Gefilte Fish... A Love Letter
Dear deli aficionados,
As we fast approach the holidays of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, I would like to share a deli maven‘s perspective on the seasonal themes of celebration and awe.
As a young boy, I knew something special was afoot when I woke up—bleary-eyed but fresh—to the sound of a blade colliding with wood. Decades later, those loud, rhythmic thwacks are still etched in my memories. Who held the blade? My Bubbie, of course, hard at work chopping trout and walleye for her special holiday gefilte fish. Fast on the heels of those firm whacks followed a persistent, pungent aroma which flooded the house for days—tender balls of fish and vegetables swimming together, bobbing alongside fish heads as they all simmered in a sharp, flavorful fish stock. All of these wonderful smells and sounds could only mean one thing: Rosh Hashanah was fast approaching.
When we gathered as an extended family of 20+, seated at our table of fine linen and prized china, feelings of solemnity and anticipation whirled throughout the air. Tension and excitement set the stage for the evening’s proceedings. When that expertly seasoned poached fish was placed before us—with the perfect carrot round worn as a crown—my heart filled with the gladness of tradition passed down through generations. And after the first bite…that gladness turned to joy! Not just ordinary joy, mind you, but glorious joy. Beautiful, astonishing joy. The type of joy that tickles your toes and fills you with the feeling of endless potential and possibilities.
This joy, my friends, is what motivates me to this day. And, it is that precise joy that I try to transmit to you, my esteemed guests, with our Stage gefilte fish. The chopping blade, wooden bowl, and my Bubbie’s hands have all modernized, but the same spirit and soul endures. This is not your grocery store gefilte fish, mind you. This is something magnificent and fresh. Of course, gefilte fish used to be a dish of poverty and low income, but today we only use the finest ingredients. It’s truly a labor of love. While you’re sound asleep the night before Rosh Hashanah, we’re up skinning the whitefish, cleaning it, brining it, and making stock. We then hand-roll each quenelle of fish one by one; we’re talking several thousand pieces here. Gefilte fish is the epitome of a transportative dish, it succeeds in transmitting those grand feelings of love of tradition, felt over the generations, directly to you. How cool is that?
Which brings me to awe. Awe is wonder, respect, and humbleness. The trust that you place in us at Stage to prepare joy—more specifically, worthy traditional foods for your family’s table—is an awesome responsibility. That same reverence we have for gefilte fish is readily apparent in our chicken soup, our matzoh balls, our chopped liver and brisket. It’s all meant to inspire awe.
And speaking of fish, I’d like to remind you all that the same reverence we apply to our gefilte fish goes for our smoked fishes, too. Our smoked fishes are traditional for breaking the fast on Yom Kippur. We have a 50 year trusted relationship with our smoker in New York, who provides us with only the highest quality freshest smoked fishes, especially for this season. I do hope you have the opportunity to experience the joy of our silky, smoky, and wonderfully tender hand cut Nova lox. We have marvelous smoked fish trays for your breakfast, but don’t delay. Even though we work all night preparing these delicacies, supplies are limited!
On behalf of Jolie and myself, our families and the entire Stage team, we wish you all a joyful and meaningful new year!
-Steve Goldberg
