סָבְתָאSAV-taשֶׁלִּיshe-LIנִפְטְרָהnif-te-RAבַּשָּׁנָהba-sha-NAשֶׁעָבְרָה,she-av-RA,וְאִתָּהּve-i-TAHאִבַּדְנוּi-BAD-nuאוֹצָרo-TZARקָטָן:ka-TAN:מַתְכּוֹןmat-KONלְמָרָקle-ma-RAKהָעוֹףha-OFשֶׁלָּהּ.she-LAH.בְּמֶשֶׁךְbe-ME-shekhשָׁנִיםsha-NIMהִיאHIהֵכִינָהhe-KHI-naאוֹתוֹo-TOכָּלKOLיוֹםyomשִׁשִּׁיshi-SHIבָּעֶרֶב,ba-E-rev,וְהָרֵיחַve-ha-RE-akhמִלֵּאmi-LEאֶתetכָּלKOLהַבַּיִת.ha-BA-yit.אִמִּיi-MIוַאֲנִיva-a-NIחִפַּשְׂנוּkhi-PAS-nuבַּמִּטְבָּחba-mit-BAKHאֶתetהַמַּחְבֶּרֶתha-makh-BE-retהַיְשָׁנָהha-ye-sha-NAשֶׁבָּהּshe-BAHכָּתְבָהkat-VAאוֹתוֹ.o-TO.בִּמְגֵרָהbim-ge-RAמְלֵאָהme-le-Aנְיָרוֹתne-ya-ROTמַצְהִיבִיםmatz-hi-VIMמָצָאנוּma-TZA-nuמַתְכּוֹןmat-KONכָּתוּבka-TUVבְּעִפָּרוֹן,be-i-pa-RON,חֶצְיוֹkhetz-YOמָחוּק.ma-KHUK.נִסִּינוּni-SI-nuלִקְרֹאlik-ROאֶתetהַשּׁוּרוֹת,ha-shu-ROT,אֲבָלa-VALכַּמָּהka-MAמִלִּיםmi-LIMלֹאLOהָיוּha-YUבְּרוּרוֹת,be-ru-ROT,בִּמְיֻחָדbim-yu-KHADהַתַּבְלִינִיםha-tav-li-NIMהַסּוֹדִיִּים.ha-so-di-YIM.אִמִּיi-MIהֵרִיחָהhe-RI-khaאֶתetהַדַּףha-DAFוְאָמְרָה:ve-am-RA:"אֲנִי"a-NIזוֹכֶרֶתzo-KHE-retאֶתetהַקִּנָּמוֹן.ha-ki-na-MON.בָּטוּחַba-TU-akhשֶׁהָיָהshe-ha-YAקִנָּמוֹן."ki-na-MON."בִּשַּׁלְנוּbi-SHAL-nuיַחַד,YA-khad,טָעַמְנוּta-AM-nuוְתִקַּנּוּve-ti-KA-nuאֶתetהַתִּבּוּל,ha-ti-BUL,עַדadשֶׁהַטַּעַםshe-ha-TA-amהָיָהha-YAבְּדִיּוּקbe-di-YUKכְּמוֹke-MOשֶׁלָּהּ.she-LAH.כְּשֶׁהִתְיַשַּׁבְנוּkshe-hit-ya-SHAV-nuלְיַדle-yadהַשֻּׁלְחָן,ha-shul-KHAN,הִרְגַּשְׁנוּhir-GASH-nuכְּאִלּוּke-i-LUסָבְתָאSAV-taיוֹשֶׁבֶתyo-SHE-vetאִתָּנוּi-TA-nuשׁוּב.shuv.
My grandmother passed away last year, and with her we lost a small treasure: her chicken-soup recipe. For years she made it every Friday evening, and the smell filled the whole house. My mother and I searched the kitchen for the old notebook in which she had written it. In a drawer full of yellowed papers we found a recipe written in pencil, half erased. We tried to read the lines, but some words were unclear, especially the secret spices. My mother smelled the page and said: "I remember the cinnamon. There was definitely cinnamon." We cooked together, tasted and corrected the seasoning, until the taste was exactly like hers. When we sat down at the table, we felt as if grandmother was sitting with us once again.