Over these years, life has filled with sensations that I hadn’t experienced in ten before. It has clearly divided into BEFORE and AFTER.
BEFORE — I was the owner of a cinema monitoring and analytics agency. All films by Warner Bros., Sony, Disney released in Ukraine passed through our analytical data. I traveled to film festivals, including Cannes.
I also had a hobby — cooking. Not simple dishes, but restaurant-level cuisine. During the COVID period, I even completed two courses at a culinary academy led by a MasterChef judge.
AFTER — I have changed three countries. We received the news about the war while in Turkey. Every year, my husband and I traveled together for his sports training camps. I was with my granddaughter, with only a suitcase packed for two weeks of vacation — and no way back home.
I went to Tajikistan, then to Uzbekistan (my husband had contract work in these countries). And now, I live in Bulgaria.
Hello, my name is Oksana, and I’m from Kyiv.And you know what saved me — what kept me from losing my mind due to inactivity and the loss of my familiar rhythm of life? My hobby.
I started a culinary blog and have already gained 12,000 followers. I completed two more courses at a culinary academy — in pastry and world cuisines. And this year, I fulfilled my dream: I studied at the famous French culinary academy Le Cordon Bleu. This is where chefs graduate who later earn Michelin stars.
The course lasted only a week, but I know I will return — for three or even six months of full training.
You may ask: Do you want to become a chef?
My answer: rather, I want to have my own establishment. But I go through every stage to fully understand the kitchen from the inside.
I learn foreign languages because I respect the countries where I’ve lived. Knowing a few phrases, being able to understand and respond in the local language — for me, it’s about respect. Just as I would expect people living in Ukraine to know our language and culture.
Did I dream of such a life? Did I know where I would end up? Probably not.
The pictures in my mind were different.
No, I am not complaining. I did not lose my home or my loved ones because of the war.
But I lost part of my familiar life — and a part of myself that remained BEFORE.
Yet everything destiny has sent me has made me different: more thoughtful, restrained, motivated. And now, I simply cannot stop.
I know this magazine issue will be published after the New Year holidays and just before Valentine’s Day, so I want to share with you one delicious recipe.
At Le Cordon Bleu, together with a French chef, I prepared macarons, and now I invite you to my macaron master class. I will share all the tricks, secrets, and techniques.
If you love delicious and beautiful food as much as I do, I will be happy to make friends with you.
Visit my Instagram page @sjuzzi_kitchen, where I share my knowledge and teach others.
Basque Cheesecake
Recipe
Add to450–500 g of cream cheese:
- 3 eggs
- 120 g sugar
- 250 ml heavy cream
Blend with an immersion blender until smooth.
Add:
- zest of one lemon
- 16 g wheat flour
Blend again.
Line a cheesecake pan with three layers of parchment paper, making sure the paper rises above the edges. Place the pan on a baking tray and pour in the cream cheese mixture.
Bake for 35 minutes at 240°C (465°F) with convection.
The finished cheesecake should have asoufflé-like texture. The crust color depends on your preference. Let the cheesecake cool completely.
Enjoy!
With respect,
Oksana Kondrashova
Director, Cinema Analytics
Uzbekistan
Instagram: @sjuzzi_kitchen
