Saturday, July 30, 2011

Jew food run


As you are reading this, I have just returned from trip to Shaker Heights and I can reveal to you, while I attended the Shaker Heights High School Class of 1981 Reunion, my real purpose in my trip was to make what my friends have come to call a "Jew food" run.

To Corky and Lenny's I went - with my list and a craving for matzo ball soup.  I walk to the counter and the man greets me with a smile.  "You're back.  It's been awhile."  He knows that I'm hooked.

"I have some nice corned beef," they say, enticing me with a grin that stretches ear to ear.  I place the order and tell them that I'm headed to 2 hours south.  "I'll wrap it extra nice for you."  Then comes the bread, the liver, the coconut bars and latkas. 

"What about some nice smoked white fish - it travels well."

I look at the fish and it looks at me.  There isn't a love connection.

You want anything else, they say knowing that I do.  I'm hooked.; we all know it. It's the Kosher Elephant in the livingroom. I look and name a few more items.

"I have some nice creamed herring," the woman says with a cheshire cat smile.  I pass. She shrugs.  The deal is done.

At the cashiers I tell them I am traveling.  The woman with the big Sally Jesse Raphael glasses tells me to be careful.  "Keep the liver cold - it's delicate.  Sniff it when you get home.  If it smells bad, its gone bad."

Driving back to Columbus I traveled the speed limit, but without putzing about, for my hatchback was laden with ice coolers of a corned beef, Jewish rye, latkas and chopped liver.  The further I get from Cleveland I start to feel like myself.

And when I arrived at my garage, will I be honored as a hero? 

Depends.

My husband will ask "Did you get the coconut bars?  The jumbo macaroons" - he asks.  He is more desirous of the tender angle food cake, smothered in chocolate syrup and rolled in coconut then I am to him, I feel for a second. I answer yes; he smiles; its a mitzvah! 

I am the mensch that I see in my minds eye.

2 comments:

  1. I still occasionally long for the days of big haired waitresses and a bowl of pickled kosher pickles and green tomatoes slapped on the table when you were seated at this joint.
    I've learned all the recipes and methods of all the afore mentioned food,but it isn't quite the same without the tacky glamour of Corky & Lenny's dining room.

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  2. Even those of us who are goy are hungry and lusting after your corned beef, liver, rye and latkes.

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