FRESNO — For high school birthdays, graduation parties, engagements, showers, and weddings, my beloved mother, Alice Vartanian, and her best friends, Mary Hokokian, Lynne Gregorian, and Gladys Jamgotchian always came together at each of their homes to prepare large trays of mouth-watering yalanchi (grape leaves), desserts, and other dishes to serve at these special events. These talented ladies were the closest friends and confidants for over 50 years in Fresno and enjoyed making many memorable dishes for family events and celebrations throughout their lives. For over 50 years, these ladies volunteered at our church (the historic Holy Trinity Armenian Apostolic Church located in downtown Fresno) making gata , choreg , simit , kufta , yalanchi and other specialties for the church dinners, bazaars, and picnics held throughout the year. During their lives, they shared major milestones together – they were devoted daughters, sisters, wives, mothers, aunts, and grandmothers. They were proud first-generation Armenian women of great character and substance who deserve to always be remembered and cherished – they dedicated their lives to their husbands, children, families, their church, and their dearest friends. Lynne (Aslanian) Gregorian was born on November 4, 1923, in Fresno to Jack and Lousaper Aslanian. Lynne was a longtime member of the Holy Trinity Armenian Apostolic Church and Trinity (now Ladies’) Guild in Fresno. Her immigrant parents were from Ourfa (Urfa), Turkey, and were survivors of the Armenian Genocide. Her obituary reads, “She was born in the Greatest Generation. Her kind, caring, and generous soul will be dearly missed. She was preceded in death by the love of her life, her beloved husband, Woodrow (Woody) Gregorian; brother, Harry Aslanian; and her parents. She was survived by her sons; Ronald and Richard; and grandson, Dakota Lyn.” Lynne and Woodrow Gregorian on their wedding day, December 21, 1946, in Fresno, CA Lynne’s husband owned Woody’s Mobil Station at Tulare and O Streets in Fresno for 35 years after which he served for 20 years as the plant manager at Gregor Boats. He served in the United States Army Aviation Engineer Corp in WWII in the Southwest Pacific. Woody and Lynne were married for 53 years. Lynne passed away on December 19, 2011. A funeral service was held for Lynne at Whitehurst, Sullivan, Burns & Blair Funeral Home on December 22, 2011. Interment was at Masis Ararat Cemetery in Fresno. Simit Simit is a traditional, not-too-sweet Christmas and holiday bread. It is light with a buttery texture; in combination with sesame seeds; it will give your mouth a luxurious treat. Simit is generally served plain, or for breakfast with hot tea, coffee, fruit preserves, or assorted cheeses. Many Armenians grew up enjoying simit made by their mothers, aunts and grandmothers at the holidays. I received this recipe from “Auntie” Lynne Gregorian many years ago and have always enjoyed making it for my family. Auntie Lynne made this simit recipe for special occasions throughout the year. It was her beloved mother Lousaper Aslanian’s recipe. She was very proud of this recipe, and she took great pride in telling her friends about her mother and her incredible cooking and baking skills. Ingredients: 6 eggs 1 lb. melted butter 2 cups sugar 11 cups all-purpose flour 4 teaspoons baking powder 1 cup milk Egg for egg wash Sesame seeds, optional Preparation: In a large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients together. Do not knead. Make about 110 walnut-size balls, and cover. (Add a touch of water to the dough if dough is a bit dry.) On an un-floured work surface, roll each ball by hand into a nine-inch rope. Twist each rope into a simple braid and place it on an ungreased baking sheet. (These don’t spread, so you can place them fairly close together. There is no yeast involved in this recipe.) Brush tops with egg and sprinkle with sesame seeds, if desired. Bake in a preheated 350°F oven for 18-22 minutes or until golden, depending on the heat of your oven. References: https://mirrorspectator.com/2020/05/11/recipe-corner-a-savory-and-easy-simit-recipe-for-all-seasons/ https://thegutsygourmet.net/simichor.html https://mission-food.com/khalkha/ https://arbuz.com/recipes/simit-recipe/ https://lisacooks.wordpress.com/tag/armenian-simit-recipe/ https://www.bostonchefs.com/recipe/alexandra-artinian-simit-cookies/ https://thestuffedgrapeleaf.com/kahke/ https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20230406-arculata-the-bread-that-survived-pompeii http://www.medzmamaskitchen.com/2015/01/keghkeh.html The post Lynne Gregorian’s Mother’s Simit appeared first on The Armenian Mirror-Spectator .