by Laura Weisskopf Bleill
Those of you who’ve been reading this column religiously (ha, ha, pun intended) know that much of it revolves around food. Did someone say bagel (and no, for the 28th time, Panera’s version doesn’t count)? Want to try my mom’s kugel? You love challah (and one of these days I’ll dish on the best local places to get the specialty bread we eat on Shabbat)?
Well, in my house it’s a one-sided affair.
My husband doesn’t like most Jewish foods.
He doesn’t dig matzo balls or anything with matzah near it. He won’t touch lox. He’s not into latkes, but who doesn’t like fried potatoes? Hamantashen on Purim? That is a cookie in which he has no interest. And don’t get him started on gefilte fish — are you nuts?
To give some perspective, my husband didn’t grow up Jewish. And, I’ve discovered, sometimes you have to grow up with a food to like it. There are just certain things that won’t pass his lips.
However, I finally found a holiday where my husband will like the food. This week marks the Jewish festival of Shavuot, the holiday that commemorates the day G-d gave the Israelites the Ten Commandments and the Torah. (Cue Charleton Heston here). It is traditional on Shavuot to eat lots of dairy foods – so pizza, ice cream, blintzes, cheesecake and kugel for everyone!
Stop the presses. Did someone say you’re supposed to eat pizza and ice cream? On a Jewish holiday? Holy Moses!
There’s still one problem: his favorite pizza is not exactly what the powers that would be would like us to eat. See, pepperoni and sausage toppings aren’t exactly kosher, and certainly don’t qualify as dairy.
So I guess we’ll stick with the ice cream. Custard Cup, here we come!
Laura Weisskopf Bleill, a co-founder of chambanamoms.com, and her order at Custard Cup is a cold fudge sundae. She writes “Being a Jew in C-U,” a column about being a Jewish suburban girl in a cornfield, on Thursdays. You can reach her at laura@chambanamoms.com.
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Have you seen the “Coming Soon” sign at University and Lincoln for…Einstein Bagels?
Very funny, column, Laura. It made me smile. Plus, I’m learning about Jewish holidays I never knew existed … one that encourages ice cream consumption? Awesome! And I think you miss good bagels like I miss Custard Cup. Although I do really miss the Bagel Chateau of Maplewood, New Jersey. I think those bagels would have passed your muster.