Complete Round-the-World Cookbook, 1957
My Great Aunt Nedzija makes a Bosnian dish called burek, which happens to be my favorite food. It’s basically a meat pie, made of ground beef and onions in thin, crispy dough. My parents immigrated from Bosnia to Arizona in 1998, and my great aunt settled in Michigan. Bonding over food is a huge part of our culture. Although this is a common dish, my great aunt’s is special to me because she always makes sure to make some if she knows I’m coming over. I am from Arizona, and in 2015 traveled to Michigan for the first time to meet Great Aunt Nedzija and to visit Central Michigan University. She welcomed me with open arms, an open heart, and lots of burek. She saw how excited I was that she had made this dish. Since then, she has always made sure to have burek ready when I visit. It’s a dish that my aunt makes especially for me, and my aunt is what makes Michigan special to me.
– Lejla Kevric