Ricky Silberman, Matzo Ball King
Ricky Silberman ‘13 mobilized a significant proportion of the student body at Princeton to vote for him last month. He wasn’t in any of the contests that students typically spam listservs about: start-up ideas, USG elections, filmmaking competitions. Instead, Ricky needed votes to become the fifth and final contestant in the 6th Annual Man-o-Manischewitz Cook-Off. He got them, sending him to the competition in New York Wednesday, where he took away the $25,000 prize package.To listen to University President--and Ricky's thesis advisor--Shirley Tilghman respond to Ricky's win, click here.
Manischewitz is the icon of staple Jewish food, and sells Passover matzo, gefilte fish, and sweet Shabbat wine, among other traditional Jewish delicacies. Each year the company holds a cook-off, and this year Ricky entered. He was one of five finalists to compete in the final round at the JCC on the Upper West Side of Manhattan.
Ricky’s competition was stiff: a mother and educator, a dad and accountant, and two women who are “professional cooking competition-istas.” Ricky was by far the youngest competitor, with his "mod" matzo ball soup.
In addition to the other contestants, attendees included top-level Manischewitz PR representatives, the head rabbinical supervisor, “whose name was either Meir or Moshe,” and another rabbinical supervisor, “whose name is most likely Chaim.” There was also an audience estimated at 150 spectators, consisting mainly of family and friends of the contestants (Ricky’s parents and younger brother, Matthew, were present), Jewish mothers from the community, media correspondents, and “an entire class of high school girls from an orthodox girls’ school in Crown Heights.”
The competition had a strict one-hour start-to-finish time limit, but Ricky had been practicing. Over spring break, he made the recipe every day. “When I was in the voting round, my parents’ friends all wanted to try it! So we brought it to them in plastic containers.”
Once the “Ready, set, cook!” command had been given, Ricky quickly got under way chopping vegetables, but had to handle journalists and spectators coming up “just to watch the cooking process and taking pictures of me.” One cameraman even came over and put his microphone next to the carrots Ricky was peeling “to get the sound of the peeling.”“While I was cooking, people were comingup to my station saying, ‘I tried your soup! I’m rooting for you!’”While the seven judges—among them Claire Robinson of the Food Network—tried each of the five recipes, the contestants gave short speeches about the dish they had prepared. “I talked about how Manischewitz is a brand that is rooted in tradition, but is always updating its products for a modern palate…just like my soup.” Traditionally, matzo balls are served in chicken soup—Ricky’s broth is vegetarian. As the judges tasted the soup, Ricky said, “I hope you enjoy,” and, pausing for comedic timing, added, “The ball is in your court.” “I thought of that ahead of time,” Ricky noted.
The dishes were judged on taste, appearance, creativity and originality, and ease of preparation. Apparently, Ricky’s “mod” matzo ball soup did well in each of those categories, because the judges loved it. As soon as the judges announced that he was the winner, he heard squealing: “my parents had told the high school girls that if I won they had to cheer really loudly.”What was Ricky’s initial thought upon winning? “When I was up there I was like, I just won! Then I breathed, and I was like, wow. I am so sweaty, and so hungry.”Though happy about the $25,000 prize package—which includes cash, Maytag appliances, and Manischewitz products (of course), Ricky was disappointed about one thing: “I didn’t get a big check. I really wanted to get a big check. I did get a big class trophy, so that’s cool. But it has holes in it, so I can’t put the soup in.”What’s he going to do with all those Maytag appliances? “A couple students and staff members at the CJL are starting a group called Challah for Hunger, which bakes and sells challah, and the proceeds go to charity. But they’re looking for a kosher oven, so who knows…”Oh, and as an official spokesperson for Manischewitz, Ricky will be making appearances at your local grocery store in the near future. Keep your eyes out for matzo ball man!