Some of the kids grew a little! Here’s Mordy, left, carrying a huge pot of soup with Yissur

Our Chol Hamoed Sukkot family bash is an old tradition. We host it at  the capacious Sukkah of  Chabad West Side, occupying a good chunk of it, to accommodate our extended family of children, nephews and nieces and their own families. I find it is a fun and delicious way for everyone to see and enjoy everyone, in town for the Chagim from all parts of the country. One of the reasons that make it a real pleasure for this cook is that I find in my relatives a really appreciative crowd, not in the least squeamish about any dish, au contraire: curious and adventurous and full of expectation, from the youngest to the oldest. For instance, I watched my 14-quart brimming pot of soup get tilted after just a few minutes so one of the guests could help himself to a third bowl, and laughed when one of the children ran to his mother to ask if he could have a slice of the “grown-up” dessert. What Nachas!

You will love making these move-over-French-fries crunchy-melt-in-your-mouth baked fries, so much leaner and more interesting than French Fries, which I can never afford to get near. No recipe even: Cut some unpeeled large Yukon or new potatoes in wedges, toss them with a little olive oil, sea salt and rosemary, and bake them in one layer in a 425 degree oven for about 40 minutes. Watch them disappear without any guilt whatsoever!

Just one more thing: No soda ever. Iced tea, iced coffee and lemonade, and we keep refilling, so I conclude soda is not missed.

Here’s our menu for last night’s dinner. Enjoy the recipes, as always all-natural of course!

Oven Potato Fries (see above)

Matbukha

Matbukha