Balabousta
My best friend Rachel is Jewish and, without a doubt, it is my favourite household to visit. The celebration and rituals around food that exist in their home are so special and generous. Never over-indulgent, never wasteful, but plentiful and full of love. In the piece below her mother Susan Dawson (the ultimate “balabousta” in my opinion) reveals the mindset and the history behind it all.
They say that 'food is love', and in the context of the Jewish tradition this is certainly true. Just think about the typical 'balabousta' - the Jewish mother- who is a brilliant homemaker, matriarch, provider of unasked for advice and opinions, and incredible Friday night dinners. She loves to feed her family, friends, indeed anyone who crosses her threshold with 'a little something'. Every mother will have her own secret recipe for her chicken soup - the famed curer of all ills known to mankind- otherwise known as 'Jewish Penicillin'!
Those who survived the Holocaust still carry the trauma which is often expressed in their relationship to food and bread in particular. If you had a crumb of bread in your pocket in the camps or the ghetto, you had a better chance of survival. As a consequence, the Holocaust Survivors Centre in North London, a vibrant community centre, always has a large basket of fresh bread in the room, from which anyone can take whenever they want.
The Jewish people have spent thousands of years being persecuted and chased from one continent to the other, often at a moment's notice. Never knowing whether or not there will be enough food in order to survive has left a deep indentation in the Jewish psyche. Most Jewish households will always have an over stocked fridge and freezer 'in case'. No self respecting Jewish cook would ever cook a meal and not have enough leftovers in order to be able to force them on to her guests as parting gifts at the end of an evening!
Every Jewish Holiday has a special food or meal associated with it, so that food is also woven into the ritual of Jewish life and practise. At the Passover, a special family meal is held at which the events of the Exodus from Egypt are retold and symbolic foods are eaten. Matzah, which is unleavened bread is very important as it symbolises the speed at which the Israelites had to depart Egypt, not having time to allow their bread to leaven. Cheese cake, blintzes and dairy foods are eaten to celebrate the giving of the Law to Moses at the feast of Shavout, sweetmeats at The Feast of Esther (or Purim) and so on. The basic tenant of Jewish celebration seems to be 'they tried to kill us, they didn't succeed, let's eat!'
L'Chaim! (To life!)
Photo1: A Jewish Cookbook
Photo 2: Salt Beef, Rye, Potato Latkes and Sauerkraut
Photo 3: The amazing Dawson kitchen garden