April: Tangy Braised Short Ribs — The Dinner Party Resolution

It is hard to believe that last month’s virtual dinner party was only a few weeks ago back when social distancing still felt novel, we weren’t all totally Zoom-ed out, and I was still eating like a Sumo wrestler in training. But it was just a few weeks ago. And we are still staying at home. And now wearing masks. And doing whatever it takes for a FreshDirect delivery spot. And even though it doesn’t feel like Passover could possibly happen like this, my family (and millions of others) decided to host Zoom seders. And so, I set out to make my first seder, and of course, this was the week that I could not get a delivery from FreshDirect. Despite that, it never occurred to me that I might just make a small dinner, or even order in. Maybe it was Alison (voice of our generation) Roman’s compendium in the Times, maybe it was the fact that on Passover I have eaten the same foods every single year of my life, maybe it was my competitive spirit dying to know what I would do if allowed to make the meal, but even though it was just for me and Nick, I really went for it (and I found that my family and most of my friends did too). I think during this time when everything is unknown and nothing looks like it used to, there was something compelling about doing one thing the way we’ve always done it.

So grocery list in hand, gloves and mask on, I went to multiple stores and I cobbled together some Mercato orders, and I got everything that we needed for our seder plate, matzo ball soup, short-ribs, kugel, a vegetable, and even dessert. Of course when I started cooking, I realized that I hadn’t fully read the short-rib recipe and sent Nick out for a few more things.

I’ve never made matzo ball soup before, because I’ve never had to. My mom typically hosts the first seder and she makes a great matzo ball soup. I realized this year I’ve never even watched her make it. It never occurred to me that I might have to make it. I made the chicken broth on Tuesday, the day before Passover, and I think it’s the most Jewish I’ve ever felt. I swear our whole apartment smelled like Judaism. And when I chilled the broth overnight so that I could skim the fat off of the top for my matzo balls (where did Alison Roman think I was getting schmaltz? And did she really think I could ever face my mother again if I put butter in them?????), and then used the bones to make brone both, I kept thinking to myself, “that’s a real yiddishe kop.” (It is possible that my inner monologue has intensified as the not seeing people has started to get me.) The matzo balls were sticky and hard to deal with, and I cursed myself for never thinking to watch my mom make them (that inner monologue getting out of hand again), but they came out beautifully.

I have made kugel for our family seder for the past few years, so that recipe wasn’t new to me. And I decided to add kimchi to it, because we have lots of kimchi, Nick loves kimchi pancakes, and honestly while delicious, it is a sort of boring recipe. With that, I took the short rib recipe in a more Asian direction, swapping apple cider vinegar for rice wine vinegar, adding a splash of fish sauce, and omitting the thyme. And I also decided to roast our asparagus in sesame oil and fish sauce, and top them with toasted sesame seeds (which became kosher for Passover a few years ago). I’d been debating whether or not to make dessert all week, particularly given how much weight I’m gaining during this quarantine and that there would only be two of us, but remembering that my mom had made a chocolate olive oil mousse one year, I found a recipe for that and decided just to go for it — it was a holiday after all.

Just about 20 minutes from where my parents live, I also took my daily run to their apartment to pick up some extra gefilte fish and my mom’s famous charoset. Since I was allergic to walnuts growing up, she makes a Sephardic charoset with dried fruit and nuts that makes any other I’ve seen pale in comparison. And we caught up at a good social distance.

Once back, Nick and I sat down at our table, in the nicest clothes we’ve put on in weeks, hand-drawn seder plate, and we made it work. All of our songs sounded like they were being sung in a round due to the video lag, and my niece insisted on reading a book about Passover instead of the Haggadah, and we spent a good deal of time talking about FreshDirect slots: “Are you Chef’s Table?” “Of course, I’m Chef’s Table” “Send them an email” Send them an email” (at the same time), but when my brother revealed that he had also made matzo ball soup, and that he and my dad had both made a brisket, I really did feel like we were all connected.