Inspired by Patrick Granfor’s A.D. Article,
‘Mighty Fine Stuffed Cabbage Rolls’
“Edju, Come Inside Now,
The Little Pigeons Are Ready!”
My Dear Old Polish Grandmother
It often amazes me how reading something
Can trigger such vivid childhood memories
As I began reading Patrick’s cooking article
I was transported back in time, so joyously
Within a flash, I was back in my old backyard
Romping with Grandma’s dog, on a snowy day
When Grandma yells “Little Pigeons Are Ready!”
Now, both Tiger and I race right inside right away
All my grandmother’s dishes were truly fantastic
She spent hours cooking for our family, every day
She was also an avid gardener and an animal lover
And I know that she helped shape who I am today
One of my favorite childhood memories, concerns her ‘Golabki’
Grandma made the best stuffed cabbage rolls in our neighborhood
I remember I was only about five-years old when I heard her shout
“Edju, come and eat some Little Pigeons, they are very, very good!”
I stopped dead in my tracks, and I was now in shock and disbelief
A few days prior, I had watched her rescue a pigeon that could not fly
She had even lovingly sung to it, as she skillfully mended its broken wing
And now, she was boiling up little pigeons in a pot? – I soon began to cry
My Grandma now stopped dead in her tracks too, and she laughed so very hard
“Edju!! We only call this meal ‘Little Pigeons’ or ‘Golabki’ because of its shape,
Do you really think I would help pigeons, just to put them in a pot and cook them?”
And soon, we both began to laugh until we cried – such a marvelous memory today
And today, thanks to Patrick, I will be heading over to the Polish Deli this morning
Their store-made Golabki aren’t nearly as good as my dear old grandmother’s were
But I’m sure that as I soon have them for dinner, with my good old dogs at my side
I’ll once again think of my grandmother, and those wondrous days of my yesteryear
Gołąbki (Ga-Wump-key) - a traditional Polish dish made from lightly boiled cabbage leaves which are wrapped in a parcel-like manner around minced pork or beef, chopped onions, sauerkraut, and/or rice or barley; then baked in a casserole dish in a tomato sauce.
Gołąbki - the plural of gołąbek, the diminutive of gołąb, meaning ‘pigeon.’ This refers to the shape of the cabbage roll; none of the ingredients have any connection with pigeon meat known as squab.
©January 2012, A Very Nostalgic Mr. Ed
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