JCC Festival Celebrates Link Between Jews, Food

We Jews are no strangers to food. For us, the tastes and smells of certain foods are synonymous with our family and communal experiences. Many of us have special holiday recipes in our files that were passed down through the generations. Food and drink have been and always will be a central part of any event at which at least two Jews gather.

New Yorkers, Los Angelenos, and Chicagoans might think that their taste buds and food scenes are in a league all their own, but we all know that they have definitely underestimated the dining scene right here in the Twin Cities. An extraordinary variety of restaurants, creative cuisine, culinary talent and foodie entrepreneurs abound in our area, and for local members of the Jewish community, not only do we revel in these delicious offerings around us, we have many folks who are right in the thick of this exciting food revolution.

To highlight this love of food and its inextricable relationship with our community, the Sabes JCC is proud to host its first-ever Food Fest on Sunday, June 26, from 2-5 p.m. at the JCC.

Food Fest will draw upon all areas of foodie love. Want to learn a new technique from a chef? Interested in sustainable and eatable gardening? Love to sample delicious food? Do people ask you for your recipe for challah every time they taste it? Interested in sampling delicious kosher wines that will make you forget you ever had to taste Concord Grape Manischewitz? Then Food Fest is the place to be.

Attendees will have a chance to learn cooking techniques from famed chef David Fhima of the acclaimed restaurant, Faces Mears Park. Cookbook author and educator Robin Asbell will do a demo and share her trade secrets on vegetarian and vegan cooking. Famed food writer and local celebrity Sue Zelickson will talk about what’s new and upcoming in the Twin Cities dining scene. For those who love gardening, the event will feature tours of the JCC community garden and a demo on ways to cook from a garden. Kids can participate in a kid’s cooking class or cookie decorating experience. Wine tastings and tasty treats will be offered by various food vendors.

And for the bakers in our community – enter the Food Fest Baking Competition for a chance to be crowned the best baker of rugalach, challah, mandel bread, or apple cake in town. Winners will receive prizes and bragging rights.

And all of this while enjoying live music, a great vibe, and a food experience among friends and community.

This event is not under kosher supervision, but will have kosher options available.

For more information, go to http://www.sabesjcc.org/jgames-food-fest.php

For additional information on Food Fest, contact Laura Abrams at [email protected] or call 952-381-3392.

To enter the Food Fest Baking Competition, contact Casey Reiter at [email protected] or call 612-968-5683. Baking entrants must sign up by June 10.