What I love about matzo balls is ultimately the nature of their texture; soft, light, springy, and yet quite resilient to heat and all that poking and prodding. Because they're porous, they soak up all that aromatic broth and hold it like a sponge. Much different from the dumplings in chicken and dumplings or sour beef and dumplings, but equally as hearty and satisfying.
There are so many layers to this dish that you can't help but understand the tradition, family, and love that lie behind it. The many hours it takes to make the broth, the ritual of picking the chicken meat, and the tenderness it takes to shape each individual dumpling on well-seasoned palms. My attempt was slightly haphazard, as I threw most of my ingredients together instead of taking the time to go through the steps, but it turned out brilliantly and definitely was a welcome meal for my stomach after being sick. Next time, I'll make the broth from scratch and use fresh cilantro and parsley.
5 comments:
Glad to hear you fell in love with Matzo balls! When they are made improperly and too heavy they can make you feel like you are lugging around chunks of mud bricks in your stomach. Light and springy matzo balls are definitely up there in the comfort food department - Jewish or not. I suppose many carbs are in the comfort food department and this is certainly carby.
My aunt uses seltzer instead of water to make hers. I am not a good enough scientist to know if seltzer lasts long enough, but the matzo balls DO seem lighter. It also helps to store the extra matzo balls in a separate container outside of the soup. Though they will not soak up the soup flavor, they WILL stay firm and in shape longer. When you heat the soup, you can drop the matza ball - well, gently drop it - into the soup again.
If you like this, you'll probably also like meat kreplach, which are not unlike little Chinese dumplings. In kosher Jewish food, the meat inside would NOT be pork. I'm sure you can substitute the meat with vegetable filling as well.
Hope you stay well and enjoy the soup as a fun choice and not for medicine!
Glad to hear you fell in love with Matzo balls! When they are made improperly and too heavy they can make you feel like you are lugging around chunks of mud bricks in your stomach. Light and springy matzo balls are definitely up there in the comfort food department - Jewish or not. I suppose many carbs are in the comfort food department and this is certainly carby.
My aunt uses seltzer instead of water to make hers. I am not a good enough scientist to know if seltzer lasts long enough, but the matzo balls DO seem lighter. It also helps to store the extra matzo balls in a separate container outside of the soup. Though they will not soak up the soup flavor, they WILL stay firm and in shape longer. When you heat the soup, you can drop the matza ball - well, gently drop it - into the soup again.
If you like this, you'll probably also like meat kreplach, which are not unlike little Chinese dumplings. In kosher Jewish food, the meat inside would NOT be pork. I'm sure you can substitute the meat with vegetable filling as well.
Hope you stay well and enjoy the soup as a fun choice and not for medicine!
Glad to hear you fell in love with Matzo balls! When they are made improperly and too heavy they can make you feel like you are lugging around chunks of mud bricks in your stomach. Light and springy matzo balls are definitely up there in the comfort food department - Jewish or not. I suppose many carbs are in the comfort food department and this is certainly carby.
My aunt uses seltzer instead of water to make hers. I am not a good enough scientist to know if seltzer lasts long enough, but the matzo balls DO seem lighter. It also helps to store the extra matzo balls in a separate container outside of the soup. Though they will not soak up the soup flavor, they WILL stay firm and in shape longer. When you heat the soup, you can drop the matza ball - well, gently drop it - into the soup again.
If you like this, you'll probably also like meat kreplach, which are not unlike little Chinese dumplings. In kosher Jewish food, the meat inside would NOT be pork. I'm sure you can substitute the meat with vegetable filling as well.
Hope you stay well and enjoy the soup as a fun choice and not for medicine!
diGlad to hear you fell in love with Matzo balls! When they are made improperly and too heavy they can make you feel like you are lugging around chunks of mud bricks in your stomach. Light and springy matzo balls are definitely up there in the comfort food department - Jewish or not. I suppose many carbs are in the comfort food department and this is certainly carby.
My aunt uses seltzer instead of water to make hers. I am not a good enough scientist to know if seltzer lasts long enough, but the matzo balls DO seem lighter. It also helps to store the extra matzo balls in a separate container outside of the soup. Though they will not soak up the soup flavor, they WILL stay firm and in shape longer. When you heat the soup, you can drop the matza ball - well, gently drop it - into the soup again.
If you like this, you'll probably also like meat kreplach, which are not unlike little Chinese dumplings. In kosher Jewish food, the meat inside would NOT be pork. I'm sure you can substitute the meat with vegetable filling as well.
Hope you stay well and enjoy the soup as a fun choice and not for medicine!
diGlad to hear you fell in love with Matzo balls! When they are made improperly and too heavy they can make you feel like you are lugging around chunks of mud bricks in your stomach. Light and springy matzo balls are definitely up there in the comfort food department - Jewish or not. I suppose many carbs are in the comfort food department and this is certainly carby.
My aunt uses seltzer instead of water to make hers. I am not a good enough scientist to know if seltzer lasts long enough, but the matzo balls DO seem lighter. It also helps to store the extra matzo balls in a separate container outside of the soup. Though they will not soak up the soup flavor, they WILL stay firm and in shape longer. When you heat the soup, you can drop the matza ball - well, gently drop it - into the soup again.
If you like this, you'll probably also like meat kreplach, which are not unlike little Chinese dumplings. In kosher Jewish food, the meat inside would NOT be pork. I'm sure you can substitute the meat with vegetable filling as well.
Hope you stay well and enjoy the soup as a fun choice and not for medicine!
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