About Me

            Ever since I was a little kid, the food in my home was always different from my peers. My grandmother: born in a refugee camp in Germany often cooked traditional Polish foods her mother had taught her. She also learned how to cook Turkish and Mediterranean dishes from my grandfather’s mom. My grandfather who was born and raised in Istanbul, moved to Israel where he met my grandmother, and they had 6 children. My mother and entire family moved to the U.S. when she was 12. 

            Every night, dinner consisted of various options many of which I had never seen on the Food Network which I watched religiously with my grandmother. Rachel Ray and Ina Garten were definitely not making kebab and baklava on their shows. I was confused but never questioned it because hey, the food was amazing! When entering middle school, I noticed other kids bringing in very simple lunches, sandwiches, mac n cheese, pizza bagels. At this point I have had all those things, but my lunches consisted of hummus, perogies, coobeh, and other items that made other kids’ question. That is when I decided to start asking questions, I asked my mom, grandparents, aunts, and uncles everything I could to learn more about my heritage. I learned so much about how my great grandmother survived Auschwitz, how my grandfather was smuggled out of Turkey, and the hardships they faced once they started a family in Israel. 

One of the major hardships of the time was that it was very uncommon for eastern European Jews to marry middle eastern jews. Those who did were often looked down on and it took many years for this to become normalized. At the time both of their parents did not approve, however, this was post WWII, and hatred was too common. They had all been through enough and decided to celebrate love and embrace their differences. My grandfather’s mother took my grandmother into the kitchen and began teaching her. She went over daily before the wedding and learned all she could to ensure that she would be able to recreate these cultural meals for her husband and future children. 

            I knew this information was very important and looked closer to see that our meals were never bland, they were a mix of cultures, and nationalities that were important to remember. Ever since, I have never said no to trying a new food or dish prepared in a ‘new’ way. My reasoning is, the food is not new; it may be new to me; however, the history of the dish could go back thousands of years and have a deep history. My grandparents never wanted to forget the hardships their parents suffered and brought their history to us through food. 

            Food will always have a special place in my heart, trying new foods, recipes, or even having my favorite comfort food will always have some sort of history and memory behind it. My blog name, "Mishpacha Meals" is a special one! 'Mishpacha' means 'Family' in Hebrew and for me, food comes from family and the cultural ties it comes with. I love trying new cultural meals and learning about why it is such a staple. I love making these recipes and feeding my friends. Teaching and trying new foods are so much more than a meal to me, it is remembering the past, learning the history, and continuing the tradition. There is so much to learn and explore when it comes to food, and I can’t wait to dive in.