First, the sandwich bag was all wrong. It could be any plastic bag that found its way into the house, usually cradling my Dad’s stiff shirt or the Tribune. These bags were huge, unwieldy and, by the time they reached the cafeteria, sticky inside and out. The sandwich didn’t float out— often the bag would have to be removed from the sandwich.
Even bad ice cream is pretty good. It’s simple, smooth, creamy, and a perfect chocolate delivery system. Sometimes it’s truly great. I confess I’m a bit of an ice cream snob. I’ve been a huge fan of gelato since I personally discovered Italy in 1985: no Gianni-come-lately. Yes I’m happy gelato has come to America, [...]
I walk into the kitchen and feel the spin begin: the veggie bin holds items that “need eating.” I sweep across the counter tops and the peeling and rinsing and chopping begin. Mounds of veggie bits dive into the liquid on the stove. The food processor jumps up on the counter in anticipation of a [...]
People in Texas didn’t speak in terms of the four or five cows that brother Norbert would have brokered in Westphalia. Here, people had thousands of head of cattle. They took enormous risks and pulled oil right out of the ground. But the biggest difference was safety, security, warmth, acceptance—knowing that your hardest times were behind you and you’d made it through somehow.
Don’t we Jews love Passover the best? Our Seder celebrates our departure from Egypt, our journey in the desert for forty years before we could enter the promised land of Israel. We mark this event not as some distant anniversary, but as if we were led personally from slavery to become free men, women and [...]
In my early travels I saw people cook smelly things in woks on the street. I would ask “what is it?” “again…please,” a third time… Now I was embarrassed and I still didn’t have a clue what he said. My rule became: if it’s very hot; buy it; bite it; and if you don’t like [...]
What is Chanukah all about? Chanukah, my children, Chanukah is the festival of socks. Each year the great Bubbe comes to the foot of each child’s bed and takes a sniff. “Och, gotenyu. What a smell. I can tell you need new socks, you little stinker.” And so, all over the world, at Chanukah, children [...]
Thanks for a big brown bird, soft and crunchy stuffing, sweet yams, a tart cranberry relish and ample bottles of wine. Thanks for a fresh green salad and don’t mind if I skip the smashed potatoes, rolls and that baked broccoli-cheese traditional. Who would notice? Thanks for bringing this group together year upon year, through [...]
It’s back to school time in my head, even though my last blue fabric-covered notebook was over forty years ago, even though my daughter takes an airplane to school and I kiss her good-bye once for the whole semester. Still, the school calendar calls the tune for me and so many others, etched into our [...]
I never know when to expect it or what it will be but every now and then I am possessed in the kitchen. I’ve learned to just go with it and it’s a lot of weird fun. In Print.