sarah in nyc

 Tonight we have been invited to a beloved cousin's for Shabbat dinner. Yes, I am bringing two challot. last night I asked if I could bring anything else. This morning my cousin texted that her beloved loved the almond cookies I had made for the High Holidays. My first thought was ,"What almond cookies?". Then I remembered that I had added almond flour to whipped egg whites and topped each cookie with a whole almond. My youngest, ( tree nut allergic) will be at dinner too. I am not interested in killing him so I also needed t create a nut-free option for him. So this is what I did. I separated four eggs and put the whites into my big yellow Pyrex bowl. I added a pinch of salt to give the egg whites a bit more structure. Since there are four egg whites I have a cup of sugar at the ready. You need 1/4 cup of sugar per egg white. It is easier to separate cold eggs just out of the fridge but egg whites beat up more impressively if they are at room temperature. So separate you...

Tonight is kind of a momentous Shabbat.  Our older son moves out on Sunday. He had signed a lease on an apartment uptown from us on April 1, but Corona Virus, and Passover had put a crimp in his plans to not just pay rent, but actually to live in his apartment with a roommate.  I'm delighted that he has a steady income and can move out. Unfortunately, once he moves out he is part of a different household and can't visit us unless he is masked (and us too) and socially distanced.  He goes off into the world an excellent cook and bread baker. If i play my cards right he may share his sour dough starter with me. I wanted to put a bit more effort into this meal. I made red chicken, that is chicken with smoked paprika, hot paprika, cayenne and black pepper. I massaged the spices into the chicken and cooked it on a bed of potatoes, carrots and parsnips. Here it is before cooking.  And after cooking... Despite the fact that getting food is still a little complicated, I want...