Clockwise from left: Lily Liu with her father; Alan Mishell with his son; kljukusa on a plate; and Erin Rhode’s family preparing specken dicken.
Lily Liu, Alan Mishell, Merjem Mededovic and Erin Rhode/Collage by NPR
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Lily Liu, Alan Mishell, Merjem Mededovic and Erin Rhode/Collage by NPR
Clockwise from left: Lily Liu with her father; Alan Mishell with his son; kljukusa on a plate; and Erin Rhode’s family preparing specken dicken.
Lily Liu, Alan Mishell, Merjem Mededovic and Erin Rhode/Collage by NPR
All Things We’re Cooking is a series featuring family recipes from you, our readers and listeners, and the special stories behind them. We’ll continue to share more of your kitchen gems throughout the holidays.
A scallion pancake recipe is layered with thoughts of family, China and a tiny secret
Left: A family photo of Lily Liu and her father, Tai. Right: A plate full of scallion pancakes held by Lily’s niece.
Lily Liu/Collage by NPR
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Lily Liu/Collage by NPR
Left: A family photo of Lily Liu and her father, Tai. Right: A plate full of scallion pancakes held by Lily’s niece.
Lily Liu/Collage by NPR
A daughter recalls her immigrant parents and her father standing by the stove making scallion pancakes on Sunday mornings. Her siblings now make the pancakes for their children.
Oh, sweetie! Bubaleh is a pancake to celebrate freedom. And it’s a term of endearment
Left: A family photo of Alan Mishell’s grandparents, Florence and Sam Mishell. Right: Alan and his son holding bubaleh they prepared together.
Alan Mishell/Collage by NPR
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Alan Mishell/Collage by NPR
Left: A family photo of Alan Mishell’s grandparents, Florence and Sam Mishell. Right: Alan and his son holding bubaleh they prepared together.
Alan Mishell/Collage by NPR
A sweet and savory pancake for Passover can also be eaten year-round. And Alan Mishell learned the recipe from his grandmother, whose family escaped Poland ahead of the Nazi German invasion.
Grandma Velma’s German pancake recipe is immortalized in a cherished home video
Left: Erin Rhode’s mother, Kathy Rhode (left); Erin’s maternal grandmother, Velma Freisleben Thein; and Erin’s uncle, Bob Freisleben. Right: Bob Freisleben prepares specken dicken.
Erin Rhode/Collage by NPR
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Erin Rhode/Collage by NPR
Left: Erin Rhode’s mother, Kathy Rhode (left); Erin’s maternal grandmother, Velma Freisleben Thein; and Erin’s uncle, Bob Freisleben. Right: Bob Freisleben prepares specken dicken.
Erin Rhode/Collage by NPR
Specken dicken, the not-too-thick, not-too-thin sausage-filled pancakes, are a breakfast favorite that her family makes on New Year’s Day.
Savory Bosnian pancakes called ‘cousin’ bridged a language gap with Grandma
Left: Merjem Mededovic in her hometown of Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina. Right: Kljukusa on a plate.
Merjem Mededovic/Collage by NPR
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Merjem Mededovic/Collage by NPR
Left: Merjem Mededovic in her hometown of Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina. Right: Kljukusa on a plate.
Merjem Mededovic/Collage by NPR
While growing up, Merjem Mededovic cooked with her grandmother and learned names of various things in Bosnian. One recipe she learned is kljukusa, a potato and onion dish similar to a latke.
ABOUT THIS PROJECT
All Things We’re Cooking is a series highlighting family recipes that have special meaning to you, our readers and listeners. Earlier this year, we asked you to share your most prized recipes and explain why these dishes evoke such fond family memories. Working in collaboration with NPR member stations, we received responses from across the country. We’ve been interviewing some contributors and will continue to share their stories through the holiday season. All recipes and photos were provided by NPR audience members.
CREDITS
Reporting by Wynne Davis, with Isabella Gomez Sarmiento and Maison Tran
Editing by Desiree F. Hicks and Pam Webster
Design and art direction by Daniel Wood, Emily Bogle, Kaz Fantone and Alyson Hurt
Development by Daniel Wood
Project management by Caroline Kelly
Social media engagement by Matt Adams
Audio versions of stories produced by Rose Friedman and Isabella Gomez Sarmiento, with assistance by Maison Tran
Additional editing by Gerry Holmes, Nicholas Charles and Neda Ulaby
NPR member stations collaboration by Franklyn Cater
