
AUTHOR PHOTO: KATHERINE NEEDLES
Q: What is a
balaboosta, and why did you choose that name for your restaurant and your book?
A: A balaboosta is,
traditionally, a perfect housewife who runs a happy home, but today it’s
trickier. Most women work outside their homes, managing careers and kids, so it’s hard to live up to the
traditional definition. People are balaboostas in different ways now. I have a
cousin who organizes everyone; she plans kids’ events, karaoke nights,
everything—that’s her way of being a balaboosta. For me, it’s about food.
I
chose the name because it’s warm and reflects who I am. The people I choose to
work with are genuine, kind. I created a restaurant that looks like my home
because I want my customers to feel at home, like they’re in their own living
rooms, but with much better food. And now they have my recipes so they can make
the food, too.
Q: Do you consider
yourself a balaboosta?
A: Yes, a different kind
of balaboosta than my mom was. A modern balaboosta who figures out how to build
a successful career without neglecting my husband and my family. I love what I
do—totally apart from money considerations—and of course I love my family, too.
Q: What sets Balaboosta apart from other cookbooks?
A: Usually with
cookbooks you don’t want to read them, you want to look at the pictures. With
my cookbook, you want to read the stories. I love the introduction and the Fat
Like Me chapter, but Just the Two of Us is my favorite part. My hope is that
the stories draw you in and make you want to cook the recipes even more. And
the recipes are fun and friendly—nothing pretentious.
Q: What recipe in the
book do you cook for your family most often?
A: So many. The Chicken
Tagine (p. 29) comes to mind first. And I make Chicken Littles (p. 53) a lot
for my kids. They’re my version of chicken nuggets—or schnitzel, as they’re
called in Israel.
I use a combination of cornflakes and panko because the cornflakes give extra
crunch and the panko holds better than bread crumbs.
Q: What’s your comfort
food?
A: My mom’s Pomegranate
Chicken (p. 213). Definitely. And rice.
Q: Do your kids like
to cook yet?
A: They love it. We make
Challah (p. 24) together every Friday. They do a lot of recipes with me:
Zucchini Patties (p. 78) and meatballs (Turkey Balls with Okra, p. 100) are
favorites.
Q: What spices can’t
you live without?
A: I need all of them!
Cumin and paprika, if I really had to choose.
Q: What flavors remind
you of your childhood—and are there any flavors that define New York for you?
A: Persian lime and
fenugreek remind me of childhood. For New York,
I’d have to say the orecchiette pasta with white beans, sausage, and broccoli
rabe at Olea, a restaurant across the street from our apartment in Fort Greene.
My kids have been going there forever. When my son, Liam, was a baby, he would
fall asleep, and the waiters would hold him, carry him around the restaurant on
their shoulders as they were serving.
Q: How are you running
three successful restaurants while raising two young children?
A: I have great chefs I
can trust, and that allows me to spend time at home. And I have rules to help
me keep things in perspective. I will never go to work on a Friday night
because I cook for my family and friends on that night. My husband, Stefan, and
I go out together every two weeks. Sunday nights, we go out as a family. Stefan
and I almost never leave the kids with a babysitter; except for our date
nights, we try to make sure at least one of us is home with them. On nights
when I am cooking at Balaboosta, my kids come and eat with me at the
restaurant. And they are very involved with my business – Liam [who is 7] is
always asking questions about what’s happening at Balaboosta and Taim.
Q: What recipe should
I rush home and make tonight?
A: The Casablanca Catch (p. 23). It’s full of flavor
and not too hard.
Excerpted from Balaboosta by Einat Admony (Artisan Books). Copyright © 2013. Photographs by Quentin Bacon.
That look really delicious.
ReplyDeleteI've been using the cookbook and everything I made so far has been great!
DeleteUsually when cookbook authors are promoting their cookbooks they share a few recipes so we can get an idea of their food. It was a nice interview but where is the preview?
ReplyDeleteBlima, You can find a recipe on this blog:
Deletehttp://www.dinneralovestory.com/tag/balaboosta-cauliflower/