A Tale of Two Christmases, Food & Wine, December 2022
For a refugee family, a second Christmas celebration represented a second chance.
Where the Green Beans Grow, Hour Detroit, July 2020
On the Detroit/Hamtramck border, a writer reflects on the deeper significance of a multicultural dinner staple
How Gardening Helped Connect me to Community, Shondaland, April 2020
After a move across the country to a new community, one writer found comfort through gardening alongside her neighbors.
Nowruz in the Time of Coronavirus, Food & Wine, March 2020
This year, a holiday that celebrates spring and renewal is more necessary than ever.
Food and Longing in the Armenian Diaspora, Smithsonian, December 2019
How the complexity of Armenian diasporan cuisine impacted by genocide, violence, and war only continues to grow.
Why I Celebrate My Birthday at Chuck E. Cheese’s As an Adult, Thrillist, June 2019
How America’s pizza rat helped me pick up cultural cues and shaped my world view as an immigrant kid.
Thanksgiving was just another opportunity to acknowledge where we came from. At the dinner table, through parsley and sumac, we regenerated.
Armenian Funeral Halva Helped My Family Find a Home in America, Food52, October 2018
A lifelong obsession with Armenian funeral halva, a refugee journey from Iran to America and how you don't really become part of a place until you put your dead in the ground.
The Immortal, Popula, October 2018
When the news of Charles Aznavour’s passing broke, every channel of my social media was filled with stories and memories from every corner of the Armenian diaspora.
I Won a House in Detroit and Cooked My Way into a Home, Bon Appétit, June 2018
After years of reporting stints in and out of the country, I had a home and kitchen of my own.
A Dog of One's Own, Southwest The Magazine, October 2017
Growing up without a pet reflected my experience as an immigrant in America.
Yes, You Can Buy Happiness, GOOD, March 2017
With products that target '90s nostalgia, I make a case for purchasing peace of mind.
Why Germany's Recognition of the Armenian Genocide is Such a Big Deal, PRI's The World, June 2016
An essay (and radio interview) on why German recognition of the Armenian Genocide, and more importantly the politician who championed it, is important.
I Won a House - And Here's What Happened Next, Refinery29, May 2016
An essay on how I won a house in Detroit, immigration, identity and the "American Dream."
How I Learned to be Armenian Among Shelves of Pickled Shallots, Zocalo Public Square, April 2015
Generations of Armenians in Los Angeles have taken solace in markets that remind them of the homes they had to flee
The Allure of the Armenian Apricot, Mashallah News, July 2013
An essay on identity, nostalgia and the best apricots in the entire world.
Wheels of Fortune, Roads & Kingdoms, February 2013
A ride throughout Armenia and Georgia on Soviet-era marshutka minivans and what they ultimately taught me.
An Ode to the Ethnic Grocery Store, L.A. Times, June 2013
An essay on a lifetime love and hate relationship with ethnic grocery stores, all their strange smells, misspelled fruit labels and the take-no-prisoners grandmothers who poke the packaged, saran-wrapped meat to make sure it’s tender for their dolma or tamales.