We planned to be away last New Year’s weekend when our son, who follows the rock, jam-band Phish, had tickets for several shows during their annual Madison Square Garden winter tour.
He and five of his Phish-loving out-of-town friends asked to stay in our Manhattan apartment during our absence.
On that Friday afternoon one of the group offered to go down to the supermarket for groceries and my son asked him to also pick up a challah. “And tell them not to slice it.”, he called as his friend headed out the door.
But once at the bakery counter, the young man, not familiar with Jewish lexicon, asked hesitantly , “May I have … a chabad?”
The bakery guy looked a little puzzled until it dawned on him what was meant.
“Sliced or unsliced?”, he asked.
This time there was no hesitation. “Unsliced!”, was the ready answer.
So that night six friends gathered around our dining-table to light Shabbat candles and bless the bread and wine. Then, with his grandmother’s beautiful silver-handled challah knife, my son sliced … the ciabatta.
Dana Susan Lehrman
Love "Bless the Bread." It amazes me how much Italian and Jews are alike when it comes to food. We always had "Easter Bread" on our table on Easter. A fresh round loaf of Italian bread with a hard boiled egg embedded on top of it. When I moved to New York and was newly married I sent my husband to an Italian Bakery on E. 12th st. to get Easter Bread. He came back with a chocolate bunny holding dyed eggs. Where's the bread? I asked. "Bread" I thought you said Easter Bunny." I asked how he could possibly confuse "bread" with Bunny." He said, I thought you said, "buy a bunny." "No, I replied. I said, Buy bread honey." I knew my husband had selective hearing as he often remembered things a bit different than I did. But he did go back to the store – only this time he insisted I go with him. I did, we got our Easter Bread, and my husband was introduced to one more Italian custom he grew to treasure.
Lovely story Ang, call it Bernie's Bread!
Cute.
Thanx Vivian!
I love challah, I love ciabatta and love your story! I wonder if ciabatta is good to use for French toast.
In America anything goes Maxine!
You say challah I say ciabatta……sorry, Gershwn.
I know you can't resist Polly!
This story is so charming! Like Italian Easter Bread the Greeks have the same – sweet Tsoureki; best eaten in the early morning with coffee and a slice of graviera (Greek cheese, like Swiss)… and before anyone else in the house has arisen.
Ah Mike, I can just taste it, and alone at the breakfast table – bliss!
It's enjoyable to learn more and more from your blog. Thanks for sharing.
http://www.gofastek.com
Thanx Cindy! I'm pleased that you like my blog, how did you find it?
Great story! Funny!
Thanx Mary Beth, sorry I missed your comment awhile ago!