KEEPING IT KOSHER

Ima’s Burgers

Michal Frishman

Start to finish: 20 minutes Servings: 8

These are the burgers my mother is famous for; my parents’ visiting day barbecues are the stuff of legends in my extended family. When I asked for exact ingredients, my mother told me that it’s actually my grandmother’s recipe (we call her Ima), and of course, she never measures.

2 pounds lean ground beef 2 eggs 2 tablespoons onion soup mix 2 tablespoons finely chopped onion 2 tablespoons honey 1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs 8 burger buns Lettuce Beefsteak tomato, thinly sliced Red onion, thinly sliced Avocado, thinly sliced Ketchup, barbecue sauce, and/or mayonnaise, to taste

Preheat grill to medium-high heat. Mix all burger ingredients by hand until just combined. Form into burgers and grill over medium-high heat for 4 to 5 minutes per side or until desired doneness. Serve on buns with lettuce, tomato, red onion, avocado, and condiments of your choice.

Tip: My mom makes these burgers for Pesach by grating one small potato per pound of meat in place of the bread crumbs. You can do that easily to make them gluten-free all year round.

Michal Frischman is director of marketing for Mishpacha magazine. Source: Family Table by Mishpacha magazine, reprinted in kosher.com. Styling and Photography: Hudi Greenberger

Abstract

The story is told of a famous child psychologist who spent many hours constructing a new driveway at his home. Just after he smoothed the surface of the freshly poured concrete, his small children chased a ball across the driveway, leaving deep footprints.

The man yelled after them with a torrent of angry words. His shocked wife said, “You’re a psychologist who’s supposed to love children.”

The fuming man shouted, “I love children in the abstract, not in the concrete!”

Source: Chabad Naples Jewish Community Center

YIDDISH WORD OF THE MONTH

Finster Pisher

n. A gloomy young child who often breaks his parents’ hearts with his dolefulness.

“Little Melvin doesn’t whine or cry. He just sits there looking forsaken all the time. Such a finster pisher.”

From the Yiddish-via-German finster, meaning dark and despondent. And from the Yiddish pisher, metaphorically meaning little squirt.

Source: “Schmegoogle: Yiddish Words for Modern Times” by Daniel Klein.