Come and Get It....Make My Day

The other day I received a call from my son, RJ, who is a paratrooper in the 101 battalion of the IDF. He had just finished several days of training in the shetach, (in the field), doing everything that is expected to be done during time of war.  He told me that he and his buddy, Avi, who is a lone soldier and a regular welcome guest in our home, were daydreaming about my Shabbat cooking while laying in the mud during a night of training in the field. All at once the pride of a "Yiddishe mamma" popped out. This modern woman who while growing up scorned the stereotype, suddenly found that to be the best darn compliment anyone can get this side of the Mediterranean!

Apparently, my apple cranberry kugle was getting them through the long cold night. And for a mom who has boys in the army....nothing, and I mean nothing beats that!

That's right...my apple cranberry kugle with carmelized brown sugared oatmeal topping, my cholent with just the right amount of plum Chile sauce, my aromatic roast chicken and roast beef that melts in one's mouth  was providing strength to my combat son and his buddy in arms. It offered moral fortitude, staying power and endurance where one's endurance is tested to the limits. Nope, I never thought of myself as a "Yiddishe mamma", but I donned the role like a pair of battle fatigues.  I was doing my part. It was clear -Hell! My kugle was the backbone of their moral!

At the end of our short conversation, I felt an urge to run to the kitchen and begin cooking in anticipation of my boy and his army buddy coming home for Shabbat in two weeks time.

I was never a feminist, but I imagine, that even if I were, once you have boys in the army, the feminist nonsense goes out the window. Take my word for it - I've had two sons in the army at the same time. The kitchen becomes the prep station for getting your boys battle-ready. The kitchen became my chamal, the war room. Oh yeah, months and months of a soldier's grueling army training, discipline, sleep deprivation, stretching the physical capabilities way past the threshold of the norm, expertise in state-of-the-art high tech warfare is all par for the course, but Pshhhh, don't underestimate the power of Ima's homemade cooking.

So come and get it....make my day.