After talking awhile, I asked Deta if I could watch her make her trademark burek's and she cheerfully agreed and brought me into her small, country style kitchen. She explained the process as she went along and in between instructions she quietly, almost inaudibly chanted, "See, this is my pita. This is my pita." It was her mantra.



Here's how she makes her burek's.
Roll out the dough.


Spread the meat, cheese, spinach or potatoe filling along the edge and cut out the center.















Enclose the filling in a tube of dough.














And place the tube in the small metal pan and cook for twenty minutes or so.













Her experience in Rogers Park and the ties she has to all the people she's met has changed her plans somewhat. She originally wanted to just retire soon and move back to her country permanantly, moving back into the house she left over 10 years ago. But she has so many freinds here now and she has such an admiration for our country and the opportunities it provides, she thinks she'll spend half the year here during the warmer months.

There are lots of stories behind the storefronts in our town. People who work really hard and contribute in their unique way to the colorful fabric that is Rogers Park. I chose to write about Deta and Stanley because they were so different from one another; Deta is quiet and unassuming, almost shy but proud of her children and her accomplishments. Stanley, on the other hand has an outgoing personality that can hardly be contained in his six foot frame. Yet, as different as their personalities are, they share a similar history and the same journey. The immigrants' journey.

And in a year where the word "immigrant" is spoken in almost vulgar tones, here are two such people who traveled from another country to our neighborhood, have worked hard and invested in our neighborhood and are making a difference in this corner of Rogers Park.

Deta's Cafe is located at
7555 North Ridge
773 973 1505

Gary Fuschi