Who's in the kitchen: Judy Joszef

Leaving on a jet plane … or not

Posted

By the time you’re reading this, you’re likely setting back into the chametz routine. Back in your pantries are the cereals you love, the snacks your kids missed and your regular baking ingredients. And, if you’re like me, those new products will be nestled amongst the left over unopened boxes of matzo farfel, cake meal, matzo meal, potato starch, Passover noodles, puddings, soup bases, potato chips and marshmallows — lots of bags of marshmallows.

Every year I tell myself this year will be different. I don’t need that many of each item, and I actually listen to myself, that is until the day before the chag. At that point I buy an additional three of everything just “in case.” Next year should any of you see me in the stores the day before, repeat these words to me: “Stand back and take your hands off the items; you have enough!”

If you were away for Pesach, I’m guessing that your laundry is done, your refrigerators and pantries restocked, and things are back to normal. I’ve heard a few horror stories about missed flights, delays and lost luggage, but, hey, you have to take the good with the bad.

Talking about missed flights … My stepson, who I adore, was set to meet his wife and two kids in Israel. They left earlier in the week, and were already at her parents’ home in Efrat. He was scheduled on a Thursday night flight, but stayed just a tad too long at work and then somehow got onto a train in the wrong direction. Although he got to the airport an hour before the flight, the gates were closed and some lucky standby customer was in his seat. If he didn’t get on the next flight, he had one chance on Saturday night, and if that didn’t pan out he wouldn’t make it to Israel for Pesach.

I held my breath hoping he would make it standby that night, but it was not to be. I picked him up from JFK and he spent the night at our house. His mother-in-law booked him on a Saturday night flight, for which he had to be at Newark at 8:45 pm. I thought he should stay at a hotel near the airport for Shabbat, but he was confident he could make it from Teaneck to the airport and be checked in, in 25 minutes. Chip off the old block.

My husband Jerry was not always on time. Take, for instance, when he and his then wife were flying back from Miami to JFK. His father-in-law (who was the nicest, most gentle man imaginable, always calm and collected) was going to pick them up. Jerry’s thought process was to allot just the exact time of travel to get to the airport. Traffic and other mishaps were never part of the equation. Naturally, they were late. They rushed to the counter, checked their bags and ran toward the gate. Once there, they were told the gate was closed and they had to take the next plane out. “But our bags are on this plane,” Jerry said. It didn’t make a difference; the gates were closed and so was this conversation. Being this was over 30 years ago, it wasn’t an issue that the bags were on the plane without their owners on board; they managed to get onto a flight that was leaving a few minutes later — to LaGuardia. But they had no time to call his father-in-law (there were no cell phones back then). Meanwhile, back at JFK, his father-in-law watched as all the luggage was taken off by passengers, while waiting for his daughter and son-in-law. Soon he was the only one left and the only remaining luggage was that of his kids, going around and around and around. Panic set in; this usually calm and collected man started asking, then demanding, then screaming, “What did you do to my daughter and son-in-law? Where are they? Are they kidnapped? Their luggage is here, where are they, what did you do to them?”

It took an hour before LaGuardia security was able to inform JFK security that they were safe and sound and waiting in LaGuarida to be picked up. From then on Jerry never missed another flight. Unfortunately, except for being on time to say kaddish, Jerry continues to be late to everything else, fully unredeemed.

For those of you ready to delve into something other than matzo-based products, here’s something that’s yummy and different. I received this recipe from a friend of a friend; not sure where she got it from, but I love it, so I thought I would share it with you.

Bread Bowls

for your favorite soup

Ingredients:

2 packages active dry yeast (.25 ounces each)

2 1/2 C warm water

2 tsp salt

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

7 C all purpose flour

1 tbs corn meal

1 egg white

1 tablespoon water

Directions:

Dissolve yeast in warm water, until creamy

Add salt, oil and 4 cups of flour to the yeast mixture, beat well. Add in the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, beating well with an electric mixture after each addition.

Place dough on a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth. Place into a large, oiled bowl and rotate dough so it is evenly coated in oil. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise for 45 minutes or until doubled in volume.

Punch dough down and divide into 8 equal portions. Shape each one into a 4 inch round ball and place on lightly greased baking sheet, sprinkled with corn meal.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Beat the egg white and 1 tbs water in a small bowl and brush the loaves with half the mixture.

Bake for 15 minutes, then brush with remaining egg wash and bake for 12 minutes more. Cool on wire racks

Once cool, cut a 1/2 inch thick slice on the top of each loaf and scoop out centers careful to leave a 3/4 inch thick shell.

Right before serving, fill with your favorite soup.

Judy.Soiree@gmail.com