Kasha, and Varnishkas , and Duck Comfit, Oh My!

February 2, 2011

This past Sunday, hundreds of people gathered to enjoy the creations of an array of talented chefs who had gamely agreed to present their own visions of Jewish cooking. The New Center for Arts and Culture, through their adult program, PRISM, were the organizers behind “Beyond Bubbe’s Kitchen,” and although the darkness outside the wall of glass obscured views of the Fort Point Channel, the crowd inside the Moakley Courthouse last night seemed not to mind very much. They were focused instead on the lines of tables where chefs from some of Boston’s top restaurants were preparing and serving their own unique interpretations of Jewish culinary classics.

In some cases this meant taking traditional Jewish foods, such as kasha and varnishkas, and combining it with duck comfit, as Tony Maws, chef and owner of restaurant Craigie on Main, in Cambridge, did. In other cases there was a creative meeting of modern American food with a taste of the Old Country, as Michael Leviton, chef and owner of restaurant lumiere in Newton decided to do with his presentation of “Oreo Mun Cookies,” a rich and creative cookie with a tasty “mun” (Yiddish for Poppy Seed) filling. While these two offerings were definitely a hit, there were other items which seemed to fall a bit flat, such as Chef Julio de Haro’s Brisket braised in pomegranate juice, which was an interesting concept, but didn’t quite work, with the richness of the beef and the flavor of the pomegranate juice clashing somehow.

Although some of those in attendance expressed disappointment that food seemed to run out too quickly (by 7:30 most of the chefs had closed up shop) or that some of the food seemed too cold or too warm, on balance, people seemed to enjoy the evening, and found the new twists on old classics to be both intriguing and inviting. Chef Leviton’s cookie, which was served along with tiny glasses of a bourbon milkshake, seemed a particularly popular offering. Asked for her opinion of the pairing, attendee Stephanie Berkowitz said “I think it’s delicious. It’s an inspired modern interpretation of a traditional treat.”

The event also featured demonstrations and discussions with several notable names in the food world, including cookbook author Joan Nathan, who said of the event, “I think this is a great idea and I think that communities around the country are going to want to do this.” The event also attracted a number of food bloggers, including Lara Zelman and Renee Hirschberg, who both expressed enthusiasm for the food being served. At the end of the evening the New Center for Arts and Culture staff seemed satisfied with the event, and were already talking about plans for next year. It will be interesting to see how this popular event will grow and change over time, as different chefs tackle traditional Jewish cooking in their own unique ways.

Copyright Daniel E. Levenson/ The New Vilna Review 2011.