Your Soup is Melding (Guna Asons)

Guna Asons: There are soups that need to be prepared the day before they are served. They have to stand overnight — especially cold soups. Then people say, “Your soup is melding”. When I was young, I didn’t eat cold soup. It was something unfamiliar that I had to learn to appreciate.

The story was recorded and submitted by Dagnija Roderte.

Everyone Loves Frikadelle Soup (Vilma Bērziņa)

Vilma Bērziņa: “Frikadeļu” soup — it’s loved by children, grandchildren, and even great-grandchildren. But Gunārs (my son-in-law) makes it the best. We also enjoy red beets, especially my husband Elmārs. We grew them in our garden, made salads, and cooked beet soup.

The story was recorded and submitted by Dagnija Roderte.

Salmon Solyanka (Pēteris Pūtelis)

Pēteris Pūtelis: Dambrovskis Anniņa made a marvellous solyanka. She prepared it with salmon. Oļģerts and Anniņa had a small restaurant on Massachusetts Street. It was a poor neighbourhood, but the restaurant was always well attended. Anniņa used to cook solyanka for fraternity members at “Frater Freešteiks” (the next day, for hangovers). Anna never revealed her soup recipe to anyone, and she passed away with it.

The story was recorded and submitted by Dagnija Roderte.

Soups for Charity (Anita Jurevica)

Anita Jurevica talks about a charity initiative—soup lunches—that she organizes every year in Minneapolis, USA. For 17 years, this initiative has become a testament to warmth, togetherness, and Latvian traditions.

When You Have a Cold – Frikadeller Soup (Anda Cook)

“Autumn is here, and it’s time to make soups. In our home, a favorite is the so-called meatball soup: bring a large pot of water to a boil; once it’s boiling, add 1 quart of sliced carrots. While that cooks, clean and chop 1 quart of celery and add it to the pot. Keeping the soup simmering, add about half a small head of chopped cabbage, then another quart of chopped red potatoes. Add beef bouillon cubes to taste. Then gradually add small pre-made meatballs (I use a Swedish meatball recipe for the meat), and finally add one package of frozen green peas.

Serve the soup with a spoonful of sour cream and some finely chopped pickles added to each bowl.

It’s not uncommon for my husband or daughter to call me from work saying they feel like they’re coming down with a cold and asking whether we could have meatball soup for dinner.”

Latvian School of Chicago Piparkūku Working Bee

Watch how a piparkūku working bee takes place at the Latvian School of Chicago! Participants share their experiences, the meaning and importance of piparkūkas, as well as what they like most about piparkūkas…

It’s Not Christmas Without Pīrāgi (Anda Cook)

For as long as I can remember, pīrāgi held a place of honor at the Christmas table, and also at Easter. The necessary ingredients were not always easy to find, but my mother made sure to get them in time. In Cleveland, she had discovered a stall at the Westside Market, where she would go after work on Fridays. Her pīrāgi were not only delicious, but she always tried to make them very small, with plenty of meat filling.

My mother has been gone for a long time, and together with my daughter Lisa and granddaughter Greily, we have tried various recipes – but none are quite like my mother’s pīrāgi, neither in appearance nor in taste. The closest we’ve come was a few years ago. We use Dzidra Zeberiņa’s Ģimenes pavards (with a few variations – ed.).

It’s a lot of work, but we listen to Latvian folk songs and linger over memories. Sometimes, it even happens that a pīrāgs gets burned at both ends! And, of course, it’s not Christmas without pīrāgi.

I Wouldn’t Offer These to Pīrāgi Purists! (Maija Hinkle)

The founder of the Latvians Abroad Museum and Research Center museum shares the story of her family’s pīrāgi baking tradition. The Hinkle family includes several vegetarians, so they have had to invent various filling variations that everyone would enjoy. The family’s creative approach to pīrāgi doesn’t stop at the filling – for convenience, they use store-bought bun dough, and a ravioli press is used to shape the pīrāgi!

Even the Cat Smells Like Cabbage… (Irene Kreilis)

Irene Kreilis: “I prepare braised cabbage according to my own recipe: white pepper, bay leaves, fry the bacon, grind it, fry the onions, caraway seeds. A good amount of brown sugar also helps — half a cup. Six hours in the oven. As it bakes, the edges burn, and that’s the most delicious part. I grate carrots. The cabbage can be reheated for a week. The children complained that even the cat smells like cabbage! The whole house smelled — coats, clothes.”

Story recorded and submitted by Dagnija Roderte.