When we were children my brother and I would ask Grandma Katie (born in Odessa, raised in the East End, lived to age 94) to make us kasha. It was only when I made trips to Ukraine that I discovered that kasha is not an exotic dish but a staple dish of Russia and Ukraine and considered to be cheap, peasant food. It is really a grain called buckwheat and whenever I make it I think of my grandma whose childhood was spent in poverty in a two up, two down slum. She left school as soon as she could to contribute to the family income and worked rolling cigarettes by hand in a factory until she married my grandpa and moved to a tenement flat in Stepney Green. She spoke English but her immigrant parents only spoke Yiddish and she spoke that, too, with my grandpa especially when they were shouting at each other. The taste of kasha reminds me of my east European roots and of the stories that my grandmother used to tell me about “the old days”. I hope that our weekend guests will enjoy their helpings of buckwheat.
gfreedmanblog 
What a lovely picture! M x
We love it too… Great with a helping of natural live yogurt on the side to have with it! Enjoy! Jo x
Is that you with your Grandma? Cannot get over how much like you your grand daughter is. Hope I have not confused everything. Em
How lovely, Gill.
My Mother in law z”l used to make Kasha
Her recipes were all in her head bless her.
Without scales or quantities I inherited some lovely delicious but haphazard cooking her a little or the Yiddish equivalent words
I swet onions in oil the add the Kasha pour chicken soup to cover ether bake in coveed casserole in oven or covered saucepan on the hob. Lots of salt and pepper. Any better ideas?
What news from St JW?
Enjoy the last few weeks of school holidays with Alfie
Love to both of you and all
Carol
This was supposed to be sent a while ago .Sorry got stuck in Drafts