Unstuffed Cabbage at Harvard
(Summery written by Michael Yashinsky):
Photographs of "Unstuffed cabbage," as prepared at Annenberg Hall, the grand freshman dining hall at Harvard College, Cambridge, MA, April 11, 2008. Harvard had a "Recipes from home" program whereby students' parents could submit a recipe to Harvard University Dining Services (HUDS), and favorite ones would be selected to be cooked for the students' meals. My mother submitted her "unstuffed cabbage" (a sort of stewlike approximation of the traditional dish), and it was made one winter's night for 1,600 freshmen. I was not among them. I was under the weather somewhat, and not knowing her dish had been chosen (and who would have thought it would be! galuptshikes at Harvard?!), I did not make it to the dining hall that night. That week, though, at auditions for the Freshman Musical, the musical director told me before I began my song, "Hey Yashinsky. I know that name. I loved your mom's cabbage the other night." Vey iz mir, I had missed them! I wrote to HUDS, expressing to them my equal gratitude and woe, and they told me they would make it again, just for me (and well, 1,600 others). And so they did! And here is the proof. Happy night, April 11, 2008 was—at university in New England, a heymishe reminder of Mameshe and mishpokhe in the Mid-mayriv!