6 The Heart of My Grandmother’s Kitchen 

In our family, food is more than sustenance; it’s a connection between generations, a comfort, and a tradition that tells the story of our heritage. One person who has been especially significant to me in passing down these food traditions is my grandmother, Mitzie. She has always been more than just a grandmother—she’s one of my best friends, and my earliest memories of cooking involve us together in her kitchen. We would sit with her sister, making perogies, cabbage and noodles, and goulash, just as their grandmother taught them. So, when I was assigned this project, I knew my grandmother was the only person I wanted to interview. I called her up one evening last month and asked her about her recipe for a dish that has been my favorite since childhood—her homemade drop noodle soup.

This soup is more than just a meal; it’s a comfort food that my grandmother would make whenever I wasn’t feeling well, or even when I just needed something familiar. I remember one summer when I asked her to make it, even though my mom said it was “too hot for soup.” The very next day, my grandmother showed up at my door with a pot of her soup in hand. As she shared with me, the recipe for the noodles has always been consistent, but she adjusts the soup base depending on what’s in her pantry or available at the store. This flexibility is an expression of her philosophy on cooking—one that values both tradition and adaptability.

The recipe she shared is straightforward, yet unique to her style. To make the noodles, she combines three eggs, ½ cup of water, 2 cups of flour, ½ teaspoon of salt, and ¼ teaspoon of baking powder. My grandmother laughs as she explains, “I always end up adding another ¼ cup of water because I don’t sift my flour” (Stordhall 2024). Her broth starts with chicken thighs and breasts boiled with whatever vegetables are on hand, usually carrots and potatoes, with a dash of onion salt since fresh onions upset her stomach. Once the chicken is cooked, she shreds it and adds it back to the soup, completing the comforting dish. This flexible yet carefully balanced recipe represents her approach to cooking: a blend of resourcefulness and tradition.

Reflecting on my conversation with her, I realized how much this recipe embodies her values and her commitment to our family’s food traditions. Like many recipes passed down through generations, this soup is not just a list of ingredients but a piece of our family’s story, preserved through the art of cooking. In Small Fires, Johnson (2024) reminds us that “a recipe is never static; it’s alive, shaped by the hands of the cook, the context of the meal, and the stories that surround it.” My grandmother’s adjustments, like using onion salt or the vegetables she has on hand, reflect this truth. Her soup is not just a reproduction of the past; it’s a living recipe, evolving as she makes it her own. The small tweaks she makes, like using onion salt, showcase the resilience of our family’s food culture, passed down in a way that accommodates her needs while still respecting the roots of the dish.

Looking back, I am deeply grateful for this tradition, and I hope to carry it forward as she has. I imagine that one day, I’ll make this soup for someone who needs comfort, just as she has done for me countless times. My grandmother’s soup is not just a recipe; it’s a warm reminder of her love, of the importance of family, and of the values she has instilled in me through her care and her cooking.

Noodles

Ingredients

• 3 eggs
• ½ cup of water (add an additional ¼ cup if necessary)
• 2 cups of flour
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon baking powder

Mix the ingredients until combined. Drop spoonfuls of dough into boiling broth or water until cooked. Remove the noodles, and set them aside. add them to the cooled broth and serve!

Broth

• Chicken thighs and breasts
• Carrots, potatoes, and any other available vegetables
• Onion salt (to taste)

Boil chicken with vegetables until cooked. Shred the chicken and add it back to the pot with the cooked vegetables.

How to make the soup

Add the noodles to the cooled broth and serve!

References

Johnson, R. M. (2024). Small Fires: An Epic in the Kitchen. Pushkin Press.

Stordahl, M. (2024, November 11). Personal interview.