When Claire’s grandmother made her meatballs it was a serious business— akin to a religious ceremony. We had to be quiet because she needed to concentrate lest she forget an ingredient. It took most of the day to make the special tomato sauce and meatballs, and then simmer them in the sauce. Claire and I were only allowed to add the six black peppercorns to the sauce —three each— while her grandma slowly lowered the huge browned meatballs, into the simmering sauce one at a time. The smell in the house made our mouths water and it was all we could do not to sneak a meatball out of that pot. When they were ready we sat down with napkins tied around our necks and ate our meatballs with a fork and a spoon. The only sound was the scraping of the last of the sauce from the bottom of the bowl. Thinking back to that memory, I realize that those meatballs were so good not only because they were grandma’s special recipe, but also because of the time I spent cooking with Claire and her grandmother. In our busy lives we sometime forget that eating food together is more than just filling our bellies; it is making a connection to a shared experience and ultimately to a memory. It is a good thing to slow down and realize this— to lean in and listen to the spoon scrape on the bottom of the bowl. I don’t remember where Claire’s grandmother was from but she didn’t speak much English. Most of our communication was through gestures and facial expressions. It didn’t stop us from engaging and enjoying our common experience, though, and I tried harder to understand her because I wanted to be part of that experience.

Continuing with connections we share with food, Chris Yang (former editor of Lucky Peach), and Rene Redzepi (award winning restaurant owner and cookbook author), think that perhaps understanding the similarities in the foods we eat could help us recognize our similarities rather than our differences. Their new book “You and I Eat the Same— On the countless Ways Food and Cooking Connect Us to One Another, is filled with essays that illustrate all kinds of unusual connections between people and food. In the forward and introduction Chris and Rene explain that, sure, there are many obvious differences in people—but what about emphasizing things we have have in common? 

The recipe this month is from the cookbook “Jerusalem”, which is a collection of recipes from Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi. Both grew up in Jerusalem, Yotum in the Jewish west and Sami in the Muslim east. 

• 1 lb. ground turkey

• 1 medium zucchini grated on the large-holed box grater

• 3 scallions *

• 3 tablespoons each of chopped mint and chopped Italian parsley

• 1½ teaspoons of kosher salt

• ¾ teaspoon ground black pepper

• 3 cloves of minced garlic

• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

• ½ cup fresh breadcrumbs

• 1 egg lightly beaten

• 6 tablespoons canola, grapeseed, safflower oil

Note: Sometimes scallions (green onions) can have a bitter bite to them. A great tip I discovered from Josh McFadden’s cookbook, “Six Seasons” is to slice the scallions and let them soak in cold water for a bit. They not only have a milder taste but are crisper in texture.

Preheat the oven to 425°

Slice the scallions and put in a small bowl of cold water, set aside.

Cucumber Raita

• 1 small Persian cucumber grated (just the flesh, leaving out the seeds)

• ¼ teaspoon cumin

• ¼ teaspoon salt

• juice of ½ lemon

• 8 oz plain yogurt (not Greek yogurt)

Place all the ingredients in a medium bowl. Mix to combine, cover and put in the fridge until ready to use.

In a large bowl add the ground turkey, grated zucchini, mint, parsley, salt, pepper, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, and breadcrumbs. Drain the scallions and dry them. Add them to the bowl along with the lightly beaten egg.  Using clean hands mix the ingredients until they are completely combined. Shape them into small patties, about the size of an egg. 

 Warm a large sauté pan over medium high heat. Add the oil and then the patties. It might take a couple of batches and you might have to add a couple more tablespoons of oil. Cook them about 4 minutes per side. While they are cooking line a baking sheet with parchment paper. As the patties are done move them to the cooking sheet. Once they are all browned, place them in the oven to finish cooking for about 10 minutes. 

 I like to serve them in toasted pita bread with pickled vegetables topped with cucumber raita, or mango chutney.