Food was her love language, and stuffed cabbage was her signature. My Great-Grandma Dora, a Hungarian immigrant, crafted this dish with a devotion that turned simple ingredients like cabbage into an expression of love. Her daughter, my Grammy Elaine, reminisces: “I remember having it almost all my life. When I was old enough to eat it, I ate it. I never made it as long as she was alive; I didn’t take that away from her.”
As a child, Grammy spent countless hours in the kitchen, watching and assisting, as her mother prepared dishes like stuffed cabbage – a quintessential dish that could be found on the table at Rosh Hashanah or an average Tuesday evening. Dora’s secret was her unique blend of sweet and sour, using sauerkraut rather than the usual sour salt, balanced with a touch of sugar to soften the tang. 
When Dora passed, Grammy assumed the role, determined to recreate her mother’s “love food.” And Grammy’s memories, of time spent in the kitchen with her mother, remain. She tells me that on one memorable Passover, she assisted Dora in preparing Gefilte Fish – 25 pounds worth. “I was chopping it up like crazy,” she laughed, reliving the chaos. 
To this day, stuffed cabbage isn’t just a meal; it’s another cherished memory, a story of my family and our love for one another. Each bite connects us.

– Caleigh Leonard

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