When I was about 13 or 14, my parents shipped me to Youngstown, Ohio, to learn how to make kolache from my grandmother. Kolache (I say “Co-La-Chee,” but my grandmother always pronounced it “Co-Lawtch”) is the traditional family dessert that is always present at Thanksgiving, Christmas, and other family events—even my wedding. My grandmother was Slovak, and learned the dessert from her mother. Our version is a nut-filled roll made with a buttery dough and …
Caitlin Kenney Smith 