Balabusta Cred.

The minute the weather cools off, I go into balabusta mode. Do you know this word, balabusta? I've heard it before, in the little snippets of Yiddish swirling around, but didn't know what it meant. I looked it up after reading about a cookbook from the restaurant of the same name.

Balabusta is a Yiddish expression describing a good homemaker

 Yup. Except maybe I would be a passable homemaker, not always a good one! I've been in the kitchen a lot lately, making soups and baking bread. I started making my own chicken soup a few years ago, relying on my memory of various chicken soups I ate growing up, between my mom, my stepmom and my grandma. But this weekend, I think I made my best one yet. The husband and 5 year old agree that it is delicious!

Chicken Soup 

Serves a crowd. 

Ingredients

• Two chicken breasts, bone-in, skin on (please!) 
• Two carrots
• Two stalks celery
• One onion
• Bay Leaf
• Sprigs of thyme
• Dill, dried or fresh
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper

1. Place the chicken in a roasting pan or baking sheet. Season the chicken with salt and pepper, coat with oil and add a few sprigs of thyme to the roasting pan. Roast at 425 for 30-45 minutes, depending on size of chicken. The juice should run clear, and the skin should be golden and crispy. 
2. While chicken is roasting, heat oil in a soup pot, chop veggies and add to the pot, along with salt and pepper. Cook until veggies are soft, then add bay leaf and thyme sprigs. 
3. Let the chicken cool enough for handle, then remove skin and pull meat off the bones. Chop or pull the meat and set aside. Tie the bones up in a cheesecloth. 
4. Add cheesecloth-wrapped bones to the soup pot and cover with water. 
5. Bring soup to a boil, then lower to a simmer and partially cover. 
6. Simmer soup until color turns deep golden. Add more water as necessary, to keep bones covered. 
7. Remove bones from soup and discard. 
8. Add  chicken and dill; continue to simmer until ready to serve. 
9. Serve with fresh bread or crackers. The bread in the photograph is my new go-to recipe from King Arthur Flour, which can be found here: http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/classic-sandwich-bread-recipe

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