Balabusta in Training
I like to think of myself as a balabusta in training. A balabusta is the yiddish word for someone who is a good homemaker. Something I would never remotely claim to be. For now, I am translating this term in the realm of the kitchen–someone who is good at feeding their family (baby steps). I’ve always wanted to be the type of person that could cook anything at the drop of a hat. For several years I watched Ina Garten, aka The Barefoot Contessa, on the cooking channel religiously. I loved her beautiful kitchen, relaxed approach to cooking and desire to feed her Hamptons neighbors constantly.
Now that I am an empty nester I have the space to pursue this more practically (minus the Hamptons). I have always cooked for my family, but my repertoire was small and my confidence was limited. My life did not lend itself to experimentation. I didn’t have the time or the energy.
Lately, I have been pushing myself to learn new recipes and try new things. I have been taking a class every Sunday afternoon with the amazing Julia Turshen who teaches her class over zoom. She is a cookbook author, author of the substack Keep Calm & Cook On and just a lovely human being. For an hour and a half we cook together virtually. I love seeing all the kitchens in little rectangles on the top of the screen. Seeing everyone cooking together in real time creates a beautiful sense of community. A highlight for me was when I made a pecan and applesauce cake and offered it to a foodie friend of mine who tasted it and told me it was the best cream cheese icing she ever tasted –I was verklempt!
A couple weeks ago I attended a wonderful program with the chef Jake Cohen (scroll down to see his cookbook), who talked about the beauty of eating together in our homes rather than going to a restaurant. He encourages people to host gatherings, not be a perfectionist when hosting and just enjoy the idea of creating and sharing a meal together. I love this idea and hope to host a few gatherings in the winter.
I recently saw an opportunity to make lasagnes for people in need. The group is called Lasagne Love and their mission is spreading kindness. Recipients are people who need a little support during a difficult time. What an amazing concept. People making lasagnes to bring to people who could use a lovingly made home cooked meal. I am adding this to my list of things to do in the future, but not yet, I need to take this one step at a time.
The desire to cook and nourish people feels so exciting and hopeful to me. What a wonderful way to be creative, bring people together, show love and enjoy food. It is filling a caregiving void left by my children who are young adults exploring the world beyond my home.
What is your relationship with cooking and baking? Is it something you have a desire to do? Are you a natural? Is it drudgery? There are so many ways to feel about the role of being a balabusta. Click below to share your thoughts.
