Chef'in Around

Grandma.  The word means so much.  It means your mom’s mom.  It means the one who spoils you when you’re little.  It means the one who spoils you when you get older.  It means the one who’s apartment you slept over in.  It means the one who took you on trips and to the theater.  It means the one who taught you to knit.  It means the one who loved you unconditionally.  It means the one who was always so proud of you.  To me, my grandma meant all those things.  She was more like great-ma than grand-ma.  To me, she was also the person who taught me to cook.  She taught me to cook her way, her mother’s way and her mother’s mother’s way.  There were no measurements or recipes, just a feeling.  “You feel the dough”, she said and “it tells you if there is enough flour.”  For my grandma, it gave her a special feeling to know how much I wanted to learn every recipe she knew.  Growing up, I would cook with my grandma, mom and aunt for all the holidays.  It was a bonding time and a way for us to share food and recipes throughout the generations.  My grandma would sleep over and I would love waking up early to a full house of people, knowing my grandma was downstairs waiting for us to get up.  And like clockwork, when she saw us, it was, “what do you want for breakfast mama shayna?”  There were so many grandma staples we loved…her famous matzoh meal pancakes, matzoh brei or of course, grandma eggs.  Doesn’t everyone eat grandma eggs!?  They’re basically soft boiled eggs that were served in a little egg dish and for as long as I can remember, we ate special “grandma eggs.”  Even with all the amazing food flowing, grandma wasn’t a food snob.  Oh how she loved her cinnamon raisin bagel lightly toasted with melted Velveeta cheese.  Yes, you heard right…that cheese that isn’t actually cheese at all but in fact, “cheese food” had a special place in my grandma’s heart.  Not going to lie, it’s not that bad!

Growing up in a house of cooks and eaters alike, it was no wonder I found myself in culinary school.  And although I’m fairly skilled, I still rely on my thermometers and measurements but try hard to get that “feel” for things like grandma had.  I know everyone has an affinity toward their own family members but it’s true, MY grandma was special.  Ask anyone that knew her.  There was something so unique and original about her and yet she was the epitome of what you think a grandma should be…and for that, she was also what you would think a grandma would look like.  A small pocket-sized person with silver hair, a warm smile, a huge heart…and usually some sort of baked good in hand.  Her one pride and joy in life was her family.  She was her happiest when we were all together.  Yes, she would cry a lot on special occasions but it was just because she felt so lucky to have her family there.  And it gave me great pleasure to just be around her too.  She didn’t need millions of dollars or a mansion to brag about.  No, not my grandma…she bragged to her friends about us, all of us, all the time.  She felt like we were her winning lottery ticket that she cashed in and we certainly felt the same about her.  When someone passes on, there is always some regret that comes along with it.  My only regret is that I wish I learned more from her.  I wish I could’ve had more time with her in my adult life.  I wish I could’ve wrote everything she said down.  But I cherish the time I did have and I know I was lucky to have had the chance for her to teach me things about life, love, family and of course, cooking.

Every year on Rosh Hashonah, the Jewish New Year, my grandma would make her special challah bread.  It was her mother’s recipe and it’s sensational.  Everyone couldn’t wait for the braided loaves to arrive…some with raisins, some with sesame and some with poppy seeds (sorry dad).  But this one Rosh Hashonah came around and my grandma had been sick and wasn’t up to making it.  I knew she felt bad about disappointing us since it was tradition.  And although being a Jewish grandmother comes with a mountain of guilt, we somehow persuaded her that it was okay.  But I had a great idea.  I would make my great-grandmother’s challah that year to surprise her.  When the day came around, I told grandma I had a surprise for her.  I presented the beautifully golden challah to her.  As you can imagine, she started to cry but they were of course, tears of joy.  Joy that we had her mother’s challah to celebrate with, joy that I surprised her with this gift, joy that she had touched me so much I was now following in her footsteps and most of all joy that our family traditions would live on.

Growing up so close to my grandma, we saw each other all the time.  In the 29 years I knew her, there were countless memories, laughter, tears, photographs, trips, holidays and songs, that it’s hard to single one out.  But when I think of all the moments I’ve had with her, that particular Rosh Hashonah holds a special place in my heart.  I knew I made her proud, not just with my culinary abilities (the challah did come out great) but that she was proud of the woman I had become and knew she had a big part in that.

This year’s Rosh Hashonah was our first without grandma.  Starting a new year without her was hard but we know she will still be there with us.  Her greatest legacy is her family.  She lives on in us, in our family cooking and our bonds with each other.  In making her challah again this year, it represented her and signified her life and love of her family.  I miss her so much but I am comforted to know that she lives on in all of us…and definitely in her cooking.  We will continue to use our family recipes to honor her in hopes it will still make her proud.

I love you grandma.

GRANDMA’S CHALLAH

3 PACKAGES ACTIVE DRY YEAST OR 1 ½ CAKES OF FRESH YEAST

5 EGGS, AT ROOM TEMPERATURE

SCANT CUP OF VEGETABLE OIL

2/3 CUP SUGAR + 1 TBL

1 ½ TBL KOSHER SALT

8-9 CUPS ALL PURPOSE FLOUR (SHE PREFERRED HERCKER’S)

2-2 ½ CUPS WARM WATER + ½ CUP (110 – 115 DEGREES)

GLAZE –

1 EGG, BEATEN

1 TBL SUGAR

1 TBL OIL

OPTIONAL – SESAME OR POPPY SEEDS

**1-2 CUPS GOLDEN RAISINS

IN THE BOWL OF A STANDING MIXER, PROOF YEAST WITH 1 TBL SUGAR AND ½ CUP WARM WATER.  ALLOW TO GET BUBBLY.

WITH THE PADDLE ATTACHMENT, MIX IN 5 EGGS, SCANT CUP OF OIL, REST OF THE SUGAR, AND SALT & MIX WELL.

ALTERNATELY, ADD 8-9 CUPS OF FLOUR & 2-2 ½ CUPS WATER (ADDED AS NEEDED) UNTIL YOU HAVE A NICE DOUGH, SWITCHING THE PADDLE TO THE DOUGH HOOK WHEN NEEDED.  **IF ADDING RAISINS, DO SO NOW ALONG WITH THE FLOUR ADDITIONS BECAUSE ONCE THESE ARE ADDED, YOU MIGHT NEED LESS FLOUR

ON A LIGHTLY FLOURED SURFACE, KNEAD DOUGH UNTIL SMOOTH.

PLACE DOUGH IN A LARGE VERY LIGHTLY OILED BOWL, TURNING THE DOUGH OVER SO THE DOUGH IS COMPLETELY OILED.

COVER WITH A TEA TOWEL AND LET RISE (ABOUT 1 – 1 ½ HRS) UNTIL IT IS DOUBLE IN VOLUME.

LIGHTLY PUNCH THE DOUGH DOWN & DIVIDE INTO LOAVES, EITHER SPIRALS, 4 STRAND BRAIDS OR 3 STRAND BRAIDS WITH A 2 STRAND BRAID ON TOP.

COVER WITH LIGHTLY OILED PLASTIC WRAP & TEA TOWELS & ALLOW TO RISE AGAIN UNTIL DOUBLE.

PREHEAT OVEN TO 350 DEGREES.

WHEN LOAVES ARE READY, MIX GLAZE INGREDIENTS TOGETHER, EXCEPT SEEDS, & LIGHTLY BRUSH THE TOPS OF THE LOAVES.  IF USING SEEDS, SPRINKLE THE TOPS WELL.

BAKE APPROXIMATELY 1 HOUR, GLAZING & SPRINKLING WITH SEEDS AGAIN HALFWAY THROUGH, OR UNTIL TOPS ARE GOLDEN & WHEN YOU TAP THE BOTTOM OF THE LOAF, IT SOUNDS HOLLOW.  PUT ON RACKS TO COOL.

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