Honig Avrom - Feed me, Bubbe: recipes and wisdom from Americas favorite online grandmother

2011 by Chalutz Productions
2011 Cover photography by Essdras M. Suarez
All rights reserved under the Pan-American and International Copyright Conventions Printed in the United States

This book may not be reproduced in whole or in part, in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system now known or hereafter invented, without written permission from the publisher.

Books published by Running Press are available at special discounts for bulk purchases in the United States by corporations, institutions, and other organizations. For more information, please contact the Special Markets Department at the Perseus Books Group, 2300 Chestnut Street, Suite 200, Philadelphia, PA 19103, or call (800) 810-4145, ext. 5000, or e-mail .

ISBN: 978-0-7624-4188-4
E-book ISBN: 978-0-7624-4371-0
Library of Congress Control Number: 2011931293

9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Digit on the right indicates the number of this printing

Cover photography by Essdras M. Suarez
Interior photographs provided by the authors
Typography: Minion, Univers, Apple Chancery, Corinthia, and Wingdings

Running Press Book Publishers
A Member of the Perseus Books Group
2300 Chestnut Street
Philadelphia, PA 19103-4371

Visit us on the web!
www.runningpresscooks.com
www.feedmebubbe.com

This book is dedicated to Bubbes parents, Abe and Molle, who taught the family values of life and living, and to Zadie for being so wonderful on and off the set in his patience and encouragement in every way during the writing of this book.

When we first started out making the online video series Feed Me Bubbe never in our wildest dreams did we think that we would reach where we are today. Our fans kept asking us for a cookbook, and we really didnt even know where to begin. To help you better understand our journey, we need to start with the first major phone call that we received unexpectedly from Chris Brogan on behalf of him and Jeff Pulver inviting us to go to San Jose, California, for our first-ever appearance at the Video On the Net Fall 2007 Conference. It took a lot of convincing to attend since Bubbe really didnt think anyone would ever want to fly us out with all expenses paid. Avrom really had his hands full explaining that they really and truly wanted to have us be there at the conference. When we arrived they made Bubbe feel like a queen and Avrom like a VIP. Bubbe was recognized wherever she went, with many shocked that Bubbe was the main attraction over all of the technological announcements taking place at the same conference. From there we ended up learning many skills from Steve Garfield and his mother, Millie, who is always a pleasure to see. We owe a big debt of gratitude to Steve, Chris, and Jeff for taking an interest in us, and giving us our chance.

We also want to take the opportunity of recognizing Instant Media for broadcasting our very first show on Friday, June 16, 2006, to a worldwide audience. From there we grew into other networks. There are too many to name but the list includes Blip.tv, Blinkx, Dish and Dine, and even YouTube. On YouTube we ended up receiving more fans that really showed us how dedicated a fan base we have, for which we are grateful. In addition the emails have been a constant reminder and a motivator of why we have continued for so long.

Another special thank you to the various celebrities that have recognized our contributions. This includes Carson Daly, who included us on his Internet program, Its Your Show. Carson was even going to play our video on New Years Eve on NBC. Due to time restraints it never made it to air, but it meant a lot to us anyway that they even were planning on doing that in the first place. In addition, wed like to thank Food Network star Dave Lieberman, who invited us to do a guest appearance on his online food series entitled In Search of Real Food.

The press have always been a pleasure to have over in the kitchen and speak to over the Internet using the Skype program. We must thank our very first interview from George of the One Minute How To online show, who is always a pleasure to make an appearance on. To all of the media, including Retirement Living Television, Frontline, ABC World News, etc., thank you for teaching Avrom how to use his media equipment, sharing tricks to improve the production. Little things like unplugging the refrigerator, taking off the phone before shooting, and even how to properly set up lighting have made a real difference. To those in the newspaper industry, your questions and conversations have always been delightful and your general interest in seeing us succeed is heartwarming.

Never in our wildest dreams would we ever think that we would get a column in a magazine and we have to thank Shalom Magazine for that opportunity. Even the idea that we can be found on television via JLTV in certain areas is incredible to think about. Even our merchandising from our start with Guertins Graphics and Awards to now Printfection has been a learning experience. We must take an opportunity of course to thank Zadie, Avroms grandfather and Bubbes husband, for all of his work helping with the merchandise and being our #1 PA (production assistant) on the set.

Of course we dont want to leave out those that have helped improve the Web site, from Noam Hassenfeld, who composed our theme song, to Tad Davis, who did a brilliant job redesigning our website. At this point we just wish we could name everyone, including Avroms friends that took the time to help us out when we just needed that extra bit of support. Most importantly this book is all in thanks to an article that was in the Boston Globe that was spotted by our future cookbook writer, Lucy Baker. From there, we were fortunate to work with literary agent Sharon Bowers and Running Press Editor Geoffrey Stone. And how could we forget our amazing photographer Essdras M. Suarez who was extremely patient with us during our very special book photo shoot. Everyone worked really hard, and we poured every memory, taste, and feeling that we could in this book.

We know we are missing people and with any list that can happen but just know we appreciate every contribution, including the requests to fix an issue on the website. This has been a team effort and you are all part of our team, especially those that have helped us along the way as we asked for it through the social networking site Facebook on our fan page. We hope that you enjoy this book with your loved ones and are ready for heartwarming stories, delicious recipes, and even a bissel (little) Yiddish.

Love,

Bubbe and Avrom

Are you hungry? Do you need a little nosh? It doesnt matter what you sayI wont take no for an answer. Im a bubbe (thats Yiddish for grandmother) and feeding people is what I do best. In just a minute, Im going to teach you how to make all of my favorite Jewish recipes, from chicken soup to chocolate-swirled mandel bread. These are the dishes that have nourished and comforted my family for generations. In fact, many of them came over on the ships from Europe and Russia. Now thats what I call time-tested! Big bowls of steaming cabbage and meat borscht; crisp radish salads; and sweet, crunchy kichlach (thats Yiddish for puffed sugar cookies) have been sustaining people for hundreds of yearsand for good reason. Not only do they taste delicious, they also taste like home.

Dont worry if youre not a gourmet cook. Im not, either. My recipes are simple and straightforward. Ive done my best to explain just how I make each dish from start to finish. So dont worry if you arent sure how to properly rinse a chicken, soak matzo for matzo brei, or mix ingredients for meatballsIll talk you through each and every step. It will be just like your own grandmother is there with you in the kitchen! I promise that if you follow my directions, even youyes youcan prepare soothing chicken soup, moist and tender beef brisket, and creamy noodle kugel.