Ellis Island Kitchens — Immigrant Stories

Description

Coming Soon — The Unexpired Pantry: Ellis Island Kitchens Series

5 letters from new Americans building dreams one recipe at a time.

Each letter is a fictional first-person narrative from an immigrant, paired with their adapted homeland recipe and family discussion prompts.

The 5 Letters

Letter 1 — Nonna’s New World Gnocchi
Lucia Rossi, Italian immigrant from Napoli, Mulberry Street NYC, October 1907. Recipe: potato gnocchi with tomato sauce.

Letter 2 — Bubbe’s Golden Soup
Sarah Goldstein, Jewish immigrant from Minsk, Delancey Street NYC, November 1912. Recipe: chicken soup with dill (Sabbath tradition).

Letter 3 — Mama’s Mountain Bread
Marta Kovach, from the Carpathian Mountains, Pittsburgh PA, September 1903. Recipe: rustic bread with paprika and lard.

Letter 4 — Nonno’s Sunday Sauce
Giuseppe DiMarco, Italian from Abruzzo, Boston’s North End, March 1908. Recipe: slow-simmered Sunday tomato sauce.

Letter 5 — Babushka’s Comfort Dumplings
Anna Petrenko, Ukrainian immigrant, Chicago IL, January 1910. Recipe: varenyky (Ukrainian dumplings) with cheese filling.

Letter 6 — Katarzyna’s Sunday Haluski
Droga, South Side Polish District, Chicago IL, January 1912. Recipe: Haluski (Soup) with cabbage and noodles.

What’s in Every Mailing

• A beautifully written historical narrative — the immigrant’s story in their own voice, printed on period-appropriate stationery
• Family correspondence prompts — discussion starters connecting the immigrant experience to your own family history
• A two-sided recipe card — front: ingredients, back: method with a “For Modern Cousins” adaptation for today’s kitchen

Choose Your Plan

Select a plan above to get started, or give the gift of history with our Gift 6-Month option. All prepaid plans include free shipping.