Cooking
Josy’s mother Malvina was reputed to have been an excellent cook. Recipes for her famous cheesecake were little more than lists of ingredients without measurements. Josy had expected to have lessons in cooking from her mother when she got married, but sadly, Malvina died before that happened.
Family lore includes stories of Josy’s exploits while learning to cook. Initially, she didn’t think it was necessary to wash potatoes before cooking them because the boiling water would clean them. When she discovered food coloring, she created a meal that included purple sour cream and orange cottage cheese. Josy’s approach to cooking involved a lot of trial and error, eventually resulting in many interesting meals and funny stories.
José learned to cook from the family maid in Mexico. His approach to cooking was very much that of a scientist, tasting and adjusting the food using ingredients that were convenient and available. He loved to improvise, using jelly to sweeten a dish or anchovies to increase its salinity. When asked about measurements for his recipes, José might respond that the number of tomatoes needed for guacamole depended on the ripeness and size of the avocados. Josy tended to follow recipes, while José used cooking as a creative outlet.
The Rabinowitz's entertained often, and the food they served was delicious and beautifully presented. Celebrations usually included José's sangria in a colorfully lit fountain, a dry-ice fog rising from its surface. Appetizers might be a pineapple cut in spears and garnished with maraschino cherries near a large bowl of guacamole. One favorite meal was Josy's roasted chicken thighs with peaches and onions served with José's molé sauce.
