Joni Schockett

It is Memorial Day weekend, time to take the barbecues out of hiding, cleaned and scrubbed and readied for the summer months of outdoor eating. I love grilling. I love the smoky flavors the perfume of chicken or meat sizzling away and the sweet smell of grilled pineapple, a family favorite. It seems that backyard barbecues have been around forever.

We all know that Shavuot is about eating rich cheesecake and delicious dairy meals and dairy foods. We all know that this is because of the holiday’s association with the land of milk and honey. But there is also an association with dairy foods for a very practical reason. It was spring. The goats and sheep and cows were filled with milk, having given birth to the spring babies.

Soups are perfect starters for any meal, holiday or otherwise. Some can even be a complete meal for a hurried spring evening when people are rushing to get to sports events, meetings, and more. And while we all think of chicken soup to start a festive or Shabbat meal, there are countless other soups out there to whet the appetite and start a celebration. I am a soup lover. From chicken to cold blueberry to split pea and multi beans, I love soups.