It was 97 years ago today that the Armenian Genocide began with the mass arrest and murder of Armenian elites in Istanbul. The U.S. government still refuses to use the word.

Four years ago, when I visited South America for the first time, I tried to track the journey of my great-uncle, Humayag, after whom my father is named.  He and my grandmother were the two youngest in their family. Since I am on the road, I thought I’d share my experience.

Sivas, or in Armenian, Sebastea, was once an Armenian cultural center. Armenians inhabited the city for centuries, even after it fell to the Ottoman Turks around 1400 AD. My grandmother, who would have turned 105 yesterday, sometimes talked about the hot springs where her family would vacation during the summers.

Despite managing and working at the grocery store 7 days a week, my grandmother somehow always found the time to cook and bake. Thankfully, we found a recipe for an Armenian roll, katah, that hasn’t been tried in over 25 years.

Drat!  I meant for this to go out on Sunday, but I forgot to press “publish” . . . I’m in Fresno for a quick Easter getaway to catch up with relatives and my parents, who are driving down from the Bay Area. I thought it would be fitting to share my grandmother’s tabouli (tabbouleh) [...]