The Disappearance of Trudy Solomon, the first book in the Ford Family Mystery series, waxes nostalgia
on the heyday of the Catskills hotel era. Detective Susan Ford and her
father, retired Detective Will Ford, reopen a cold case to figure out
what happened to a dining room waitress who went missing from one of
these hotels in 1978. The Catskills resort area, also referred to as
the Borscht Belt (both endearingly and derisively), was renowned for
many things, but the food in particular.
Before all-inclusive became a popular business model for Caribbean resorts and cruise lines, it was a staple at these Catskills resorts. The meals were kosher, meaning they adhered to Jewish dietary law and the kitchen was supervised by a mashgiah (someone who ensures Jewish cleanliness practices are followed in food preparation settings). While breakfast provided standard fare (but don’t ask for bacon!), lunch was dairy-only, and dinner was meat-only (again, to adhere to the kosher law of not mixing meat and dairy, which meant butter at lunch, but margarine at dinner). Dinner choices consisted of both traditional Jewish fare (kasha varnishkes, sweetbread, kishka) and modern dishes (prime rib, roast chicken, brisket). Didn’t like what you ordered? Send it back and get something else! Gefilte fish not your thing? Just order the chicken noodle soup! Trust me, there was something for everyone.
Kasha Varnishkes:
https://www.myjewishlearning.com/recipe/kasha-varnishkes/
Borscht:
https://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/borscht/
Broiled Sweetbreads:
https://www.seriouseats.com/sweetbreads-saute-recipe
Sounds like a very interesting mystery.
ReplyDelete