'Passover is a holiday created by men for women'. These are the words my grandmother would mutter each year as she would deftly attach the hand grinder to the kitchen table to prepare the gefilte fish. Times have changed, to be sure, but the task of dealing with the holiday remains an enormous undertaking. Between cleaning and cooking, by the time we sit down to seder, everyone's exhausted.When my kiddies were little, my preparation for Pesach began in December during Winter break (you read this correctly), when I would begin cleaning out the linen cupboard. The kids knew that as soon as the calendar turned to January, the decree they dreaded would be proclaimed: 'Pesach is coming. It is time to start using up the chometz. Henceforth, there will be no purchase of cereal (and believe me, we had a lovely assortment) until after Pesach'.
My geniuses also realized that the edict also meant a moratorium on the purchase of any junk food. There would be no more corn chips, cheese snacks, potato chips or bought cookies until after the holidays....except of course for the mountains of hamentashen and mishloach manot on Purim that would magically last until Pesach. The objective was clear...use up as much of the food in the pantry as we could. Once it was clean, the kitchen would be on its way to becoming kashered, or Passover-ready, which was and is the ultimate goal.
All of the above was and remains a mere preamble to the task of cooking for the seders. For me, the race to the finish begins with making chicken soup. I generally find it a chore-- time consuming and messy, so I feel a sense of acccomplishment when it's done. It seems I'm not the only one.
For many years, I had a race of sorts going with a friend and former parent of a student of mine. Each year, she would ask me just after Purim if I had made my soup yet. Invariably, I'd win by a day or two, and she would sigh. I soon realized that the race to make chicken soup was in and of itself part of the ritual of preparing for the holidays. That is, until now.
This year is different.
No, I'm not at the stage yet where my kids are making the seders. And no, I'm not going elsewhere for seders. This year, however, I'm not in the usual rush. This year my friends, for the first time, I will have the privilege of enjoying the luxury I've always dreamt about. This year, I have a Pesach kitchen...and I have to say, I feel like a gefilte fish out of water.
This brand new, second kitchen represents a freedom from bondage of a sorts to me. No doubt there will still be a race as there always is, but it will be more controlled. I don't feel the pressure that I've always felt. I don't feel the need to rush. I've purchased what I need, but I'm still procrastinating, still in denial. All I need to do is take that first leap, and when I do, I will be experiencing Pesach a bit differently than in all other years....a bit out of my comfort zone, but in a very good way.
And although I'm coming at this in a very decadent way, dealing with freedom is what this holiday is about. As I peel my vegetables, and plop the chicken in the pot, I'm going to think about all of my 'freedoms'--especially the one that allows me to put my thoughts to invisible paper and share them with you!
Happy preparations!
My Mom's Chicken Soup
1 (2 pkg) Soup chicken (mature chicken) Where I come from, mature chickens come frozen and in packages of half chickens, because they are much larger than regular chickens
1 pkg turkey bones (5 or 6)
3 pkg chicken bones (I actually collect them in bags as I go when I make chicken. I trim the breast bones and bag them....but that's during the year, not for Pesach)
1 lb (one prepackaged bag) parsnips (peeled)
2 lbs carrots (peeled)
4 onions (whole, peeled)
dill (optional and to your liking)
That's it...no salt, pepper or anything else.
Put chicken and bones (both chicken and turkey) in 16 quart pot (this recipe is easily halved, but why make soup so often?). Cover (but just) with water. Don't put too much water in! Boil.
When boiling, add veggies. Bring to a boil again and then reduce heat. Simmer for 3 hours. This, by the way, is why the ingredients remain simple. The right amount of water, and lengthy cooking time creates the flavourful soup.
Remove chicken and veggies, keeping the carrots. I used to skim the soup, but Emeril Lagasse says you don't, so I don't, and I think he's right. Besides, it saves time and mess....both a big Hurray! Cool soup and strain.
Later that day or the next, make chicken pot pie or stir fry or chicken salad with the boiled chicken...or give the chicken to a friend who likes it, so it shouldn't go to waste.
Cool soup and put in fridge for 24 hours.
Next day, skim fat, and then refrigerate or freeze. Don't forget the matza balls. I like Streit's best!
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