Vanessa Vasqúez
Tamales! A savory, scrumptious dish that people across nations indulge in. Senior Vanessa traces her Guatemalan roots as she describes what she thinks is the most important aspect of making Guatemalan tamales. “Family,” she said.
“This dish is definitely based on the lineage it’s passed down. You need to put your whole entire heart into it and make it with love and care, that’s what makes it special.”
For Vanessa, tamales are not just a simple dish—it is a way to honor her heritage and keep her family’s traditions alive for generations to come.
Michelle Finck
For many, Thanksgiving dinner is all about the golden-brown, tender, mouth-watering turkey. But for one family, a treasured recipe passed down through generations is more than just a meal; it’s a piece of their history.
For Spanish instructor Finck’s family, it’s her great-nana’s stuffing recipes that take the center stage.
“Our stuffing recipe has been in the family since at least the 1920s; we have it written on a very old typewriter. We keep the recipe in this special, silly little bag and take it out solely for Thanksgiving. It’s got water chestnuts, raisins, and all kinds of wild stuff that make it very nostalgic for me.”
Bojana Hill
A Balkan festive tradition, Podvarak is a comforting, simple, and homely dish that is deeply enriched in Ms. Hill’s Serbian heritage.
“We like to combine roasted sauerkraut and turkey, with cabbage and sauteed onions,” Hill said.
The second dish she makes every year is called Pita od Jabuka, a Serbian alternative to the standard American apple pie.
“We don’t make pies the way Americans make pies; we use something called Phyllo dough. We then cover it with a little bit of butter or oil, add more layers, and then put shredded apples or some other fruit, roll it up, bake, and serve.”
From the hearty depth of Podvarak to the delicate sweetness of Pita od Jabuka, Hill’s cuisine narrates the tale of her Serbian heritage with every bite!
Daisy Altamirano
Social science instructor Altamirano fondly recalls flour-dusted hands, the sweet scent of berries, and fits of giggles as she crafted her own berry pie from scratch—a creation that became an unexpected Thanksgiving tradition.
“A couple of years ago, my soon-to-be mother-in-law and I, and some of Daniel’s cousins, took a cooking class where we learned to make a berry pie from scratch. It turned out to be near Thanksgiving, and now I make it every year to celebrate the great memories we created together!”
Her heart-warming story exemplifies what Thanksgiving is all about: bringing people together under one meal and fostering familial bonds that last for eternity.
