This was me, yesterday, all day long. I spent more than 10 hours cooking in the kitchen and it made me truly respect women of all time whose days are spent in the kitchen, cooking for another Yom Tov.
The day started out really, really early. Buggy and I got our act together and I was at the supermarket by 10:00. I think it's time for me to suck it up and get a Bubby cart. You know, one of these:
Well, in Israel they offer them in all different shapes and sizes, and try to make them appear younger by slapping on some plaid fabric and such. Anyway, I've always hated the Bubby carts, but now I think it might be necessary. Since Buggy takes the car to work and I am just inches away from finishing up and getting my license, I am left to trek to the Supermarket. Now, it's not far from my apartment, but sometimes I'm not smart about what I can carry.
Yesterday, I tried to walk back to our apartment carrying four bags full of: 16 chicken bottoms, a large tin of Chummus, a container of eggplant salad, purple cabbage salad, Matbuchah, and coleslaw, sponges, 15 pita's, 5 baking tins, a large jar of ketchup, 1 dozen eggs and flour.
Needless to say, I almost wrenched my arms out of its socket and was in serious pain when I got home. But, I relaxed a bit and waited for the blood to flow back into my fingers and then it was off to work. Cleaning the chickens (which, BTW, I absolutely HATE doing).
Buggy has never met someone who takes skin off the chicken. For him, the skin is the best part - but it also is empty calories. And so yes, I take the skin off of my chicken before I make it. 2 cans of cranberry sauce later and all 16 pieces were cooking comfortably. Next, it was on to the gfilta fish. I baked 2 loaves of marinara gfilta fish with some carrots. After those were finishing cooking, I got ready for the 2 broccoli kugels. That was a lot of fun, especially when my pot of broccoli boiled over. Fortunately, I was in the kitchen at the time and so I was able to mop up the mess before it got too bad. After the broccoli kugel was set to bake, I got to work on the orzo with roasted vegetables. Cleaning the vegetables and cooking up the orzo, squeezing the juice of the lemons for the dressing and sprinkling on the kosher salt. At this point, I was thoroughly exhausted but I still had two pans of macaroni and meat to make! Now, Ari Samuel is in town for the first time since he was like 2 months old, and so I told him to swing by before he met some friends in town for dinner. He stopped by just when I was able to brown the meat and so I gave him a quick apartment tour and then parked him in front of the computer so I could continue cooking. I was thrilled when Buggy came home to keep him company so I wouldn't feel bad.
At this point, I managed to cook up the 2 boxes of noodles and brown 2 pounds of meat in onions and had the stuff in the oven. I then got to work on the qunoia which I decided to make with some roasted carrots and sweet potato. I had it left over in the apartment and figured - why not? How bad can it be? Well, I hope it tastes good cause right now it looks a bit like mush. I think I overcook my qunoia a bit and I have to consult Shulamit who really knows the right way to cook it!
Ari left to meet friends for dinner, and I had to cook us dinner too! Well, I have two small salmon fillets in the fridge and so I quickly grilled them with some cayenne pepper, salt and pepper and olive oil and made a salad and then baked 2 individual portions of french fries. I told Buggy, as we sat down to eat, that what we had on our plate was really nicely portion controlled. Granted, with all this holiday gorging, there was no way it filled us so Buggy had a yogurt and I just picked at what I was cooking to make sure it all tasted ok.
After dinner, and we're now approaching the 10:00 p.m. mark people, I set to work on dessert. I decided to make chocolate chip cookie bars and I undercooked one and overcooked the other. I also have a small chocolate cake loaf in the freezer and bought plenty of fruit too. Nechama is bringin some popcorn, which I am super excited about since I absolutely ADORE the Hollywood Popcorn at the Tachana. Enough to add another inch to my hips, but it's almost as good as Popcorn, Indiana!
So, now it's almost 9:00 and I'm trying to figure out if I have enough food for 16 people. Originally, I was going to buy some potato bourekas and moroccan cigars for an appetizer but I think it will just be a waste and Buggy and I don't want to have that stuff in the house once Yom Tov is over. Here's the menu so far - think it's enough for 16?
Appetizer Table - since we're doing buffet, we are setting up two tables. This one will be in the succah, for anyone who makes kiddush or eats in the succah on Simchat Torah. Buggy's minhag is to make kiddush in the succah
2 gfilta fish loafs
15 pita's with 2 huge challah rolls
salatim: chummus, purple cabbage salad, eggplant salad, coleslaw and matbucha
Israeli salad
Taco chip salad
mandarin orange salad
fish plates and forks
Main Table - this will be set up in the house as it's easier for me to bring hot food from oven/plata to table inside the house
2 huge tins of macaroni and meat
cranberry/onion soup mix chicken bottoms
2 broccoli kugels
orzo with roasted vegetables and pine nuts
quinoa with roasted carrot and sweet potato
Dessert - No separate table for this, but I will be able to clean some stuff off and just put this out when I can.
chocolate cake and chocolate chip bars
fruit platter with mago, pinapple, red and green grapes
popcorn
tea
The only thing I'm thinking about adding to this list is to sautee some green beans and onions and have another vegetable side dish. Otherwise, the only thing left to do today is CLEAN this filthy apartment, cut up all the food onto platters and arrange it before our guests come, and just get the apartment ready for 4:45 candle lighting.
Tomorrow, we are planning on going to Buggy's parents, who have an open house every year with apparently a lot of good food. I'm assuming we will have a lot of leftovers, so that I will have enough to feed us and Oren and Rachel. I can't wait for Chag to be over and we can start going to the gym again!
Hope everyone out there has a great Chag!
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