Coming Clean: Tales of a Disordered Eater

Last night I prepared brisket with a recipe that has been passed down from generation to generation in my family.

My great-grandma Rose made it, my grandma Jeanette made it, my mom makes it, and now I have made my inaugural brisket. (I’m truly a woman now!)

The simple act of cooking my family’s recipe took me back to my great-grandmother’s world, to a much simpler time.

I can envision those days when women didn’t/couldn’t attend synogogue, but would spend all day slaving in the kitchen to prepare the holiday meal for the family.

When she was a young immigrant from Poland, familiar food from the “Old Country” was likely all she and her family had to cling to as they made their roots in America.

And the ties between Great-Grandma Rose and I run deeper than brisket.

Though I have never met her, she is a part of me every single day: my engagement ring was hers; the same antique setting, just resized for me, with new side diamonds.

When I look down at the beautiful ring my husband put on my left ring finger on Rosh Ha Shana in Florence, Italy in 2005 … I am overcome with love. It’s as though she is always with me.

Cooking her brisket last night, I swelled up with pride.

Not only did I prepare a beautiful and delicious meal for my husband and I … but I also savored every bite, remembering, on this Day of Remembrance, just how far I’ve come in life … and where I hope to go in it.

I served the (very lean!) brisket with my mom’s special roasted new potatoes seasoned with garlic and paprika, and roasted asparagus — a favorite of mine. Dessert was, in Rosh Ha Shana tradition, apples and honey.

The verdict: my brisket wasn’t exactly as tender as my mom’s, and the sauce wasn’t quite as tangy … but it was an amazing first attempt at retracing my heritage, and I am so happy I decided to give it a shot.

I know Great-Grandma Rose and Grandma Jeanette would be so proud. They’re probably kvelling up in heaven.

How about you? Is there a favorite family recipe you make for special holidays?