Illustration by Lea Kron

The Man

Zev Rosenberg, age 59

Father of 4, grandfather of 2
(almost empty-nester)

Master HVAC technician, personal trainer, international marathoner, and IDF veteran

Currently living in Edison, NJ

I love the Shabbos meals my wife prepares as much as she loves to prepare them. She makes delicious food, and it’s always interesting. Baked goods, salads, soups, meat, side dishes — she’s got it all going on. And fortunately we live in a community where people pull together to help with meals for those who are in difficult times, Rachmana litzlan, so she does that too.

But there are weeks that, for whatever reason, I have to step up to the plate (dad joke). Right now, we’re in the middle of going through 20 years’ worth of stuff in preparation for making aliyah, so any excuse to give my  house has been literally torn apart one way or another, we haven’t had much company; it was just the two of us at the meals.

My cooking influences are eclectic — my mother and grandmother, Boy Scouts, and I even picked up some pro game working in a restaurant. I had my share of duty in the mitbach in the army. I also lived on my own from age 17 to age 30, and with few exceptions I was responsible for feeding myself and certainly couldn’t afford to eat out very often. I would say I have more of a cooking system than style.

So — it must be simple, good, and satisfying.

Step by Step

I never took on baking, so challah and dessert will be from the store or whatever my wife has hidden in the freezer. The effort to make dips better than the store’s isn’t efficient, so those will come out of a package.

Important things first: cholent. Get it ready Thursday night so Friday morning all you have to do is turn on the Crock-Pot. Cholent is “folk food,” and there’s no one right way to make it. Add or subtract to suit your family’s taste buds. I make it pareve in case we have an unexpected vegetarian guest.

Appetizer: Splurge on lox. A leaf of lettuce, a slice of tomato and/or cucumber and/or a ring or two of onion, and you’re good to go.

Next up: Matzah ball soup. Yep, from the package. Add frozen mixed vegetables and customize spices as your family wishes (we’re garlic people).

On to the one-pan main course. The pan size depends on how many are eating. I like to use deep chafing dish half pans. If we have guests, I’m likely to use a second half pan with a slightly different formula. Each pan serves four to six.

I made chicken, broccoli, and potatoes for the night meal and chicken, rice, and brussels sprouts for the day meal. I cooked both pans on Friday and refrigerated the second one for lunch.

Of course, there are always options for your family’s preferences. Prefer yams to potatoes? Excellent opportunity to contrast the orange color with cauliflower. In the mood for barbecue? Skip the seasoning above and use generous amounts of barbecue sauce. Add sriracha for Asian barbecue. Or duck sauce and lemon for sweet and sour Asian. Pierogies and okra with Dijon sauce? Now you’re catching on!

Prearranged pans can be refrigerated a few days in advance or frozen (thaw before cooking).

Finally, what Shabbat meal would be complete without Israeli salad? Tomato and cucumber in equal amounts cut to pieces the size of your choosing. (Don’t worry — no matter what size you cut the salad, an Israeli will tell you it’s too big or too small.) Add half as much onion; salt, pepper, and garlic; and oil and lemon juice.

B’tei’avon!

Dessert was cranberry spice cookies and angel food cake from a batch my wife had made a while ago and frozen for an occasion such as this