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Super Salad
B'nai Moshe caterer the only kosher
vendor at NFL Tailgate Party.
Robert A. Sklar
Editor
ypically, Mimi Markofsky caters
events at her home base,
Congregation B'nai Moshe in West
Bloomfield. She's supervised by the Council
of Orthodox Rabbis of Greater Detroit and
has a full-time mashgiach (supervisor of
kashrut) on site.
But come Super Bowl XL on Sunday,
Feb. 5, she'll be the only kosher vendor at
the official NFL Tailgate Party. After pass-
ing extensive security checks, she and her
staff at Elite Kosher Catering are busy
preparing a Tex-Mex Salad to feed from
3,000 to 5,000!
A caterer for 20 years and the exclusive
food provider at B'nai Moshe since 2003,
she said: "This truly is one of the most
exciting events I've ever done."
What was comparable? She cited an
American Israel Public Affairs Committee
event in January where her staff had to go
through Secret Service clearance.
Party Planners West of Los Angeles has
coordinated the NFL Tailgate Party for 39
years. Spokesman Jamie Brothers said this
is the first time it will have a kosher caterer
providing food service to corporate guests
and NFL owners.
"My staff, family and friends as well as
T
the members of B'nai Moshe are ecstatic,"
Markofsky said. "It is the hot topic on a daily
basis. The 'cool factor' is so there!"
She plans to have a staff of 25 and six
trucks — and a mashgiach — on hand for the
Super Bowl.
Mafkofsky applied through the Detroit
Super Bowl XL Host Committee for
approval to take part in the NFL's Emerging
Business Program. It began in 1994 to give
minority and women-owned businesses a
stronger shot at landing a Super Bowl busi-
ness contract. This year's field includes 250
such businesses.
After an employee's mother saw a news-
paper story about the NFL policy,
Markofsky contacted the Detroit Super Bowl
XL Host Committee."I'm not a pro football
fan; but figured it couldn't hurt, and I would
be a thrilled if I got anything," said
Markofsky, 50.
Months later, she received requests for
proposal from several companies, including
Party Planners West. PPW wound up
accepting her proposal for the NFL Tailgate
Party. Her menu originally was for spa food
— light and fun. She changed it when the
theme of the invitation-only event changed.
The Tex-Mex is a constructed salad of
greens with a spicy ranch dressing, topped
with layers of Elite's artisan black bean
salsa, avocado and tortilla
stripes. It will be served in a
sleek box.
"After tasting our food','
Markofsky said, "I hope that
the organizers and guests
realize that kosher food isn't
all about chicken soup with
matzah balls and chopped
liver."
"It's also about great pres-
entation, delicious taste and
outstanding service that just
happens to follow the laws of
kashrut. I think the food that
we prepare can stand up
against anybody else's, kosher
or non-kosher. If we can wow
the NFL, can you imagine
what we can do for
others?" ❑
Caterer Mimi Markofsky in
her kitchen at B'nai Moshe
with Sous Chef Roy
McKinney of Oak Park and
Executive Chef Dale
Alimayer of Farmington Hills
18
February 2 2006
5
MINUTES
WITH...
DANA
JACOBSON
ESPN co-host and
former Detroiter comes
home for Super Bowl.
Harry Kirsbaum
Staff Writer
t's been a circuitous route to the
Cold Pizza anchor desk for Dana
Jacobson.
Raised in West Bloomfield, Jacobson,
34, wanted to be the next Katie Couric.
After graduating from the University of
Michigan, she found herself doing news
reports in Traverse City and arguing Big
10 Sports with her station director.
When the weekend sports anchor gave
three days' notice, the director offered her
a fill-in spot and she was hooked.
After a six-year stint covering sports in
Sacramento, Calif., Jacobson got an agent
and went hunting for a network gig, land-
ing a spot as a fill-in on ESPN
•SportsCenter.
In March 2005, she became a fill-in,
then a co-host of Cold Pizza, a live show
10 a.m.-noon weekdays on ESPN2, with
co-host Jay Crawford, and columnists
Woody Paige and Skip Bayless.
This week, the show has been broad-
casting live from the Renaissance Center
in downtown Detroit.
I
What's the format of Cold Pizza?
"The best quickie explanation is the Good
Morning, America or Today Show of
sports.
"It's just the right combination of sports
knowledge you need to have. Like this
week at the Super Bowl, you're going to get
the Xs and Os; you're also going to get a
chance to spend some time with the
Bettis family [Pittsburgh Steelers running
back and Detroit native Jerome Bettis]."
Why Cold Pizza?
"I've always looked at my career as I've
fallen into things. I wasn't looking to get
into sports, and suddenly it happened. I
wasn't really looking to go to California,
but that worked out so well. So this show
just seemed like that opportunity. I think
within a week, I knew that,' wanted to
stay; I just loved the format of the show
and the ability to do so many different
things — and do so many interviews, and
not necessarily just with the athletes.
You'll get an actor and talk to them about
sports, or you'll interview an athlete and
barely talk about their sport, but just get
to know them as a person."
What was your favorite interview?
"There was an interview with [Green Bay
Packers quarterback] Brett Favre that I
really enjoyed because he was so forth-
coming and honest, and it just felt like I
was sitting in my living room talking with
him, which I loved."
What's it like broadcasting live from
Detroit?
"It's just nice to be home and realize that
your journey has been worth it. I can't say
that I grew up as a kid dreaming neces-
sarily that I would be back working for
ESPN, but to come back to your home-
town and feel as if you've succeeded — it's
a very nice feeling.
"My parents [Larry and Loretta
Jacobson] are proud of me. They're down
in [Boca Raton] Florida, but are getting
,calls from friends saying,'We hear Dana's
going to be in town; where is she? How
can we see her?' It's very nice for them
and it makes it really nice for me."
Are family and friends bugging you
about getting tickets?
"No. My dad promised us as kids if the
Lions were ever in the Super Bowl he'd
take us. He tried changing it to if the
Lions were ever in the Super Bowl in
Detroit, so a couple of Thanksgivings ago
my brother said, 'Dana, you better get
working on tickets ...' Obviously, I didn't
have to come through on that."
Your thoughts on the Lions?
"It's the same team that I used to watch
growing up: We think we have a quarter-
back that's the right fit. It doesn't really
work out but we've paid him a lot of
money, so we're going to stick with him
for a while. We don't like our head coach,
so we complain about him.
"It's just sad to me because truly, espe-
cially last year and this year, the team had
so much promise; and you can't look at
the players and say that there isn't talent.
"And that bothers me about any team,
when there is talent on the team and you
can't understand why it's not coming
together. It's disappointing; but it's like
we've been beaten up so much, that as a
fan I get excited if they win a game. I get
excited if there's a two-game win streak at
the start of the year and then after that I,
unfortunately, don't expect a lot. It's rough
being a Lions fan." ❑