This coming Monday, those of us in the US will be observing Memorial Day, a national holiday honoring our country’s military who died in service. This holiday provides us with an opportunity to reflect on the countless individuals who served and lost their lives. In addition, it’s a time for our families to come together, reminisce, and count our blessings.

Since mealtime is another opportunity for families to come together, this weekend will provide the perfect backdrop for American families to be grateful while dining on hot dogs, hamburgers, ribs, and baked beans whereas Armenian-American families might have other recipes in mind.

I can’t speak for anyone else, but in our household, we choose to count our blessings by serving any kind of kebab – shish, lule, and losh kebab, along with a few of our go-to side dishes such as Sarma Gurgood (aka tabbouleh), eech, Armenian-style potato salad, plaki while remembering our loved-ones who passed these recipes down from one generation to the next.

Whatever the meal, let’s remember the true meaning of Memorial Day!