As a historian, food writer, chef and mother, I value cooking as a form of storytelling. For me, cooking is about creating edible memories; a way of passing on centuries of heritage to new generations. For years I have been on a mission to create a modern Ashkenazi cooking style that values and respects its long and fascinating history while celebrating its contemporary, urban and multicultural setting. Using simple, accessible ingredients, which only a few years ago would have been considered 'boring', I create dishes that are full of flavour, elegance and character.
In this series of hands-on Modern Ashkenazi Cooking classes, I look forward to creating a vibrant environment where we can learn from one another, sharing stories and recipes from the Eastern European Jewish communities, and beyond. No prior experience of cookery is required, as all dishes are designed for homecooks and are accessible in their techniques. Together we will bake challah and knishes, make kreplach and pierogi dumplings, create the best matzo ball soup and tzimmes stew, and learn my grandma's secret technique for best blitzes.
In this inaugural event of the series, we will explore the magic of the Hanukkah dinner table. Featuring recipes from my award-winning cookbook, Kapusta, the class menu includes latkes with a twist, an array of shmears, including a vegan 'chicken liver' pate, and sweet carrot & twarog fritters.
The cooking class will be followed by lunch, a brief Q&A and book signing.
About Alissa
Alissa Timoshkina is a London-based food writer, cookbook author and historian specializing in the culinary culture of Eastern Europe. Born in Siberia into a rich Eastern European heritage of Ashkenazi and Eastern Slavic roots, her family history is a defining ingredient in her cooking and writing.
Alissa moved to the UK in the late 1990s to study, later completing a PhD in Soviet culture and Holocaust history at the University of London, where she also worked as a lecturer. Ultimately, her love of cooking pulled her away from academia, and in 2015 she founded the supper club and catering company KinoVino, which she ran until 2020.
She is the author of Salt & Time (2019) and Kapusta (2025), and writes the Substack newsletter In Her Hands.
In response to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Alissa co-founded the global fundraising campaign #CookForUkraine with her friend, chef and writer, Olia Hercules, raising over £2.5 million for humanitarian relief and receiving multiple international awards.
Alissa lives in North London with her partner and their two children. Lozhka, her third cookbook, will be published in October 2026.
Follow Alissa on Instagram and Substack @alissatimoshkina
