On September 3rd, 15 days before the High Holy Days commenced, my grandmother, grandma to me, Rosene to some, and Ms. Rosey to most, left the physical world. In my world, her parting escalated the importance of the Days of Awe, the ten-day period of prayer, self-examination, fasting, and repentance beginning with Rosh HaShanah.
My grandmother taught my mother, my aunt, and uncle (and it has trickled down to me) the importance of tradition. The traditions in my family, like many others, have been passed down from generation to generation. The tradition of cooking the meals for the holiday feasts is a BIG one. I remember Passover Seders, and Rosh HaShana dinners at my grandparent's house on Betty Jo Lane. I remember when my grandmother was no longer able to host these gatherings, and the torch was passed to my mother. I may not remember every meal, every conversation, or even all the people that have attended over the years, but I do remember the warmth, the energy, the smell of brisket baking, my dad or grandpa hurrying to hide the afikomen, and poking the infamous jello mold grandma always made to watch it shift and shake like only jello can. I hope my future children, grandchildren, great grandchildren etc. etc. etc. (G-d willing!) will have these memories as well.
My grandmother was a quirky lady with deep roots. Family was number one for her, and poker was number two. (I think. I might have gotten that backwards.) Just in case you're interested here is a link to a story about her written by a man who met her at the poker tables in Tunica, MS.
I was very lucky to have gotten to spend the Rosh HaShanah holiday with my aunt, uncle, and cousins. The Days of Awe are a time of reflection, and I felt blessed to be able to sit and share memories within the walls of a loved one's home.
Rosene Bloom was intense, she was straightforward, she was beautiful. Her love was endless, her light is forever as it is carried on through me and all of the people who loved her. She has instilled in me a sense of pride, self confidence, and most importantly tradition, and the sanctity of family.
The recipes below exhibit some of the things my family cook for holiday meals. My aunt emailed me all of these, some have been re-formatted, and some haven't. This is Jewish cooking at its finest. Here is a piece of my heart, my family, my tradition.
Brisket This recipe is a combination of my grandmother's, my aunt's mother in law's, and another Jewish cook's.
Serves a boatload of people
6 lb. double brisket
Teriyaki sauce (my aunt uses Trader Joe's soyaki)
2-3 onions depending on size
Sauce
2-3 cloves garlic
3/4 c. catsup or chili sauce (we use catsup in my family!)
6 generous pinches of brown sugar
1 pkg. Lipton onion soup mix (It is basically dehydrated onions, some bouillon granules, and a few other spices. You can make it yourself, but I seem to always have a packet around for herbed potatoes.)
1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1-2 tbsp. honey
1/2 bottle beer (I'd go with the lighter stuff, no stouts or porters. A wheat beer is probably your best bet.)
The night before: Marinate the brisket in the teriyaki sauce of your choice overnight in the refrigerator.
Day of cooking: Preheat your oven to 325F. Mix together all of the ingredients for the sauce. Slice the onions, you can either mince them or slice them thinly depending on your preference. Cover the bottom of a roasting pan with the onions; place the brisket fat side up in the pan on top of the onions. Pour sauce mixture over brisket, and top with leftover onions. Cover your roasting pan with aluminum foil, and place it in the preheated oven. Cook for 3 hours at 325F. Once the brisket is cooked remove it from the oven, and let it cool. Separate the meat from the juices. (Use the juice as gravy, but make sure to skim the fat off.) When slicing the brisket, slice against the grain. My aunt suggest making the brisket the day before you want to serve it. Reheat at 300-325F.
Matzo Ball Soup My grandma's secret for the perfect balls is revealed (I had to!). This recipe is my cousin's with a few modifications made by my aunt.
Serves a boatload of people for more than one day
The balls:
Make them from the Manischewitz box. I know a lot of people who have made a lot of balls in their days, from scratch, from matzo meal, whatever, and most all agree that the mixture in the box is the best. My grandma's secret, however,is to let them simmer for a long time, meaning hours. The box says 20 minutes, but if you want them perfect, do what grandma says. Another tip: use chicken broth instead of water.
The soup (aka chicken broth):
12 lbs. whole chicken
6 quarts of water (possibly a little more)
2 lbs. carrots
2-3 large onions
4-6 parsnips
2 bunches of parsley, with end of stem trimmed
Sweat the chickens by pouring salt on them one hour before cook time. After the hour, wash the salt off the chickens with cold water. Put chickens in a large pot with water, onions, and a dash of salt. Bring to a boil. Once boiling add remaining vegetables and 3-4 small bouillon cubes. (If using the larger ones, use 1 and 1/2.) Continue the boil for 15 minutes. Reduce heat, and let it simmer for hours. My aunt prefers to leave the chicken in during simmering, but in the end it is useless. She claims that is has a richer chicken flavor, and I must admit her soup is really, really good. If you want to use the chicken for something else (e.g. chicken salad, or slice it off the bone and add it back into the soup once it's done) you will need to remove it once you begin the simmer, or shortly into the simmer. Remember to keep skimming the fat off the top as the soup is simmering. You want a clear broth! My mom always serves her soup with the carrots and matzo balls. I prefer mine, two balls and one stick. (Again! I couldn't help myself.)
Great, now I'm craving chicken salad.....
Egg Salad (almost as good as chicken salad) This is strictly Rosene's recipe, and my friend Kathryn's favorite food. She loves egg salad and matzo. She's not Jewish, and she actually got us in trouble for having a party once when my parents were gone because she left a trail of matzo and egg salad in the kitchen. Priceless.
Serves approximately 15
1/2 stick melted butter
1 dozen hard boiled eggs
2 tsp. regular mustard
1/2 c. mayo
1 tsp. salt
Mix all the above ingredients together and refrigerate. My aunt, mom, and I assume grandma always make their egg salad finely chopped by mixing it in the food processor. If you like it slightly chunkier I suggest chopping it by hand. I would say try it at least once in the food processor though, it is the consistency they serve it at that makes it extra special. Also, I am a fan of more mustard based salads so I would even hold back a little on the mayo and add more mustard, and I might even use a vegan mayo because to me the flavor is better. But then that wouldn't be staying true to grandma....
Carrot Souffle This is actually not a recipe that's been in the family for very long. Its first apperance was this year! It was too good. It felt naughty to be eating as a side dish, tasted more like dessert. My aunt made it to replace tzimis, a traditional dish with sweet potatoes and carrots.
Serves approximately 10? My aunt made one doubled batch and had 19 people over for Rosh HaShanah, and there was still some leftovers!
1 lb. carrots, peeled and sliced
1/2 c. butter
3 eggs
1/2 c. sugar
3 tbsp. flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
Cook carrots in boiling water until tender; drain. Combine carrots and butter in blender or food processor; blend until smooth. Add remaining ingredients and blend well. Spoon into lightly greased 1-quart casserole dish. (You may separate eggs and beat whites before adding to carrot mixture for additional fluffiness). Bake at 350F for 45 minutes.
Honey Butter This is a new tradition my aunt started when her kids were little. I thought she was crazy, but then I tasted it and I'm slightly obsessed.
What's the secret? There isn't one. Honey butter = honey + butter. Mix honey into a soft whipped butter or smart balance to taste. Spread on challah, and enjoy!
There are a few other dishes that are commonly spotted around holiday time, but I think this is enough for now! I wanted to write about my grandma's jello mold, but my aunt couldn't find the recipe. It has something to do with orange jello, sherbert, and 7-up. I've always shied away from the jello molds at gatherings (i.e. I've never actually tasted one.), but everyone seems to really like them?
Gefilte fish and kugel are two absolute staples, but we don't grind the fish ourselves and a kugel recipe will come later. Also, a chicken dish is usually served, but how it is cooked ranges. My mom grills her's while my aunt bakes her's with a sauce.
L'Chayim!
