Size of Balls Does Matter

A reflection from the first night of Passover

Every year at Passover, my mother-in-law complains that there is just too much food, the portions are too big, and everyone is eating too much.   Who can eat a mazto ball that big?  Just give me half.  Oy vey!  Why would anyone even MAKE a matzo ball that big?

So this year I decided to downsize the matzo balls in the soup.   I made them about 1 inch in diameter, which meant they were about 1.5 inches when cooked.  They were cute little matzo balls, and rightly sized for a meal with so many other courses.  In my humble goyische opinion.  So this evening we asked four questions, dipped twice, ate the Hillel sandwich, and exited Egypt and slavery.  Then, the most eagerly anticipated part of the seder: Shulchan Oreych – the meal is served!  First the gefilte fish.  Second course – the matzo ball soup.  I served my mother-in-law her soup first.  When it arrived in front of her, she looked at it like Snoopy looking at his empty dog dish.  A guffaw, and then a request for a little bigger knaidel.  The soup bowl is sent back to the kitchen, where the chef (me) adds another matzo ball.  Next year, in Jerusalem, with bigger matzo balls.