Hot Bowl of Memories

                          Hot Bowl of Memories

By Justin Alexander

  Sometimes a recipe has the ability to transcend the ingredients that compose it to become more than simply a meal but a central point in our lives, a constant that we return to as we make our way through good times and bad. Many of us have that perfect dish; some call it soul food, others comfort food, that we enjoy throughout our lifetime and that we associate with memories and good times Often, it is more than the dish but also the process surrounding it, buying the ingredients, making the food with those that are held dear, and the memories that are created around the meal. For me, throughout my life, “Cholent” has been that dish.

 Cholent, also known as “Hamin” is a stew enjoyed by religious Jews, traditionally as the central dish during the weekly Sabbath feast. The exact formula varies widely but the basic recipe, cooked in a Crockpot, includes: kidney beans, barley, peeled cubed potatoes, sliced onions and a cut of meat. The potatoes layer the bottom of the pot and the beans and barley – after having been soaked in water overnight – poured on top. Then, the meat is placed on top. These wholesome ingredients form the base of the hearty stew, however it is the flavorings –and each family has their own concoction of additives- that provide a unique taste and can transform a good Cholent into a great one. Seasonings can include spices, ketchup, honey and many others (New York Times). Periodically, while the stew cooks, all the cooking ingredients are tossed together and the Crockpot set on low for twelve hours after which the hearty stew is ready. True comfort food, Cholent is a perfect dish to enjoy on a blustery winter day and pairs beautifully with a loaf of homemade bread warm from the oven and a cold beer.

My relationship to Cholent is complicated. Growing up a Rabbi’s son in a religious Jewish household, my earliest memories are of playing on the kitchen floor with my mother cooking up a storm, preparing the Sabbath Cholent.  Once I was a bit older I was privileged to occasionally be designated taste tester, inhaling a spoonful of the piping hot stew and proclaiming whether or not it needed more salt. Older still, I left home to make my own way in the world. I left traditional Judaism in favor of a secular Humanistic lifestyle that is absent of my past fundamentalist religious values. Predictably, I fell into conflict with my ultra-religious family and am now estranged entirely from them. I have made decisions about how I wanted to live my life and consequently I lost touch with my roots, my family and traditions. I no longer observe the Sabbath and I don't feel connected to any kind of Jewish tradition or culture. However, there is one thing still in my life that remains from that world I used to live in. I still enjoy my Cholent.

These days, my wife and I often cook together in the cramped galley style kitchen of our rented apartment. We prepare the Cholent together, although to be fair she is the principal chef while I contribute by sucking on a Heineken and cheering her on. Over the past few years we have developed our own perfect Cholent recipe. We like to use red potatoes, pearl onions and sometimes bone-in rib steak.  We constantly work on creating the perfect flavoring. Our blend of seasonings, cultivated from tradition, trial and error, and Internet message boards, include: Salt and pepper and paprika, ketchup, onion soup mix, garlic and BBQ sauce. Crockpot set on low; we allow the ingredients to simmer overnight, the flavor of the ingredients melding into one another to create the savory stew that we’ll enjoy the next day.

In a poignant article in Ha’aretz magazine, Michal Palti discusses the essence of Cholent. The dish is described as more than a traditional meal; rather it is a sort of family touchstone, recipes often accompanied with stories and memories. As Palti observes, it is amazing that a simple dish of meat and beans can be so poetic (Ha’aretz). This was certainly the case for me, as my childhood was filled with joyful family gatherings and occasions, many of which took place around steaming pots of Cholent. Unfortunately, due to irreconcilable differences, much of what was once part of my life is now no more. However, today, together with my wife, I am forging my own identity and hope to build my own family and memories in the years ahead, perhaps perfecting my own unique Cholent recipe along the way.

While people change and time passes, those favorite dishes are our constant companion, something we can hold onto throughout the years as an unchanging constant. While I may be very different from that child who once peeled potatoes for his mother before the religious holy days, I still connect to my favorite food in the same way; as a gathering point for all that is important; family and love, good times and memories. And who knows? Maybe, someday in the future, I’ll be able to sit down and reconcile my differences with my parents. If so, we would surely do so over a pot of steaming hot Cholent.

                                    

 Works Cited:

1. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/24/dining/24hanukkahrex4.html

Geller, Jamie. "Cholent." New York Times 23 Nov. 2010. Accessed: Web. 8 Feb. 2012.

2. http://www.haaretz.com/culture/arts-leisure/a-pot-full-of-beans-and-love-1.256970

 Palti, Michal. "A Pot Full of Beans and Love." Ha'aretz. 10 Dec. 2008. Accessed: Web. 10 Feb. 2012

 Jesse Miller, when not doing schoolwork, playing basketball, or spending time with his wife and cats, works as a florist in central New Jersey. He enjoys reading and writing and is on his way to law school.  Raised in a fundamentalist religious environment, Jesse now writes and advocates for a Humanistic world; some of his work may be seen on Unpious.com where he also writes as Justin Alexander.