Chicken schnitzel is a constant in Amy Dell’s family — coated in a mix of bread crumbs, chicken consommé powder, and garlic powder, and freshly fried. In her parents’ home, it’s a “Shabbat absolute,” Amy shares. On Fridays, as her mother Kitty prepares dinner, even when she is already making fish, a beef dish, and a tray of roasted chicken with olives and preserved lemons, she might still ask aloud: “I should make some schnitzel, right?” This routine has played out since Amy was a child.

Amy says jokingly: “No, you really don’t need to — but, it’s great for leftovers, so….” Kitty fries schnitzel a mountain at a time, enough for dinner, leftovers, and for everyone to sneak in a snack. When the mound is depleted by dinnertime, Kitty bemoans: “What have you done?” 

The rest of the meal — and their family’s cooking in general — is a “mixed bag,” Amy adds, reflecting her family’s roots. Her mom Kitty grew up in Atlanta, but her family has roots in New Orleans, and she converted to Judaism as an adult. So breakfast in their home might be freshly fried beignets or grits — or a full Israeli breakfast inspired by Amy’s dad. 

Kitty learned the schnitzel recipe and others popular in Israel from her husband Haim, who grew up in Be’er Sheva as the son of a Moroccan mother and Tunisian father. Haim followed in his father’s footsteps as a restaurateur, owning the legendary New York City restaurant Mr. Broadway. Treats from the restaurant like Yemenite chicken soup, a vegetarian kishke (wrapped in a paper instead of a traditional meat casing), and pita also became part of the family repertoire. 

Haim loves to spend time in the kitchen. “His love is food and cooking — just like mine,” Amy shares. He's known for his matbucha, a jammy Moroccan dip that he makes by the quart and uses as the base for shakshuka and Moroccan fish, but also as an accompaniment to the family’s schnitzel, whether eaten on a plate or tucked into a “Shabbat sandwich” with baba ghanoush and pickles. 

It inspired Amy to make her own matbucha at home and later create the jarred product she calls Saturday Sauce that’s now used in the chili at Katz’s Deli, which is owned by her husband Jake Dell. And like her father, her husband now brings home treats from his restaurant — this time, matzah ball soup, turkey and latkes, which are favorites of their kids. 

In her parents’ home, the menu has changed a bit in recent years to support Haim’s health — there’s less starch, but there’s “still schnitzel,” Amy says. “He won’t give up the schnitzel.”