About
Hi there! My name is Natasha Kravchuk. My handsome husband, Vadim, and I started Natasha’s Kitchen in 2009 and develop recipes and recipe videos together full-time. In 2023, we published our debut cookbook – Natasha’s Kitchen Cookbook, which quickly became a New York Times Best-Selling Book (on the list for 3 weeks in a row!).
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 taste great and you can trust that they actually work.
My Family:
My parents 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 worked hard and achieved the American dream. Watch the TV News Segment about our incredible story.
Growing up, I used to be so shy I thought no one would marry me until my husband came along and swept me off my feet (true story). I married my wonderful husband Vadim (who is also Ukrainian) over 16 years ago. 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, “Ida-who?” Potatoes, people, potatoes! Our family attends Life Church Boise. We strive to walk in love and live our lives by the word of God and the life of Jesus.
My 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! I draw on all of my past experiences which make me 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. God has made all of my past experiences work for my good.
The ‘Resume’:
- Starting as a teen, I worked for 7 years as a business intern (my most valuable ‘education’).
- Earned my bachelor’s degree in business (long story)
- Worked as a Realtor for 4 years during which I had an early mid-life crisis and cried a lot (let’s just say it wasn’t for me).
- Earned a second bachelor’s degree in nursing and worked as an RN in telemetry (shorter story, but still long).
- Blogging since 2009
So, I’m a wife, mom, food blogger, video creator, photographer, writer, influencer, social media boss, entrepreneur, and worship leader. If I were a sandwich, I’d be a chicken bacon avocado on focaccia.
About Natasha’s Kitchen:
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 1,200 recipes and about 19 Million hungry visitors per month. In 2023, we passed 3,000,000 subscribers on YouTube and our channel is growing fast.
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.
This is a personal website and all of the recipes are tested and approved by my family. 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).
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.
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. I hope you enjoy this blog and find recipes that will become your family favorites as well.
Get Featured: If you would like your recipe featured on this site, email it to me by clicking here (warning: spammers will get hit in the face with unripe avocados).
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, although I try to post healthy-ish recipes, please talk to your Dr. for medical or dietary advice. I am not liable if you eat too many cheeseburgers.
I love your recipes Natasha coz so easy and fast
But just wanna let you know about the dangerous of using
The aluminum foil when you wrap the food and you bake with it
It can cause Alzheimer and loosing density of bones it’s a long list I have a video I wish I can send it to you but you can find the video on homey home
Hi Norma, I have been avoiding aluminum foil in my more recent recipes and using parchment mostly and also the silpat liner. 🙂
Hello,
I am not sure how i can contact you, so thought a comment here would be a good way to start.
During visits to Russia and UK i have tasted a special kind of dough that was stuffed, baked …
They told me its traditional ukrain food, and i would like to bring this food to my country, so can you help me or guide me to find chefs, if you can help, i would appreciate if you contact me on my email
Hi Bash – I wonder if you are referring to piroshki? Search piroshki in the top right search bar on my blog. I hope that helps!
Love your recipes and I have also made one of your cakes for Xmas and it turned out excellent and oh so yummy. Thank you for all you share with the rest of us. Now how do I make kutia?
Hi Sylvia, I have a great Kutia recipe here.
Natasha, I discovered your blog while looking for a birthday cake recipe for my friend’s dad’s birthday. I was attracted to your blog because I am also from Europe (Poland). I was also a refugee (late 1980s) by the way! You recipes are easy to follow and delicious (I also made a beef stew and fresh strawberries cake – all came out great). I just want to keep trying new ones :). Thank you.
I’m so glad you found my site and are enjoying the recipes! Thanks for following Kasia and sharing your thoughtful comments!
Couldn’t find another way to ask so here it goes. I am planning a meal for family tomorrow and you mushroom rice pilaf caught my eye. I am preparing a combo of salmon and shrimp, New Orleans style. Will this Mushroom rice recipe be a good compliment side to go along with the salmon and shrimp?
Hi Bob, the mushroom rice is a little more Italian style in flavor but the flavors are not overpowering so I think it could work together. If your salmon and shrimp are very pronounced in flavor or has any kind of sauce in it, it might work better with creamy mashed potatoes.
Hey Natascha, my mother (Nina)was born in Kirowograd Ukraine and came to Belgium after WW2. I visit my family in Ukraine once, and now i’m verry sorry that i don’t have any contact with them (i don’t have an adress) I love you blog, and all those good recipes. Thank you for bringing Ukraine a litlle bit to Belgium. 🙂
Hello Steven! I’m glad my site brings back fond memories, thanks for following! 🙂
Dear Natasha thank you for your recipe for baked piroshki Icame across it and loved it because I love Russia baking I was so happy to find your blog being in English some of the beautiful baking cannot be accessed as it is Russian. God bless you as you share your recipes
My pleasure Clara! Thanks for following and sharing your encouraging comments!
Hello Natasha, what a beautiful family you have. I just joined and let me tell you why, somehow your recipes ended up on my phone, and I could not stop scrolling and liking each and every one. I am a true foodie, and I never pick up a cook book or go on line and love everything that they are showing. You are different, or maybe I just have similar taste, I have already tried one recipe last night and look forward to many many more! Thank you 🙂
My pleasure Lorraine! I’m so glad you found my page. Thanks for following and sharing your encouraging comments!
Hi Natasha,
I heard about you through my awesome Ukrainian friends and I ended up loving your recipes as well. I’m an aspiring blogger/youtuber. I would love love to do this full-time but who knows if that will happen. But after reading your story, maybe one day I could do this full-time. Hopefully, fingers crossed =)
Anyways hope you check out my YouTube, (Lala’s Kitchen) any tips or advice would be so appreciated.
Lalaine
Hi Lalaine, thank you! 🙂 I wish you success in your blog and channel! I suggest checking out our blogger resources page.
This recipe/food blog is by far mine and my families favorite! Your recipes are easy and time-saving, at least for me they are. I love your enthusiasm you exhibit all your videos. Thank you for keeping real and fun!!! By the way, there hasn’t been a single recipe I’ve made that my family hasn’t loved.
I’m happy to hear how much you and your family are enjoying the recipes! Thanks for following and sharing your encouraging, thoughtful comments!
I just discovered your site thanks to Pinterest. Great recipes. I was in shock when I read your bio that you were not 20. lol You are cute as can be and have a very sweet family. This Grandma has also learned so much blogs came about. At 59 I just started using cast iron.
I’m so glad you found my blog Debbie! Thanks for following and sharing your sweet comments!
I love your recipes and the way you make it look so easy. You’ve probably seen this question before but do you use a cast iron skillet or non stick for your recipes with the chicken and steak (yum)?
Hi Catherine, in most of our videos, we are using this cast iron pan (Amazon affiliate link) which has a coating on it that makes it easy to clean and wash and makes it a fairly non-stick surface.
Hello Natasha, just found this site. Wow, Chicken roll ups looks so good but not feeling pesto , can I substitute, if so, suggestions? Thank you.
Hi Rachel, I honestly haven’t tried substituting with anything else in that one since pesto is the star of the show there :).
You are my favorite “cook”. Your beautiful spirit shines out through all your posts. I love everything you teach us to cook–and I’m 77 years young–still learning. Do you have a cook book we can purchase? I’ll buy one if you do…or more for gifts! You are wonderful. Thank you for sharing. Frances Nelson, R.N.
My pleasure Frances, I’m glad to hear how much you’re enjoying the recipes! I am beginning to create my first cookbook this year, I’ll keep everyone posted. Thanks for following and sharing your thoughtful comments!
Love your personality. The food too. Your a cutie with a beautiful family and wonderful testimony of your faith in Jesus Christ our Lord. God bless you and your family and your endeavors. This grandpa and grandma love it.
Thank you so much for your sweet compliments! I’m glad you’re enjoying the recipes. Thanks for following and God Bless!
I like all your recipes and I have prepared some.
I love to cook for my family and friends.
Greetings from Monterrey, México.
God bless you!
I’m happy to hear how much you and your family enjoy the recipes. Thanks for following!
You are so adorable! We love your recipes, but especially enjoy seeing your facial expressions after you taste your creations. You and your husband do a wonderful job creating and filming the making of so many varied foods. It’s always a pleasure to watch what you’ve prepared! Looking forward to seeing your recipe book in print. Wishing you continued success. We’ll be watching!
Thank you for following and sharing your encouraging, thoughtful comments! They mean a lot Mimi!
I LOVE your YouTube channel…totally found you by accident. I was helping plan a 50th wedding anniversary in February and made your mango cake. Huge hit! Everyone was super impressed and it was the easiest of all of the cakes! Thanks for your videos. We love watching them.
My pleasure Shelly! I’m glad to hear how much you’re enjoying my videos and recipes. Thanks for following!
Hello from Lancaster, PA. Thanks for the sweet potato recipe! We grow LOTS of them! Had a 12 1/2 lbs.
You’re welcome Daniel! Glad I could help you get rid of some of those sweet potatoes!
YEAH on you coming out with a cookbook – cannot wait!
I’m starting to create my first cookbook this year! I’ll keep everyone posted, thanks for the encouragement Wendy!