This post was published to webdevmatt at 9:40:30 AM 6/18/2007 (sorry for the dely :|)
If you have lived in Syracuse NY for more than 5 years, you know that Summer is for Festivals. You name it, they’ve got it. While we don’t always understand the culture of our festival hosts, we can usually bond with what they have to offer our stomachs. You can always count on some old standby’s from fair vendors, but it’s best when you can try something new and unique from the authentic culinary artists from each ethnic group.
I’m not sure what goes on in a Greek orthodox church, but I do know I can get great treats like Spanacopita, Gyro, or Dolmathes when the Greek Festival is in town. For all the stereo typing and jokes around the Polish people, as well as the possibly deterring Polska music, man they can put together great food. While you can get Kilbasa and Pierogi in any grocery in the US, the festival offers things you would never think of. This year I discovered Kasza, mmm mmm good, even with the Polka playing in the background.
This year I went to a festival I have never been to, the Jewish festival. Now, I’m from Jewish decent, but have not embraced my Judaism for many years. For me this should have been more than just a trip to another festival, this was a aliyah (Pilgrimage). I may have set my expectations high, but along with the Hebrew singing and trinkets unique to the culture, I expected some blasts from the past in the food category. So as I crossed the main stage into the bazaar, where I caught the familiar knitted yarlmukas, Mezuzahs, and tallis bags, and then it hit me, the sign I was looking for, the Kosher Food Court.
All of a sudden I saw kinishes, white fish salad, and Matzo balls floating in my head. Then giddy with excitement, I thought to myself, maybe they have koogle, kishky, chopped liver, or simis, items I haven’t eaten in maybe a decade or more. As I look beyond the sign I ask a fellow festival goer, “where is the food court I don’t see anything.” She pointed out a small section of 2 tents, one said “Iced Cappuccino” and the other said “Carnage Catering”. Naturally I was drawn to the Carnage tent only to find a menu of Kosher hot dogs, Kosher pickles, a veggie pita, and a whole bunch of drinks. So I walked up to the counter and asked, “hey guys, any Kinishes or Kishky”. One of the people behind the counter responded in a bounding voice, “Huh, what are those.”
I felt like a child with a balloon, and a punk just popped it out of spite. My dreams of delicious, traditional Jewish cuisine were squashed. Yes, kishky might have been a stretch, but come on man, Kinish, maybe number 3 on the “what do jews eat” list,1. Matza Ball Soup 2. Challah 3. Kinishes. All my years in the cuse going to these festivals, this had to be the biggest let down. I was hoping to provide some of my friends a portal into the Jewish culture through something almost as universal as Music, but WE, could not deliver . In a defeated voice asked my friend if she would like a pickle, she declined and I got one for myself with the same person behind the counter bidding me goodbye with a “Just one pickle, that’s all you want.”
I guess there could be a few steps I could take from here, but for now I will let it rest, and who knows, maybe start cooking some traditional fare myself, and have a mini Jewish fest in kitchen. Until then, I will probably just hit the next festival in the square next week.
