Why do I find this word so difficult to say? After all, it's not long, I can spell it, and everybody else seems to be able to use it remarkably well. But for me, saying "no" seems to be a no-no, even though I think it all the time.
By contrast, the word "yes" just trips off my tongue. There it is, out there before I've even had a chance to think through the consequences of always trying to please.
Take the time I was asked to do the barmitzvah party run in the middle of the night (ok, 11.30pm), shlepping to a new rural hot spot in the middle of nowhere. I had been inundated all day with desperate pleas: "Are you collecting? Do you have room for my bubbelah?" Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes. OMG, there's no room in the car for me.
I have even considered therapy in my hour of need, knee-deep in apple crumble, chocolate mousse, lockshen pudding, meringue roulade and grandpa's favourite coffee and walnut cake, trying to answer a dessert trolley of requests that once again I have just not been able to say no to.
Even when I find myself in the nosh cupboard unwrapping another naughty nougat, I want to be like Amy Winehouse, but I just can't say no, no, no.
So in this month of No-vember, what does the Jewish Princess make? No-nonsense schnitzels which, of course, nobody can say no to.
Method
For the schnitzels:
- Bang out each schnitzel to flatten them evenly to about 1-2cm thickness (a great stress buster) or get the butcher to do it
- Dip each schnitzel into the beaten egg yolk and coat in matzah meal seasoned with salt and pepper
- Fry in hot oil until brown and leave to dry on kitchen paper
- Continue to do this with all the other schnitzels and then transfer to a large oven-proof dish
For the topping:
- Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan. Add the onions and fry until a dark brown colour. Keep stirring to avoid burning
- When the onions start to turn brown add the other vegetables
- Cook until soft then leave to cool and then transfer over the schnitzels
- Cover with silver foil and place in the oven temperature 180°c for 20 minutes.
The Jewish Princess is written with the help of Tracey Fine and Georgie Tarn. See www.thejewishprincess.com.
