Could I prepare the meals myself for guests — and finish early too?
Illustration by Lea Kron
Before I start, I need to mention that it was not my wife who suggested I do Man with a Pan. Shout out to my mother and mother-in-law — both avid Mishpacha readers — who suggested several times that they would like to see me featured. I couldn’t turn down such a challenge and just needed to find a good week for it.
I arranged with a brother-in-law who lives nearby that we’d eat together: Friday night by me and Shabbos day by him — but I’d be cooking everything.
Tuesday night I created a rough menu in my mind with all the basics. I knew I’d make matbucha and some form of potato kugel, in addition to all the basics like fish and chicken. The only thing missing was a side dish for Friday night. I spent all Wednesday morning thinking about it and finally settled on Popcorn Cauliflower. I didn’t plan anything for dessert because we generally just serve candy unless my wife has time to bake something.
The real work started Wednesday afternoon. I headed out to a store down the block that sells vegetables in large quantities. Then I immediately got to work on the matbucha (from Sababa cookbook) since it needs a few hours to cook down. With the tomatoes underway and the peppers and jalapeños broiling in the oven, the whole mixture was in the pot by 8:00 p.m. I then headed out for Minchah-Maariv, with a stop at another grocery store on my way home to pick up a few things.
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