A Taste of the Past

Episode 191: Eating Delancey: Jewish Food Memories

Episode Summary

This week on A Taste of the Past, host Linda Pelaccio is delving into some delicious food memories, using theJewish cuisine on Delancey Street in New York City, as a guide. Welcoming Aaron Rezny, Jordan Schaps, Arthur Schwartz and Cara De Silva to the show, they are the authors and contributors to the book Eating Delancey: A Celebration of Jewish Food. Delancey Street conjures up an entire world of Yiddishkeit, or, the quality of being Jewish; the Jewish way of life or its customs and practices. Delancey, and the streets that cross it in the Lower East Side—Ludlow, Essex, Orchard, Rivington, and its sister street to the north, Houston Street—are the historical home of Jewish immigrants and thus a cradle of that unique Jewish experience. The group discusses how all the foods that were brought to America in the early 20th century by Jews during the great emigration from Europe came to the Lower East Side: knishes, bagels, lox, pastrami, whitefish, dill pickles, kasha, herring, egg creams, and much more. It is an area that continues to undergo rapid change but Eating Delancey hopes to capture forever the Jewish cuisine of the Lower East Side. Tune in to hear the books background details by those who know it best. This is a wonderfully informative and lively show! This program was brought to you by Whole Foods Market. Food is about the most powerful identity market that there is. [16:50] --Cara De Silva on A Taste of the Past My favorite memory of Ratners is seeing a table of six nuns! [28:25] --Jordan Schaps on A Taste of the Past

Episode Notes

This week on A Taste of the Past, host Linda Pelaccio is delving into some delicious food memories, using theJewish cuisine on Delancey Street in New York City, as a guide. Welcoming Aaron Rezny, Jordan Schaps, Arthur Schwartz and Cara De Silva to the show, they are the authors and contributors to the book “Eating Delancey: A Celebration of Jewish Food.” Delancey Street conjures up an entire world of Yiddishkeit, or, “the quality of being Jewish; the Jewish way of life or its customs and practices.” Delancey, and the streets that cross it in the Lower East Side—Ludlow, Essex, Orchard, Rivington, and its “sister” street to the north, Houston Street—are the historical home of Jewish immigrants and thus a cradle of that unique Jewish experience. The group discusses how all the foods that were brought to America in the early 20th century by Jews during the great emigration from Europe came to the Lower East Side: knishes, bagels, lox, pastrami, whitefish, dill pickles, kasha, herring, egg creams, and much more. It is an area that continues to undergo rapid change but Eating Delancey hopes to capture forever the Jewish cuisine of the Lower East Side. Tune in to hear the book’s background details by those who know it best. This is a wonderfully informative and lively show! This program was brought to you by Whole Foods Market.



“Food is about the most powerful identity market that there is.” [16:50]

Cara De Silva on A Taste of the Past

“My favorite memory of Ratner’s is seeing a table of six nuns!” [28:25]

Jordan Schaps on A Taste of the Past