Jewish Food Festival at the JCC in Richmond, VA

Yesterday was the first day of the annual two day Jewish Food Festival, held at the JCC (5403 Monument Avenue, Richmond, VA 23226 – Tel: 804.285.6500), presented by Knesset Beth Israel (6300 Patterson Avenue, Richmond, VA 23226 – Tel: 804.288.7953) with supervision by the Moro d’Asro, Rabbi Dovid Asher.

One of the various stations preparing food in the kitchen

Carrot kugel, broccoli kugel, latkes and stuffed peppers… MmmmMMm!

Donut Holes, Homentashen, Menorah Cookies, Rugelach and more!

There was so much to choose, but I started with a plate of brisket, potato latkes and a ouple of knishesk. I followed with a combination of lamb and turkey shawarma with roasted vegetables wrapped in a laffa. The portion were nice sized, in fact I’m afraid the only way to get rid of the weight I gained would be to walk all the way back to Brooklyn.

Among the various booth, and being a foodie, there was one which really got my attention, Ginger Juice…

It was hard to decide which flavor to buy…

I tasted various of their juices, including Giving made from beets, pears and ginger. It reminded me so much of my mother’s (aleha haShalom) borsht – a taste nobody had ever been able to replicate…. until now. Another flavor I liked was Goodness which consisted of kale, apple, celery and mint. Who knew kale and celery could taste this good?!?!? When I finally got ready to go home, I picked up a bottle of Glitzy (pineapple, apple, pear). Needless to say, it didn’t last very long.

This event was truly a feast for the palate, the eyes and the nose!

CS

Schmoozing with Julia Roth

This coming Wednesday evening at 10:00pm (Eastern Time) we’ll be talking with Julia Roth on our BlogTalkRadio.com show. We’ll discuss a bit of the Jewish Community’s history in Richmond and its evolution to the present time. Mrs. Roth, a mother of 4, attended University of North Carolina where she majored in English Lit; a Chicago native, she currently lives in Richmond, VA.

After spending time with friends in Skokie, IL and seeing how the Chicago Chesed Fund operated neighborhood based food pantries. The idea seemed so simple – neighbors gathering and sharing extra surplus in the community, she thought Richmond could benefit from such an enterprise and presented the project to various members of her circles. The support was astounding as proven by the fact that they opened quickly and have been operating – with a staff of volunteers – for the last 4 weeks with backing from Knesset Beth Israel (Richmond’s largest and oldest Orthodox Congregation). For the last 24 years she’s been a Hebrew school teacher but she’s most passionate about her work as a  DONA certified birth assistant or doula – having attended over 100 births.

In addition to touching upon Richmond’s Jewish history we will also talk about her activities in the community and some exciting upcoming events.

Meanwhile, in case you missed it, please tune in to our conversation with renowned Providence, RI, Chef and food historian Walter Potenza.

Please don’t forget to tune us in this coming Wednesday at 10:00 pm (Eastern Time) for an interesting, informative, broadcast with Julia Roth.

CS