GRANDM A BEAUT Y’S CHICKE N S OUP WIT Chicken so up, known H A KICK grandm as “Jew othe ish penicil lin,” bone broth rs and mothers to h ave in their is an essential recipe is touted fo for ba paring this r sweet sou its restorative powe g of tricks. It’s delicio all p rs. I used to mom I lov us, and with my g e pre rand loo Instructing paring this memora mother Beauty as a k forward to pre- bissel of th my 11-year-old dau ble dish for my kids. kid, and now, as a ghter Sofia at, she blu rt to throw in like she is here with ed out, “When we co us.” Smellin ok from Be a bissel of this and a be true. g the simm a ering soup uty’s recipe cards, it 1 (3½-pou is , I knew w nd) chicke hat she sa n, 4 medium id to carrots, p cut into 8 pieces, m eeled and 4 ribs cele ost of the cu ry sk 2 medium , cut into ¼-inch pie t into ¼-inch piece in removed s parsnips, ces peeled an 1 large sw d c ee 1 medium t potato, peeled an ut into ¼-inch piec es d diced yellow on io 4 cloves g arlic, chop n, quartered ped 1 (1-inch) piece fres h A handful g of fresh d inger, finely grated ill, chopp 2 tsp. gro ed un Kosher sa d turmeric lt Freshly gro u Garlic pow nd black pepper der Grandma Beauty with Lerman, then 2 poem about everyone she ever met. She would write them all out by hand, and then her sister Jeannie would type them up so she could save them nicely in her album. “This is my favorite one,” she would say, then read the poem aloud. As I lay on her lap, she would stroke my hair, and I would ask her why she liked spending time with me, yet my mother did not. “Your mom loves you very much; she just has a funny way of showing it. You shouldn’t take it per- sonally,” she said. But no matter what my grandmother said, I often felt uneasy around my mother, knowing I could do something wrong at any minute — even if I was just sitting and reading. My mom was not very affectionate and she would constantly yell, “You’re invading my space!” when I got too close or tried to give her a hug. But Beauty was the opposite. She liked to spend time with me as much as I liked to spend time with her. We could sit around the table cooking and talking about our feelings for hours. Beauty would say, “God is in my kitchen, not in temple” — which was really upsetting to her very good friend and neighbor, the rabbi next door. My grandmother lived in a neighborhood ough with many religious families, although ed Beauty never believed in organized religion or going to temple herself. f. “I m. “I am a culinary Jew,” she’d proclaim. ame honor tradition and those who came before me, and I want to pass the his- ind tory of the food on to you. I can find elieve my heritage in a bowl of soup. I believe in the power of sweet-and-sour meat- ne balls. I believe that when I combine urt eggs, raisins, cottage cheese, yogurt nor and baby shells into a kugel, I honor hat my own grandmother. I believe that stuffed cabbage connects me to my father, whom I miss. My bible is reci- ep pes that fill your soul and will keep ars you healthy and nourished for years Add 4 cup s of cold w to come.” bring to a boil. Add th ater to an 8-quart sto From the time I could hold a c e chicken off the foa and cook u kpot; set over high m, he ntil foam c spoon, my grandmother involved parsnips, s reduce the heat to omes to th at and me we e top. Spo me in the cooking process, allow- hours and et potato, onion, ga dium-low, and add on the carrots ad rlic, ginger , celery, a ing me to mix the onions, green cooks, the d 8 cups of cold wa ter, 1 cup a nd dill. Simmer the liquid will sou eva t a peppers and bread crumbs for every 30 m inutes to re porate and the sou time, as needed. As p for 2 p will thick the soup the salmon patties and decide move any Stir in the en. Check film that ri tu the soup ses to the pot from th rmeric, salt, peppe what kind of soup we were going top. r and garlic e h powder to to prepare. And Beauty always Remove th eat. taste, and remove th meat off th e chicken and the v made sure I was the one who e egetables e bones. L from the s adle the b chicken an tasted first whatever we were oup, and p roth into b d vegetab ull ow les to each making. In her arms, I was . Makes 12 ls and add the desir the chicken ed amoun servings. never hungry for food, love or t of affection. She was my mentor and d my savior — saving my life, spoonful l by spoonful. * September 29 • 2016 131