MESH Report May 17, 2022

Our most faithful volunteer, Susan Rosenblatt, braved Tuesday’s winds  on her walk to Shomrei and our head cook, Stuart Greene, spent his day off preparing a hearty meal of turkey chlli with beans, rice and sautéed kale.

Aileen Grossberg provided the starter of hummus with pita crackers and carrots as well as a dessert pastry.

Stuart rounded out the meal with rolls and clementines.

Continue reading

MESH Report Feb 11, 2020

image (6)

From Captain Stuart Green:

Last night, the Carol Starr MESH Cafe at Shomrei played host to 25 appreciative guests. With Tu Bishvat having been celebrated the day before, our meal reflected the tradition of eating fruits and nuts generally, and the seven species mentioned in the Torah specifically: wheat, barley, grapes, figs, pomegranates, olives, and dates.

Continue reading

MESH Report Sept 17, 2019

MESH cafe logoFrom Captain Lynne Kurzweil:

This past Tuesday on a balmy late summer eve, we welcomed 24 grateful guests to the Carol Starr MESH Cafe at Shomrei. We provided one takeaway meal and accommodated one vegetarian. Chef Stuart Green whipped up a hearty and delicious feast starting with homemade guacamole, baby carrots and tortilla chips. A green salad with Italian dressing preceded the main course of turkey chili served over rice with a side of yummy sautéed baby peppers. Guests mopped up the gravy with toasty Italian bread. Continue reading

MESH Report 3/19/2019

meshReport from Captain Stuart Green:

It was an especially busy night for the Carol Starr MESH cafe. We had 24 guests and 4 takeaways. Chef Jennifer Moses prepared a delicious meal of baked flounder with creamy broccoli sauce, macaroni and cheese, and salad. This was supplemented with chickpea spinach stew and okra with potatoes, repurposed from Shabbat. Sixteen of our guests had seconds. The meal was served and cleaned up by MESH teens Shayna, Josephine, Talia, Siona, Jonah, and Amalia, plus MESH professionals Adrienne and Joe. Continue reading

MESH Report 1/22/2019

MESH jan22

From Captain Stuart Green:

Shomrei’s MESH cafe opened on Tuesday night, welcoming 24 guests seeking respite from temperatures in the teens. They came early and stayed late, enjoying a hot and nutritious meal prepared by MESH superstars Lynne Kurzweil and Aileen Grossberg, sous-chef and pot washer Susan Rosenblatt, and shopper Sarah Steindel. The menu featured minestrone soup, salad, baked tilapia on a bed of greens, rice and mixed vegetables, rye bread, fruit salad, and apple strudel. Teens Amalia, Jonah, Kendall, Louis, and Max served, cleared, and kibitzed, along with MESH pros Bonny, Adrienne, and Joe.

Quick plea from MESH co-chairs Lynne Kurzweil & Aileen Grossberg:
With the exception of Tuesday, 2/12, there are no Cooks nor Captains signed up going forward.  We need more help if we want to sustain our MESH Cafe. If you’ve never cooked for MESH or been a Captain we will guide you all the way. Please consider signing up and then do it. To sign up, go to shomrei.org/mesh.

Continue reading

MESH Report 12/4/18

image1 (3)From Captain Stuart Green:

The third night of Hannukah saw a full house for the Carol Starr MESH cafe: 24 guests, 4 takeaways, 10 volunteers, and 3 MESH staff. We were so busy that unfortunately we had to turn away 4 latecomers.

Amidst this hectic scene, Chef Melissa Elbaum was a model of calm, almost single-handedly preparing a sumptuous meal of artichoke salad (repurposed) and bread, chop salad, broiled salmon, finger potatoes, root vegetables, and the obligatory Hannukah dessert of donuts and grapes. The meal was served and cleaned up by MESH teens Brenden, Jonah, Siona, Pacey, Molly, Louis, Max, and Kendall, plus MESH professionals Adrienne, Bonny, and Joe. Continue reading

MESH Cafe Oct 30, 2018

image1 (1)

Report from Captain Stuart Green:

Last night, we hosted an end-of-month full house of 26 guests (24 sit-ins, 2 take-aways) for a sumptuous meal. MESH superstar Lynne Kurzweil, ably assisted by sous-chefs (and dishwashers) Melissa Elbaum and Susan Rosenblatt, cooked up a feast of egg and tuna salad appetizer with cucumber and tomato slices and pita chips; cucumber salad; baked turkey meat loaf and sweet potatoes; sauteed onions, tomatoes, and green beans; and a dessert of ginger snaps, mini-brownies, and pineapple and honeydew melon fruit salad. MESH staffers Adrienne, Bonny and Joe also helped out.

Continue reading

MESH Cafe Oct 16, 2018

mesh
Report from Captain Stuart Green:

On a crisp autumn evening, the MESH cafe hosted 23 guests for a delicious and nourishing meal. The menu consisted of freshly made broiled salmon served with a selection of leftovers repurposed from Avital Ely’s bat mitzvah lunch, including a tuna salad and egg salad appetizer, with challah, sesame noodles, tomato and cucumber salad, quiche, and cookies. Staffing was light: Chef John Lasiter worked his magic on the fish and leftovers, and washed pots, while MESH professionals Adrienne, Bonny, and Joe worked the front of the house

Stuart Green

Continue reading

Carol Starr Mesh Cafe May 31, 2018

image1

Report from Captain Stuart Green:

On a sultry Tuesday evening in late May, the Carol Starr MESH cafe hosted 22 guests. Naturally, given temperatures in the nineties, it was just the time for the walk-in refrigerator to go on the fritz. A refrigerator repair man worked on it diligently until he cut his finger and had to go to the emergency room (he apparently will be okay). Another refrigerator repair man showed up and provided a temporary fix. Lisa Zelenetz stuck through it all. Continue reading

Mesh Cafe Dec 26, 2017

image1 (4)From Captain Stuart Green

Historians differ over exactly when Jews started eating Chinese food on Christmas Day. Some attribute the practice to Benjamin Cardozo; others to Elena Kagan. In any event, this minhag is now so well established, that reservations at T.S. Ma must be made weeks in advance. Aileen Grossberg had the idea of sharing this custom with our guests at the MESH cafe, and so, on a freezing cold night the day after Christmas, cooked up a feast of Chinese-inspired dishes – assisted in the afternoon by sous chef Beryl Hiller – to warm the heart and belly. Continue reading