Don’t Try This At Home

A food critic’s take on baba ghanoush, garlic confit, and gefilte fish

The Man

Chaim Yaakov Pollak, age 27, 1 child, full-time learning
Ramat Eshkol, Yerushalayim

The Plan Friday Night:

Challah, Baba Ghanoush, Pesto, Garlic Mayo, Onion Dip Browned Gefilte Fish, Israeli Salad, Onion and Duck Sauce Chicken, Mommy’s Famous Broccoli Kugel, Sweet Potatoes, Brownie/Rice Krispies Extravaganza

The Plan Shabbos Day:

Challah and Dips, Browned Gefilte Fish, Israeli Salad, Crock-Pot Meat, Deli Nish-Nosh Salad, Cranberry-Apple Kugel

I generally pride myself as a food critic. Case in point: My aunt likes to remind me that I once commented (correctly) that she had sprinkled salt on the chicken at a different point in the cooking process than she usually did. Yet even with my expertise as a critic, my cooking skills until now have consisted of delicious scrambled eggs and microwaved tuna melts. Somehow, however, I allowed my wife to talk me into doing this Man with a Pan business. Buckle up.