Matzo ball soup is such a "hamishe" dish. The repudiated cure-all is a Jewish staple and it's very easy to make. This recipe originates with Ilse Sander - my grandmother. It took a little effort for Mary Ellen to wrap her mind around the ethnic dish, given her Roman
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Catholic roots, but once she did she certainly found it to her liking - despite a slight mishap.
Matzo balls should be nice and firm - you want them to resist your teeth and your spoon. This is achieved with ganzeschmaltz, more commonly known as goose fat. Here's the recipe:
1/4 cup matzo meal
1 egg
1 Tbs. ganzeschmaltz
Pinch salt
Pinch pepper
Pinch nutmeg
Combine all ingredients in a small bowl, mix until combined. Pinch off a small amount and roll into a ball between your palms. Repeat until all the "dough" is rolled. Cook in chicken broth until the balls float and serve.
Makes about 10 balls
This week on my NPR podcast we're repurposing your old sweaters into quilts, throws and pillows. Putting a sweater quilt together isn't difficult and the results are so homey and warm. I've detailed how to create a quilt and a throw in the podcast, but if you'd like to make a pillow here's how you can do it:
Start by selecting your sweaters. You'll need at least two for this project. Decide what size pillow you'd like to make. I suggest at least 18" x 18" which means that the pillow faces should measure 19" x 19" before they're sewn together. You can then cut your squares out. For this pillow you'll want 4 squares arranged in a checkerboard pattern, so your squares should be half the measurement of your pillow - 9.5" x 9.5" for the pillow mentioned above. Cut the squares out of the body of your sweaters and finish off the edges with a serge or zigzag stitch so they don't run and then stitch them together into your larger square. Now, you'll want to back the sweater squares on a more stable piece of fabric so they don't stretch out of shape with the stuffing. Stitch them down around all four edges to a 19" square piece of muslin. Choose a complimentary woven fabric for the back of the pillow and cut a 19" square of that, then with the faces together stitch the two squares around 3 sides and stuff with your pillow form. Stitch the last edge shut with a slip stitch (if you prefer, you can install a zipper in one edge). Last but not least you can tuft the center of your pillow as I mentioned tufting the quilt by stitching through the center square with pretty, but strong yarn a few times and then tying it off on the face. These pillows make lovely gifts and beautiful fall accents to your home. It's also a wonderful way to use old sweaters you have lying around.
If any of you are interested in podcasting you should have a listen to Robert Walch's Podcasting411 podcast. He intereviewed me a few weeks back and you can listen to the episode here.
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