<p>Love, love love golubki (gowumki) but I haven’t made it in a while, since D and H became vegetarian. I have made it for company and will invite friends over soon to have it, perhaps along with kielbasy and kapusta, and maybe pierogi, although I can’t get good ones around here.</p>
<p>My recipe is simple, like that in Ania’s kitchen. I don’t use chicken bullion, do use Lipton Onion Soup mix rather than “real” onions, and put in a couple of bay leaves while baking.</p>
<p>Reading the Forward article reminds me of the odd fact that my observant Jewish grandmother called them “piggies in a blanket” when I was very young. Maybe the fact that she grew up in a Polish community in the US had something to do with it.</p>
<p>If your friend’s grandma happened to be born in Russia or Ukraine, I think she was probably making golubtsy (see below)</p>
<p>[Russia’s</a> national cuisine: Golubtsy - classic comfort food - Telegraph](<a href=“http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sponsored/russianow/6502793/Russias-national-cuisine-Golubtsy-classic-comfort-food.html]Russia’s”>http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sponsored/russianow/6502793/Russias-national-cuisine-Golubtsy-classic-comfort-food.html)</p>
<p>[Golubtsy</a> Russian cooking recipe](<a href=“http://russian-crafts.com/russian-cooking-recipes/golubtsy.html]Golubtsy”>http://russian-crafts.com/russian-cooking-recipes/golubtsy.html)</p>
<p>The sauce secret is quite simple, really. Back then, women did not have much of the modern day ingredients and spices to use. So it’s really simply diluted with water tomato paste with some sugar and/or lemon juice or sour salt added plus some bay leaves.</p>
<p>My mom makes this dish quite often, and you can buy it in many Russian deli stores in the southern part of Brooklyn.</p>
<p>Also, freezing of the cabbage really works, but I prefer boiling 
And we don’t bake golubtsy, but rather use dutch over on a stove top.</p>
<p>Good luck and bon appetit.</p>