Confessions of a Jewish Bride

I was going to start by saying I have no words to describe this experience. But that’s no true… I have tons of words. Inspiring, emotional, awesome, heart-wrenching, exciting, overwhelming, tiring, stressful, scary, incredible. I could go on and on listing the words and emotions we are now going through as a family – but to write an eloquent post on exactly what we are experiencing, in coherent sentences, is beyond me right now.

The last week and a half has felt like one long day with lots of little naps. It’s so wonderful that with the help of Nefesh B’Nefesh we now have this webisode to share with you. I don’t have to worry about writing, I can just show you. Watch our last 24 hours, the Aliyah flight and our arrival along with 351 new olim in Israel, now.

I’m curious, what words would you use to describe this?

filmed and directed by brian k. spector | vision palette creative
also filmed by Brad Rego
edited by dovi schamroth and aryella epstein

Did you miss any episodes? Want to see what is still to come? Keep up with our Episode Guid

The Announcement Teaser

Premiere Date: Tuesday June 26 7:00pm EST

The Announcement Episode

Premiere Date: Wednesday July 11 7:00pm EST

The US Lift Teaser

Premiere Date: Wednesday July 18 7:00pm EST

The US Lift Episode

Premiere Date: Wednesday July 25 7:00pm EST

Goodbye BBQ Teaser

Premiere Date: Wednesday August 8 7:00pm EST

Airport Teaser

Premiere Date: Wednesday August 15 7:00pm EST

Last 24/The Flight Episode

Premiere Date: Wednesday August 22 7:00pm EST

First 48/Welcome to Israel Episode

Premiere Date: Wednesday September 5 7:00pm EST

The Israel Lift Teaser

Premiere Date:Wednesday September 12 7:00pm EST

Happy New Year from Israel Episode

Premiere Date: Wednesday September 19 7:00pm EST

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There are so many people to see and there is so little time.  So together with Nefesh B’Nefesh we hosted a Goodbye “Catch the Wave” BBQ to gather all our loved ones together in one place on one day.   Of course it was great to see family who traveled from far and dear friends from the neighborhood and even kosher blogger buddies and personalities came out to say farewell.  I was so touched and  in typical Jamie fashion I almost cried when I spoke.  Not sure exactly what I managed to say but the message was and remains “look at us, if we can do this you can too!”

 

For more info about the BBQ including vendors check out a visual post here.

 

Did you miss any episodes? Want to see what is still to come? Keep up with our Episode Guid

The Announcement Teaser

Premiere Date: Tuesday June 26 7:00pm EST

The Announcement Episode

Premiere Date: Wednesday July 11 7:00pm EST

The US Lift Teaser

Premiere Date: Wednesday July 18 7:00pm EST

The US Lift Episode

Premiere Date: Wednesday July 25 7:00pm EST

Goodbye BBQ Teaser

Premiere Date: Wednesday August 8 7:00pm EST

Airport Teaser

Premiere Date: Wednesday August 15 7:00pm EST

Last 24/The Flight Episode

Premiere Date: Wednesday August 22 7:00pm EST

First 48/Welcome to Israel Episode

Premiere Date: Wednesday September 5 7:00pm EST

The Israel Lift Teaser

Premiere Date:Wednesday September 12 7:00pm EST

Happy New Year from Israel Episode

Premiere Date: Wednesday September 19 7:00pm EST

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“THE LIFT” is the most anticipated event for anyone making aliyah. Your whole life is packed into a forty foot container (or crammed into a 20 footer).  About  four weeks before the big day a truck pulls up to your door, some guys jump out and proceed to package and cart away everyone of your earthly possessions, or at least the ones you want to take with you.

If you forget to put it on the lift, you’ll have to squeeze it into the two bags and one carry-on per passenger that you’re allotted on the plane. So whatever you erroneously left off, it better be small.

As the lift backed into our driveway my girls squealed  “it’s SO big!” but I knew better.  OMG, I thought, I must be taking too much. All of our stuff will never fit into that big/little space.  But Ilan, the owner of Strand, our overseas moving company, assured me that lots of people have taken more. Is that a consolation? I happen to know that we’ll be moving into a place half the size of the one we’re leaving.  Never mind fitting into the lift – will we be able to squeeze all this into our new home?  Hubby said our curb in Israel will have more furniture than our house.  Guess he also agrees we overdid it, a bit.

So right now, the kids think it’s cool to camp out in sleeping bags on the carpet in their rooms. When we get to Israel, we’ll be lift-less for about a week and a half. Let’s hope the kids won’t tire of sleeping on the floor – are we having fun yet?

Now we’re in it, enough with the announcement tease and episode, this is the  nitty gritty of aliyah and you are officially along for the ride.

Watch our 20-hour lift day condensed into just five minutes on the latest Joy of Aliyah webisode.

Love having you with us!

Mark your calendars with our Episode Guid

The Announcement Teaser

Premiere Date: Tuesday June 26 7:00pm EST

The Announcement Episode

Premiere Date: Wednesday July 11 7:00pm EST

The US Lift Teaser

Premiere Date: Wednesday July 18 7:00pm EST

The US Lift Episode

Premiere Date: Wednesday July 25 7:00pm EST

Goodbye BBQ Teaser

Premiere Date: Wednesday August 8 7:00pm EST

Airport Teaser

Premiere Date: Wednesday August 15 7:00pm EST

Last 24/The Flight Episode

Premiere Date: Wednesday August 22 7:00pm EST

First 48/Welcome to Israel Episode

Premiere Date: Wednesday September 5 7:00pm EST

The Israel Lift Teaser

Premiere Date:Wednesday September 12 7:00pm EST

Happy New Year from Israel Episode

Premiere Date: Wednesday September 19 7:00pm EST

e

 

A 40 foot container arrived at our house Monday July 16th, just 4 weeks before our flight is scheduled to depart from JFK.  Nothing could have prepared me for this day, for how large this 40 foot thing actually was or how long and intense the packing process would be.  We started around 6am and the lift pulled out of our driveway at 1am.  See the lift-container-thingy here, to quote my girls “IT’S SO BIG!”.  Watch what it takes to pack up your life next week July 25th 7pm EST.  Thanks for following and sharing our journey.

A few more pics in my almost empty house as we prepare to make aliyah.

 

 

Mark your calendars with our Episode Guid

The Announcement Teaser

Premiere Date: Tuesday June 26 7:00pm EST

The Announcement Episode

Premiere Date: Wednesday July 11 7:00pm EST

The US Lift Teaser

Premiere Date: Wednesday July 18 7:00pm EST

The US Lift Episode

Premiere Date: Wednesday July 25 7:00pm EST

Goodbye BBQ Teaser

Premiere Date: Wednesday August 8 7:00pm EST

Airport Teaser

Premiere Date: Wednesday August 15 7:00pm EST

Last 24/The Flight Episode

Premiere Date: Wednesday August 22 7:00pm EST

First 48/Welcome to Israel Episode

Premiere Date: Wednesday September 5 7:00pm EST

The Israel Lift Teaser

Premiere Date:Wednesday September 12 7:00pm EST

Happy New Year from Israel Episode

Premiere Date: Wednesday September 19 7:00pm EST

e

 

Join me on my newest and greatest adventure, as me and my family pack our bags, say farewell to family and friends and make aliyah to Israel with Nefesh B’Nefesh. So how do you move five small children, three floors of furniture, and a lifetime of memories? Find out every week in the Joy of Aliyah. Through five inspiring short-form webisodes, you will pack the lift, get a taste of my goodbye barbecue, board the El Al flight from JFK and experience the emotional landing in Tel Aviv, follow me through the first frantic 48 hours in my new home and join the celebration of my family’s first Jewish New Year in the Promised Land. Don’t miss a moment of my big move from Monsey to Ramat Beit Shemesh, and find out what it really means to move to Israel.

Here is the premiere of Joy of Aliyah:

Mark your calendars with our Episode Guid

The Announcement Teaser

Premiere Date: Tuesday June 26 7:00pm EST

The Announcement Episode

Premiere Date: Wednesday July 11 7:00pm EST

The US Lift Teaser

Premiere Date: Wednesday July 18 7:00pm EST

The US Lift Episode

Premiere Date: Wednesday July 25 7:00pm EST

Goodbye BBQ Teaser

Premiere Date: Wednesday August 8 7:00pm EST

Airport Teaser

Premiere Date: Wednesday August 15 7:00pm EST

Last 24/The Flight Episode

Premiere Date: Wednesday August 22 7:00pm EST

First 48/Welcome to Israel Episode

Premiere Date: Wednesday September 5 7:00pm EST

The Israel Lift Teaser

Premiere Date:Wednesday September 12 7:00pm EST

Happy New Year from Israel Episode

Premiere Date: Wednesday September 19 7:00pm EST

 

I am now taking you behind the scenes of the photo shoot for my new book, Joy of Kosher published by William Morrow/Harper Collins, due out Fall 2013. Get excited! Get very!!! excited!

I am working again with the amazing husband wife team , Andrew and Carrie Purcell. He is the photographer and she is the food stylist. I’ve been working with them almost exclusively for the last few years across the site, the mag and this here book.

This shoot lasted 8 straight days (with the exception of Shabbos) and each day was about 9 to 10 hours on set, plus lots of prepping (shopping, cooking and baking) from Carrie on off hours to ensure that we were able to push out about 12-14 shots a day. Carrie and Andrew each had an assistant as did our prop stylist the lovely Paige Hicks to make sure we stayed on schedule.

Let me walk you through it.

This here (the main image above) is our actual “set”. Yes that is an ice cream cone, but no, that’s not ice cream, it’s a surprise!

These are our prop tables, filled with bins of silverware and serving ware, plates of all manner and size and linens and glasses galore. The tables are each about 6 feet long and loaded with props. Props are also stacked underneath the tables. Paige has an ironing board set up in the corner to press the linens before each use.

Here is a step by step look at preparing my chicken sushi recipe.

The veg is first julienned and sometimes we use a mandolin, sometimes a handheld julienne peeler and sometimes a knife — oh we have many tricks.  We also make sure our produce is fresh and vibrant — the colors should be really saturated.

We roll up a few cutlets so we can slice and pick the best looking 6 pieces for our shot.

Paige has shown me a number of selections for the plate, chopsticks and textiles/linens. We take into consideration where the image is falling within the book when we choose the color pallete for the shot. Here I wanted a burst of bright color, that’s why I chose this gorgeous blue platter with an shine and interesting edge. I need something with eye appeal. Once I’ve selected something we all like Paige sets all of the elements on the shoot table. She looks through the camera lens to see what the camera is seeing and moves everything just so until she is happy. Andrew the photographer then snaps and we look at it all and fiddle with it based on the camera angle until we are happy. Andrew will move things or direct Paige, I will make suggestions, it’s a real collaborative effort. We also determine the camera angle based on where the image falls out in the book, for example we try not to put two overhead shots next to one another and so on.

Once we are happy Carrie starts to bring out her tray with the food and a bunch of tools. She saves the finishing touches for on set so stuff doesn’t get stale. Check out her work related injury. She sliced her finger, but Thank G-d the entire finger remained intact and she just needed a little bandage. Occupational hazard.

Just like famous actors, foods have body doubles too. So we stand in a few pieces so Andrew can see how the food is photographing and can adjust the lighting accordingly. He also gives Carrie any notes at this time.

This is the back of Elizabeth’s head, Andrew’s assistant.  She sits by the monitor all day marking our selects and taking notes for Andrew for post production.  She also adjusts shadows and tones and more under Andrew’s direction.  She has THE BEST posture I have ever seen!  I kept standing up straight every time I looked at her.  And now as I write this I just adjusted my posture.

When judging a photo and giving notes we always do so from the monitor NOT the food on set.  Because the monitor capture the image as Andrew snapped it and the perspective is entirely different than what is actually on set based on the angles and how everything on set it reacting to the light.

When we set up overhead shots the food is set on a surface on the floor.  Here is Carrie working on my Top of the Rib. I struggled so much with this recipe I wanted to do something uber traditional with just the slightest twist and I finally had an epiphany just days before we shot it — I am so excited I love it! And I know your holiday tables will love it too!  We call this pose Carrie is in Food Stylist Yoga.  This is not even the craziest position she had to get into to style the food.

Here we are using some crazy industrial paint/wallpaper blow gun on our chicken. When I posted an instagram pict of us “blow-drying” our Turkey twitter went nuts. So this is why we do this: 1) we are cooking about 14 things a day and the oven is going like crazy and we can’t fully cook everything bc we wouldn’t be able to keep to schedule and 2) this gives us a little more control over the browning process, we want golden skin but not too dark because then there is no contrast for the image.

This is our slider stand in/body double. Cute buns!

Here Carrie is “building” my sliders. There are 2 kinds of mayo and crunchy crispy fried onions.

Here is a link to the instagram picts I took throughout the process. Watch the photo board slowly fill up.

As always, any Qs, ask away!

If you missed any of my other Making of a Cookbook articles click here.

***Giveaway***
Win a set of 3 Lekue Ovos (to cook eggs and other foods in seconds with no mess ease).

a Rafflecopter giveaway

We will be producing a real time (or as close to real time as possible) aliyah documentary, called Joy of Aliyah!

Starting this Tuesday, and then almost every Wednesday between now and Rosh Hashanah, we will be releasing a clip or episode of our journey, an online aliyah diary.

Don’t miss a thing, mark your calendars with our…

Episode Guide

The Announcement Teaser

Premiere Date: Tuesday June 26 7:00pm EST

The Announcement Episode

Premiere Date: Wednesday July 11 7:00pm EST

The US Lift Teaser

Premiere Date: Wednesday July 18 7:00pm EST

The US Lift Episode

Premiere Date: Wednesday July 25 7:00pm EST

Goodbye BBQ Teaser

Premiere Date: Wednesday August 8 7:00pm EST

Airport Teaser

Premiere Date: Wednesday August 15 7:00pm EST

Last 24/The Flight Episode

Premiere Date: Wednesday August 22 7:00pm EST

First 48/Welcome to Israel Episode

Premiere Date: Wednesday September 5 7:00pm EST

The Israel Lift Teaser

Premiere Date:Wednesday September 12 7:00pm EST

Happy New Year from Israel Episode

Premiere Date: Wednesday September 19 7:00pm EST

Tonight at the Nefesh B’Nefesh Tweetup (#nbntweetup) at the JNF house in Manhattan, I announced the incredible news that we are making aliyah this summer.  Here is essentially what I said.

“I, Jamie Geller, my husband and our children will be realizing a lifelong dream of ours, our parents, our grandparents and the Jewish people for the past 2,000 years.  We will be making aliyah this summer with Nefesh B’Nefesh on the August 13^th 2012 Charter Flight.

[Exhale. Looooong exhale.]

I said it.  It feels so good to finally have said it.

Here’s a little back story about how I came to be here and share this news with you, first this evening.

As the theme of the evening is how social media can bridge the gap between US and Israel, I met Laura Ben David, Social Media Coordinator for Nefesh B’Nefesh exactly where you would expect to meet a social media coordinator, on Twitter.  As I was reading her profile I saw that in addition to her day job at NBN she was also the author of MOVING UP An Aliyah Journal.  Well I just had to get my hands on that book!  With our upcoming move I was making it my mission to get my hands on anything and everything that would inspire me and prepare me for this momentous occasion.  So Laura and I decided to swap books: she got the cookbooks I got the journal.

Hubby and I proceeded to pour over every word of that book for the next 48 hours.  It’s an inspiring, hilarious, emotional journey, and as I am reading about what it takes to make aliyah – how it happens, what it’s really like – I was struck by Laura’s remarkably positive attitude through it all.  At the same time, I thought (as a TV producer thinks) this story, this great story of a family upping and moving to Israel, must be made into a movie.

Then I figure, it’s so good, it must have been done already.  So with as much intensity as a Google search will allow, I searched and came up with – nothing!  I DMed Laura, sure that NBN must have done something like this, and again… nothing.

I was alternately thinking a movie like this has to happen, maybe it’s not gonna happen, how can I make this happen…Pulling out my hair trying to figure out how/what/when, coming up with a budget, then slashing that budget like a jungle explorer with a machete, thinking some more, improvising… Long story short, 200 phone calls, tweets and emails later, with bursting excitement, I am announcing a partnership between our company – The Kosher Media Network – and Nefesh B’Nefesh.

We will be producing a real time (or as close to real time as possible) aliyah documentary, called Joy of Israel!

Starting this Tuesday, and then almost every Wednesday at 7pm between now and Rosh Hashanah, we will be releasing a clip or episode of our journey, an online aliyah diary.

We will cover everything from our lift on both sides of the pond, our goodbye BBQ, our last 24 hours in America, the airport flight and landing in Israel, the first 48 hours in Israel – everything from the exciting to the mundane to the necessary – registering for school, health insurance, drivers’ license, Ulpan, meeting family, friends, neighbors, shopping at the makolet, first day of school, and our first trip to Yerushalayim.

This will be an honest and vivid portrayal of what it takes to make aliyah, what it feels like to join our brothers and sisters in the Jewish homeland.

I hope that people will see that on so many levels, dreams do come true.  The soul cannot be denied its return home.  I am overcome with emotion, anticipation, and awe that, G-d willing, we will be in Israel soon.

Much of the production arm of Kosher Media Network will be moved to Israel.  In my new kitchen I will continue shooting my regular cooking show, as well as a new show for PBS about Chanukah, set entirely in Israel.

You and I will still share everything as before The website, the books, the cooking shows, the events – everything will continue. I will travel back to see you in person and continue to share new and inspiring recipes, photos and videos on JoyofKosher.com, on Facebook, on Twitter, on YouTube, and on Instagram. Lol, does it really matter where I happen to be located?

Well, yes. It makes a world of difference to me.”

With love

J

Watch my “live” announcement here.

Episode Guide

 

The Announcement Teaser

Premiere Date: Tuesday June 26 7:00pm EST

The Announcement Episode

Premiere Date: Wednesday July 11 7:00pm EST

The US Lift Teaser

Premiere Date: Wednesday July 18 7:00pm EST

The US Lift Episode

Premiere Date: Wednesday July 25 7:00pm EST

Goodbye BBQ Teaser

Premiere Date: Wednesday August 8 7:00pm EST

Airport Teaser

Premiere Date: Wednesday August 15 7:00pm EST

Last 24/The Flight Episode

Premiere Date: Wednesday August 22 7:00pm EST

First 48/Welcome to Israel Episode

Premiere Date: Wednesday September 5 7:00pm EST

The Israel Lift Teaser

Premiere Date:Wednesday September 12 7:00pm EST

Happy New Year from Israel Episode

Premiere Date: Wednesday September 19 7:00pm EST

Image – Me and my production crew.

Editing, Editing and More Editing.

The most unglamorous and laborious part to writing a cookbook is the editing, specifically the recipe editing. There are so many styles to recipe writing, think about it like decorating, and no way is better than the other but each publishing house, or publication, or website (I am sure you are getting the point) has a style sheet. Now, much like morning sickness, which is not confined to the the AM hours, a style sheet is not really a single piece of paper but something closer in size to a small book. It details all the “house rules” for writing. And goes through the painful process of listing the mundane to obscure.

Things like:
“healthy” = person, plant, good-size amount; “healthful” = diet, lifestyle, food, drink
“garlic clove,” celery stalk,” “asparagus spears,” not the reverse (“clove garlic,” etc.)
ingredients without measurements = initial cap: Kosher salt
no “of” except with “pinch” or “dash”
fractions not decimals (5 1/2 ounces not 5.5)
halved/quartered — not cut in half/quarters
and then another 20 plus pages with more 1 line monotonous info like this.

Now there are editor types (like Sheilah and Paula, my beloved recipe editors), who love this stuff, eat it up, retain the info and mark up my files so that it looks like I’ve done almost nothing right. But for me – my eyes just glaze over and I fight to stay awake at 3am when editing.

For instance right now my entree chapter is 118 (double spaced – because those are house rules) pages long. So first I have to write up the recipes and keep referencing the style sheet in an effort to get things right the first time. And even when I think I’ve caught things, I undoubtedly revert back to my old style (VERY! different from my new publishers — I always said “cloves garlic!). Then I send off the files to Sheilah and Paula who I affectionately call “S+P”. They tag team and review because it’s almost impossible for one person to catch everything. They spend a number of days with the file and return it all marked up in red– looks like I failed a test, badly failed a test. Then I go through the days-long process of reviewing all their comments, accepting the ones that are straightforward, re-writing and revising my header notes and or directions if S+P didn’t find them clear enough or easy enough to follow. And then we go back and forth for weeks on minutia that actually matters to you — the end user.

With each book I think I spend the most time on editing — it’s more time than testing and more time than the photo shoot (which is surprisingly the shortest albeit most expensive part of making a book) and more time than writing the narrative. The months long recipe editing process that I am writing about now all takes place with my personal recipe editors BEFORE I submit the manuscript to the publisher. The publisher then has their own in-house editing team who I am sure are all excited to get their hands on the manuscript and make their own comments.

For the first time with this book my stories — my autobiographical narrative, the memoir part will also be edited. I am both nervous and excited to see what that process will be like. Unlike my recipe writing I am married to my stories. And I take great pains to tell the stories the way they actually happened. With recipe writing do you think I really care if it’s “cloves garlic” or “garlic cloves”? NO WAY Jose! But when it comes to my story I wonder what it will be like to see comments all over. Hopefully (I am dreaming here!) my editor won’t have too much to say. So far we are getting along fabulously, note we haven’t started the editing yet. But I do have really HIGH hopes.

If you all have any specific Qs that I have not addressed in the Making of a Cookbook Part 1, Part 2 or this one then just ask in the comments below. I am happy to answer or post in more detail about any behind-the-scenes cookbook aspects you are wondering about.

When writing a cookbook, there are lots and lots of moving parts.  Especially when writing one with a lot of narrative.  When I write a book it’s not just about recipes for me.  I write about everything. My books are part memoir, part autobiography, part diary – entirely about my life.

My tin o' tools. I just quickly wash the usual suspects after using and throw in this tin so I can quickly grab what I need.

The recipes have to be great, no doubt.  But the special part, the part that people really respond to, is all the other writing.  So I am really taking the time to include a lot of it right alongside tons of amazing recipes.  I want it to be equally great in both respects.  I want someone to be able to curl up on their couch and read this story.  The “writing” part is the fun part for me, the easier part, it just flows.  Middle of the night and middle of the day – while brushing my teeth or brushing my kids teeth if I think of a good line, a good story or something happens I just quickly shorthand it into my iPhone.  But when it comes to cooking it’s another story entirely.  It goes a little something like this.

Wooden spoons and mixing bowls, can never have enough

I painstakingly create an outline of the recipes broken up by chapter.  Based on what I’ve been wanting to develop and the feedback I’ve received here and in person.  Then I look at it all and try to achieve a balance within the recipes.  When I am writing this outline I usually have an idea about the flavor profiles and/or twist I am going to give a recipe to make it my own.  I also call all the people, friends, family, neighbors, whoever inspired me toward a particular idea or recipe because I tasted it or they spoke about it – and I jot down their notes.

First page of my big momma binder - the style sheet. Every publishing house has one. This time around it's totally different than how I've been writing my recipes until now. More on editing next week.

After I have this master outline – inevitably it’s 50% too long.  Books have a page count so they can be priced within a normal range.  As much as I’d like to include all my recipes that would inevitably end up in a 500 page book which would cost around $50, not good for anyone.

Top secret batter, mid mix. Can you guess what this is for?

So once I whittle down my list I get into the kitchen.  That’s when the disaster begins.  No, really it’s not all bad but it’s just so intense. Based on my deadlines I am developing the recipes in a crazy short 10-12 week period.  Which means on average I am doing about 20 recipes per week and when recipes turn out great the first time around and I am checking things off my list, flying and flitting from this dish to that I think to myself “this is a cinch, I’ll be done in no time”.  When a recipe is overdone or under-seasoned or my funky flavor profile doesn’t at all work, or it’s just plain uninteresting I want to cry, and sometimes I actually do.  Case in point l I am now on my 4th top of the rib trying to make one single amazing roast recipe.  For the love of G-d this next one has got to turn out right or I will need a day to recover, and I can’t afford a day.

When my hands are chapped from washing I use the tower of tins. Not good for the environment but help my hands from looking 90.

Each week I make a crazy long shopping list and organize it according to the layout of the store: Produce, Grocery, Meat, Freezer, Fridge/Dairy and then other.  Others are things not found in the store like wine, or a piece of equipment.  Today it’s a tube pan and spring form pan, I have a bundt pan not a tube pan — and you can make this recipe in a bundt but I really want to test it in a tube and can you believe it — I have worked my entire cooking career around not needing a spring form pan, until now.

I write my recipes first including measurements that I think will work.  Print them out and place them into my folder of in-progress recipes.  I have a big momma 3 ring binder for recipes that have been completed.  Meaning recipes that are covered in food, my chicken scratch testing notes and have been approved by my family and neighbors.  A recipe doesn’t get a 3 hole punch or go into the binder until it’s been entered into my master files on my computer.  Then I keep a copy in the binder for reference so I can see all my cross outs and notes in case I have a question about the evolution of a particular dish.  It’s like handwritten track changes.

Here's the big momma binder I was telling you about. This is just recipes. No writing!!!

This week I am playing catchup.  Before I reward myself and move onto desserts, my last(!!!) chapter, I have to go back and retest some 13, 14 recipes that just didn’t make the cut.  Some were obviously a bust and some were just eh eh but I want every recipe in this book to be amazing.  I need to be obsessed with the recipe in order for it to appear in the pages of this book.   So wish me luck as I work on a glaze for my turkey, an Asian inspired salmon, a complete protein vegetarian main, a crockpot dinner and tons more.  The piece de resistance, the bane of my existence – my grandparents’ chicken soup — I must get it right this week because I simply must, and because I am racing against the clock running toward Pesach trying to meet a deadline. I am a good 25 pounds of chicken into trying to figure this out – so pray for me.

The rumors are true. I am working on my 3rd book, thank G-d.

I have done many things in my life both personally and professionally. But writing a cookbook is one of the single most difficult of them all.

And even with that said I am so thankful to G-d that I have this opportunity once again.

So that explains why I have been writing a little less online these days because I really have been up to my eyeballs in recipe testing and book writing. I am writing and cooking and writing and cooking and writing some more. This is almost like a memoir — ok it most probably is a memoir. I am just waiting to deliver the first chapter to my editor and see what she says because I may be about 500 pages over count. I always joke about my first book that I wrote the book, a semi autobiography, and then was like “oh yeah, I need recipes here”. The joke, not haha funny, but ever so slightly humorous, stemmed from my lack of kitchen prowess. But now I am writing like crazy because I just have so much to say. I can’t explain it, it’s all just pouring out of me. I have written a huge chunk of this book on my iPhone in the middle of the night after not being able to fall back to sleep post feeding, pacifying, or re-situating baby.

I figured it would be fun to chronicle the making of the cookbook. What we like to call a BTS (behind the scenes) look at what goes into all of this. It ain’t easy as you will see, there are a lot of moving parts and dirty dishes and a few unwanted pounds as I taste-test my way through each chapter. I am scared to see what happens when I get to the dessert section. Seriously scared for my life, my skirt, my profile. But that’s not for another few weeks so as Hubby says, “wasted emotions” and “cross that bridge when you…” well, you know the rest.

Join me on this journey. It really helps to get some support from you all as I take this on again.

What’s the hardest thing, aside from parenting children, that you’ve ever done in your life?

My most memorable Purim is a scary scene.  Me with about 60 quarts of soup and 24 pounds of challah dough, crying like a baby at 2AM.
Let me explain.

When we moved to Monsey 5 years ago I really wanted to make a splash that first Purim.  The community had been so warm and welcoming and I really wanted to show my appreciation, by making all 60 families (or most of them) mishloach manos.  Since I didn’t grow up in a family that made mishloach manos, or much of anything in the kitchen, when I first got married I frantically attempted to pull something together, at the last minute, only after my husband reminded me Purim was tomorrow.  So I borrowed a page from my friend Anita’s book and bought every purple food I could find left on the supermarket shelf through it all in a bag and attached a card wishing everyone a “Grape Purim.”  Boy was I ever proud of myself.  No really, I was proud.

A couple years later we move to Monsey and almost every neighbor stopped by with cupcakes or invited us over for a Shabbos meal.  It was the warmest non-stop welcome wagon in the history of mankind.  Now here is where you remark “but Jamie, you haven’t spoken to all of mankind”  and here is where I say “but it really felt like that, do you have to take me oh-so-literally?!”

So back to the warm and fuzzy welcome wagon.  By the time Purim rolled around I felt like I had yet to repay all those lovely neighbors of mine.  Brainstorm…show them all I care with a special homemade shalach munis aka mishloach manot.  That year Purim fell out on Erev Shabbos so I went all certifiable with my theme and decided that each sweetheart of a neighbor deserved a fresh baked challah roll (kneaded that 24 pounds of dough BY HAND!) a quart of chicken soup (used ALL the pots in my kitchen) and then’ cause I didn’t want to make things too hard (really ’cause I ran out of steam) I threw in one of those cute small bottles of Kedem grape juice (I was hoping they would have a grape Purim, even if I now knew better not to write it on the card).

Well, I forgot I was supposed to hear Megillah reading, I forgot I had 3 small kids almost 3, almost 2 and 5 months, and I forgot that certain things should not be tried at home, under pressure, the night of Purim.  Hubby calmly talked me off that ledge,  I don’t believe I slept, everyone got their challah and soup and stuff but I promised myself, actually Hubby made me promise to the family…never ever again.

So now I started a new custom.  Since I don’t always get to deliver cookies or cupcakes as much as I plan to, or invite the new family over for a shabbos meal, as much as I want to, I use Purim as the opportunity to bring them something special. ”Them” of course being that new family on the block or those neighbors I haven’t had a chance to get to know as well.  I go down that list and make only 20-30 mishloach manot that can be prepped in advance,  stored in my cold garage and that don’t require all 5 of my burners.  Go pick up the latest Joy of Kosher magazine for my tri-colored hummus and pita crisp shalach manos.  Look, if I run out of time  and can’t make the crisps I can always just give them the bag of pitas and I still think I’ll make some new friends.  To print your own Purim Cards click here.

What’s your favorite or not so favorite Purim memory?  This is an equal opportunity call for comments.

Chag Sameach!

OMG I am rolling. I just made 20 pounds of challah. DID YOU READ THAT?! TWENTY!!!! POUNDS. Testing sweet and savory “challah” and “challah-esque” recipes for my new book. I am swearing off carbs for a year, or, well, at least a week, for sure until the end of today. One of my many goals in life is to see how many different things I can make out of my challah dough.

Here’s a recap of what I’ve done with it to date — plus a special PB&J challah somethin’ from Hadassah.

Recipes:

Challah Dough
Onion Pockets
Garlic Knots
Cinnamon Buns
Onion and Thyme Challah Rolls
Individual Apple Stuffed Challah
PB&J Babka Buns

Videos:

The Best Challah Dough
How to Make a Crown Shaped  Challah
How to Make a Six Braid Challah – Part One, Part Two
How to Make Onion Pockets
How to Make Garlic Knots
How to Make Cinnamon Buns

What do you do with your challah dough? I would love to pull together 101 ideas for the site. Help us get there. Leave a comment below and submit your actual recipe here. Here’s to washing and bentching!

Just feel like writing now. I know it’s been a while. Have actually been kinda stressed. There is a reason superwoman and her superman are imaginary characters – it’s all just not possible. I am stressed to the point that I am now (as I am typing) eating an entire box of mini cream-filled sponge cakes. It’s a Weight Watchers box but I am pretty sure their intention was not to eat the entire box at once, probably why they individually wrapped each one. SO frustrating now that I am trying to eat them all (while typing). I can stop at any time, you know (just as soon as I finish this box).

I should get the mother of the year award for the yummy din din I made last night (considering all the stress)- the Cranberry Walnut Salmon over Wilted Spinach from my second book Quick & Kosher Meals in Minutes*. Um.. the kiddies including my two year old who can’t even speak “asked” for seconds! Yay! Getting your kiddies to love salmon really should get me some kinda trophy don’t you think? I have two small pieces of salmon left in the fridge which I really should eat instead of struggling with this Fort Knox faux twinkie plastic wrap. But when I am stressed all I can think of is cream and cake. You do know that STRESSED is DESSERTS spelled backwards?!

What do you eat when you are stressed? Let me know in the comments below. At least let me know you also like cake. No one, not even me, likes to eat cake alone!

*please note: the salt measurement is off in the book, it should be 1/2 teaspoon salt NOT 2 tablespoons!

Kimpeturin. When I first heard that Yiddish word, I was totally confused. First of all, it sounds like a plural, but it actually refers to a woman (in the singular) recovering from childbirth. And it’s a term just loaded with compassionate implications: you take pains not to stress out this woman; she’s not expected to shlepp the laundry; and you cut her some slack when it comes to emotional triggers. Point being that new mommies can use a little (ok, a lot) of help from their friends, neighbors, in-laws, anybody! Doesn’t matter if the new baby is your first or if you have a house full of kids, getting it all together ain’t easy.

In our wonderful Jewish communities, aid comes in all forms – gifts of baby essentials, babysitting so the new mommy can nap, or help with din-din. I’ve also heard of a lady who comes over just to sort the laundry. What a G-dsend!

Whether or not you normally love to cook, it’s nice to be off for a while. So, quite often, the community steps up to the plate (literally). A kind-hearted soul organizes the volunteer services of other kind-hearted souls to bring you and your family supper. Every night, the doorbell rings and it’s a fun surprise to see what’s cookin’. This happens wherever Jewish women live: from Boro Park to Beit Shemesh, to Teaneck, LA, Toronto, London, Brussels, Sao Paolo, Johannesburg, Hong Kong. It’s what we do.

If, for some reason, such a “program” is not in place where you live, now’s the time for you to start one. If people feel a little overwhelmed – “What should I cook? What foods do they like?” – I say, stress-nisht.

It’s simple if you follow a few rules. Here are mine:

1. It’s All About the Kids
Unless it’s the couple’s first baby, the biggest help you can give is something the kids will actually eat. This is not the time to impress the couple with your culinary prowess. It’s not a help if after opening up 3 tins of miso-glazed sea bass, Mommy has to make noodles with ketchup for the kids. And make sure you find out if there are any foods you should avoid due to allergies or any other, “I won’t eat this!” biases. When I had my daughter, my neighbor, Beth, sent over pizza: she used the store-bought dough (I hope!) and just topped it with sauce and shredded cheese. And you know what – there wasn’t a crumb left! I often send over a creamy baked ziti with corn on the cob or other kid-friendly sides. My go-to chicken is Duck Sauce Chicken or my Honey Mustard Chicken (from my new book Quick & Kosher Meals in Minutes). Fresh baked chicken that’s finger-lickin’ sweet wins the kiddies any day. Happy kiddies means happy new mommy.

2. Don’t Experiment
If you know the family appreciates experimentation, fine. (People who know me feel free to send things like Moroccan chickpea and spinach soup, baked herb and peppercorn gefilte fish, and glazed carrot soup, and I loved every bit of it.) But when I send to others, I stick to the basics like classic gefilte fish, chicken soup and herb roasted potatoes.

3. Don’t Dress the Salad
You have no clue when the family will sit down to eat. If it’s hours after you send the food, the dressed vegetables will be a soggy mess. Always send the dressing in a separate container. I even go so far as to pack all the veggies separately, so they can toss and dress to order and keep any leftovers for later use.

4. Cut Fruit for Dessert is Deeply Appreciated
The new mom is likely to be super-sensitive about losing her baby weight and loves to see her brood eating healthy desserts, so nix the brownies, cookies and cakes. I love sending over fresh cut or sliced fruit. It keeps nicely and Mom can always pack it for school snacks the next day.

5. Announce Yourself in Writing
Nothing too elaborate, just a note to let the family know who provided the meal. Often a housekeeper or visiting relative will accept the food at the door and the new mother will be clueless about who to call if she has any questions (Is this pareve? Did you know about Yossi’s peanut allergy? etc.) I usually write a little “Mazal tov from the Gellers” on the tins or bag I deliver.

Remember, when you do this mitzvah, it’s not just good for the new mom – it’s good for you. And it’s great for your kids to see you to giving back to the community, too. I usually involve my children in helping to cook or deliver the meals. It’s never too early to start training children in this easy, yet important, chessed.