Starting a project...

A Sandwich Without Avocado Isn’t Worth Eating
by Betsy Banks Epstein

Introduction

David has encouraged me to write personal essays and weave in my recipes. I rarely make complicated dishes. In fact, mostly I make things up and carry the list of ingredients in my head. When the world is out of control which is far too often, when people near and dear to me are ailing, or when I’m just overanxious, creating a meal in my kitchen is a way to relax, to do something positive. I guess I’ve resisted this project because I see so many published collections from celebrities. But the truth is, as a woman who was mostly at home raising my three as well as providing a safe haven for many other kids, the kitchen was the center of our life while our family was growing. Once we moved to Cambridge, it was easy for parents to drop off their first graders on snow days.

I remember one daunting blizzard when Jay was six. He and two other little boys had spent hours building a fort in our back yard. When they finally came indoors, I put their socks and snow pants directly into the dryer before preparing their lunch. Later in between bites, one of them looked me in the eye and said: “You’re the good kind of mom…you dry our clothes and make grilled cheese sandwiches!” I know I’ve loved that guy ever since. If I ever had to question what I was doing with my days, he validated me with that one innocent comment.

Chicken soup with rice seems like the right way to begin. When Aron was small, he loved a collection of four little books that had been mine as a child. This “Nutshell Library” by Maurice Sendak had a few titles he enjoyed, but his favorite by far was “Chicken Soup With Rice”. The book featured each month of the year with a poem about chicken soup. In January, there was: “…sipping once sipping twice sipping chicken soup with rice…” He could never get enough of these poems or of chicken soup for that matter.

Yesterday I made a pot of soup for David. He’s been complaining of what he calls a “low grade” cold for days. I’ve joked and asked him what exactly a low grade cold is compared with a high grade cold, for example. He says it is terminology left over from his mother and it actually makes sense. A “low grade” cold is lurking in your system enough to run you down but not quite evident enough to be a full-blown coughing and sneezing extravaganza. Even though he’s an adult living in the big city, it’s impossible not to hear Aron’s five year-old voice or see his thick brown curls when I mix that chicken soup with rice.

Chicken Soup With Rice (serves 6)
In a 5 and 1/2quart casserole, sauté one sliced onion, 6 sliced celery sticks, 1/2 lb. sliced mushrooms, 18 baby carrots, in a few tablespoons of olive oil. Sprinkle in ground black pepper, oregano, and garlic powder. Add the meat from 2 whole chicken breasts, without skin or fat. When meat is white on all sides, add 10 chicken bouillon cubes and 9 cups of water. Bring the casserole to a brief boil, add one cup of basmati rice, then cover and simmer for several hours. After refrigerating overnight, skim off the fat and then reheat. It’s even better the next day.