Our Grandmother's Kitchens: Vegetarian Comfort Food from the "Old World"

Preserving family recipes can be a fun and meaningful way to share your culinary roots. From generation to generation, we can pass down satisfying recipes attached with delicious memories. 

When my grandmother Stella (Azriel) Arouesty cooked in her kitchen, I tagged along to observe and help. These were among my most cherished childhood memories.

In my grandmother’s kitchen, the origin of the food was from Turkey (Ottoman Empire) Although my nonna is no longer alive today, when I cook, taste and enjoy her recipes, it’s as if she is still with me, looking over my shoulder reminding me to taste before serving and to add just a pinch more of salt. I can feel her presence and I am transported back - imagining her as a young Sephardic Jewish girl living in Turkey and then Greece before she immigrated to the United States in 1920. 

Here is a simple bean dish she cooked often and I enjoy making it today. There is also a version with meat that was prepared on Fridays for a Shabbat meal. Since I do not eat much meat these days, I prefer this vegan option below:

Fijones (Sephardic Style Beans in Tomato Sauce)

By Stella Azriel Arouesty, origins Dardanelles, Turkey

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups dry great Northern (white) beans - rinse well and pick through to remove any little pebbles or debris

1-2 onions chopped

4 tablespoons of oil

Approximately ½ - ¾  cup of tomato sauce

8 cups water

Juice of ½ lemon (this is my added modern touch)

Salt and pepper to taste.

In a large pot, heat the oil and then saute the onions on a low flame for 5 minutes until translucent, but not browned.  Add all of the remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat for a low simmer.  Stir occasionally to prevent the beans from sticking, add more water if necessary. Cook uncovered until the beans are very tender for 2-3 hours, take care not to over cook. Sprinkle lemon juice over the beans before serving. Add salt to taste.

Although this can be a wonderful family project for any time of the year, it is particularly meaningful on milestone occasions such as anniversaries, birthdays, holidays and weddings. Shortly after I got married, my husband’s nieces approached me about compiling a book with beloved family recipes. My husband's roots go back to Ukraine and their holiday dinners reflect recipes passed down from that region. I have come to enjoy this cuisine, especially as I got to know and love the cooks who prepared them. 

Potato Kugel

By Rose Goldyak Mednick, origins Tomashpol, Russia, now in the Ukraine

Ingredients:

6 medium potatoes (peeled and grated)

1 large onion (coarsely chopped)

2 eggs (beat the eggs)

1 large carrot (peeled and grated)

¼ cup matzo meal

1 ½ teaspoon salt

¼ cup oil

2 Tablespoons oil for the baking dish

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

To a large mixing bowl add:

grated potatoes, grated carrot and chopped onion,

eggs, matzo meal and oil.

Season with the salt and pepper.

Mix well.

Coat a rectangular baking dish with oil and evenly pour in the mixture. 

Bake for 1 hour or until golden brown on top.

Let cool and then cut into squares to serve.

I am so grateful that many years ago, I recorded our family’s favorite recipes of our parents, grandparents and great grandparents from both the Sephardic and the Ashkenazi Jewish traditions. Consider making your own traditional keepsake cookbook with recipes that can be enjoyed and passed down for generations to come. Food is more than calories and even goes beyond nutrition…food is love, comfort, memory, heritage and more!