Only in Bucks County: The Rosina Post

Fluffy, savory Matzo Ball Soup.... sweet Noodle Kugel... tangy Brisket with carrots and onion.... homemade Gefilte Fish... chopped Chicken Liver with celery and crackers on a fancy plate with a sterling silver spreader. And the best apple pie you've ever tried!

These are memories from my childhood- and all the delicious favorites your Jewish Grandma made too... right? You may be surprised that in my family these holiday treats were made by a church-going woman from the South. Yup. The best food I've ever eaten was made by my grandparents' live-in housekeeper, Rosina. These are her recipes. And this is her story.

ROSINA AND HER BELOVED YORKIE, BAMBI OUTSIDE THE FAMILY HOME

Rosina was born in Virginia in 1925. The daughter of a college professor, Rosina also went on to graduate from the University of Richmond. With her degree in English, she chose to teach. But poor Rosina! Her first job was to teach high school students. Teaching kids who were just a few years younger than her, coupled with her mild, almost meek personality, proved to be too much for her. Unfortunately, Rosina failed at her first teaching job and instead of trying again, she packed her things and came to Philadelphia, looking to offer domestic help.

Rosina took a job as a live-in housekeeper with my grandparents when my father was eight years old. She has been a member of, and the guiding light for our small family ever since. My dad loved having her in his family, and I adored every second I spent with her as a kid. Rosina taught me a lot about loyalty, manners, and as I got older, how to be happy. She sacrificed things in her own personal life to remain a part of our family and continued to give us her love through two generations. When my grandfather passed away in 1981, Rosina chose to stay with my grandmom as more of a friend than an employee. They moved from their large house in Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania, to a penthouse apartment in Wynnnewood PA, and lived together until my grandmom passed away.

ROSINA IN THE 1980's

It's been six years since my grandmother died. Rosina is alive and doing pretty well for her 86 years. She's living in a house that she inherited in Chester County, and she has plenty of support. She probably doesn't have a reason to make her delicious Brisket with Kugel and fancy appetizers any longer, but she is still one of the most cheerful people I’ve ever known, and she’s still baking all kinds of sweet treats, including those wonderful apple pies that I grew up with!



MY POP-POP AND GRANNY, WHEN I WAS
VERY, VERY  YOUNG

OUR 65 YEAR OLD FAMILY KUGEL RECIPE!!

YOU KNOW YOU WANT SOME!

I'VE NEVER MASTERED ROSINA'S APPLE PIE, BUT I SURE LOVE TO EAT IT!

“Dining with one’s friends and beloved family 

is certainly one of life’s
primal and most innocent delights,

One that is both soul-satisfying and eternal.”

~Julia Child