The good, the strange and the outlandish

Zoog mir in Yiddish

By Sol Awend, GenShoah SWFL

When it comes to cuisine, we Yidlac’h can talk endlessly about what’s to eat. No doubt we have recipes for every aspect of dining. From bowls of shiny fruit kompot (compote) to steamy bowls of lokshen mit yowec’h (noodles and chicken soup) and plates of brisket mit geh brooteneh kartofel (roasted brisket with roasted potatoes).

But there’s another side of Yiddish cuisine you won’t find in “Bon Appetite.” I grew up in a typical Jewish European home, where days began and ended with a variety of food choices.

Do you remember your mom or dad gnawing away on boiled chicken feet? They weren’t legal to sell, but somehow, they showed up in the butcher’s bag of goodies. Yep! Dozens of them, complete with toenails that had to be trimmed before boiling them. And the look on my parents’ face when they sat down to eat ...

Around Passover, another “delicacy” would show up in the refrigerator: Gahleh It was that soupy, sloshy broth of beef and veal bones that were parboiled then poured into a rectangular, low-rimmed platter and refrigerated to form a shaky, Jello-type concoction. To jazz it up, slices of hard-boiled eggs would cover the surface. When it was ready to eat, you doused your portion with vinegar to enhance the slab of solidified broth. After finishing, you gave your mom a big kiss with fatty, glisten ing lips and thanked her for the delicacy.

Speaking of major Jewish holidays … another delicacy was served. One day, I came home to carp swimming in the bathtub. I thought my mom had got ten the fish for me as a pet and ran out to tell my friends. When I came back, I saw her chopping something on the cut ting board. I ran into the bathroom and noticed the fish was gone! My mother was grinding up the carp for gefilte fish! No more pet.

A dignified dinner was served at sun down, complete with all the components of Jewish holiday cuisine. When it came time to serve the gefilte fish, my mom served my dad with the ultimate token of respect: the severed and boiled head of the fish with a round coin of cooked carrot covering the fish’s eye.

And what was most amazing about these questionable morsels is that they were all kosher!

Should you be kind enough to invite me over for the chicken feet or fish head, however, please know that I’m busy!