A few Fridays ago, I spent a good portion of the day on the side of a highway. My car had a weird hiccup, but since we couldn’t figure out what it was, I waited to get towed. If that’s ever happened to you, you know that this is not what you wish for on an Erev Shabbos.

The good news was that it was the Friday after Simchas Torah, and my fridge was packed. But it was really important to me to make a few new things for Shabbos, so I made some dishes, prepped a few more, and ran out the door for an errand.

I got home too close to Shabbos to make anything else, which was technically fine because we had a house full of food, but I was still disappointed that I didn’t have the opportunity to make/finish the foods I wanted to make.

This week, we’re lucky enough to have our editor, and the role model of so many countless women she’s never met, Bassi Gruen, share her approach to Shabbos with us. What stood out for me, and what I kept thinking about as I was on hold with roadside assist, was how Shabbos prep in the Gruen home starts on Monday.

I’ll be honest, I usually discourage making too much food so as not to overwhelm our systems. But really, it’s Shabbos! What do our kids hear us focus on? Being “done” or making special foods and an abundance for Shabbos?

I’m a pretty busy mother, and I can easily excuse myself by saying, “I do what I have time for,” but if my approach was filling nooks and crannies of my time starting on Monday with a beautiful buildup towards the most special day, I’d probably have more time than I realize.

Shawarma + schnitzel joined to create a dish we couldn’t stop noshing. (But also, fresh hot schnitzel.)

CHANIE NAYMAN
Food Editor, Family Table
Editor in Chief, Kosher.com

Try these alternatives:

• Buy pre-seasoned raw shawarma chicken from your butcher. Coat in crumbs, then fry (or bake).
• Add the seasoning to the bread crumbs either in addition to or instead of adding it to the egg.
• Prep schnitzel the way you usually do, but add a heaping tablespoon of shawarma seasoning to the egg mixture. The flavor is bold and delicious, but not overpowering.

For a side dish shortcut, make sandwiches (of course, customizing them for yes tomato eaters and no pickles eaters). I stuffed these with a quick Israeli salad, lettuce, parsley, and techinah.

How do you know if eggs are fresh?

Fill a bowl with cold water and lower your egg into the bowl. Very fresh eggs will sink to the bottom and lay on their sides. Okay-to-eat-but-not-as-fresh eggs will sink to the bottom but stand on one of their ends. Not fresh eggs will rise to the top. This is because as eggs age, an air pocket forms, which causes the egg to float.

(Originally featured in Family Table, Issue 763)