Chani Altein cooks up suppers to accommodate everyone’s palate   

Job:

Stay-at-home mom (I love to cook, and for around a year, I ran a small, busy takeout-by-delivery from my kitchen. A lot of the business ended up happening on Fridays, because people ordered our dips and potato kugel. I gave it up to focus on my family, because I figure this is the prime time to be available to raise my kids.)

Lives:

Montreal

Cooking for:

spouse, myself, and eight children ages 0-15 kein ayin hara

When we eat:

I realized with experience that the earlier the younger kids eat supper, the sooner they are happier. I live in a suburb of Montreal, so because I have to wait around from the first carpool (3:00) until the next one (3:45), I’m out for over an hour, and only come home at 4:00 or 4:15. The kids are hungry right then! I make my suppers to accommodate that, either before leaving and kept on low/warm, or quickly put together right after. The next kids eat when they come in, at 5:30. My husband usually eats at around 6:30. We spend time together, but not around the supper table. Everyone has different schedules — and I also need some quiet.

My Cooking Philosophy:

I’m very practical, and I’d like to break the stigma on simple suppers. Who says supper has to be fancy dishes, with menus from the magazines? Who says we have to compare and compete with each other? I know that people try a lot of different menus and different dishes and see what goes down well. I do it the other way — I see what goes down well, and that is what I make: simple, regular foods. At this busy stage, with a full house of children, this is what works for me. Maybe I’ll have time to be more gourmet when things quiet down. My kids don’t like fleishigs that much, my husband does, and I like a healthier version of things if I can; so some nights, I serve three suppers.

If someone is hungry after supper, they can eat: Apples. My kids really like good apples. And pretzels.

Kids who don’t like supper can eat: Grilled cheese or toast and cream cheese.

If someone treated me to a meal out, I’d order: I’m not sure. But I make sure every day to have time for myself and treat myself “out.” I make a lunch that I like, like rice and a nice salad, or a wrap with egg and cheese, and use that time to fill up my gas tank for when they come home.

My favorite spice: In an empty spice container, I mixed salt, pepper, paprika, and Montreal steak spice. That way, I can just sprinkle one spice mixture on chicken, etc., and bake it.

Sunday: Something for everyone.

Husband:Shabbos leftovers.
Kids: pasta with cheese sauce, cut-up cucumbers.
Me: pasta and a side veg of peas from a frozen package, with oil and salt. Cucumbers are my go-to vegetable every night for the kids. And I’m happy that they eat them. Sometimes I do cut-up peppers, and on occasion, salad. My kids don’t like dips and dressings, only plain vegetables.

Monday: Eggs and French fries, cucumbers.

Added broccoli for me and those who like it.

This is quick to put together, so I made it when I came home after carpools.

Tuesday: Chicken and potatoes in a pot, cooked low and slow.

We all had that, and those who don’t like it had grilled cheese.

Wednesday: Baked salmon, couscous, cottage cheese, cucumbers.

Husband and I and those who like salmon had salmon and couscous. The others had cottage cheese and couscous. That’s also a meal.

Thursday: Homemade pizza.

I made a big batch of challah dough, made a few loaves of challah, and used the rest for pizza. Satisfied everyone :). I made the dough before leaving the house for carpool, and rolled it out for pizza when I came home.

What I send for kimpeturin supper: Homemade pizza and salad. I still have pizza boxes from when we ran our takeout, so it looks fancy and I know families enjoy it.

My go-to easy supper: Pizza on pitas

My favorite supper hack: Once I made lasagna in a way that accommodated my carpool schedule, and we came home to ready lasagna without the oven being on while I was gone. About half an hour before leaving, I preheated the oven to 375. I placed the covered lasagna inside for 20 minutes. Right before leaving the house, I turned off the oven, and left it inside. It was still warm and it came out softer than usual, which my kids liked.

(Originally featured in Family First, Issue 932)