… Who am I anyway?
Am I my resume?
That is a picture of a person I don’t know.
What does he want from me?
What should I try to be? …
I started taking dance classes when I was 9. During my senior year, a few friends and I were featured in an ad in our local newspaper. Thanks, mom, for clipping this and sending it to Bubbie, who then sent it back to me a few years later:
A Chorus Line was the first musical I ever saw, at the National Theater in DC. Imagine my pre-pubescent embarrassment sitting next to my parents during “Dance, Ten; Looks, Three.”
This has always been one of my favorite shows and was my first exposure, not just to dance performance and theater, but to the vicissitudes of life as a dancer. Needless to say, despite being in many performing companies throughout my life, I realized that dance would always be an avocation rather than a vocation. But I never want to stop dancing.
Over the past few years, the lines from the musical — “Who am I anyway? Am I my resume…What should I try to be?…” keeps resonating with me. As I continue to define myself (isn’t that just part of life?), I wanted to use this blog to explore and share some sides of me that really go beyond the paper resume of a health care person.
I love to cook, eat, and entertain and I live to dance. These two passions might seem a bit at odds with one another, especially when you think about the eating disorders rampant among dancers (part of what initially got me interested in becoming a doc), but I really enjoy the dichotomy.
Dichotomy.
Juxtaposition.
That healthy tension.
Things that don’t always seem to go together. But, at least in my view of the world, do.
Like kosher cuisine. And by cuisine, I mean good food. The French word, la cuisine, refers not just to the kitchen, but to the cooking and manner of preparing food. I think of it as food appropriate for the setting. Served well. Tastes good. And, I think, most of all, inspired.
And there’s a lot that inspires me that lends itself to la cuisine:
- international travel
- unique ingredients
- recreating dishes that I’ve seen or tried somewhere
- history
- an amazing aesthetic
It is very important to me that kosher food not be dull and I don’t know how to cook much traditional Jewish Ashkenazi food like kugel. So, when I started hosting people for shabbat and holidays, I made the types of food that I like (my theory is that I won’t cook something if I don’t want to eat the leftovers) and the type of food that I grew up with or experienced in my travels. I started making theme meals and learned how to match foods together. I am pretty much self-taught and am a keen observer. I pick up a lot from my friends, family, and those who have taken me under their wings along the way. It is to them that I dedicate this site. You’ll hear me talk about them a lot — indulge me … because food is about more than feeding the stomach…it’s about feeding the neshama (soul/spirit).
And I can’t resist one more gratuitous dance scene from A Chorus Line, the Movie (the opening combo, right before they sing “I Hope I Get It”):
Hello, I can’t understand how to add your blog in my rss reader
Thanks so much for visiting and I’m glad you want to read! Sorry for any confusion — I wish subscribing were a bit more user friendly and I’m trying to figure out how to make that the case. Thanks for bringing this to my attention. On the upper right hand corner of the blog, there is an orange “RSS button” (thought it does not say “RSS”) for Posts and another one for comments. Just hit the orange button to the left of Posts and this should take you through the process to add it to your Google/Yahoo or other reader. You can do the same thing under the “Admin…” Section on the right-hand column towards the bottom.
great domain name for blog like this
Thanks for visiting and for “getting” my name!
Hag Sameach
Thanks for your blog, amazing ideas, I made lists, I will finish shopping tomorrow, we will feed twelve.
Just South of Seattle
Hi Big B – Thanks for visiting and hope your seders went well in sunny Washington! Let me know how everything went. – Z
Love your site!! I am a cook book addict, and can sooo relate to how you portray food as something that fills the soul, not just the stomach! Love that you share the experience of food combined with life experiences!! Your writing is comfortable and easy to relate to….it makes me want to invite you to our Shabbat table!! My husband & I share in our love for cooking & entertaining, and I see “big B” beat me to the punch in blogging you first. I am making your avocado-asparagus salad this Shabbat. You are a culinary blessing….
Hello Miryam. What a beautiful compliment – I’m really touched. When I’m back in Washington, let’s cook together. It would be nice to meet you and your husband. I used to go out to Mercer Island when I would visit Seattle and just loved driving over that long bridge (name escaping me). I hope the avocado asparagus salad worked out for you. Now that warmer weather is here, more salads will abound! – Z
Hi again Zahavah
Just sent you an e-mail having read about your lamb. Then I read a little of your web site. I live in Newton with my husband and have 3 grown children. I have no idea how I got into this web site, but am fascinated by it and how crazy some people are about food. I’m planning a mission to West Hartford, CT to buy meat. Have you ever been to Crown Meat Market?
Robin
Hi Robin. Thanks for dropping by and emailing. I’ve never been to Crown Meat Market – I tend to get my stuff in Boston and NY – but I’m always up for a roadtrip. Happy to share more ideas online or offline.
Best, Z
Thank you!! We (my family and I, including my “sister” ) had such a wonderful time at your home for rosh hashana! It was a beautiful blend of foods, conversation and chaos! just the way we like it! Family gatherings and laughter at the silly things that happen out of our controls (sink issue).
It was a pleasure getting to know your family after hearing so much about your parents through my parents. (florida thing)
Shana Tovah and all my best, and again I must add another thank your for a delicious meal and an inspiration to try some of the recipes!
Nina – it was such a pleasure meeting you and your family and spending the first night of the new year with all of you. I loved your salad and fruit salad – your bringing them gave me much less to prepare, for which I am ever so thankful. Plus, those peppers were amazing and we had enough left over for the next day.
I can’t believe that the plumber had to show up in the middle of dinner – that will be a story that will not soon be forgotten.
I wish you and your family a wonderful shana tova u’metuka, a sweet and happy new year, and hope you and your “sister” and I can hang out again soon.
- Z