My Grandmother's Legacy

This is my Grandmother's Legacy.

You might think it odd or even disrespectful that I consider a pot of dumplings (or Spaetzle for the rest of the world) to be my grandmother's legacy. But this pot of dumplings signifies so much more than that.

My grandma passed away this August at the age of 86. She was very much the matriarch of our family. Out of 7 brothers and sisters, she was the last one living (if any of my family reads this, I counted baby Julie). She had two daughters, five grandchildren, and seven great-grandchildren. She was the surrogate mother and grandmother to the children and grandchildren of her sisters and brothers as they passed and welcomed anyone into the family. And she did it in the most delicious way.

My grandmother was the best cook and baker I ever met. Walking through her door always meant being greeted by the most wonderful smells imaginable, and she made everything from scratch, including soup noodles. Her food meant comfort, love, and family.

This will be the first holiday season without Grandma. While she hasn't been able to cook or bake for the last few years, her mind was still present and she was always ready to share stories and memories of the past. I will miss her more than anything. But she will always live on with us, since we still have her recipes. We will still enjoy Tarhonya, stuffed peppers, cucumber salad, berliner krantz, kifli's, kolach, angel wings, chicken and dumplings, and a bunch of other recipes that I have no idea how to spell. She taught us how to make these recipes, and when we do, we know she will be with us in spirit.