The Backus Community Center’s first-ever Ethnic Food Night Thursday was deemed a great success that drew several times the expected turnout.
This celebration of diversity brought a steady stream of people to try ethnic cuisine from cultures around the world.
The event was organized by Citizens for Backus/AB to help complete a fundraising goal to re-roof two historic buildings of the E. W. Backus Jr. High School and the Alexander Baker Elementary School Complex.
Little did they know that at noon that day, the Otto Bremer Foundation Board of Trustees granted $75,000 to Citizens to put the fundraising goal of $250,000 over the top to $271,000.
Myrna Meadows, a nonprofit resource specialist with the Otto Bremer Foundation, was present with fellow Bremer Bank staff to make the announcement.
“It was great to be able to announce it last evening,” said Ward Merrill, interim executive director, Backus Community Center. “We kicked off the campaign with an event at Backus last September and we ended with one last night.”
The announcement at the event would complete that process, and the ethnic foods event stood out as a different kind of accomplishment all its own.
“We were hoping for a good turnout, but were actually overwhelmed with the response,” added Merrill. “It was tremendous to see the real mix of people that attended the event.”
The numbers aren’t for certain but there were at least 300 people present when they were expecting maybe under 100. There was a steady line of people at all of the food stations and most of the servers didn’t have to worry about taking any extra food home with them.
“I heard comment that a number people from Fort Frances were here, which was pleasing,” said Merrill. “We also saw a lot of people that we haven’t seen before at The Backus.”
Merrill heard comments that when food, culture and music are together in combination, they could expect a good turnout. An added feature was that the servers dressed the part, wearing the traditional clothing of the culture they presented and decorated their stations with artifacts of the countries.
The entertainment was provided by pianists Jessie Laurion and Donna Frederickson, bagpiper Dan Shephard and harmonica player Margarete Kostiuk.
Organizers said they were beyond pleased with the turnout for this first-of-its-kind event. Merrill anticipates that the board will want to organize similar events in the future.
The idea started with Pastor Tom and Beckie Aitken. Beckie is the previous director of Backus Community Center. Rev. Tom is the pastor of First Lutheran Church. They and Fundraising Committee Chair Pattie Ballen began organizing about six weeks ago and were pulling more venders in up to the last minute. They were surprised about how fast it came together.
Rev. Aitken said he felt people would like to come out for events like this and he was happy to be proven correct. He also participated in the event, representing Palestine and Israel.
Aitken made a trip to several countries in the Middle East and North Africa in 1998. He recalled that cuisine of Palestine and Israel were as memorable as their cultures and historic significance. He made Tabuuli for the event, a very rich Palestinian salad.
As a long time microbrewer, Aitken has successfully made 48 different varieties. For the event, he made the Israeli beer, Taboulz, No. 48. He said the beer is unique for its galena and saaz hops that give it bold flavor and noted that it might be an acquired to taste to some beer connoisseurs.
“I really enjoy making so many different flavors,” he added.
Patti Ballan, an ethnic Syrian, together with her spouse Darrel Bradley, acted as the coffee, soda, beer and wine servers.
Each booth presented a story of its own.
The Italian booth presented antipasto and an Italian soup named tira-mi-su, which translates to “lift me up.” The servers included Pat Hamalainen, Bunny Green and Betty Villalta. The food was donated by the Italian club, which regularly organizes get together food events with their sister group in Fort Frances.
“This is always a lot of fun and we wanted to help raise money for the roof,” said Villalta.
Sheila Johnson, owner of the local coffee shop, and her nephew Don Johnson, a graduate of the le Cordon Bleu culinary school in Portland, Oregon, brought some basic sushi rolls and hummus to sample as Japan and the Middle East.
Don Johnson explained how to make the sushi rice with sugar and vinegar, and then using a small bamboo mat, spread the rice out on a sheet of seaweed paper called nori maki. Then, the ingredients, in this case avocado, crab and cucumber, are all rolled up in the mat, cigar style. He uses a sharp knife moistened in vinegar to slice cleanly though the roll to make several round disk shaped pieces of sushi.
For the light brown pasty hummus, Don Johnson pureed chickpeas, tahini and garlic with lemon juice to make a staple dip or spread for pita bread.
There were about three tables representing Germany.
Harold and Julie Schumaker made knepfla, a family dish handed down from Harold’s immigrant grandparents, and something he’s had on the dinner table since a child on the South Dakota farm. He modified the recipe a bit to make the hand cut spaatzle noodle a little thicker than is typically done in Germany. Then he fries it up with some caramelized brown butter until firm. The presentation of the thick noodle dish was complemented by the dark red cabbage dish.
The Schumaker’s enjoy making these and similar foods for the Octoberfest events held annually at the Elks Club.
Vickie and Steve Olson made German huderite sausage and sauerkraut. She makes the dish regularly but this is the first time for a public event.
Joyce Rasmussen and Darrel Schmidt were the first table to see all of their food disappear. It wasn’t hard to understand why after guests sampled the main entrees around the room that they made their way to sample Rasmussen’s German apple kuchen and Schmidt’s black forest chocolate cake.
Linda Sutch, Shirley Kocinski and Sharon Arnold brought their Ukrainian borscht and perohi. Sutch explained how she used rhubarb to alter the taste of the beets, a recipe not often found in the cookbook and came from her Ukrainian grandmother.
Though Norwegian himself, Joy Nokenson, the head chef for Backus events, represented France with his crepes and French onion soup. He said soups are an easy choice for an event because you can make so much and be so versatile with the ingredients.
Gordie and Pat Ettestad served the Norwegian and Swedish booth, where they offered their lefsa and meatballs. They also served krumkaka and other desserts made by Tony Cole and Swedish spritz made by Joy Hokenson.
Students of the Falls High School’s Junior Statesman of America program made luleh kabobs and baklava, both foods of the Middle East. Anna Remus, president, said they wanted to make something international, unique and that people would enjoy.
Linda Merrill and Bob Hilke presented the foods of Ireland. They offered soda bread and corn beef boiled dinner, along with Irish cream cheese cake made by Rose Rasmussen.
Some of the American foods were Millie Ballan’s lemon bars.
Doug Skrief, a local writer and artist in Ranier, once attended school and taught in England and Scotland. While there he learned the art of making English scones. He spoke of how the ingredients could vary from blueberry and cranberries to oatmeal and many others, depending on the region.
While teaching at a writers retreat in Edinburgh, Scotland, Skrief took more lessens in scones. He said the sweet hard bread uses baking powder as the rising ingredient and differs from wheat based biscuits.
Jeremy and Derek Faith, sons of John Faith, made Korean kimchi in three varieties, along with the popular bulgogi, a marinated beef dish that is also a popular Korean meal. They have been making the food for their own use for over 20 years. They like the opportunity to make it for special events.
Helen Hermanson, a native of San Antonio who is known for her Mexican cooking, said the diverse city also taught her the culture and cuisine of many countries. She especially likes Indian cooking and brought more with her than any other booth. She dressed the part and set up a tent and the traditional spices and Hindu items found in an Indian household made for a genuine cultural experience.
She served many dishes of north and south India, from murgh malkhari, aloo mutter, pindi chana, rotis bread with chappati among others.
Hermanson was very pleased that so many people turned out and were happy with the event. “This is so delightful,” she said. “This is such a wonderful thing.”
The family and friends of Chen Minh Hai and his spouse, Cheng Siu Fang, owners of the China Dragon Buffet, brought egg rolls, crab wontons, sweet and sour pork and chicken and Szechwan dishes.
Roberta Larson and Joan Spry made a well-known light bread appetizer and John Havluvk made his Mexican chile.
Pat Nash and Deb Nash, two area residents, said that it was wonderful to have so many different ethnic foods in one place and for a good cause.
“It’s a wonderful idea,” said Deb Nash.
Corey Friesz and Nikki Kucera were two people that came with no expectations and just wanted to attend the event in support of the building.
“It was great to try so many different foods,” said Friesz.
“Its all about taste and but its good to try all of them,” said Kucera.