TETAS AND YIAYIAS

 

Those of you in my age group, retired and sometimes contemplative, might remember when the heritage of your family infused itself into the culinary delights you would find perhaps on a Sunday afternoon at your grandmother's or on a Wednesday night at your aunt's or perhaps even every night at your mom's, if you were lucky enough to have interesting offerings on your table.

 

I am blessed to have both Lebanese and Greek delicacies in my taste memory.  Middle Eastern dishes, savory and sweet, were a major part of my upbringing, and have been carried into my generation, lovingly made by the woman our little ones call Teta. Of course, our little ones are no longer little ones… they range from high school to postgraduate ages, but they all savor the delights that only their grandmother Teta can prepare. At a recent graduation gathering, Teta traveled all the way across the country and was kind enough to include me in delivering packages of two of my favorite baked delicacies, kaak, and samboosik. Of course, I cherish anything Teta makes, and I am grateful that Teta's cooking and baking legacy is being picked up by my great niece Sydney, who has perfected the kaak recipe and has always urged Teta to share recipes with her.  

 

My Greek grandmother was known to us as Yiayia, and we are fortunate that her cooking prowess has been carried forward by my cousin Diane. Thanks to her diligence, recipes now exist and have been catalogued for so many of our grandmother's specialties, which she perfected by her mother’s side. In our case, our Yiayia could serve 12 people from a humble kitchen in a manner that spoke of simplicity and love, but filled her tiny cottage home with smells I can still remember. I often receive cherished packages of treats from Diane, and marvel at the legacy she keeps alive by infusing time and love into every recipe. We are fortunate that Diane has a granddaughter, Zoe, who may well carry forward that legacy, as she watches and learns from the woman she calls Yiayia

 

During the times when I enjoy handmade treats made by these two remarkable women, I find myself reflecting on how lucky my family is to have inherited a legacy of ethnicities whose sweet and savory kitchen wonders are legendary. And I wonder how many of you have had the same experience. But the tasting is really not the story, is it? The blending of flavors in both baked goods and savory meals is a delight to the tongue, and singes permanently in the memory. But it is in this stage of life when I find reflecting on what all of that love and goodness meant in my formation... that calls to mind what family and tradition is all about. For those carrying it on, I laud your efforts. The old style recipes are often hard to replicate, not only because ingredients may no longer be available, but because taste and preferences of the younger generations can change. But again, it's not about taste and preferences. It's about reflecting on traditions and the legacy we have inherited which revolves around meals and table, gatherings and fellowship, and sharing and love.

 

I'd love to hear your experiences in such situations as these. Do you find yourself reflecting around a family gathering, or alone over a cup of tea, with one of your family’s cherished recipes? And is there someone in your family who will safeguard those reflections by carrying forward the legacy left by your Teta, or Yiayia, or… tell me what you called that cherished relative who worked wonders in that kitchen in your memory!