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My new hobby

Svitlana Deikalo

I am an English teacher in Ukraine, had always found beauty in the structure of sentences and the nuance of vocabulary. Her days were filled with explaining verb tenses and dissecting literary masterpieces. But lately, a different kind of composition had captured her attention: recipes.

It started innocently enough. Friends and family would often ask for her instructions on how to make her famous varenyky or her comforting borscht. Instead of scribbling vague notes, I began to write them down with the same precision she used to explain the passive voice.

I found a unique satisfaction in translating the intuitive pinches and dashes of her grandmother's cooking into measurable quantities and clear steps. It was a different kind of language, one that spoke to the senses rather than the intellect.

Soon, my small kitchen table was covered in notebooks filled with my neat handwriting, each page a culinary story. I started sharing them with her colleagues at the local school, who were delighted by her detailed and easy-to-follow instructions.

One crisp autumn afternoon, while grading essays on Shakespeare, I had an idea. Why not combine her love for language and her newfound passion for cooking? I envisioned a cookbook that not only provided delicious recipes but also incorporated interesting English vocabulary and cultural notes related to the dishes.

With renewed enthusiasm, I began working on her project. I meticulously crafted each recipe, ensuring the language was clear and engaging. I researched the origins of ingredients and the history of dishes, weaving in interesting facts and etymologies.
https://www.amazon.com/s?k=By+Svitlana+Deikalo&i=stripbooks-intl-ship&ref=nb_sb_noss

My hobby had blossomed into a potential book, a delicious blend of her two worlds. I, the English teacher, was now also Svitlana, the budding cookbook author, ready to share my culinary and linguistic creations with a wider audience from quiet corner of Ukraine.

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This column was published by the author in their personal capacity.
The opinions expressed in this column are the author's own and do not reflect the view of Cafetalk.

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