Melinda and Joel Klein’s new kitchen is practically an appliance showroom. Our bubbes could only imagine such a setup: three sinks, three ovens, two dishwashers, two ranges and two microwaves.
Does it come with multiple grandchildren too?
“If our grandmothers had two of any of these, they would die and go to heaven,” deadpanned Joel, who works in finance.
At Hanukkah, the kitchen’s many surfaces are likely to be covered with treats for the holidays, such as latkes and sufganiyot (jelly-filled doughnuts), both part of the fried food tradition central to celebrating the festival, which begins this year at sundown Dec. 15.
Also, in keeping with the theme of multiples, each child has his or her own menorah and comes home early from school to light it before sundown, Melinda said.
Two or more of everything in the kitchen isn’t necessary, Joel added, but it makes keeping kosher much easier with such a large family. The Kleins have seven children, ages 2 to 12.
The kitchen also boasts a kosher-friendly design for preparing meat and dairy foods separately, in accordance with Jewish law. Three prepping, cooking and storage areas–one each for meat, dairy and parve, or neutral, foods–helps avoid splashes, spills or mix-ups that could cross-contaminate cookware, utensils and the food they touch.
On a recent Friday afternoon, the family was spread out around the kitchen preparing food for Shabbat, the Sabbath. In one corner, the Kleins’ eldest daughter, Rochel, 10, perched on a stepstool and mashed avocados for guacamole. Chevi, 19, a visiting cousin, roasted peppers for madbucha, a cold Moroccan vegetable salad. Melinda had already completed most of the menu: chicken soup with matzo balls, fried fish, salad, roasted veal and baked chicken. Batches of cookies cooled on the counter.
“I’m not a fancy cook,” Melinda said. “All I care is that it’s good and healthy. It’s more about being with the family.”
Indeed the Kleins have devoted themselves to family, friends and neighbors. On holidays, their home is full of houseguests. Each summer they throw a backyard barbecue for 100 people. On Shabbat alone, Melinda might squeeze 40 friends in the dining room
Their West Rogers Park neighborhood is home to a large Orthodox Jewish community that supports one another, Melinda said. Women on the block help out a new mother by cooking a month’s worth of dinners. Newly engaged couples are feted up and down the street.
“All these houses on our street are filled with big families, and we want to be connected,” Melinda said.
Often that means events, celebrations and not surprisingly, lots and lots of food. By design, the Kleins’ new kitchen can accommodate multiple cooks and big crowds. Labeled drawers mean visitors can quickly decipher meat from dairy utensils. A full-size refrigerator and a full-size freezer handle the needs of a large family and special events.
One of the ovens also has a special “Sabbath mode,” which turns it on and off at regular intervals, and allows the family to keep food warm without anyone having to turn a dial or press a button. That’s because observant Jews must refrain from work, including cooking (or heating) food, during Shabbat, which begins at sundown Friday and lasts until sundown Saturday.
A Sabbath oven is one of the key features that kosher families request, said designer David McNulty, who handled the Kleins’ kitchen overhaul. McNulty has designed other kosher kitchens in their neighborhood and on the North Shore, where his firm is based.
The Kleins are McNulty’s most observant clients to date. “I had to really study the laws,” he said. “I met with rabbis about what to focus on and to see what was important to them.”
McNulty also designed an adjoining breakfast room with a long table that seats 10 adults, or “20 little tushies,” said Melinda, who would rather not talk about how the kitchen looks, but what it means for her family.
“We’re not showy people. What I love best about the kitchen is how many people can cook here and how many people we can have over,” Melinda said. “It’s important. The community is our life.”
Roasted pepper salad
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 1 hour
Chilling time: 2 hours
Yield: 8 servings
– Adapted from a recipe from the Klein family of Chicago.
2 each: red and green bell peppers
1/3 cup olive oil
3 to 4 cloves garlic, minced
1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon each: sugar, salt
Freshly ground pepper
1. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Arrange the peppers on a baking pan; roast, turning every 10 minutes, until charred on all sides, about 30 minutes. Cool in a paper bag; peel. Seed; slice into thin strips.
2. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat; add garlic. Cook, stirring, until golden, about 2 minutes. Add tomatoes, sugar, salt and pepper to taste. Cook, stirring, to blend flavors, about 10 minutes. Reduce heat to a simmer; stir in roasted peppers. Cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 20 minutes.
3. Transfer mixture to a bowl or food storage bag; cover or seal. Refrigerate at least 2 hours.
Nutrition information per serving: 120 calories, 65% of calories from fat, 9 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 9 g carbohydrates, 2 g protein, 277 mg sodium, 2 g fiber
Chicken with plum sauce
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 1 hour, 30 minutes
Yield: 5 servings
– Adapted from a recipe from the Klein family of Chicago.
1 chicken fryer, cut into 8 pieces
2 tablespoons margarine
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon each: paprika, salt
Freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup prepared Chinese plum sauce
1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Rub the chicken pieces with margarine and garlic; season with paprika, salt and pepper to taste.
2. Place chicken in roasting pan. Cover; cook until chicken is just tender, about 1 hour. Uncover; brush chicken with plum sauce. Cook until nicely glazed, about 30 minutes.
Nutrition information per serving:
413 calories, 53% of calories from fat, 24 g fat, 6 g saturated fat, 107 mg cholesterol, 14 g carbohydrates, 34 g protein, 537 mg sodium, 0.3 g fiber
Chicken soup with matzo balls
Preparation time: 40 minutes
Cooking time: 1 hour, 10 minutes
Cooling time: 20 minutes
Yield: 6 servings
– Adapted from a recipe from the Klein family of Chicago.
1 whole chicken, about 3 pounds
5 carrots, diced
3 ribs celery, diced
2 large yellow onions, diced
1 zucchini or yellow squash, diced
1 butternut squash, peeled, seeded, diced
1 to 2 tablespoons powdered bouillon, optional
1 package (5 ounces) matzo ball mix
1/2 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper
1. Place the chicken, carrots, celery, onions, zucchini and butternut squash and bouillon in a Dutch oven or stockpot; cover with water. Heat to a boil over high heat; reduce heat to a simmer. Cover; cook until chicken is tender, about 1 1/2 hours.
2. Remove chicken from the pan; set aside to cool, about 20 minutes. Remove meat from bones; shred the meat. Return meat to the soup; heat soup. Add salt and pepper to taste.
3. Prepare matzo balls according to package directions. Put a matzo ball in each serving bowl; ladle in the hot soup.
Nutrition information per serving:
453 calories, 31% of calories from fat, 16 g fat, 4 g saturated fat, 89 mg cholesterol, 46 g carbohydrates, 33 g protein, 347 mg sodium, 7 g fiber
