Contributor: Amy Karen Wallas, an attorney who lives in Morningside and grew up in Charlotte, about 20 miles from Fort Mill, S.C., where her maternal grandmother, Sarah Burgen Ackerman, still lives.

The story: "Grandma Sarah and Grandpa George (who passed away in 1998) ran a small department store in downtown Fort Mill, S.C., for many years. They met in Birmingham, where my grandma then lived, after my grandpa was hired to teach Hebrew school at the synagogue there. Her younger brother, Nathan, was one of his pupils, and he would send notes home with him for Grandma, who was only 15 at the time (Grandpa was 22). They married when she was 18.

"Grandma's father immigrated to the United States in 1913 and he built a life for himself here, first working in shoe repair in Alabama and building up to owning several department stores at the end of his life. In 1920, he sent for his wife and three older children. Grandma was born [later] in Montgomery.

"Apparently, Grandma Sarah's mother, Pauline Burgen, was also a great cook. Although she spoke only Yiddish and Polish, she learned Southern recipes from her neighbors (like biscuits and fried chicken). During the Depression, my grandma remembers her mother putting out food on the back stoop for homeless men.

"I have always worshipped Grandma's cooking. She keeps fairly strict kosher, so no milk and meat are served together, no pork or shellfish are eaten and she buys her meat from a special kosher butcher. My mom will never let me forget that I once said to her: 'I know why your cooking isn't as good as Grandma's —- you don't have her pots!'

"It is also family legend that my first sentence (before I was a year old) was, 'More tongue, Grandma.' (She sometimes cooked beef tongue, which some consider a delicacy and is very easy for a small child to chew as it's not tough like other cuts of beef.)

"I was always amazed at the number of dishes she would make for a simple Friday night meal. Friday night is when the Jewish Sabbath begins and it's traditional to have chicken. A typical dinner might include a blend of Southern and Jewish specialties such as roasted chicken with paprika, rice, okra, corn and tomatoes, kasha with bulghur wheat, slaw, kugel and homemade lemon meringue pie.

"The slaw is something I always identified with Grandma's cooking, as I've never tasted anything quite like it anywhere else, even though the recipe itself is very simple. It's a staple that more often than not would be found at her table whether we were having a barbecue with hamburgers cooked on the grill down by the pool, a dairy meal with bagels and blintzes or Thanksgiving with many of the traditional accompaniments. The slaw always fit right in.

"Grandma has four children: Allan, Esther, Penni and Bernie; seven grandchildren: Samuel, Michael, Rachel, Benjamin, Amy, Jason and Adam; and three great-grandchildren: Matthew, Bennett and George."

Grandma Sarah's Slaw: Serves 15

Hands on: 20 minutes

Total time: 20 minutes plus 24 hours marinating

Chef and recipe tester Virginia Willis appreciates how Amy Wallas' grandmother makes efficient use of her food processor! She also commented, "This crisp slaw is good for picnics and sitting out on the buffet because it is not mayonnaise-based."

Wallas adds: "The slaw tends to get better with age. Its peak happens around the three-day mark or so —- the marinating is key to a tasty, seasoned slaw. To speed up the time for preparation, you can use 2 pounds of preshredded cabbage and carrot mixture —- then just hand chop and add in the green pepper and onion. It's not quite as authentic but it is great for a fast recipe."

1 head (about 2 pounds) green cabbage

1 Vidalia onion

3 carrots

1 green bell pepper, seeded and cored

1/2 cup vegetable oil

3/4 cup white vinegar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 teaspoons salt

Halve and core the cabbage. Cut into eighths. Place 2 wedges in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the blade attachment. Process until finely chopped. Repeat with remaining wedges. Transfer cabbage to a large bowl. Peel and quarter the onion. Place in the same processor bowl and pulse until finely diced. Add onion to bowl of cabbage. Remove blade attachment and insert grating attachment. Grate carrots and add to cabbage mixture. Finely chop bell pepper by hand. Add to cabbage mixture; set aside.

Combine oil, vinegar, sugar and salt; stir until the solids are dissolved. Pour dressing over vegetables and allow slaw to marinate for at least 24 hours. Refrigerate in a covered container for up to 4 days.

Per serving: 118 calories (percent of calories from fat, 54), 1 gram protein, 13 grams carbohydrates, 2 grams fiber, 7 grams fat (1 gram saturated), no cholesterol, 301 milligrams sodium.

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