Sorry to put a pin in your balloon, U-C, but 'frankfurters' is an American generic term for cased ground meat. Its composition of meat and spices in Germany/Austria depends on the region. In Bavaria, 'Bratwurst' means a grilled (as opposed to boiled) sausage. And in Munich, it contains chicken. (Try selling that to the NASCAR/NFL crowd!) 'Hamburgers' are not found in Hamburg nor elsewhere in Germany except as an importation of an American concept. And then they are known as "Deutsches Beefsteak". Go to England, and the same thing is Salisbury Steak (with mushroom gravy). And of course: 'bangers and mash' -- good stuff.

Ethnic festivals are wonderful. The city of Baltimore dedicates each weekend in summer to a different ethnic group and the crowds are wild. (I'm still trying to figure out what 'jerk chicken' is all about.) In a pluralistic society, they provide a chance for people to actually experience stuff from other cultures and nations and not rely upon stereotypes. Same with the church tours - a chance for folks to actually understand who these 'strange folks' are and why they do what they do. It's a true blessing, especially in places that have not been home to immigrant populations. (Don't EVER be around when Texas barbecue folks go up against the North Carolina barbecue crowd - you'll be maimed for life.)

I love them all as comfort foods, but grilled cheese (with potato chips and a pickle) is still the pinnacle of pleasure! (And I'll beat the snot out of anyone who disagrees!!)

I'm now going into the kitchen to prepare ALL of the above!! Hey, it's a Greek thing!! :-) Perhaps I can sell some at a corner stand? Hey, that's a Greek thing too! Where's my blue and white flag!!?!?!

Dr. John

We just got back from St. Mary and St. Mark Coptic Orthodox Egyptian Festival.

The kids were bad, the food was awesome, and we all dressed up like Egyptian Royalty in a picture!

I ate stuffed grape leaves! I really thought they would be... They were green and slimy looking, but they were really good!

The Church is actually a converted house so it is modest looking, but the people were very friendly and tried to make us blue eyed (except me, mine are green) Americans feel welcome!

Columbia's 21st Annual Greek Festival will be held from Thursday, September 20 until Sunday, September 23 on the grounds of Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church in downtown Columbia, SC.

http://www.columbiasgreekfestival.com/

And I'll be there!

Dave

If you're in Southern California...

The Cathedral of St Mary (Eparchy of Van Nuys) will be hosting their annual Fall Luncheon this Saturday Nov 3rd.

Tickets $20 advance/$25 at the door.

Many, many raffles, games and door prizes.

Wonderful Slavic foods (keilbasa, holupki etc) served to each table.

Games, food & fun for the whole afternoon.

Cathedral of St Mary
5329 Sepulveda Blvd,
Sherman Oaks, CA 91411

Saturday November 3, 2007
11:00 AM till 5PM (or maybe even later)

This is one of our parish's main fundraisers. It has been lots of fun each year. Many great raffle prizes and lots of great old world charm. Religious items for sale including items from Ukraine.

For more information please email or PM Steve Petach
(There's still time to get advance tickets)
Thanks,
Steve Petach
Chief Dishwasher for the Luncheon

Steve, it sounds delicious ! I can almost smell the holupki 2,300 miles away ! (Mmmmm...)

Best of luck on that !

-- John

This is one of the few threads with a decidely positive flavor, pun entirely intended!

When I travel, I do like to know about various festivals, breakfasts, lunches and dinners happening in the local area I'm visiting. I have enjoyed many of the dinners and food festivals in Pittsburgh by knowing about them ahead of time enough to plan my day! Lets keep posting festival information here.

Steve

As Napoleon said, an army travels on its stomach...

PATRONAGE OF THE MOTHER OF GOD BYZANTINE CATHOLIC CHURCH in Arbutus,MD will be having their annual SLAVIC FOOD FESTIVAL on Saturday November 17,2007.

Doors open at 10am. There will be plenty of holupky, halusky, naleshneky and kolbassy. Plenty of nut, poppyseed, appricott and lekvar rolls will also be available. There will also be plenty of pies and cakes for those planning Thanksgiving early.

There will be church tours and an ikon painting demonstration as well...

For more info or directions go to www.patronagechurch.com

Any Church Slavonic Divine Liturgy?

Ungcsertezs

From your mouth to Boze's ears...

I'd settle for someone to do drop-pull Easter eggs...

Pisankar, what are "naleshneky"? I thought we did EVERYTHING Carpatho- at Epiphany and I've never heard of this.

The ethnic foods (and cultural elements, including liturgics and music) are the carrots that bring people in. There are a lot of Generic Americans who truly strive to expand their horizons in as many ways as possible. Doing the "ethnic" thing is the PR hook. And it gives the Church/churches an opportunity to meet with folks who would otherwise never darken our doors. This is good. It ain't McDonalds!!

If a church in the South decided to have a BarBeQue festival, so be it. If a New England church held a clam bake, ... perfect. Ethnicity is a blessing for the ethnic folks who are retaining or re-discovering their roots. As the "Information Booth" guy at our parish festival, I constantly hear:

--my grandparents were... and so I've come....;
--I'm from XXX and really miss.....(fill in the blank)
--We love the music and the food ... (from a Methodist bus!!)

Our Local Greek parish holds a festival 2 times a year - lots of food and baked goods, vendors for food, jewelry, CDs, DVDs (dancing lessons!), dancing of regional Greek dances (newbies welcome!), chuch bookstore, and T-shirts galore! The place is packed; the police send 4 cars and about 8 officers to direct traffic. And it's clear that folks are welcome to attend liturgy.

The Romanians across the street do a 4 hour thing in the church basement with a rummage sale. They could do a lot more and NEED much better outreach and advertising. But they apparently are not interested in augmenting the parish. It's totally Romanian. (Their recently deceased pastor, Fr. Calciu, was a saint who was imprisoned in Romania for running an underground seminary. When released, he started up again! I attended an event there; he was totally welcoming of an Eastern Catholic. Christlike? OH YEAH!!)

So far, the local Ethiopians don't do anything. I'm sure they will when they realize that they can enhance their funding. But I don't think that they are Americanized enough to look to non-Ethiopians to enhance their congregations.

The Copts locally are welcoming, but again they are not under any pressure to look beyond the Egyptian community to augment their parishes.

It's clear that the ethnic/"foreign" aspect can be a real draw to the community at large to visit and learn. And it's no sin to do so to bring people "in our doors".

Blessings to all!

Dr John
Whatever the application of the PR hook, if it brings people in for fellowship (regardless of the $$$), then it's a success.

"Nalesniky" are Potato Pancakes. When they are homemade, they very good! Smatchnoho!

Ungcertezs

Thanks. Not heard that term before.

We have 'em at Epiphany and we call them........potato pancakes.

Of course the visitors call them not only potato pancakes, but also "Latkes". (Geee, I wonder what that term is from?!?!)

We get them from a vendor in Pennsylvania - 50 pounds of potatoes, 5 pounds of butter, 5 huge onions and then into the grinder for 10 minutes. (I think there's some salt and cornstarch involved.) Then into tubs and transported across state lines.....

One of our biggest sellers...

Thanks for the info!!!

Dr John

I thought "nalesniky" were "crepe suzettes".
Potato pancakes are oftentimes called "kartoflyani plyatske".
As my dearest Ukrainian grandmother used to say: "moya negsdorka maye doozhe dobra recepis dlya barbolyany platske".
[Translation: My next door neighbor has a very good recipe for potato pancakes.]

crepe suzettes = palacinky