Kasha varnishkes

We had a big office party for kids yesterday. It was nice, one of those "celebrate holiday diversity" things where everyone learns the story of Chanukah, then reads some stuff about Kwanzaa off slips of paper, and then as a reward, everyone gets to meet Santa.

The highlight was the multi-holiday lunch spread. There was turkey, and cornbread with jalapeno, and some brisket, and kasha varnishkes, and latkes. I had a bit of each.

You know how some foods just taste awful, and you say "oh man, I hate this," but a couple of years later you try it again because your taste memory has faded and you think "maybe it's better when someone else makes it" but you taste it and the cycle starts anew? There are at least four foods in this category for me:

- Mikee brand authentic Chinese rib sauce
- Suddenly Salad!
- Egg nog
- Kasha varnishkes

Kasha varnishkes, if you didn't know, is a Yiddish term meaning "bowties and varnish." Kasha varnishkes tastes like bowtie pasta mixed with little shavings of varnished furniture. You see a big tray of it and thing "hey, that looks pretty good!" Then you heap up on it, and it tastes like CRAP. No wonder all my ancestors died 100 years ago.