She means it to sound exciting, but it just sounds scary. Who knows what’s waiting? I didn’t tell her about all the stuff Coralee said about the trailer park. I don’t want her to think I’m ashamed of where we live. I love this place. I always have. It’s okra and blackberries in the summer and fishing at No. 9 landing and shelling beans on the porch. I wouldn’t trade it for anything.

“Okay.” I start unwrapping us from the blanket. “But Rachel has got to go.” I say it loud and sassy, because Mema wants me to be brave, and maybe if I pretend to be, it’ll turn true.

“Oh yes, honey, that girl might be worse than her aunt, and that’s saying something.”

“Mom will never go for it—me not having an aide.”

“You let me handle your mother, sweetheart. What’s the good of being old as dirt if you can’t pull rank?”

8 Challah and Basketball

Dear Deb Perelman at smittenkitchen.com,

I have been thinking about God lately and what it means to “live a life according to your convictions,” as my grandma’s pastor would say.

I’ve never been good at the prayer thing. I mean, I pray sometimes, but only when something really, really bad is happening or I think might be about to happen. I don’t think that’s the same thing as just praying because you’d like to tell God about your day or you’re just so happy or whatever.

The thing is, I’ve been pretty worried lately and so has my whole family, and so I’ve been trying to get back to talking to God about all that stuff because maybe it might help somehow.

And now I know you’re wondering why I would write to you about all this when you are a famous cook and this is about a Jewish recipe and my grandparents are Methodist and I’m not even sure what my mom and I are.

But I have a reason. It’s this: I came across your challah bread on your blog, and you say even the smell of it could “make a religious person out of you,” and I like that. I like the idea that baking can be another way of talking to God. So maybe when I bake, it counts as praying and God understands where I’m coming from.

Anyway, all that to say… thank you for this wonderful challah recipe, which my grandpa insists on calling “cha-la” instead of “hol-la.” Everybody loved it, and it made our little kitchen smell as good and sweet as you promised. And you are right—it was even better the next day as French toast.

A grateful fan,

Ellie Cowan