Food for Thought

If you are one of the millions of people under the impression that Jews don't exist in the great state of Texas, I don't fault you! However, just to clear up the misconception, they do exist! Mind you, the Jews that exist in Texas may be different than the Jews you know living in the Northeast, down in Florida, or out west in California. The Jews in Texas are a little more "Texas" (for lack of a better adjective) than all the other Jews you may know. Especially those Jews who grew up in small city Texas, like my mother's family who grew up in Bay City, or my father's family who grew up in El Paso!  Similar to the Jews who landed in the Northeast, the Jews who  landed in Texas tried their best to assimilate into the American culture that surrounded them. No, you may not find these Jews carrying around NRA membership cards, but you will find them totin' the occassional gun out on the ranch for sport. The Jews in Texas did not open up delis, but they were merchants and working men. When the second World War began, they were quick to sign up for military service. Both of my grandfathers, and all of my great uncles enlisted in the service. Many of them were stationed abroad, and some of them even flew fighter jets to represent the great country that they called home. However, many of them were first or second generation Americans, and they weren't so quick to give up their food and their traditions from the "old country". Like many Jews in America, life revolved around the dinner table. Shabbat dinners and holiday dinners were not only a time for family to come together, but they were a time for family to cook up recipes they brought from Eastern Europe. These recipes were carried down from generation to generation, and even today in 2012, many of these recipes still define who we are as a people. This Passover (or Easter), I hope you enjoy recipes that your family has passed down from generation to generation, and remember that the food you eat is as much a part of your family history as the relatives that surround you.