About

Welcome to Natasha’s Kitchen! I’m Natasha Kravchuk, and together with my husband, Vadim, we’ve been passionately developing and sharing tried-and-true recipes since 2009. Over the years, we have created a trusted recipe resource beloved by millions.

In 2023, I published my debut cookbook – Natasha’s Kitchen Cookbook, which quickly became a New York Times Best-Seller for three consecutive weeks. The book is an extension of our blog with top-quality recipes you can trust.

I come from a family of fantastic cooks, and I’m here to share generations of recipes that are homey, fresh, healthy, family-friendly, authentic, and adventurous. Most importantly, our recipes are meticulously tested and guaranteed to be delicious and reliable.

Natasha holding a lasagna casserole

My Family and Heritage

My culinary journey is deeply rooted in my family’s story. My family came to the U.S. as refugees from Ukraine when I was 4 years old. They brought 5 tiny girls and had nothing but a stack of suitcases. They didn’t know the language, but they worked hard and achieved the American dream. Watch the TV News Segment about our incredible story. My parents’ resilience and passion for food inspire every recipe I create.

Natasha with family posing on steps next to a house
Natasha with her parents and 4 sisters (Natasha is the middle child)

Growing up, I was so shy that I thought no one would marry me until my husband came along and swept me off my feet (true story). Over 20 years ago, I married my wonderful husband, Vadim (who is also Ukrainian). We are blessed with two children. Every recipe that I develop is thoroughly tested and approved by each of us and is often critiqued by relatives and friends. We only post the recipes we love and make over and over.

We live in Idaho (famous for its potatoes), and we love the quieter pace of our beautiful state. We strive to walk in love and live our lives by the word of God and the life of Jesus.

Natasha and Vadim slicing vegetables in the kitchen

Professional Background

We’re so thankful to be full-time foodies and recipe developers. We’re living our dream because of you and I can’t thank you enough! My heritage and diverse professional background, including years in business and nursing, have uniquely equipped me to be the recipe developer, video creator, photographer, writer, and business owner that I am today. We set the bar high so you can expect great recipes and videos here.

The Resume

  • 2003-2007: I worked for 7 years as a business intern, which I consider my most valuable education. My boss and mentor taught me the importance of excellence in business and meticulous attention to detail, which has served me well.
  • 2007 Earned my Bachelor’s Degree in Business with a double major in human resource management
  • 2007-2012 – Worked as a Realtor for 4 years. Fun fact: it was during my realtor days that I learned about blogging (although blogging about real estate was undeniably more boring than food)
  • 2012 Earned my Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing and worked as a Registered Nurse in Telemetry. The courses I took in nutrition, as well as being in a caring profession, made for a natural transition into serving my audience with recipes and connections that nurture body and soul.
  • Blogging since 2009 – What started as a way to share my family’s recipes and culinary journey, has turned into a vibrant community of millions of home cooks.

To summarize all of the many hats I wear – I am a wife, mom, food blogger, cookbook author, recipe developer, video creator, photographer, writer, influencer, social media boss, and entrepreneur, and I love to sing in my church choir. If I were a sandwich, I’d be a Chicken Bacon Avocado on Focaccia.

Natasha with family serving food

How I Got Started Cooking

To be completely honest, I wasn’t always excited about cooking. When I got married in 2003, it became a necessity – “must eat to live” and Mom wasn’t doing the cooking anymore. We had a lot of frozen meals and ate-out too much in the first year of our marriage. I had a free summer (and decided I would improve my cooking skills so we could live and eat healthier.

I dove into cookbook after cookbook and plundered my mom’s recipe books. I was at the library all the time bringing home piles of cookbooks; I was hooked! I even read my mother’s cooking textbook from her college days (Mom completed her culinary program when we moved to the US). I had discovered the joy of cooking. Within a few months, my husband and I each lost weight just from cooking more at home. Now I can’t stop cooking and thinking about cooking and dreaming about cooking… I was born for this!

My recipe collection continues to grow. I love to try new recipes and will share my favorites with you (like our internet-famous Meatloaf and beloved Banana Bread Recipe). I hope you enjoy this blog and find recipes that will become your family favorites as well.

Natasha with mom and daughter making pierogi

Natasha’s Kitchen Today

I started this food and family blog in 2009 as a way to share favorite recipes and events with family and friends. It has grown much larger than I could have imagined with about 1,300 recipes and about 19 million hungry visitors per month. In 2024, we passed 3,500,000 subscribers on YouTube and our channel is growing fast. We’ve been featured on:

  • Forbes
  • Good Morning America
  • ABC News
  • New York Times
  • Associated Press
  • USA Today
  • And hundreds more (see Press page for more)

My goal with Natasha’s Kitchen is for you to really discover and fall in love with cooking and find many new favorite recipes your family will love. The ingredients we use are simple and easily accessible, not overly hoity-toity. My motto: if you can read (a well-written, tested, and trusted recipe), you can cook.

Most of the recipes I share come from my mom and mother-in-law, family, friends, and my own experience in the kitchen. I am so thankful to have such amazing people in my life who generously share their rich knowledge of cooking.

It Takes a Village! I’m so blessed to partner with an incredible group of specialists who share their talents to support Natasha’s Kitchen. Whether it’s social media, email marketing, content editing, or video editing, their expertise helps everything run smoothly so I can focus on creating delicious recipes and fun videos for you. I’m so grateful for their contributions and for YOU, our amazing readers, who make it all possible.

Natasha's family prepping food in the kitchen

Natasha’s Kitchen Recipes

It’s very important to me to share trusted recipes that are reliable and work well in every kitchen and for every cooking skill level. This is why I develop and perfect all of my recipes through careful research and several rounds of testing in my own Kitchen in Idaho (elevation about 2,600 feet).

Every recipe is tested and approved by my family, and often friends, relatives, and even neighbors. All of the photography is done by myself, and I’m the one showing up in our videos. My husband edits the photos and videos (and he’s the videographer, single-handedly running 3 cameras at once).

Get Featured: If you would like your recipe featured on this site, email it to me by clicking here.

Community Guidelines: I love how this food blog has grown into a supportive cooking community – your comments, questions, tips, and success stories make every recipe better. Review my Comment Policy, then join the conversation.

Disclaimer: Per my Nutrition Disclaimer, this blog includes only my own opinions and is not professional advice. It is not intended to be dietary advice or a diet plan. Please talk to your Doctor or nutritionist for medical or dietary advice. I am not liable if you eat too many Hamburgers.

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Comments

  • Liliya
    October 14, 2015

    Dear Natashen’ka and your beautiful family, thank you so much for being a blessing for our family for a number of years now. I have three grownup married sisters and to be honest, cooking is not our family’s thing therefore, you and your blog saved us tons of time and helped “не упасть лицом в грязь” for so many occasions that you have no idea. It’s amazingly convenient to do grocery shopping and having someone right there on the phone giving you ideas what to cook for dinner or any special events. And thank you for trying to keep us healthy. May God bless you and yours for this coming holiday season:), you are a real inspiration for many of us! P.S. Your eggplants recipes are my all-time favorites.

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      October 15, 2015

      Lilya, my husband and I, both read your comment. It blessed us very much! Thank you for sharing it with us :). Blessings to you and your family during this holiday season.

      Reply

  • Milana
    October 10, 2015

    Hi Natasha! I was introduced to your site through a local cooking Facebook page. I’m so thankful I found your site! I can’t tell you how much my cooking has improved, as well as the decrease in the amount of headache I had in coming up with ideas on what to cook for my family. I’m originally from former Soviet Union, so I grew up on this kind of food. I knew literally nothing about cooking when I married my husband 10 years ago. Your recipes are so easy to follow, that I’ve been cooking stuff I never imagined I would. Thank you thank you from the bottom of my heart. Keep up the great work!

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      October 10, 2015

      You’re comment is so sweet. My hubby and I both read it and I’m all smiles. It’s so encouraging to hear that you are enjoying the recipes. Thank you so much for writing in 🙂

      Reply

  • Riyantini lykhine
    October 10, 2015

    Thanks for the recipe ,I tried a lot from your blog.i am Indonesian and my husband Russian .so help me a lot to make his food.

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      October 10, 2015

      Welcome to the site, I hope you’ll find lots of new favorites :).

      Reply

  • Jon
    October 6, 2015

    So glad I’ve discovered this website on a search for stuffed cabbage. I can almost smell my grandma’s kitchen again.

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      October 6, 2015

      I hope you’ll find lots of new favorites on the site :).

      Reply

  • Kaylan
    October 4, 2015

    Hi Natasha! My friend Anna who is Ukrainian introduced me to your site! I’m also a food blogger, but not nearly as advanced, a Christian and I went to college and lived in Idaho for 6 years! I’m originally from Seattle but now I’m down in southern California so my husband can go to medical school but Idaho is very near and dear to us! I love your site, it inspires me on my own journey with my food blog! 🙂

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      October 4, 2015

      Thank you so much for writing in and welcome to my blog! 🙂 I look forward to exploring more of your site.

      Reply

  • Elena
    October 4, 2015

    Hi Natasha!
    Love your site and your easy to follow recipes! 🙂
    Recently I wanted to make some cabbage rolls and was wondering if you had the recipe for it or a variation of the cabbage rolls (like with the borsch).
    Thank you 🙂

    Reply

  • LaTrice
    September 29, 2015

    I found your blog on Pintrest, Natasha. Ever since my sister and I moved out of my mom’s house two years ago, we like to try new recipes (my mom would call and ask what’s for dinner). I like the fact that you provide step-by-step instructions, as well as listing the total price on the meals. It gives me a better idea of what’s to be expected. I’m looking forward to cooking these scrumptious recipes from your blog!! 🙂

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      September 29, 2015

      LaTrice, I hope that you’ll find lots of new favorites here :).

      Reply

  • ANNA
    September 25, 2015

    HI! could you give me your email address i would like to share a yummy recipe i made this week.

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      September 25, 2015

      Yesssssss!! 🙂 My email is: natashaskitchen @ yahoo.com (no spaces). Thank you for thinking of me!

      Reply

  • Emily
    September 23, 2015

    Beautiful family! I’m loving your site and your story!

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      September 23, 2015

      Welcome to the site Emily and thank you for writing in :).

      Reply

  • Suzan
    September 23, 2015

    Hi, Natasha. I LOVE your blogs and seeing your beautiful family. I would love to see more Russian recipes. My daughter is adopted from Nizhny Novgorod. Thank you and God bless you and your family.

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      September 23, 2015

      Suzan, thank you so much for writing in. We are always working on posting new Russian recipes as they are our favorite. Do you have any specific requests?

      Reply

      • Suzan
        September 24, 2015

        Thank you for replying. I would love anything Christmas, potato, soups, casseroles, and EASY deserts, especially with apples, gingerbread type cookies. I will never forget the wonderful scents that greeted me from the very small kitchen in the Nizhny orphanage where I first met Anna, my daughter. I felt like I had come home and I cried when I left. P.S. I wish you offered Christmas specials (cookies,etc) for your followers to purchase. Blessings.

        Reply

        • Natasha
          natashaskitchen
          September 24, 2015

          Thank you Suzan! That’s so wonderful that you adopted your daughter. God bless you and her and your family! She is so blessed to have you :).

          Reply

  • Sherry
    September 16, 2015

    Hi Natasha. I found you when I was looking for a plum jam recipe. I made yours and it is wonderful! I even bought more plums to make more. I’m wondering if your simple recipe works with other fruit. Do you know? Thanks.

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      September 16, 2015

      I haven’t tried it with other fruit. Have you seen my recipe for peach preserves? It’s also very simple 🙂

      Reply

      • Sherry
        September 16, 2015

        I just joined your site and have lots to check out. I will look for your peach preserves. Thanks!

        Reply

  • Cathy papich
    September 13, 2015

    Question, I am working on the plum jam. I’ve boiled the plums four times, as you stated, however; it is still quite liauidy. Mis that normal? Should I boil it further? Any suggestions.

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      September 14, 2015

      You may have had juicier plums. If they are too liquidy, it wouldn’t hurt to boil it again. Keep in mind they do thicken slightly once they are at room temperature. Also, just to be sure (because a couple folks have done it), you did not add water, correct?

      Reply

  • Irene
    September 8, 2015

    Perfect vanilla cupcake
    Instead of canola oil. Can I use butter? If so what is the amount ?
    Also the cream cheese frosting at room temperature can last 3 hours? Ac room probably 70 degrees.

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      September 8, 2015

      I’d hesitate to say yes because some cupcakes turn rigid with butter and butter will also cause them to firm up if refrigerated. Without testing it though, I’m not sure how it would affect that particular recipe. The frosting should be fine at room temperature for 3 hours. It helps if you can refrigerate it after you make it and then leave it out at room temp if that’s possible.

      Reply

  • Yelena
    September 6, 2015

    Hello Natasha,
    I would love to see receipts of gluten free pastries, breakfast crapes and pancakes.
    Thank you dear!

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      September 6, 2015

      Hi Yelena! Have you tried my macaron cake? My hubby has been encouraging me to post more also. I’ll see what else I could come up with. My sister is also gluten free 🙂

      Reply

  • Amy W
    September 4, 2015

    I found this site via Pinterest and imagine my surprise to we live in the same area. My mother’s father’s family is from Ukraine and live in Edmonton. It’s been several years since we’ve visited and I always miss the yummy food (as well as my welcoming family). I look forward to trying many of your recipes.

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      September 4, 2015

      That’s so great! Welcome to my blog and I hope you love all of the recipes you try! 🙂

      Reply

  • Jacqui Cherry
    September 2, 2015

    Just found you! And I’m so glad I did! I sensed your sweet spirit when I saw the first pic! I love your heart in wanting to share from your rich heritage. Though it’s not in the Ukraine, I visited Slovakia for a month. I fell in love with the people, and the food! The soups, fresh bread, kavu and kolaches! (Not sure of the correct spelling. 😊 And the chai! A dear older man in one of the churches we visited blended an herbal blackberry tea for me. It was so sweet of him! So many sweet memories, and a beautiful country! Several of my friends have adopted children from Ukraine, and at one time I led the adoption ministry in our church. What precious blessings they are! Just want to thank you for sharing, and God bless you and your beautiful family.

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      September 2, 2015

      Thank you so much for sharing your wonderful story with me! It’s so nice to meet you and God bless you also for the work that you’ve done!

      Reply

  • Tania
    August 31, 2015

    Hi Natasha! I am really happy I stumbled upon your blog. So many awesome recipes and you look really sweet. All the best to you!

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      August 31, 2015

      Thank you so much Tania and welcome to my blog 🙂

      Reply

  • Omair
    August 31, 2015

    Hi!
    Very good Blog and great Family 🙂
    I am a food lover and i liked the salads part most.

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      August 31, 2015

      Welcome to the blog Omair, I hope you’ll find lots of new favorites :).

      Reply

  • Afsaneh
    August 24, 2015

    Awesome website!I love your recipes, really easy to understand recipes with basic ingredients which I’m sure I don’t need to go for shopping and also like your friendly connection with people:)
    I’m planning to make the Raspberry gel-lo cake….

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      August 24, 2015

      Welcome to the site Afsaneh and thank you for your sweet comment. I hope that you’ll find lots of new favorites :).

      Reply

  • Joya
    August 24, 2015

    All my respect! Bravo!

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      August 24, 2015

      Thank you Joya :D.

      Reply

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