Saturday, October 31, 2009

I'd Love to Write Another Song...

“I’m searching everywhere, though I look for inspiration, sometimes it’s just not there” – Van Morrison

I’ve been humming that song all week in my search for something interesting to write about! The week was so crazy I didn’t even have time to stop and smell the garlic.

However, I DID have time to finish a book, “Save The Deli” by David Sax. It’s an interesting and often poignant history of Jewish deli, in the United States and around the world. The stories of the Deli Men tugged at my heartstrings as I read about their struggles to keep their businesses and culture alive. Quite frankly, I was unaware how difficult it is to run a deli and I have a newfound respect for those business owners. I spent most of my time reading and salivating for a pastrami sandwich.

The book also highlighted another sad topic: how traditional recipes are becoming lost with each generation. Are we becoming so used to dinner from a box that we are losing our identities? I thought about two treasured food memories from my childhood: my grandmother serving “ployes” with molasses or jam in lieu of bread and my grandfather’s special soup. Never made the same way twice, he would often appear at our home unannounced and before you realized he was there, a large pot of hearty soup would be boiling on the stove. It contained any combination of the following ingredients: pasta, tomatoes, spinach, chicken broth and potatoes. It was always perfect and sadly, can never be replicated.

I urge you to take the time and do one of two things: patronize local family owned restaurants AND write down your family recipes.

Ployes – French Canadian Crepe

1 Cup Buckwheat flour
1 Cup all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 ½ cups cold water
½ cup hot water

Mix dry ingredients with cold water. Add hot water and mix, creating a light batter. Spoon batter onto a hot griddle; forming a 5-6 inch pancake. Allow ploye to cook for 1 ½ minutes, do not flip! Remove from griddle and repeat process for each ploye. Serve with butter, jam, molasses or maple syrup.

Have a Happy and safe Halloween!

1 comments:

zoe p. said...

Oooh. I think I'll take you up on this. In a few weeks.