THE ULTIMATE CHICKEN SOUP WITH THE FLUFFIEST MATZO BALLS

( serves 12 )

Judy Zeidler was a beloved member of the Skirball community from its inception until her death in October 2022. In Jewish tradition, we say of those we’ve lost, “may her memory be for a blessing,” meaning may those who remember her keep her goodness alive. This recipe is from her much-loved International Deli Cookbook. We hope it will continue to bring you joy and warmth, along with the sweet doodle below, left in The Jewish Deli exhibit by a Skirball visitor.

CHICKEN BROTH

One 5-pound chicken, or two 3-pound chickens, trussed

1 pound chicken necks and gizzards

3 medium onions, diced

1 medium leek, sliced into 1-inch pieces

3 to 4 quarts water

16 small carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces

5 stalks celery with tops, cut into 1-inch pieces

3 medium parsnips, sliced

8 sprigs fresh parsley

Salt and pepper, to taste

In a large heavy Dutch oven or pot, place chicken, necks, gizzards, onions, leeks, and water to cover. Over high heat, bring to a boil. Using a large spoon, skim off the scum that rises to the top. Add carrots, celery, parsnips, and parsley. Cover, leaving the lid ajar, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 1 hour. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Uncover and simmer for 30 minutes. Add water if needed.

With slotted spoon, remove chicken from soup. Let cool to room temperature then chill. Skim off the fat that hardens on the surface. Meanwhile, prepare the matzo balls.

Bring soup to a slow boil and gently drop in matzoh balls. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer about 10 minutes (do not uncover during this cooking time). Ladle into heated soup bowls.

THE FLUFFIEST MATZO BALLS

3 eggs, separated

About 1/2 cup water or chicken stock

1 to 1-1/2 cups matzo meal

1/8 tsp salt

Pinch fresh ground pepper sound bites sound bites

Place egg yolks in a measuring cup and add enough water or stock to fill 1 cup. Beat with a fork until well blended. Set aside.

In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat egg whites until the form still peaks; do not over-beat. In a small bowl, combine matzo meal with salt and pepper. With a rubber spatula, gently fold the yolk mixture alternately with the matzo mix into beaten egg whites. Use only enough matzo to make a light, soft dough. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste. Cover and let firm for 5 minutes.

With wet hands, gently shape mixture into twelve 1-1/2 inch balls. Add to and cook in soup according to the directions.

One of the delis featured in the exhibition, Canter’s Deli in Los Angeles’ Fairfax district, has served for decades as a watering hole for high school students, rock bands, and lovebirds to find sustenance and community at all hours of the day. Just as New York delis like Katz’s and Russ & Daughters started in the Jewish immigrant community of the Lower East Side, Canter’s first opened in Boyle Heights where many Jewish immigrants to Los Angeles lived a century ago. Now run by third-generation members of the Canter family, the deli is a fixture for Angelenos of all ages and cultural backgrounds who have grown up in the glow of its iconic sign.

“We’re Mexican. My sister is Jewish, believe it or not, and I have a Vietnamese brother-in-law. We’re regulars here. We come to enjoy each other’s company and also the food; they really put their love into it. We’re 24 in my family—we fill up the table in the back.” sound bites

Canter’s is one of many multi-generational deli stories on view in The Jewish Deli. Shapiro’s in Indianapolis, began as a horse drawn cart, selling dry goods at the turn of the 19th century. By 1930 it had grown into a brick-and-mortar establishment selling from a towering display of cured kosher meats. Today it continues to sell many of those signature cold cuts but sometimes with a slice of cheese—the hallmark of a deli rooted in Jewish traditions, but now catering to a much broader clientele. For deli lovers, the cuisine is a way to feel a sense of belonging from generation to generation, even as Jewish life in the United States continues to change.

Grocers in Odesa, Ukraine for over 100 years, the Shapiro family fled to Indianapolis in 1905 when antisemitic pogroms destroyed their store. Upon arriving in the United States, they opened a pushcart that sold flour and sugar. By 1940, they had opened their first Shapiro’s Cafe, where Abe Shapiro’s famous corned beef was a perennial draw. Today, after two centuries of serving kosher fare, Shapiro’s Delicatessen is run by the fourth generation of the family born in the United States.

“I am a second generation American of Bohemian descent. I welcome you to America. I hope you find a place where you can patch together your traditions and history with a new and fruitful life.” — catherine c.

“My ancestors came to these shores over 300 years ago. Many years from now, your descendants, too, will tell the story of how you thrived.” — valerie c.

“My grandparents met at a Japanese internment camp. My father was born in a camp in Colorado. Even in times of despair my Grandpa loved the United States and named my dad Jefferson–after Thomas Jefferson.” — janice a. o.