Some Thoughts for Rosh Hashana

Rosh Hashana starts this evening, and as I look at the news, as I tremble over my personal flaws, shortcomings and misdeeds of the past year I can only hope that my repentance will hold and shield me from repeating the same things, from having the same thoughts again, and that the world will change for the better starting with each one of us…

Rosh Hashana - From: http://wallpapers.free-review.net/

On September 29th, 2008, I posted the following on my political blog:

The world is embroiled in war, tyrants walk around arrogant and defiant, massacres in almost every continent are mostly ignored by the world community. The UN Human Rights Council, seems to concern itself with anything except the trampling of human rights around the globe. Women’s rights are of little concern to a world that prides itself of its extreme liberalness and unheard of freedoms, while rape is used as a political weapon in the Congo, in Sudan, etc… and women are merely chattel to husbands, fathers, sons and brothers in a major portion of this planet. To say the least, it is obvious that in spite of an enlightened 21st century we have never really evolved from the atrocities of the Barbarian Age even as our weapons and rhetoric are more sophisticated, more intellectual, ostensibly more enlightened in our attitudes

While the situation in Sudan has changed for the better, while the Arab Spring has brought about the downfall of various Arab despots, the aftermath has so far not seen any of the sought after freedoms but merely replaced old dictators with a new set… Yet, the UN Human Rights Council has not found the time to condemn repression, the denial of human rights, or to defend freedom of religion anywhere where it may be ignored in the world…

Frankly, the world – at this moment – with all its freedoms and all its horrors is far from ideal. Political ideologies, masquerading as religion, pose new threats to the free world as they aim to destroy all the hard fought for rights and freedoms of the Western world. Meanwhile the West seems to have lost its soul and wonders around like a drunkard in its search for meaning, coexistence and peace…

Tonight, gentle reader, Jews around the world begin the celebration of Rosh Hashana – the Jewish New Year. No, it is not a time filled with drunken parties and silly noise-making but rather a time when one searches in the most recondite crevices, the most hidden places of one’s existence and asks oneself why, how, when, what? Why did I fail to do all that I set out to do? How could I be so lazy, so complacent and not try harder… or at least just try? When will I rise from this lethargy and do my duty as a human, to my Lord, to my fellow humans, to myself? What will it take for me to wake up, while I still am capable of waking up?

The answers are often shameful, sometimes gut wrenching. Nevertheless they afford every Jew a chance to reach out of his/her comfortable shell and do that which he or she is capable of doing, of reaching one’s potential if the individual truly wants it. But sometimes, even if in our prayers we take firm resolve to make a difference, even when the tears of repentance stream from the deepest recesses of the heart, in a few days we settle back in the comfort of emptiness and inaction. More often than not, the answers are too hard, too strenuous on our pampered selves, for us to truly rise above the comfort of merely being discomforted by the world around us or take any action to change it.

In the Rosh Hashama prayers, there is one I must particularly single out as I pronounce it with heavy trepidation in my heart as the clarion call of the Shofar is sounded:

Attah Zocher – You remember – the deeds done in the Universe and You recall all the creatures fashioned since the earliest times. Before You all hidden things are revealed and the multitude of mysteries since the beginning of Creation, for there is no forgetfulness before Your Throne of Glory and nothing is hidden before Your eyes. You remember everything ever done and not a single creature is hidden from you. Everything is revealed and known before You, Lord our God, Who keeps watch and sees to the very end of all generations, when You bring about a decreed time of remembrance for every spirit and soul to be recalled, for abundant deeds and a multitude of creatures withoutt limit to be remembered….

[…] Regarding countries, it is said on this day which is destined for the sword and which for peace, which for hunger and which for abundance; and creatures are recalled on it to remember them for life or death. Who is not recalled on this day? For the remembrance of everything fashioned comes before You: everyone’s deed and mission, the accomplishments of man’s activity, man’s thoughts and schemes, and the motives behind man’s deeds.

May this coming year, 5769 in the Jewish calendar, bring about that very elusive, very prayed for, long hoped for, universally expected peace. May each one of us walking this earth, know no more strife, no more hunger, no more pain. KTIVAH VECHATIMA TOVAH – MAY [WE ALL] BE INSCRIBED AND SEALED FOR GOODNESS, may abundance and health break rampant, may universal peace bathe this earth and the realization of one’s fondest dreams bring sweetness and the total banishment of sorrow to every one on this lowly plane of existence.

Chicken Marinated with pomegranate molasses, honey and spices, stuffed with brown rice, on a bed of rice. Photo from: Los Angeles Times

The year is now 5772 and hardly anything of substance has changed, tramplers of human rights are afforded what once an honored pulpit at the United Nations, a place where they freely spew their lies, where they proudly show off the perversion of their minds, their utter disregard for any human values and yet are applauded for such. The United Nations, founded on the noble principles of safeguarding human rights and ensuring peace around the world, has degenerated into what Bibi Netanyahu just described as “theater of the absurd,” as it shows itself totally unwilling, totally unable to live up to its mandate.

http://www.greetingcarduniverse.com

Hakadosh baruch Hu is warning us, urging us to return to Him and yet in spite of the warnings, in spite of all the evidence in front of our eyes, we refuse to heed the call, as we’ve been seduced by a seemingly liberal world plunging head on into a global tyranny where lies are the new truth, where falsehoods replace true values… May it be His will, that we wake up this coming year and with renewed vigor we embark in an era filled with goodness and wholesome values, an era where evil will be defeated and war will disappear…

May we all be inscribed in the Sefer Hachaim – the Book of Life and may we only know health, prosperity and happiness and at peace within and without.

KTIVA VECHATIMA TOVA!!!!

CS

Yom Tov Recipes – Cranberry Apricot Bread Pudding

Last year we had a few posts with recipes for this time of the year:

Orange Honey Cake

Yom Tov Recipes – Carrot Kugel

Yom Tov Recipes – From Prime Grill’s Chef David Kolotkin

Yom Tov Recipes – Rib Roast

Yom Tov Recipes – Personal Honeyed Chocolate Lava Cake

This year we feature yom tov recipes again and we’ll start this year’s series with one of  Chef Lévana Kirschenbaum‘s dishes, from her new book The Whole Foods Kosher Kitchen.

Photo by: Meir Pliskin

Cranberry Apricot Bread Pudding

I often whip up this treat after a party, when I look to recycle my leftover bread. Attention gluten- free diners: This is for you too!

Any bread will do as long as it is not too crusty (in other words, don’t use baguette or ciabatta!). You will love the kick and the bold ruby-colored specks the cranberries add. Nothing to it: All aboard-one step and you’re done! Individual desserts: Pour into greased muffin molds and reduce the baking time to about 45 minutes.

Sometimes cranberries can be hard to find, like in this Rosh Hashanah holiday season, so I am making the pudding with apples, which is every bit as delicious. I have included the apple variation, every bit as delicious and as pretty.

• 3 cups milk or dairy-free milk, low-fat OK
• 4 eggs
• 2 cups all-fruit apricot preserves
• ½ cup sugar
• 1/2 cup oil
• 2 tablespoons orange flower water  (settle for 2 tablespoons orange zest)
• 3 tablespoons apricot brandy or rum
• 3 cups fresh or frozen cranberries, coarsely chopped (food processor)

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Mix all ingredients except cranberries by hand in a bowl, breaking up the bread and preserves as you go. Fold in the cranberries. Pour the batter into a greased 9-by-13-inch pan, or a greased 10-inch round pan. Bake for about 1 hour, or a little longer, until the pudding looks nice and puffy, and the center is firm. Serve warm or at room temperature, alone or with caramel sauce (recipe follows), and a scoop of sorbet or vanilla ice cream. Makes a dozen servings.

variation: Apple Bread Pudding GFA

Skip the cranberries and the orange flower water, reduce the milk to 2 cups. Add 4 Granny Smith (green) apples, unpeeled and coarsely grated and 2 tablespoons ciinamon. Proceed just as above.

Caramel Sauce

Another glowing example of a treat known as dairy that doesn’t in the least suffer from a dairy-free adaptation, au contraire! (Go ahead and multiply the recipe if you would like-it keeps very well.)

• 1 cup Sucanat
• ½ cup agave syrup
• ⅓ cup water
• ¾ cup dairy-free milk, low-fat OK
• ⅓ cup soy or rice milk powder
• 3 tablespoons brandy or rum
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon salt

Bring the Sucanat, agave, and water to boil in a small saucepan, stirring. When it comes to a boil, stop stirring and cook until thick and a deep amber color, 2 to 3 minutes. Whisk the remaining ingredients in a small bowl until perfectly smooth, then carefully add to the saucepan (to avoid splattering). Cook another 3 minutes on a medium flame, whisking. Makes about 2½ cups. Store refrigerated in a glass jar.

Enjoy, gentle reader, enjoy!

CS

Kosher Revolution

It looks too traif to be true, but Geila Hocherman and co-author Arthur Boehm have really pulled it off with their new cookbook Kosher Revolution. Inside you’ll find the most exciting new recipes adapted from the finest in worldwide haute cusine, photographed by the extraordinary Antonis Achilleous.  Geila and her genius ability to exchange un-kosher ingredients with kosher ones while still fundamentally maintaining  the look,  texture and – never to be confirmed – taste, of its original counterparts are more than praiseworthy, yet the outstanding photography  makes your mouth water with possibility.

Delicious recipes, superb photography

Geila’s gifts, mastery of taste chemistry and ingenious ingredient substitution, broaden the breadth and spectrum of cooking kosher. Her very elegant presentation is more than worthy of a cordon bleu Chef.  Anthonis Achilleous‘ extraordinary talent for lighting, color, texture and capturing the most tantalizing angles of his composition, clearly illustrate that he is at the top of his art form among the best food photographers out there. Geila’s not a snooty chef either, if there is a way to save time or make a recipe user friendly, she does so.You’ll find her palate of adaptable ingredients refreshing and versatile as she looks to give an expansive kick in the pants to the sometimes mundane nearsightedness of traditional Jewish cooking.

Duck Prosciutto (page 24), Grilled Figs With Balsamic Gastrique (page 26)

“Duck Prosciutto

serves 4

When people challenge me to “make trayf safe,” they usually mention ham. This breakthrough recipe began with that dare—and my realization that what makes ham taste like itself has less to do with the meat than its cure. My quest for kosher prosciutto—nothing less!—led me first to smoked turkey leg, which is hammy all right, but hardly like the Italian specialty. I went to work, and, happily, scored a triple bull’s-eye by giving duck breast a really easy salt cure—just fifteen minutes of prep followed by a “set-it-and-forget-it” refrigerator stay. The resulting “prosciutto” is so much like the real thing, but with a special character all its own, you’ll be amazed. I pair this with grilled figs (page 26), a traditional prosciutto accompaniment, but that’s just the beginning. Try it wrapped around asparagus spears or, diced and sautéed, as a salad garnish.

Geila’s Tips

To achieve paper-thin slices, I use an inexpensive electric slicer, a great kitchen investment. The very ends of the cured breast over-dry. Save them to put in soup. If you can’t find the Moulard breast, place two regular breasts together and cure as one.

• One 6- or 8-ounce package of muscovy duck breast
• 4 cups kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon ground coriander
• ½ teaspoon ground fennel
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup white wine vinegar

1. Over a burner flame, singe away any remaining pinfeathers from the breast. Rinse the breast and dry it with paper towels.
2. On a dish just large enough to hold the breast, make a 1-inch bed of the salt. Place the breast on the salt and cover it with another inch of salt. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 24 to 48 hours.
3. In a small bowl, combine the coriander, fennel, and pepper. Holding the breast over the sink, rinse it with the vinegar (to remove the salt), and then under cold running water. Dry the breast and rub it all over with the spice mixture. Wrap the breast in cheesecloth and knot it at both ends. Using sturdy household tape (duct tape works well), attach one end of the cheesecloth to the top of the refrigerator interior, or hang the breast from a high refrigerator shelf, and let it cure until the breast feels firm but not dry, about 2 weeks. Start checking after a week. Thinner or smaller breasts will take less time.
4. Using an electric slicer or a sharp carving knife, slice the breast paper thin or as thinly as possible. Place 3 melon slices on serving plates, drape with the prosciutto, and serve.”

Especially now around holiday time, go grab your own Kosher Revolution, hit the supermarket for some of the recommended stock items for your pantry and start putting some magic into your dishes.  Once you get the hang of the revolutionary ingredient exchanges, Geila so deliciously demonstrates, nothing will prevent your launching your own kosher revolution.

SYR

Last Eve’s Wine Tasting, this Evening’s Show

Last evening there was a superb wine tasting at the West Side Synagogue’s Zanger Hall (347 West 34th Street) in Manhattan. The Kosher Wine Society presented New Wines for the New Year. I’ve been to many a wine tasting in my lifetime, but this one was truly different; unlike most kosher tastings, it included a cookbook author, food products, painters and a musical trio.

June Hersh, author of Recipes Remembered – featuring recipes and incredible stories from 80 Holocaust survivors – and the brand new Kosher Carnivore was our first interviewee of the evening. You must hear the eloquent words with which describe her passion for Jews and her love of food.

Bass, violin and tsimbl

From nostalgic old shtetl tunes to Hungarian czardasz we were regaled with klezmer sound that meshed Jewish nigunnim with Gipsy soul!

Aleks Veyg's Natural Flavored Honey

I tasted Veyg’s Natural Wild Flower, Lemon Zest and Peanut Butter honey flavors. All three were great, but, the Lemon Zest was my personal favorite!

A small sampling of Arianna Santoriello's paintings...

Arianna Santoriello, whom we interviewed, is a young mixed media artist who markedly shows the growing fires of inspiration

Rabbi Mikhael Cohen of the French Jewish Cultural Center of New York (67 Wall Street; Phone: 212.202.1448 – Cell: 917.796.0680), was instrumental in bringing the artists and musician to the tasting, thereby, greatly enhancing this event.

Aron Ritter and his father

Aron Ritter, President and Founder of the Kosher Wine Society, and his staff made it a superb evening so different, so delicious. SYR and I met old friends and made new ones, so many wines, so many fascinating people, so little time… truly a tasting to remember!

This evening at 7:30pm (Eastern Time) on our internet radio show, we will feature some of the pre-taped interviews. Meanwhile, if you missed our two broadcasts last week, you can listen to our delightful talk with David Mintz – CEO of Tofutti Brands, Inc. and our conversation with Geila Hocherman, the French trained Chef/author of Kosher Revolution, a beautifully executed cookbook which we’ll review on these very pages.

CS

Judaica at Sotheby’s – Valmadonna Trust Library

This past Sunday, I went to Sotheby’s to see the current exhibits. On the first flight up, they were showing Mid 20th Century Furnishings, and a collection spanning the over 4 decades’ career of 20th century American painter Sam Francis. In the Furnishings area, there was a small glass enclosed alcove where a tiny sampling of the more than 11,000 sfarim of the Valmadonna Trust Library was on show.

The entire collection had already been exhibited in 2009, occupying the whole of Sotheby’s 10th floor gallery. Sotheby’s press release, at the time, described it thus:

New York, NY; February 9, 2009 – Sotheby’s announced today that it would display in its entirety, for the first time ever, the Valmadonna Trust Library, the finest private library of Hebrew books and manuscripts in the world. Assembled over the past century, this extensive group of over 11,000 works is monumental in its significance as a primary source on both world history and Jewish life and culture. The collection boasts rarities dating from the 10th century to the early 20th century from Italy, Holland, England, Greece, Eastern Europe, the Ottoman Empire, North Africa, India, and China, documenting the spread of the Hebrew press and the dissemination of Jewish culture around the globe. Among the treasures in the collection are: the only surviving manuscript written in England before the expulsion of the Jews in 1290; arguably the finest copy of the Babylonian Talmud produced between 1519 and 1523 by famed printer Daniel Bomberg, which was previously in the collection of Westminster Abbey; as well as the preeminent group of Hebrew books in existence from the dawn of printing (15th century). The entire collection will be exhibited in Sotheby’s 10th floor galleries from February 9-19, 2009, with the exception of February 14th.

A small sampling of this rare sfarim collection

This superb collection is comprised of books and manuscripts including Bibles and Talmuds, kabbalistic texts, siddurim, and Passover haggadot. Among the Library’s other holdings are Hebrew grammatical and legal texts; medical, philosophical and literary treatises; as well as periodicals, broadsheets, and wall calendars—particularly rare items on account of their ephemeral nature.

Printed by Daniel Bomberg, Maseches Me'ilah, around 1519-1523

Many medieval texts are here, dating from as early as the 10th century and including the first printed sfarim from the late 15th century. Among the collection’s jewels is a ktav yad of the earliest known Ashkenazic script, a Franco-German Chumash, dating from the 10th or 11th century. The crown jewel, however, is the Codex Valmadonna I. This is the only dated Hebrew text in existence from medieval England, before King Edward I’s 1290 edict expelling the Jews. The year following this manuscript’s creation, in 1190, mobs in York attacked the Jewish community living there, massacring the population, and looting their property.

Other opulent manuscripts in the collection include a Yemenite Chumash from the early 15th century, replete with characteristic Oriental illuminations. Of the original 29,000  titles – incunables [books printed on Gutenberg’s original presses] – only 140 were done in lashon kodesh. This collections has almost half of them!

A superb collection, Sotheby’s is hoping to sell as one, perfect for an institution of Jewish learning!

CS

Ruth Gruber’s 100th Birthday

Last evening, I had the privilege of attending Ruth Gruber‘s 100th birthday party at the newly renovated Abigael’s in Manhattan. Who is Ruth Gruber? Why did almost 90 people, not her relatives, gather to honor her?

Except for Ms. Gruber's black and white shot further down!

Ruth Gruber and her birthday cake...

In a quiet voice, clearly filled with emotion, Ms. Gruber thanked every one in attendance as she looked on with pride at the group of successful professionals and business people that had emerged from the 1000 Jewish refugees she brought to these shores in 1944. Born in Brooklyn, in 1911, she became the world’s youngest Ph.D when, in 1931, Germany’s Institute of International Education – in Köln – awarded her a doctorate in German Philosophy, Modern English Literature and Art History.

A partial view of those honoring Ruth Gruber

As the Wikipedia puts it:

In 1944, she was assigned a secret mission to Europe – by U.S. Secretary of State Harold Ickes – to bring one thousand Jewish refugees from Italy to the US. Ickes made her “a simulated general” so in case the military aircraft she flew in was shot down and she was caught by the Nazis, she would be kept alive according to the Geneva Convention. Throughout the voyage, the Army troop transport Henry Gibbins was hunted by Nazi seaplanes and U-boats. Gruber’s book Haven: The Dramatic Story of 1000 World War II Refugees and How They Came to America was based on case histories she recorded as she interviewed the refugees.

Since the U.S. Congress refused to lift the quota on Jewish immigration to the United States from Europe, President Roosevelt acted by executive authority and invited the group of one thousand to visit America. The refugees were to be guests of the president and upon arriving in New York, they were transferred to Fort Ontario, a decommissioned Army training base near Oswego, New York and locked behind a chain link fence with barbed wire.

While U.S. government agencies argued about whether they should be allowed to stay or, at some point, be deported to Europe, Gruber lobbied to keep them through the end of the war. It was not until January 1946 that the decision was made to allow them to apply for American residency. This was the only attempt by the United States to shelter Jewish refugees during the war.

Her unending quest to show the world the awful truth of WWII and the injustice of the refugees’ subsequent plight, led her to photograph and report for the Herald Tribune as the Exodus 1947 ship entered Haifa harbor after being attacked by the Royal Navy while making an attempt to deliver 4,500 Jewish refugees. She then flew to Cyprus, where she witnessed and photographed Jewish refugees detained by the British. The British then sent the ship to Port-de-Bouc in France and Gruber was there too.

The refugees refused to disembark, however, and after an 18 days standoff, the British shipped the Jews back to Germany. Ms. Gruber was the only one – of many international correspondents covering the story – who was allowed to accompany the DPs back to Germany. Aboard the prison ship Runnymede Park, Gruber photographed her famous shot of the refugees, confined in a wire cage with barbed wire on top, defiantly raising a Union Jack flag on which they had painted a swastika.

Irving Schild, with the woman who gave him a chance at a new life in a country where being a Jew is not a crime...

Last evening’s celebration of Ms. Gruber’s 100th birthday was a fitting tribute to her efforts on behalf of refugees. At an age which the few people who ever reach it can barely speak, or are barely aware of what is going on around them, Ms. Gruber stands out with her wit, her pride, her strength and her obvious love of people.

May it be His will, Ruth Gruber makes it to 120 and beyond!

CS

Events of the Week, Contest Extension

Monday, September 19th

Upcoming Cooking Demo in NYC: Monday September 19th: Opening Act Sephardi Style

Posted on September 14th, 2011 by Lévana

You never get a second chance to make a first impression, and you will hardly ever get a chance to start on a higher note than when offering one of the following sumptuous Sephardi first courses. Don’t worry, I am making sure you get dessert too, as long as we are working with all the fun wrappers!

I’ll be demonstrating:

• Fish balls in lemon mustard sauce
• Lamb-filled grape leaves
• Spinach mushrooms borekas
• Individual pastillas
• Stuffed eggplant and zucchini
• Salad
• Baklava

Click Here to Register!

Wednesday, September 21st

3rd Annual Kosher Wine Society

“New Wines For The New Year”

September 21st, 2011

7PM DRINKERS AND TASTERS MEMBERS

7:30 PM BASIC MEMBERS

Also be one of the first to Meet June Hersh,
Author of  The Kosher Carnivore
The Ultimate guide to Meat & Poultry

She will be available to sign books

Wine List Includes:

Weinstock Cellar Select Petite Sirah

– Brand New Wine! –

Jeunesse Black Muscat

– great “starter” wine –

Teal Lake Shiraz Reserve

(new vintage)

Weinstock Cellar Select Cab

(new vintage of a great value California Cab)

Bartenura Rosso Toscano

– one of those wines that tastes like $20 but costs A LOT less –

Bartenura Ovadia Dolcetto D’Alba

– new wine, just arrived –

Goose Bay Sauvignon Blanc

– now with screwcap! –

Elvi Mati

(new Rioja wine)

Flecha de los Andes

(just cause more people need to know about this great wine)

Kedem Sparkling Champagne

(Mixed together with the Morad makes an amazing cocktail)

Morad Winery “Danue”

– Delicious Passion fruit wine

(great alone or mixed with seltzer or sparkling wine!) –

Psagot Cab

(new vintage)

“1848” Winery Cabernet Reserve

– New winery –

Alexander – Cab Reserve

– relatively new winery –

Carmel “Kayoumi” White Riesling

– a new crisp, dry Riesling –

Carmel Appellation Sauvignon Blanc

– new to USA –

Recanati

Cabernet Sauvignon 2010

Rich and full bodied with hints of mocha, plums and blackberry

flavors. This wine was aged in five months in oak barrels

 Shiraz 2010
Soft and medium bodied with smooth tannins and flavors of

plum, nutmeg and black cherries.

Rose 2010

Dry and elegant, yet delicate with an essence of

strawberries and hibiscus. 70% Barbera, 30% Merlot

Reserve Petit-Sirah/Zinfandel 2009

Luscious and robust, exciting complexity in each sip with integrating flavors of fruit, spices, dark chocolates and herbs. 80% Petit Sirah, 20% Zinfandel.
Aged eight months in American oak.

Special Reserve 2007

This is an award winning and noteworthy bottle of wine and
a favorite among collectors. Hearty, full bodied and rich
with lush velvety tannins. Shows flavors of plums, black cherries, mocha and hazelnuts. 92% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot.
Matured 19 months in new French oak.

Bravdo

 Cabernet Sauvignon
Merlot
Shiraz
Coupage

Dovev

 Cabernet Franc
Sirah

Mony

Cabernet Sauvignon
Merlot
Petite Syrah
Emerald Riesling (SDW)
Muscat
Muscat Hamburg
Muscat Alexandria

Sunny Hills

Syrah
Claarinet
Muscat Rose

Volcanic

Shiriz

Tigress

Semi Dry Cab

Limited

Port
Scarlet( Red 18.5 % acl)

Silver Line

Cabernet Sauvignon
Merlot
Midbar

Namur

Cabernet Sauvignon
Merlot
Cabernet Franc
Cab/Merlot/Shiraz – Mevushal

Elima

Cab/Merlot/Shiraz
Ice Wine

Har Sinai

Ice Wine/Port 16.5%acl

Rambam – Italy

Joven

Red
White
Rose
The Blue Bottle

GilGal

Cabernet 2007
Merlot 2007
Chardonnay 2009

Yarden Odem Vineyards

Merlot 2006

Yarden

Kela Merlot 2006

DRINKERS AND TASTERS MEMBERS GET AN EXTRA 30 MIN VIP TASTING STARTING AT 7PM

Regular Price $40

DRINKERS AND TASTERS $34

Contest Extension!

Because of many requests we are extending our Jack’s Gourmet sausage recipe contest until Monday, October 31. Keep on sending them in for a chance to win $100.00 worth of these incredibly delicious sausages.

CS

 

A Conversation with Geila Hocherman

Last evening on the The Kosher Scene at 8:00pm (Eastern Time), I had the privilege of talking to cookbook author and Cordon Bleu trained Chef Geila Hocherman. Her book, Kosher Revolution is coming out on the 23rd of this month, but can already be pre-ordered on Amazon.com. Having examined an advance copy I can testify that not only is the photography a delight for the eyes, but the quality of the recipes will make even the most casual observer’s mouth water.

Having met Ms Hocherman on previous occasions, having heard her talk about food and life and general, her passion for those subjects is obvious. If you look at her picture on the right, taken from her book,  her joie de vivre, her love for her work is all too apparent. In real life she comes across just as lively and vivacious as in the photo, with an infectious joy and dedication to everything she does.

Next week we will post our review of her book including one of her recipes with a beautiful accompanying photo. Meanwhile, you can listen to our archived interview from last eve with Chef Geila here and our Wednesday interview with David Mintz, here.

CS

Lilly’s Home Style Bake Shop

As I toured Lilly’s Home Style Bake Shop, the sweet aromas wafting through the air, I was transported back to my mother’s kitchen, where the promise of sweet delicious treats were imminent as she prepared Shabbos or Yom Tov cakes and cookies. This past Tuesday morning, I walked the plant with Ethan Lieberman who together with CEO Irving Guttman, started the company in 2004 and kept on expanding the premises as new machinery was needed to streamline production of their growing product line.

Sprinkling cinnamon onto babka dough...

From jumbo to regular sized bagels, to assorted breads and challah types of various shapes and sizes, to mouth watering cakes and danishes, to cookies and biscottis,  all beckoned before my gluttonous Hansel and Gretel eyes as the various doughs were being made, shaped and baked.

Racks filled with challah, chocolate danish, hamentashen and so much more...

Lilly’s (named after Ethan‘s – Avrumi‘s – mother) ships nationally under their own name and under various private labels – including well known supermarket chains and warehouse type wholesalers. The whole operation is supervised by Silliker, a third party approver which specializes in certifying the cleanliness and strict adherence to codes governing this type of operations. Kashrus is under OU supervision.

Fresh and moist! A tray full of chocolate babka, rainbow cookies, black and whites are awaiting me...

Enjoy, gentle reader, enjoy! As for me, I’ll just grab another piece of that decadent babka oozing with chocolate… Get your own, kid!!!

CS

Talking with David Mintz

Who hasn’t tasted Tofutti‘s Better Pecan ice-cream, or the brand’s Tofutti Cuties? Tofutti, the company, evolved far beyond its founder’s dreams, it has almost become a household word throughout most of the country rather than just a brand.

Our guest this evening (8:00om Eastern Time) on The Kosher Scene’s Internet Radio Show will be David Mintz, CEO of Tofutti Brands, Inc. a company whose products products are all soy-based. We will talk about what brought him to create a super successful line of dairy free products and how he evolved from his beginnings as a Brooklyn delicatessen owner, his quasi-obsession with creating delicious dairy-tasting food that was parve and the company’s newest products.

If you missed our last broadcast, you can hear it here. Our guest were – for the first half hour – award winning documentary cinematographer and author Joseph Dorman and Aron Ritter from the Kosher Wine Society for the second half.

Why not listen in this evening to a fun, informative talk with David Mintz, at 8:00pm (Eastern Time) today on BlogTalkRadio.com?

We’ll be waiting for you!

CS