Growing up, I always looked forward to the Jewish holidays, even though my family was not religious. Those were pretty much the only times we had real food in our house, since my father was always dieting.
During the holidays, my mother and I would cook together to recreate my grandmother’s classic old-world recipes — chicken soup, baked salmon, sweet potato latkes and baked apples were our favorites. After my family moved to Manhattan from Chicago, my grandmother Beauty would send me recipe cards every week, since we could no longer cook together on the weekends. At holiday time, I would share these cherished cards with my mother.
Fat Dad
Dawn Lerman writes about growing up with a fat dad.
While my mother was normally kitchen-phobic, she enjoyed the holiday preparations and loved filling our home with guests, food, entertainment and music. What I loved were the aromas of the delicious food and the chance to spend special time with my mom, who otherwise was usually rushing off with my sister to an audition or a singing lesson.
My parents were eccentric, to say the least, and they always had an exotic group of friends, most of them in some form involved in the arts. My mother said most people looked at the religious days as holy days, but she looked at them as holidays — a chance to celebrate. Anyone who did not have plans was invited, religious or not.
We had an interesting cast of regulars who always attended our holiday gatherings, but there was very little religious ceremony. There was Joyce, the numerologist, who would tell all of us at the party, including me, our destiny for the year to come. (She did this by totaling the numbers in our names.) Tandy, the psychic, would channel spirits and would often bring a Ouija board in case there were loved ones who had passed during the year with whom we wanted to make peace. Michael, a member of the Actors Studio, would give historical speeches on the Old Testament, even though he was not Jewish. And, of course, there was my sister, April, and me. I would cook and proudly serve my homemade creations, and my sister, the singer-actress, would belt out her original songs while everyone would sit cross-legged on my parents’ favorite Persian rug.
It was only when I was invited to spend a holiday weekend with my best friend, Sharon, that I realized how unusual my family’s holidays really were. It was the eve of Yom Kippur, and Sharon’s family had invited me for the entire weekend. We had to eat dinner before sundown, since the 25-hour fast was soon approaching.
We ate the most delicious meal of roasted chicken and brisket and a dessert of honey cake and apples for a sweet New Year. During dinner, classical music played softly in the background, and the table was set with fine linen and gold-rimmed plates that were special for the holidays.
Before we ate, we held hands and Sharon’s father made a prayer in Hebrew over the wine and challah bread. He told us to savor each bite, as we would not eat again until after the shofar blew the next night. He said the sound from the horn was meant to break us out of our spiritual slumber. It was a wake-up call for the year to come, and the sound should help remind us of the important things in our lives: the people who love us, the teachers who educate us, the people who challenge us and the people who feed us. I loved the way Sharon’s father spoke, and I hung on his every word.
When I told my mom about my wonderful weekend, she said it reminded her of her own holidays growing up. She remembered how my grandmother Beauty would iron the tablecloth, polish the silverware, grate the potatoes for the latkes by hand, and debate for weeks whether to make a sweet kugel with raisins or a savory kugel with broccoli.
She remembered how Beauty would hold her hand as they stirred and tested the chicken soup with her big wooden spoon that hung over the stove, and how my grandfather Papa would get so excited when he walked in the door and smelled all of the food. My mom’s face softened as she spoke, and I began to cry.
I was not sure why I cried. I am not sure if I cried because my mother seemed so different at that moment, or if I cried because I wanted her to hold my hand and love cooking with me as much as my grandmother did with her. I wanted my mom to understand the things that were so important to me, and I wanted her to love me in a way she couldn’t.
But it was a holiday, the beginning of a new year, so instead of wanting my mom to be someone different from who she was, I took her hand and suggested we make brisket from Beauty’s recipe cards.
Dawn Lerman is a New York-based health and nutrition consultant. Her series on growing up with a fat father appears on occasional Fridays on Well.
Holiday Recipes From Beauty’s Kitchen
Beauty’s Chicken Soup With a Kick
Chicken soup, known as “Jewish penicillin,” is an essential recipe for all grandmothers and mothers to have in their bag of tricks. It’s delicious, and bone broth is touted for its restorative powers. I used to look forward every holiday to seeing my grandmother and eating her delicious chicken soup. From the age of 9, I began making my grandmother’s classic recipe to feel closer to her. I’ve tweaked the recipe over the years, adding a little ginger, garlic and sweet potato. This recipe is foolproof. Basically, throw all the ingredients in a pot, boil and let the magic happen.
1 (3 1/2-pound) chicken, cut into 8 pieces, most of the skin removed
4 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch pieces
4 ribs celery, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
2 medium parsnips, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch pieces
1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced
1 medium yellow onion, quartered
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 (1-inch) piece fresh ginger, finely grated
A handful of fresh dill, chopped
2 teaspoons ground turmeric
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Garlic powder
1. Add 4 cups of cold water to an 8-quart stockpot set over high heat and bring to a boil. Add the chicken and cook until foam comes to the top. Spoon off the foam, reduce the heat to medium-low, and add the carrots, celery, parsnips, sweet potato, onion, garlic, ginger and dill. Simmer the soup for 2 hours and add 8 cups of cold water, 1 cup at a time, as needed. As the soup cooks, the liquid will evaporate and the soup will thicken. Check the soup every 30 minutes to remove any film that rises to the top.
2. Stir in the turmeric, salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste, and remove the pot from the heat.
3. Remove the chicken and the vegetables from the soup, and pull the chicken meat off the bones. Ladle the broth into bowls and add the desired amount of chicken and vegetables to each.
Yield: 12 servings.
Easy-Cook Parchment Paper Salmon
Makes one serving — but make as many packages as needed and lay them on a baking sheet
When my family spent a summer at Duke University’s “fat farm,” my father lost half his body weight on a diet of rice and either plain fish or chicken every night. When we came home, my grandmother was concerned that my sister and I were not getting enough nutrients, so she created this dish. This one-step meal contains a good serving of protein and veggies. It was so easy to prepare that even my mother did not mind making it, and it looked so festive that it became a staple at all of our holiday gatherings.
2 16-inch sheets baking parchment paper (or tin foil)
1 6-ounce salmon fillet, rinsed (I prefer wild-caught)
1/4 cup zucchini or squash, chopped
3 cherry tomatoes, halved
1 clove of garlic, chopped
2 rosemary sprigs, or basil or dill, or whatever fresh herbs you have on hand
1 tablespoon dry white wine
Salt and pepper to taste
Juice of half a small lemon or lime, squeezed on top
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
2. Place a double layer of parchment paper on a baking sheet. Lay herbs in the center of the parchment paper, and place seasoned salmon on top of the herb sprigs. Spoon the zucchini, tomatoes and garlic over the fish. Pour the white wine over everything.
3. Seal the packet closed by folding the long side of the paper together. Fold all ends to make a package and flip over.
4. Place sealed squares on baking sheet. Make sure they are sealed tightly so no steam can escape.
5. Bake for 15 minutes.
6. Before serving, slowly open the package, and squeeze the lemon juice over the fish. Use a spatula to transfer to a plate.
Yield: 1 serving, but make as many packages as needed and lay them on a baking sheet.
Sweet Potato Latkes
My grandfather told me that sweet potato pancakes can make all the problems in the world melt away. I agreed, but I have found a way to make them a little lighter and more festive by baking them instead of frying. You can top this holiday treat with yogurt or applesauce. These pancakes freeze well, so you can make them in advance and then pop them into the toaster oven for a delicious afternoon snack.
2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and quartered
1/2 medium yellow onion, peeled and quartered
2 large eggs, beaten
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour, or use whole-wheat or rice flour
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
Oil for frying or nonstick spray for muffin tins
Applesauce, plain yogurt or sour cream for topping (optional)
Equipment: muffin pans (optional)
1. Using the fine side of a grater or a food processor, grate the potatoes and onions. Transfer the potatoes and the onions to a large bowl, and thoroughly combine with the eggs, flour, lemon juice, sugar, cinnamon and salt. Set aside.
Baking directions:
2. If baking the latkes: Position the rack in the middle and heat the oven to 400 degrees. Grease the muffin tins with oil or nonstick cooking spray. Using a large spoon, divide the mixture across the muffin cups. Transfer the muffin tin to the oven and bake the latkes for 25 minutes, or until they are golden brown and cooked through. (Note: Can also be baked in a baking pan — like a kugel.)
Frying directions:
3. If frying the latkes: In a large skillet set over high heat, warm enough oil to cover the bottom of the pan until just before it starts to smoke. Using a large spoon, add the latke batter to the pan, and using a spatula, shape and flatten the batter into pancakes. Do not overcrowd the pan; you may need to do this in batches. Immediately decrease the heat to medium and cook the latkes until golden brown on each side, approximately 4 minutes on one side and 3 minutes on the other side. Flip the latke only when it is halfway cooked through; otherwise it will break apart. Repeat with the remaining batter.
4. Serve the latkes topped with applesauce, yogurt or sour cream, if desired.
Tip: If the latke batter is too watery, add a bit more flour; if it is too thick, add a bit of the beaten egg yolk.
Yield: 8 pancakes.
Baked Apples
This easy dessert is great to serve at parties. It takes only moments to prepare and tastes great topped with ice cream. In the Jewish tradition, apples dipped in honey represent a sweet New Year. My grandmother always thought these were a little more special, as cinnamon creates a great aroma throughout the house.
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, for greasing the pan
4 small baking apples, like Macintosh or Cortland, halved and cored
2 teaspoons chopped walnuts
2 teaspoons raisins
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon maple syrup or mild honey
1 teaspoon apple juice
Plain or vanilla yogurt, for serving
1. Position the oven rack in the middle and heat the oven to 350 degrees.. Generously grease a shallow baking pan with the butter, and place the apples in the pan.
2. In a small bowl, combine the walnuts, raisins, cinnamon, maple syrup or honey, and apple juice. Spoon the mixture into the hollowed apples, cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes, or until the apples are soft and slightly collapsed. Serve the apples warm, topped with plain or vanilla yogurt.
Yield: 4 servings.
