Hi, and welcome! I’m glad to see you here.
From My Heart is a newsletter about Eastern Europe, Ukraine, Belarus, and about living in challenging times.
About me:
I’m Darya Zorka – a writer, a poet, an artist, and a documentary translator. I contributed to multiple films about Ukraine, including the award-winning documentary “20 Days In Mariupol.”
I was born and raised in Belarus and immigrated to the U.S. in my early 20s. Shortly after moving, I met my Ukrainian husband, and since then, our Belarusian and Ukrainian families have been living through the most difficult times together.
About From My Heart:
Each Saturday, I send an essay sharing a part of my heart: personal stories, memories, reflections, and poems. I share my experience and perspective as an Eastern European woman who lives in the West. From past to present, from Eastern Europe to the U.S. These series of essays are the most honest and sincere words that I share on the Internet.
Once a month, I share a family recipe from Eastern Europe and guide you through every step of the cooking process, sharing family stories and memories along the way. I want you to imagine standing with me in the kitchen, cooking, talking, and trying a delicious homemade meal. This series of posts is an introduction to Eastern European cuisine and my family.
The family recipes series directly supports my Belarusian and Ukrainian families who became refugees and whose recipes I share with you. I cook each recipe from scratch and include detailed descriptions, photos of every step, family cooking secrets, and tips. Each post has a PDF version of the recipe that you can download, print, and add to your cookbook.
Browse family recipes from Eastern Europe
Subscription options:
From My Heart is a reader-supported newsletter. While all my weekly essays and articles are open to all, your support is what keeps this newsletter going. Writing, researching, publishing, not to mention the hours of standing in the kitchen and editing hundreds of photos to create each recipe post, takes an enormous amount of time and energy. While it’s a common misconception that creative people should work for free, I wholeheartedly believe that everyone should be paid for their work. By subscribing as a paid member, you won’t only allow me to continue educating and connecting people through my writing but also provide help for my two refugee families and pay the bills.
Free subscribers receive weekly essays, articles, and previews of the monthly family recipes.
Paid subscribers receive access to everything in this newsletter, including monthly step-by-step recipes, a full recipe archive from the previous months, an opportunity to ask cooking questions and receive feedback.
No matter what type of subscription you choose, I’m genuinely grateful for your support and for being among my readers!
Warmly,
Darya
You can reach me via email: daryazorka@substack.com
Follow me on Instagram
Follow me on Twitter
Shop my art on Etsy
Watch the “20 Days in Mariupol” documentary here
Watch Frontline PBS documentaries on Ukraine here
Donate to help Ukraine: UKRAINE DONATION GUIDE 2024
