One of our favorite comics (maybe due to my job connection) is the one where Zaidy reminds Bubby that the Nine Days are approaching, when we don’t eat meat because of the sad time period. Then their twin grandchildren come to visit and ask Bubby what fancy/time-consuming dairy dishes she prepared “in honor of the Nine Days.” I laugh to myself at the implications, but in my kitchen, while we try to make sure there’s some protein, some vegetable, and something filling, fancy is not on the list for this time of year.
I haven’t gotten into a deep-dive dairy, multiple-dishes-with-multiple-steps for the Nine Days since my early newlywed years (and then it wasn’t special for the Nine Days — it was every day, lunch and supper). It was a short window of time, but I enjoyed it. I would say that I had the time then, but it’s not true. It was just me procrastinating and also me probably feeling some percentage of this-is-what-I’m-supposed-to-be-doing and some percentage of satisfaction of a well-received meal.
The truth is, it takes more effort to make a filling dairy meal, and one pasta dish isn’t going to do it in many homes, but there’s a middle road that doesn’t lead to ten-step recipes. To that end, the sisters have provided great new recipes to keep our people nourished on those nights, and we also have some simple, real, Hasty but Tasty menus — with a heavy dose of down-to-earthness — that Bubby would be proud of.
CHANIE NAYMAN
Food Editor, Family Table
Editor in Chief, Kosher.com
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