Cookin' n Heels

I know, I know when we introduced the Friday Night Fish Fry we exclusively said that the traditional sides included hushpuppies (last week’s post) or cornbread. But there’s a twist; what about challah? You may ask what does challah have to do with a fish fry? But challah actually brought my community together during a time of racial injustice.

First and foremost, I’m a Black Jew. Yes we exist despite people having a different vision of what a Jewish person looks like. Like Black people, we are not a monolith; we are a rich tapestry of people. In defining my Judaism, my family and I incorporate our southern values and traditions into our celebrations and that is where the fish fry and challah come together.

Every Friday at sundown until Saturday at sundown is Shabbat, the Jewish Sabbath. A day of rest. And honey we rest! All work ceases no matter how big or small, it stops. And for me it is my peace; a time I can fully focus on my family, my self care, and my spirituality. I look forward to Shabbat every week. It is the time to unplug. Shabbat starts with a big dinner, I usually start prepping early Friday morning and since June I have made challah every week. Challah is a special bread, that is braided and eaten at Shabbat and holidays. Now, usually I went and bought challah from the store but for the past 9 months every week you can catch me making challah. It relaxes me as I knead the dough. I feel connected with Jewish women around the world (as it is tradition for women to make challah, but we don’t exclude anyone). Usually roasted chicken is served on Shabbat, but we always have a spin. We have sushi Shabbat, pizza Shabbat, in the summertime we even do a Shabbat cookout, but this past Juneteenth I wanted to do a fish fry!

Juneteenth (June 19^th) commemorates the day that marked the freedom for Black people in Texas, Despite the Civil War ending and Emancipation Proclamation being signed over 2 years earlier, these enslaved people were the last to find out they were free in 1865. Nowadays, Black Jews have commemorated Juneteenth with a Seder, like on the holiday of Passover (wait until next week’s post for that one), but I wanted a Friday night fish fry and I let it be known. In June of 2020, like many Black people in America (and others), I was tired. I was worn down from all the images of the rioting in reaction to the increased visibility of racial injustice that was newly illuminated for some but had been a constant reality for me and my family. My mental health was struggling y’all. So, I told my family I was going to have a fish fry, with just us (thanks to COVID), for our Juneteenth Shabbat. I posted my plans on social media, but I would have never guessed what would happen next.

Now okra is not as readily available in NJ as it is in Southern Virginia, which is where I grew up. So, after I went out to grab some and got back home there was a package on my door. I hadn’t ordered anything from Amazon that week, so this was a shock to me- both the fact that I hadn’t ordered anything from Amazon that week and that there was a package waiting for me. I went inside, opened it up, and there was a challah! The most beautiful challah and the most heartfelt note from my son’s teacher. She wrote how much my family meant to her and she wanted to contribute to our Juneteenth celebration. Right there in my kitchen I cried. Through all the bad that was going on in the world, there were still so many good people and one of them was my son’s FOREVER TEACHER as we call her. My son went to a Jewish Day School where there weren’t any Jews of Color at that time, but I felt a sense of solidarity from her gesture of kindness. I had to spread the news of this great gift that led to conversations on community, inclusion, and also Black and Jewish relations. That challah was one of the most special challah ever, and my son being the challah lover that he is only wanted his teacher’s challah from then on. So, she was kind enough to share her recipe with me and now each and every Friday I make challah using it. It’s something that I can pass on to my grandchildren, and hopefully it will be used for generations to come. A great recipe and a story of how challah changed our dialogue and opened our hearts.

• 1 package of quick rise yeast
• 1 1/3 c warm water
• 1/3 c sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/3 c oil
• 2 tsp salt
• 4 c all purpose flour

In a bowl, dissolve the yeast in warm water. Add the sugar, mix and let stand for 2 minutes until it starts foaming. Add oil, egg, and salt and mix well.

Gradually add the flour, 1-2 cups at a time, mixing after each addition. As the mixture becomes stiff, flour your hands and begin kneeding, turning over often, until dough is smooth, elastic, and a bit tacky. Cover in an oiled bowl, let rise until doubled in size, for about an hour.

Separate a piece of challah and make the blessing (if necessary). Divide and braid the dough and place in greased and floured pans. Allow the dough to rise an additional 30 mins in a warm area.

Preheat the oven to 400^oF. Gently brush the dough with beaten egg and sprinkle with desired toppings. Bake for 15 mins, then lower the temperature to 350^oF and bake for an additional 15 mins. Allow to cool on racks.

Enjoy!