Definition Essay: My Family Dish

Every family has a story, a unique one at that. We are all a mix of different elements, family origin, nationality, background, forming us into one big masterpiece; similar to the way my family makes my favorite meal. What we choose to eat and the foods our families prepare define us as a person, allowing others to get a glimpse of our personality and culture. A particular dish that helps define me and holds a deep meaning in my heart are pierogi. Coming from a strong Polish background, pierogi have been something my family has made for years. Traditionally this dish is prepared on special occasions such as Christmas and Easter, but my family loves to make them more frequently, specifically once a month. On the selected Saturday of every month my family begins to prepare the meal at the crack of dawn. Together with my grandmother’s supervision we begin the preparations for the delicious dish, starting with the collaborative effort of forming a grocery list. Each ingredient is vital to the formation of this lovely dish and without it the meal just would not be the same. This complete grocery list includes flour, potatoes, salt, pepper, farmer’s cheese, …show more content…
Personally for me it holds a special meaning because of the fact that we make it as a family and it is a regular event for us. Even though we make this dish frequently, it is especially meaningful during Christmastime because my entire family gets together and to me personally spending time with my family is very special. Even though this dish is made by polish people all around the world, my family’s recipe is particularly special because it is different from any other pierogi I have tried. For instance, my maternal grandmother makes them very differently from my paternal grandmother. My dad’s side of the family has a history of high cholesterol; therefore my dad’s mom makes pierogi with a limited amount of