About Me

If you're a home cook and looking for reliable, tried-and-tested recipes with clear instructions and authentic flavors, you've come to the right place! Here you find carefully developed homemade recipes for everyday cooking and special occasions, with a focus on Ukrainian, Eastern European, and international cuisine.

My name is Anastasia Bondarenko, and I'm a food blogger, content creator, and passionate advocate for delicious food. Welcome to my culinary website, AmofTaste (inspired by the phrase "A Matter of Taste").

My Story

I'm Ukrainian, and I've been cooking since childhood. I made my first soup at 9 years old while my parents were out. By 11, I was searching for cookie recipes and baking for the whole family.

Developing and perfecting homemade recipes isn't just a hobby; it's been my lifelong passion and professional expertise, especially in Ukrainian, Eastern European and Italian cuisine. Finding the roots of a recipe and recreating the original version with authentic traditional flavors is what I geek out about most.

Inspiration

In my family, mom handled daily cooking, while dad was always the experimenter - a trait I inherited. He could throw all the grains in the house into a soup, and despite the odd ingredients, his dishes always turned out delicious.

One grandmother made amazing dumplings and vareniki (traditional Ukrainian filled dumplings). She'd make hundreds, partially boil them, and then fry them in butter until golden brown.

My other grandmother made the best borscht (classic Ukrainian soup) from fermented beets I've ever tasted. It was incredible, whether meat-based or vegetarian. I still use her recipes for kapusnyak (traditional cabbage soup), cheese pancakes, crepes, and Jewish-style meatballs.

My great-grandmother taught me to make green borscht (Ukrainian sorrel soup), my aunt showed me how to make fantastic sauerkraut, and my mother-in-law taught me to make the most delicious lasagna. I've been lucky to have inspirations who loved good food as much as I do.

My Recipe Development and Food Blogging Journey

For the past 14 years, I've dedicated my life to creating photo and video recipes, developing and testing foolproof recipes, and everything that falls under food blogging and content creation.

I've come a long way from a novice amateur to someone who approaches recipe selection and analysis like a practical scientist.

My husband and I created our culinary website "Дело Вкуса" (from Russian: "a Matter of Taste") on April 16, 2010. At the time, we were among the first to make step-by-step recipes that were standard in the CIS countries.

I was 26 then, with a 4-month-old son, and I knew little about SEO, keywords, beautiful photos, or structured texts. But I loved cooking and had an all-consuming desire to share my knowledge with the world.

We lived in a rented one-bedroom apartment in a residential area of Kyiv, with a 54 sq ft kitchen. While my son Leo slept, I created step-by-step photo recipes for my website.

Looking back, I laugh at the naivety and marketing ignorance of that 26-year-old girl, but I admire the passion with which she took her first steps in recipe development.

In late 2012, I recorded my first cooking tutorial as a joke. I didn't plan to show or publish it, but that's how our first YouTube channel, "Рецепты Дело Вкуса" (from Russian: "A Matter of Taste Recipes") was born on December 13, 2012.

It grew quickly and gained subscribers.

I often got hate for my voice and presentation style. Creating videos took a lot of time for me and Dima, and YouTube wasn't monetized then. After two years of unpaid work, we abandoned our channel.

Need I tell you how we kicked ourselves when YouTube started paying bloggers and became one of the main platforms for interacting with subscribers?

In 2016, we tried to revive the channel, but despite our efforts, the opportunity had passed.

On January 15, 2020, Dima posted our first video on TikTok. By May, it was clear that my husband was right - this was an opportunity.

On September 25, 2020, we had 100,000 followers, on April 1, 2021 - 500,000, and on June 18, 2021, we crossed the 1,000,000 follower mark.

At this point, for the first time in 11 years, people started recognizing us on the streets. I spoke at conferences, published educational videos on TikTok Creator Portal, and we started getting media coverage.

On July 6, 2021, we created a new YouTube channel, "Настя, Дело Вкуса" (Stacy, a Matter of Taste). By December 18, 2021, it already had 200,000 subscribers. We've bought a new apartment with the kitchen of our dreams.

It seemed like a bright future awaited us, but...

The War Began

I could never have imagined that in the 21st century, war would come to my own home and put an end to everything I had been working towards for 12 years.

February 24, 2022, divided life into before and after for me, as it did for millions of Ukrainians. Everything I had only read about in books became my personal experience. I now know the sound of a fighter jet engine, how the ground resonates from a missile explosion, the bitter taste of the word "refugee," and how illusory and fragile our world really is.

I also know what it's like to work step by step towards a cherished goal, to be passionate about your work, and to benefit hundreds of people around you.

Now, I live with my family in a foreign country that has kindly accepted us. I don't know if I'll ever be able to return to my home, but I continue to be passionate about what I love.

P.S. Our YouTube channel crossed the 1,000,000 subscriber mark on October 18, 2022, after the war began.

I have 14 years of painstaking work behind me and a huge desire to share my knowledge. So, we keep moving forward, and I'm very happy to see you on ...

A New Beginning: AmofTaste

AmofTaste is a new beginning. Here, I share carefully crafted step-by-step photo recipes that reflect all the nuances and details of dish preparation. My goal is to make it easy for you to recreate each dish in your kitchen, regardless of your culinary skill level.

To help you better understand how the recipes on this site are created, let me tell you about my approach to selecting and testing them. This process is the result of years of experience and a constant pursuit of culinary perfection.

How I Choose and Test Recipes

1. Research and Information Gathering
   • Before I start cooking, I thoroughly study the roots of the recipe. I'm interested in everything: the history of the dish, traditional cooking methods, and various variations.
   • I analyze recipes from all sources and look at culinary publications from the dish's country of origin. Original recipes often differ from adapted versions, and I want to find the most authentic version.
2. Analysis and Recipe Selection
   • I compare different recipe variants and choose the one that seems the most successful and delicious to me.
   • Based on my experience and knowledge, I select the optimal recipe that should become ideal.
3. Recipe Testing
   • This is where the most interesting part begins! I check the proportions, adapt the recipe to local products, and try different cooking methods.
   • It's also important to understand what mistakes might occur during cooking and how to avoid them. So, I experiment to find the best solutions and tips for you.
4. Structuring and Preparation
   • I structure the results and take high-quality photos to make the recipe not only useful but also visually appealing.
   • I try to make the description as clear as possible so you can easily follow the instructions.
5. Recipe Publication
   • When I'm completely satisfied with the recipe, I publish it on the website. I want to be sure that each of you can recreate this dish and enjoy its taste.

My Principles

• Thoroughness and Attention to Detail: I only publish recipes that I've cooked many times and under different conditions. I want to be sure that each recipe is accurate and reliable.
• Openness to Experiments: I love experimenting in the kitchen. It helps me find new solutions and improve recipes. Sometimes, it's during experiments that I find the best and most unexpected solutions.
• Respect for Traditions: I respect traditional cooking techniques and authentic recipes from around the world, especially Ukrainian classics, Eastern European specialties, and international comfort food while adapting them to modern home kitchens with accessible ingredients.
• Accessibility for All Skill Levels: I understand that we all have different levels of culinary skills. Therefore, my recipes are described in a way that's understandable to both beginners and experienced cooks. I explain each step in detail and advise on how to avoid mistakes.

Inspiration and New Ideas

• Travel and Culinary Discoveries: I love traveling and trying new dishes. Each new place is an opportunity to discover something unusual and bring it into my recipes. The chance to try a new dish or product is more important to me than souvenirs or shopping!
• Analysis of Recipes from Various Sources: I study recipes found on the internet, from other cooks, or in cookbooks. By reproducing them in my kitchen, I achieve the perfect result before sharing them with you.

P.S. I'm still learning English, so please be understanding. If you notice a mistake in my recipes, I'll be grateful for your understanding, advice, and tips.

Our Team - Our Family

Our culinary journey is a family adventure. Together with my husband and partner, Dmitry Bondarenko, we create the content you see on our resources.

• I, Anastasia, am responsible for the heart of our project - the recipes. I find, test, and adapt them, and write all the texts, trying to convey every important detail to you.
• Dmytro is our eyes and hands. He photographs, films, and processes all materials, helping to convey the beauty and appetizing nature of each dish. He's the ideologist, director, scriptwriter, and editor of many of our videos. In addition, he manages all the technical aspects of our projects. Without him, our ideas would remain just ideas.
• And of course, we have our chief critic and taster - our son Leo. When he's not busy with his passion for playing the piano, he helps us by acting in our videos and giving honest feedback on the dishes.

A Bit More About Me

Although cooking is my main passion, it's far from my only one.

I have a degree in finance, but my love for food and desire to share knowledge led me down this path. I believe that learning and not sharing the knowledge gained is, to say the least, strange.

Besides cooking, I love:

• Writing. Whether it's recipes or just thoughts about food and life.
• Reading. This has been my passion since childhood, helping me develop and find new ideas.
• Traveling. I especially love places where you can see the real life of a country, not just tourist attractions. For me, food is a window into culture, so I always look for opportunities to try local dishes and learn their stories.
• Meeting passionate people. Their enthusiasm inspires me with new ideas and projects.

Dreams and Plans

I have several big dreams that I hope to one day bring to life:

• Attend Le Cordon Bleu. This is my long-standing dream, and I believe that one day I'll be able to share the knowledge gained there with you. [Link to fundraising for admission]
• Write and publish a cookbook. I want to create a book that anyone can truly cook from.
• Open a culinary school. A place where I can personally share knowledge with everyone who wants to learn.

Let's Stay Connected

Our culinary journey isn't limited to this website. You can find us on various platforms:

• YouTube: Here you'll find our creative video recipes on the brand new channel.
• Instagram: Follow us to see our daily life, culinary experiments, and new reels (pardon my shaky English in the stories!).
• Pinterest: Enjoy Dmitry's exquisite photographs.
• Facebook: The perfect place to ask me any question.
• TikTok: TBA. This platform has given us so much knowledge and skills!

You can also explore my original channels (in Ukrainian/Russian) that started it all: TikTok and YouTube.

Feel free to write to me at [email protected] with questions, suggestions, or just to share your culinary stories.

I sincerely believe that cooking is not just about food, but also about communication, sharing experiences, and inspiration. Leave a comment below if you want to learn something new, share your opinion, or suggest an idea for a future recipe. Let's create delicious stories together!