Same Corporation, Different Division
How Matzah Ball Soup reminded me of the value of Tradition.
In Sebastian Maniscalco’s comedy special, "Aren't You Embarrassed?", he talks about how Italian and Jews are very similar. "Same corporation, different division."
I thought of this bit over the weekend, when Dan asked me to make matzo balls for his grandma’s chicken soup recipe. This year, I’ve talked a lot about how cooking has given me a sense of home. What I’ve also come to appreciate is that the tradition of dishes is what keeps us feeling connected to “home.” In watching Dan make his Grandma’s chicken soup from scratch, I saw how important it was to him to make it just right- as if each sprinkle of pepper was one step closer to preserving her memory.
So, when Dan asked me to make the matzo balls for his soup, I knew I didn’t want to disappoint him, or, his family. Except, I didn’t know what I was making.
Not only have I never tried “matzah”, but I’ve also never had matzo ball soup. I didn’t have a baseline to work from, so I just googled a recipe and hoped for the best. The first batch, I made from a kosher blog I found when I googled “Homemade Matzo Balls.” I ground up the Matzo (not before trying it- it’s good!), and followed the recipe step by step.
I thought I had it until I put the first batch in the broth. They instantly crumbled as they sank to the bottom, and after a few minutes, I knew they didn’t keep their shape. I was going to have to start again, and the stress hit me like a tidal wave.
I stressed, not because the recipe was complicated, but because the memories were. Here I was, in charge of creating a component that holds so many memories for Dan, his sisters, and his father. His grandmother’s soup. I wasn’t working from her recipe, and I didn’t know his paternal grandmother, or what the expectation of her matzo ball is- that pressure is insurmountable.
I fished out the broken pieces of the first batch and before googling another recipe, I googled “matzo ball origin.” After all, the best cooking requires soul and I needed to understand “what” I was making. Here’s what I learned.
It is most likely that matzah balls were adopted as a Jewish dumpling: creating an adaption of a staple from another culture. Before the machine-made matzo became widely consumed, Jewish people would visit their local bakery for Matzo bread, and make matzo balls with the leftover crumbs.
But the dumplings were not always called “matzo” balls. They were called knoedel, and the Germans, Austrians, and Alsatians used them in soups. When Jews moved to Poland, they referred to them as knoedela, and in the 1930s, the U.S. Manischewitz company started packaging the product and called them "Alsatian feathery balls."
“Matzo” ball was dubbed in America, most likely by comedians and vaudeville performers. As an adaption, Matzo Ball Soup is used to honor the Jews who were banned from Egypt during Passover. However, more commonly, matzah ball soup is served year-round as a comfort. It’s even called “Jewish penicillin”. And, that is something I can resonate with.
“Same Corporation, different division”.
In so many ways, the matzah ball is similar to an Italian Meatball- which, is an American-Italian adaption and not traditional in Italy. I thought of that as I mixed the egg with homemade matzah meal. Here we are, trying to create our traditions, just like our ancestors did before us. Matzah ball or Meatball, it’s all a way our ancestors tried to assimilate to new lands while respecting the roots in which they came from.
Now, that’s a story with soul to it.
Food is the root of our history, and it is meant to bring us together. Traditional dishes are created to tell a story: to remind the current and future generations how their family came to be.
The beauty of cooking and traditions is that we can honor our past while putting our spin on the future. We pass these meals and recipes down with the idea that our legacies will be preserved across multiple generations.
Cooking teaches our history while giving us space to create our tradition, like the Matzo Ball or Meatball. While they are deep in the tapestry of culture today, they started as adaptions, showing us that we are meant to create new dishes, and new ideas, and add our interpretation to a recipe.
As I pulled the perfectly cooked Matzo Balls from the broth, I worried about what the verdict would be. While I didn’t add my spices, I did use butter instead of oil (our Jewish family is not Kosher, and butter is a great fat.) Would this impact the final taste? Again, what is the final taste supposed to be!?
On the drive out east, I thought about how beautiful it was that this dish was something Dan and I built together. Two different pieces of a puzzle, coming together to harmoniously blend. Perhaps we’ll include this in the vows.
While I was panicked about honoring Dan’s paternal grandmother, I had a feeling she was smiling down, knowing that her grandson found happiness. Or, at least that’s what helped me not panic sweat during the 40-minute drive.
“It feels like grandma.” My sister-in-law said as she tried the soup. I felt a smile form across my face.
From Dan’s father, the final review was that the Matzo balls were “different.” Different is to be expected when we’re starting from scratch: that doesn’t make it bad, though. This was not the family recipe he knew so well, because it couldn’t have been. It would be impossible to replicate his mother’s dish, and that’s an expectation I cannot live up to. What I can do is honor her origin. What I can do is make a dish that her legacy will gather around.
While they might have been different than the years of tradition before me, they’re the start of a new tradition for the years ahead of us. Maybe, my matzo balls will be the ones my nephews and our future children remember. One day, I hope they’re gathered around a table, telling family stories, and smiling when they get to the part of our history where their Italian-Irish Aunt made matzo balls, and eventually gave us the recipe.
I don’t know what my legacy will be, but I hope that makes it in there.
I mentioned last week that I was changing the format of Salt, with Soul. Well, friends, this is what we’re going to be exploring. Making the Matzo balls came at the perfect time, and here’s why.
I am a jack-of-all-trades type. I do not have a specialty, and my ADHD does not allow me to stay in one lane too long. I am a lifelong learner, a value instilled in me at a young age by, you guessed it, my Grandfather. I crave knowledge, I love research, and all of that is probably why I’ve always had a lot of monetized hobbies.
Salt, with Soul, is not a hobby, though. It is my lifeline. Going into 2024, we’re going to honor all the parts of life I love- learning, research, writing, exploring, being present- by exploring a “Theme” a month.
With each theme, we’ll explore cuisine, culture, and history as we learn something new, together.
On the first of the month, we’ll announce the “Theme” with a mood board, a small explanation of why I picked it, and a Book of the Month that compliments the theme.
Our Soul pieces will be thought pieces on what I’ve learned so far (like the origin of matzah balls!) and our Salt pieces will be recipes inspired by the theme. In addition, each month new merchandise for the Etsy shop will be added, also inspired by the theme.
Our first theme is “Julia”- after an absolute legend, Julia Child. I’ll have more come January 1st, but I wanted to give a teaser. Not all themes are after people, trust me.
For paid subscribers, there are two new perks:
Introducing, Martini Monologues: a substack podcast/weekly post.
I always say that this is my online kitchen, and my favorite part of any gathering is when we start gabbing after a few libations. (My choice, Martinis) If you follow me on Instagram, think “Aunt Loretta, but without the fat suit.” I want to write about life observations, talk about the things friends do, and have fun! Since Substack has a podcast feature, I thought “Let’s try it!” This weekly roundup will include a recipe or two for the week.
In addition, paid subscribers will receive a quarterly box from Salt with Soul HQ. Initial thoughts are little recipe books, merchandise, and recipes in mason jars. The box will be shipped the last month of each quarter, and there will be more to come!
It’s exciting to try something new, and I can’t wait to see what 2024 brings.
This was a long one: thanks for sticking with me! I’ll still be writing here as I work BTS on my 2024 plan (and also work on finalizing those wedding things because February is not a real month which means March is really soon!)
If you’re curious about what an Aunt Loretta is, follow me on Instagram (@) leannegelish
I’ll see you Thursday, with a boozy holiday cocktail!