As I was interviewing her, she shared a bit more about her families history and I thought I would share those memories as well before starting the official “Your Life in Food” section:

My father (Adam’s great-grandfather) was drafted into the Russian army at 15. They threw him into jail when he refused to go. He was in a dark place and it affected his lungs. My grandmother got him out after two years. The doctor suggested living near water and they moved to Liverpool, England where the family lived for ten years. My parents got married during the Boer War (1880-1881). Two sisters married two brothers. This was common in those days as families were very close.

Morris (Morrie) and Bessie

Bessie H (Shubb) – Born in 1911 (mother of Lenny, Bubbe of Adam)

If you were given a dollar to buy treats when you were a kid, what would you buy?

I don’t remember getting $1. It cost a nickel for a candy bar. In junior high school, my mom would pack me a chopped liver sandwich. My girlfriend loved it and she would give me 5 cents in exchange. I would buy a candy bar with nuts in the cafeteria.

2009 - Bubbe with Adam at the Medallion in Houston

Was dessert a special treat or a nightly ritual?

My father was a fruit peddler. We had apples often. My father would buy a huge gunny sack of raw peanuts and my mom would roast them in the oven. We ate bananas and oranges when they were in season, along with strawberries and other types of berries. My Uncle Borach and my father were business partners.

We lived in a suburb of Sioux City, Iowa. Dear Abby and her twin sister went to the local school. I think their name was Friedman [Ed. Note: I checked and she is correct]. Anyway, my dad and Uncle Borach had a big warehouse. They would buy goods off the train and put it in their horse-drawn wagon. We had a big picnic table in our backyard and my dad and uncle would pick out the green produce that wouldn’t sell and make it nice and presentable [basically -- ripen them].

Bubbe and her 99th Birthday Cake - 2010

What food do you throw out? Do you eat leftovers?

My mother never threw out anything. It makes me sick to even say it [Adam and I laughed when she said this. Bubbe's deadpan delivery is hilarious].

Who did the grocery shopping?

My aunt – who was a widow – opened a small grocery store in her kitchen with staples for the neighborhood. Her husband (who was my mother’s brother) was killed inside a Jewish bakery in Sioux City. There was also a corner grocery store.

What did you feed your kids when they were babies or toddlers? Did you restrict your diet when you were pregnant?

I came home from the doctor and drank a glass of milk the day I found out I was pregnant,. I hated milk all my life. I was a lousy eater. It was during the war and I couldn’t nurse.  Lenny (Adam’s dad) was on goats milk. You were only allowed two cans of goats milk a week. Anyone who came into the house would bring me cans of goats milk.

L-R: Great Great Nephews Drew Goldblatt, Ryann Goldblatt, Bubbe, Adam - 2010

What was your life like as a newlywed?

I lived with my mother and she cooked for us. We lived with her until Morrie got out of the army.

Did you share food with your neighbors?

Once, my mother told me to go to my aunts and come back quick with some salt. I decided to run and even though it was right down the street, I was huffing and puffing and out of breath when I got there. My Aunt Sarah got scared and thought something was wrong at home but I told her between breaths that my mom had just sent me for salt. She said “thu thu” and spit on me – a superstitious thing that Jewish people do.

What did your mom make you when you were sick?

I used to get chest colds all the time. The first order of business would be to take Vicks, wear flannel, and go to bed. My mom made me chicken soup. For the cough, she used to get a Hershey bar, broken up and put on the stove. She put honey in it and stirred it up [sounds like Gogol Mogol!]. When I coughed, I would get a spoonful of medicine. We all used to stand around the store coughing. My brother Hai would stand around coughing – she would say “get out of here!”

Previous posts on “Your Life in Food” can be found in the “Memories” category or by using the search box.

Next time I’m sick, I’ll be asking Adam to cook me up some Gogol Mogol after reading about Lenny’s Bubbes’ recipe below. Nice to know that my mom isn’t the only one that added alcohol to hot drinks when the kids weren’t feeling well.

Lenny and his sister Judy - 1949

Lenny H. – Born in 1945 (Paula’s husband, Adam’s father, Bessie’s son)

If you were given a dollar to buy treats when you were a kid, what would you buy?

Baseball cards, the gum sucked.

Was dessert a special treat or a nightly ritual?

Dessert was more of a treat.

What food do you throw out? Do you eat leftovers?

We eat leftovers except for salads which get too soggy.

Lenny as a young boy

What kind of cooking did your father do when you were growing up?

My dad did not cook.

Did you say grace?

Only on Shabbos, and we usually had a good size crowed depending on who my uncle Ben showed up with.

Where did you buy your meat?

From a Kosher butcher. My dad owned a butcher shop that had very fine meats and we supplied some very good restaurants but he never brought any in to our house as we kept strictly Kosher.

What did you feed your kids when they were babies or toddlers?

We fed Adam only the finest Gerber foods money could buy until he got old enough to eat and appreciate my cooking.  His favorite was a morning meal called a Lenny’s Special.

1985

Did you restrict your diet when you were pregnant?

Paula limited her sodium intake so drastically during her pregnancy that after Adam was born she had a seizure and went into a coma for 3 days.

How did you accommodate your wife/husband’s foodpreferences when you first got married?

My wife has few food preferences, but CHOCOLATE is always GOOOOOD!

Did you ever steal a pack a gum at the store?

Never stole a pack of gum, but there is still time.

Lenny and Paula - Nov. 2006

Have you ever made your own beer and wine?

I made beer in college.

Did you share food with your neighbors?

Yes we shared food and could always borrow sugar. It was a much different time.

What did your mom make you when you were sick?

My Bubbe took care of me and she had an old country remedy called a “Gogol Mogol” which consisted of melted butter, melted chocolate, honey and a little whiskey.  We tried to get sick as often as possible but she caught on to us.

Tostadas and Apps at El Naranjo

Another spot in the area I really enjoy is G’raj Mahal, an Indian trailer that offers table service in a converted garage off Red River. Eating there after sundown is beautiful surrounded by translucent white curtains and  the beautifully lit Austin Bike Zoo.

Outdoor Dining Room at G'raj Mahal

Another great feature of trailer dining is sipping chilled white wine or a cold beer purchased on the way for half the price it would be at a restaurant. What are some of your favorite trailers to enjoy dinner in Austin?

For other stories in the “Your Life in Food” series, check out the Tasty Touring homepage.

Paula H. – Born in 1948 (Sylvia’s daughter, Lenny’s wife, Adam’s mother)

If you were given a dollar to buy treats when you were a kid, what would you buy?

Don’t remember being given a dollar to buy treats, but if I did, it more than likely was for Butterfinger.  Butterfinger is my all-time favorite candy bar!

Paula - 3 years old - 1951

Was dessert a special treat or a nightly ritual?

It was not a nightly ritual, but when we did have dessert, we’d have jello, pudding, or ice cream for dessert.  My sister called ice cream the “I” vitamin. One of my fondest memories of my father was him going into the freezer, pulling out the ice cream, and at the kitchen counter, singing “Ice cream, ice cream, we all scream for ice cream, who wants ice cream?”  My brother, sister, and I to this day really enjoy and love ice cream.

What food do you throw out? Do you eat leftovers?

We throw out the soggy salads.  Yes we eat leftovers…..but usually after 2-3 more meals of it, I’m sick of them.

What kind of cooking did your father do when you were growing up?

My father baked chocolate chip cookies for the family, and he’d also make french toast and waffles for breakfast.  Whenever my parents hosted a party, my mother did most of the preparations, but my father would help her out all the time.

1980 - Paula and her mom

What was your life like as a newlywed? How did you accommodate your wife/husband’s food preferences when you first got married?

Our life was good as newlyweds.  Lenny doesn’t have very strict food preferences, other than he likes his meals homemade from scratch, not from a box.  He’s always been the cook in our house; I’m the baker.  He enjoys cooking and is very good at it.  So now when Adam calls about a recipe, he doesn’t call me; he calls Lenny.  As with me, Lenny loves CHOCOLATE!

What was the first candy bar you remember eating?

My first candy bar was probably a Butterfinger.  Those are my favorite!

Did you ever steal a pack of gum?

I never stole a pack of gum.  Don’t remember if I was in junior high or high school, but one day a friend and I went to Woolworth’s to the soda fountain area, where we both ordered a Coke.  She didn’t pay for hers, and I didn’t pay for mine.  To this day I wonder why I followed what she did.  I’ve never forgotten that, and I’ve always paid for everything since then.

1985 - Paula, Lenny, and Adam

Did you share food with your neighbors? Could you borrow a cup of sugar from them?

Don’t actually remember sharing food with our neighbors, or borrowing a cup of sugar from them.  However, if need be, I know we would have.  Neighbors back then were friendlier with each other.

What did your mom make you when you were sick?

Because I didn’t remember anything particular, I asked my mother about this, and her answer……”you were never sick.”