Reporting LIVE from the Sour Cream Sierras...is green borscht actually a thing? Should anyone ever scoop a bagel? Liz and Jeffrey take Meet Me at the Deli on the road for a special live episode from the Borscht Belt Festival in Ellenville, New York, where they (alongside three passionate guests) answer both listener and live questions about foods, traditions, and debates that define Jewish American cuisine.
From the origins of the Reuben sandwich and cholent to the psychology of immigrant food culture, plus passionate takes on mustard, chopped liver, cinnamon raisin bagels (and more!) this live episode is packed with food history, comedy, and plenty of kvetching.
Dan Vetrano is a comedian and host of Get Work, a live comedy show where comedians interview for real jobs using fake résumés. Learn more at www.danvetrano.com.
Willie Zabar is a New York comedian, writer, and member of the legendary Zabar family. Learn more about Willie at www.williezabar.com.
Rounding out the panel is Rocco Marinaccio, professor of literature, food studies, ethnic studies, and New York studies at Manhattan University.
Show Notes:
The Borscht Belt Festival: https://www.borschtbeltfest.org/
The Borscht Belt Museum: https://www.borschtbeltmuseum.org/
Rhapsody in Schmaltz by Michael Wex: https://wwnorton.com/books/Rhapsody-in-Schmaltz
Hungering for America by Hasia Diner: https://press.princeton.edu/books/paperback/9780691059757/hungering-for-america
The Vilna Vegetarian Cookbook: https://archive.org/details/VilnaVegetarianCookbook
Daniel Kahn and the Painted Bird – "Borscht Revisited": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3bX9_q-_u3c&list=RD3bX9_q-_u3c&start_radio=1
This episode was produced by Felicia Reich and edited by Pasha Toub.
Got a burning question on Jewish cooking? Submit your questions at tinyurl.com/GefilteHotline or email [email protected]!
Meet Me At The Deli is co-hosted by Liz Alpern and Jeffrey Yoskowitz of The Gefilteria. Visit http://gefilteria.com for recipes, workshops, The Gefilte Manifesto cookbook, and more.
This show is an original podcast by Heeb Media, an independent digital nonprofit for subversive Jewish culture. Circumcision not required.