Biography by Byron Katz

She always doted on us, her grandchildren. She was religious, and had a conservative streak, but was always on my side, whatever my opinion was. It was always easy to speak with her. When I would drive with her, she would always complain I was driving too fast.

My grandfather, Louis Goodman, once told me we could have anything we wanted in the house - except Grandma.

She was imperious and demanding. She always had to have her way.

If she felt I misbehaved she would say I was being ugly. If I spoke casually of something dangerous or absurd, she would say “you’re crazy!”, similar to her sister, my Aunt Laverne.

She loved cooking for her family. But she was also a child of the depression, so she was thrifty. She often made the same dishes each week. Iceberg lettuce salad, with homemade thousand-island dressing. Chicken soup from bouillon cubes with noodles and “soup-beef”. Homemade challah. Brisket for shabbos, cabbage and noodles, pineapple cake. Fried fish - lake perch, and fish from the lake at their house. Many of these are still my favorite recipes (see recipes at the end).

Both my grandparents adored my sister and I. They would happily splurge. When we visited Disney World, there was a robot rolling around. She tried to buy it. It said “I am not for sale”.

She was used to getting her way. We were once shopping and she wanted me to try on some shoes I did not want. She told the salesman, “make him try them on”.

And she knew how to push people’s buttons, and how to make a scene.

I am told she was a fantastic saleswoman. She was half of L & M Wholesale, selling pine bark mulch, for years.

She loved to entertain. Some memories are of large parties at her home. They would hire wait staff and bartenders. Elysa and I would hide out. They loved pointing us out to their friends.

She often called, often wanted me around. When she died, I was only a few days from visiting her. She was very easy to talk with- always curious about me.

I do miss her very much.

Grandma's bread

                    1 pack Fleischman rapid rise yeast
                    white sugar
                    gold medal brand flour
                    salt
                    jumbo eggs
                    1/4 cup mazola margarine (non salted)
                    spray oil (Pam)
                    

Mix together pack of yeast, 1/4 cup of hot water, 1 tablespoons sugar. Let sit 5 mins.

Mix together 5 cups flour, 2 3/4 teaspoons salt, 1/4 cup sugar, 2 jumbo eggs, 3/4 cup hot water, and margarine melted in microwave. After yeast has set up, mix it in. Mix well, kneed. Put back into bowl, let sit one hour in the cold oven.

Punch down. Let sit another 45 minutes. Put into bread pans after coating with oil (Pam). Cover, let sit 45 minutes again. After covering with poppy seeds and egg yolk bake at 325 degrees for 25 minutes.

Cabbage and Noodles

                    One cabbage
                    one bag of wide egg flat noodles
                    

Simply fry up the chopped cabbage in a very large pan until it is tender, and pour in the cooked noodles. Add enough oil, and fry until crispy. This can take a while.