Hello, friends.  I have been sick for what feels like forever.  Stuffy nose, congestion, ears filled with bubbles that won’t let me hear quite right.  Generally miserable for the last nine days.  And now, my poor husband has come down with it, which is really not fair, since he did such a tremendous job taking care of me.  He even made me Matzo Ball Soup, the best home remedy I know. 

As I told you before, I’ve never attempted to create this slurp-able antibiotic, as I could never eek the entire recipe out of my Bub.  But she did crow at me, between her bursts of laughter, “You can just follow the directions on the box!”  And that’s what Adam did, and he made quick work of it, willing me to heal ASAP.  Mostly, I watched and helped a little, but I was able to snap a few photos along the way while I sucked down my fresh juice.

The soup begins, as so many good things do, with onions, carrots, celery, and garlic.

While the veggies softened, Adam mixed up the magic.

Just eggs and a little bit of oil.  So few ingedients to evoke such gargantuan powers! 

That mixture needed to chill in the fridge for twenty minutes before realizing its ball-shaped destiny.

Meanwhile, I made a little bouquet of fresh herbs, also called a bouquet garni, to bring some brightness to the broth.

Adam added a few cups of homemade veggie broth I had on hand, two whole boxes of chicken stock, and half a lemon to the pot.  This is what I’d call artistic license- in a culinary sense.

And we let the broth simmer for twenty minutes.

Then it was time to roll the matzo balls. 

Of course, I had to roll a few.  And then, the kneydls (AKA matzo balls) were ready to swim in the broth.  My mom said that Bubbie would always fuss at her and her siblings during this part, saying, “Don’t take the lid off!!”  But it’s so tempting to watch them puff up.  So, I took a peek, just long enough to snap a photo.

After twenty more minutes, Adam added the chicken,

and just heated it through.  And it was finally time to enjoy.

This was my first bowl of soup.

which was quickly followed by a second bowl of soup.  : )

So many memories came rushing back to me with that very first slurp.  And the matzo balls really were reminiscent of my grandmother’s.  Maybe she did follow the directions on the box.  Nah, I can’t believe that.

So, my sweet, half Jewish only by marriage, husband whipped me up an amazing pot of nostalgia and healing.  I half expected to be well by the bottom of my second bowl.  Alas, I was not.  This does not make me doubt the power of the soup, no.  I think it is a credit to these germs of steel that have holed up in my body.  I followed up the age old Jewish remedy with a gigantic bowl of Pho- a Vietnamese version of spicy, liquidy nourishment.  And then…many cups of Cold Remedy Teas, tons of juice, natural Wellness Power pills with extract of every herb in America, a trip to the doctor, steroids, inhalers, and OTC meds.  Still.  Not.  Well. 

I am hungry for wellness.  Hungry to be back in the kitchen with my full-fledged enery.  Hungry for experimentation and for sharing.  Hungry for SPRING and fresh, beautiful veggies.  Hungry to help people eat well and love food in their own homes.  Hungry for business to bloom.  Man, I’m so hungry, I think I need to go have a snack.

I hope you are well and feeling strong.  And I hope that maybe this week, you’ll try to make something that you’ve always found daunting.  Sometimes, Mother Necessity pushes us to do things we’ve always wanted to do.  Maybe that’s what this sickness was for- to push me (via Adam) to conquer my fear of Matzo Ball Soup.  It has been demystified.  And I am better for it. 

Happy cooking and eating, Y’all. 

ashli

www.plantoplate.com