Originally from Belarus, Darya H. Shelby found her way to Martha’s Vineyard after studying journalism and graphic design in Europe. Along the way, she discovered her true passion in the kitchen, honing her craft in Island restaurants, behind the bar, and alongside private chefs before launching Soirée, her private chef and catering company. Today, her menus blend European culinary traditions with New England’s seasonal bounty, creating intimate dining experiences that celebrate both heritage and place. Summer is no slow season for a private chef on Martha’s Vineyard, but we were fortunate to steal a few minutes of Darya’s time to ask her this month’s Three Questions.
You were born and raised in Belarus before eventually finding your way to Martha’s Vineyard. How has that journey shaped both you and your approach to cooking?
My upbringing is the backbone of how I cook today. In Belarus, food was never just fuel—it was ritual, comfort, and community. We ate what the land offered, preserved what we couldn’t eat right away, and trusted humble ingredients to deliver deep, honest flavor. Moving to Martha’s Vineyard taught me to marry that old-world thrift and technique with an almost evangelical celebration of hyper-local produce and seafood. The result is food that’s both rooted and immediate: familiar textures and methods reframed by the Island’s seasons and ocean bounty.
Belarus has a rich culinary heritage that’s unfamiliar to many Americans. Are there flavors, traditions, or techniques from your childhood that still inspire your menus today?
Absolutely. Pickling and fermentation remain at the heart of my cooking, whether it’s cucumbers, beets, or bright ferments that bring balance to seafood. I still lean heavily on root vegetables and buckwheat, ingredients I grew up with, and you’ll often find potatoes prepared in rustic ways throughout my menus. One of my favorite appetizers is a potato latke made from my babushka’s recipe.
Dumplings and wrapped foods like vareniki and blintzes continue to influence how I think about texture and comfort, while ingredients like sour cream, dill, and horseradish are finishes I return to again and again. Above all, I still practice preservation—curing, smoking, salting, and fermenting—as a way to honor the seasons and deepen flavor using the incredible fish and produce we have here on the Vineyard.
The Vineyard is known for celebrating local ingredients and memorable gatherings. What do you hope guests take away from a meal you’ve prepared—beyond just great food?
If you sit at my table, I hope you leave nourished in both body and spirit. More than anything, I want guests to carry home one small, surprising memory from Belarus that’s been reinterpreted through the lens of Martha’s Vineyard—something they remember long after dinner ends, something they might try to recreate, or a story they’ll tell a friend. If a meal sparks curiosity, conversation, and connection, then I’ve done my job.
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