It came late this year, then delayed a few days. Strudelfest usually happens in October, then it was to happen on Sunday, but a desire to help Mosaic woman at the craft fair and a possible ice storm caused a delay. So I got up at 6am on Wednesday and made dough.
For the first time since Mom Mom taught me how to do this (amazingly less than a year before she had a stroke), I went solo. Usually my mom shows up and helps with the veggie/fruit prep while my dad does a tiny bit and makes comments (son of Mom Mom type). Mosaic woman likes to help roll, this time she took photos of me rolling...
Back up, before you can roll it, you have to stretch the dough, and you better make it thin enough to see through it.... This one was one of those doughs that feel like heaven when you pick it up, others say something like... "go ahead and try to stretch me."
Anyway, Mosaic woman heated up some black bean soup for lunch during which I forced myself to pick up a piece or two of potato strudel.....
at 2:20 I jumped in the shower but got downstairs to add a pan of grape strudel to the potato, cabbage, and apple already on our table.
all that was left was getting it into our car and driving up to my parents where my sister, who was visiting from California (reason for the delay from October), and 10 other local relatives were waiting to feast.
We eat strudel, it is a full meal, though there have been times that we eat Mom Mom's chocolate cake for dessert!
Ask me if I believe in family Ghosts any other day of the year and I will likely say no, but strudelfest is different... why not have some faith and imagination and believe that Mom Mom's spirit is flowing through my hands while stretching dough.
so after a week of craft fairs, some teaching, strudel, my sister, and finishing my paper..... I am taking another day off and later will be driving to spend some quiet time with Jesuits this weekend.
Peace and family traditional foods be with you all.
You make me recall my mother's skill with something we call fritters here in Kentucky, but, of a truth, your strudel sounds as if it would be even better. My wife tried her hand one year making a sort of candy that has to be poured onto a sheet of marble to be kneaded into a stretchable shape. The concoction is nothing more than pure sugar and butter; and as two people attempt the stretching process, at any time the dough can revert right back to its granular form in a sort of candy explosion, leaving one with nothing but duty fingers....
ReplyDeleteThat strudel looks amazing. Isn't the chemistry (physics?) of food interesting--the strength and elasticity such a delicate dough develops as you pull and stretch, pull and stretch.
ReplyDeleteI am sure that in many ways your Mom Mom is with you when you make her strudel. My mother is with me as I make her fruitcake cookies every year. (Maybe tonight!)
Jim and Zorra--this past week strudel was not the only thing spread thin, my whole life was stretched. I am amazed at what I accomplished. Now it seems as if I can take a breath. The retreat was a perfect place to slow down.
ReplyDeleteWow...seems like a lot of work, but the end result looks yummy!
ReplyDeleteKievas-- lots of work and doing it all by myself made me appreciate my grand ma all the more... my family is lucky if I make it twice a year
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