friends you didn’t have to search for—they’ve just always been there, sharing family stories, holiday dinners, and a little bit of mischief along the way. They’re the ones who understand the quirks of your family because they share them too, and they make every gathering brighter with inside jokes and shared memories. Whether you see them every week or only on special occasions, cousins remind us that family can also be fun, and that love often comes wrapped in laughter.

Joanne McNicol is a local mom and home cook who runs the Northwest Funeral Alternative with her husband Travis.  She is also my first cousin who shares the constant drive to try and recreate the food that we remember with great nostalgia and very few instructions from our Nana Laudadio.  

Joanne had another great influence in her early years on her Mom’s side.   Great- Aunt Olga Nordal (nee Baryski) was the second youngest of ten,  born on a farm in rural Manitoba close to Fraserwood.  Her family came to Canada in 1915 from Western Ukraine.   

She remembers the ladies gathering, always with hairnets, babushkas and carefully laid tea towels on every flat surface.   Aunt Olga would always make sure Joanne was a part of the bustle with her own small balls of dough.   She treated her with kindness and patience when the other ladies thought kids were more of an annoyance.  

Joanne loves to be in her kitchen, cooking for her husband and two boys, calling it her sanctuary.  When life throws the giant, never asked for, but almost certain curveballs, having a passion to turn to can be a lifesaver.  One of her favourite recipes is Chrustiky, a Ukrainian treat.  It’s special to her because it was reserved for very special occasions, she has wonderful memories making it as a child and she likes the comparisons to the Italian version, Crostoli.   To this day, she has the giant wooden board that was used by her aunts to make this special dessert.  

Another fun memory for her is that during the chats that had Ukrainian and English words interspersed, the aunts would laugh when they remembered adding moonshine to the dough to make it a little crispy. It prevents the oil from absorbing-  so a lot of recipes for this item include a splash of vodka or other liquor.   Смачного! (Smachnoho!)

Chrustiky-Ukrainian 

Ingredients: 

3 egg yolks

2 whole eggs

1 tbsp sour cream

1 tbsp sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla

Enough flour to make a soft dough 

Directions: 

1) Mix together and roll about a quarter inch thick

2) cut into strips about one and a half to 2 inches wide-it doesn’t really matter what size they are

3) cut a small hole in the middle and twist one of the ends through the hole with the pointed side and give a twist 

4) fry in lard or oil until golden brown 

5) top generously with powdered sugar

We’d love to share your favourite recipe & story!  Send any questions or comments:  tbayflavourfiles@gmail.com.