A Conversation with Susie Fishbein

Tonight on Blogtalkradio we will be speaking with Susie Fishbein, at 10:00pm (Eastern Time). Susie is the author of the Kosher by Design cookbook series. As she celebrates the 10th anniversary of the first book’s appearance she just published her eagerly awaited eighth title (Kosher By Design- Cooking Coach).

Susie Fishbein has been the featured celebrity guest on cruise ships as well as at week-long culinary adventures in Israel and Italy. She’s been profiled in The New York Times and CNN. The Forward has named her one of the 50 most influential Jews in America.

She was an honored guest at the White House in recognition of the National Jewish Heritage Month, she has taught at Macy‘s De Gustibus School of Cooking and has been a guest on dozens of network TV and radio shows. She’s also been featured at the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival at Disneyworld

Meanwhile, in case you missed it, why not listen to last week’s show with award winning cookbook author Jayne Cohen?

Please don’t forget to tune us in, this evening at 10:00pm (Eastern Time). We’ll be wait’n for ya!

CS

The Kosher Scene’s Radio Show for this Week

This coming Wednesday evening (March 21, 2012), at 8:00 pm (Eastern Time), we will talk with Lévana Kirschenbaum about her newest book, The Whole Foods Kosher Kitchen. The book was originally published as a paperback in November. While we praised the contents, we were nonplussed with the book’s production. This week the book makes its appearance in a larger, hard bound, format, with easier to read fonts and layout. The photography, by Meir Pliskin, has undergone a huge change as well.

While the appearance changed radically, while the new book is truly a pleasure to behold, the contents are the same. At the time, my co-blogger SYR wrote:

Though aesthetically the book’s layout is rather ordinary looking, the content is superb. It’s jam-packed with healthy mains, soups, salads, pastas, beads and desserts; aside from the general index, the cookbook includes a Passover index and a gluten-free index, with recipe notations indicating gluten free or gluten free adaptable. The recipes and text reflect a seasoned master chef who poured her culinary heart and soul into this cookbook. All content is meticulously organized and the format though visually lackluster nonetheless delivers the author’s usual witty humor and éclat in a most lively entertaining way.

Truly a hitchhiker’s guide to all things good-for-you and delicious, you’ll get never-ending use out of this comprehensive culinary work. The variations that accompany the recipes are awesome as are the tips and running commentary that weave through the pages. It’s like having a master chef or super balabusta mom right there with you preparing your best. Meir Pliskin’s photographs are tastefully done though the publisher’s cropping and cheap printing is somewhat disappointing. Lisa Young’s nutritional info though not revolutionary in content, serves as a useful reminder of healthy choices.

We will be speaking about the joys of whole food, this book is geared to the cook that wants healthy and delicious fares for her family but who doesn’t much care about the fuss of spending hours preparing the food.

Meanwhile, in case you missed them, please listen to the two shows we did last week: Alec Borenstein – Success Coach, Motivational Speaker and 9th Kosher Wine Extravaganza.

Don’t forget to tune us in this coming Wednesday evening (March 21, 2012), at 8:00 pm (Eastern Time) on BlogTalkRadio.com/kosherscene. We’ll be looking out for ya!

CS

A Conversation with Ari White

At last week's KFWE 2012...

This evening, February the 22nd, at 8:00pm (Eastern Time) we will host Ari White on our internet radio show. Ari runs (together with his wife Gemma) Got Cholent? Inc/Gemstone Catering. Ari started Got Cholent? Inc., a few years ago, because he was fascinated with the variations of cholent around the world. Whether you want a standard Ashkenazi cholent, like mama used to make or you prefer the Moroccan Dafina, or a Texas, Asian or other versions, Ari’s company offers them all with more than 12 finger-licking choices. At last year’s KFWE he debuted Gemstone Catering (Gemstone? In honor of his wife Gemma, of course!).

Presentation and unusual combination of flavors makes these two companies stand out from the crowd, their imagination and creativity has elevated their food into art. Tonight Ari White will tell us what/who inspires him, what he’s done and where he’s going next.

Meanwhile in case you missed it, last week we did two internet radio shows, on Wednesday we did the first part of our interviews with winemakers from around the world, company executives and attendees and on Thursday we featured the second part. Why don’t you give us a listen, you’ll hear how the quest for a perfect kosher wine transformed the lives of winemaker, winery owners and just how often their life journey took them to unexpected, and originally unwanted harbors that turned out to be far warmer and welcoming than they could have believed.

Why not tune us in this evening at BlogTalkRadio.com/kosherscene? We will be talking to Ari White from Got Cholent? Inc/Gemstone Catering at 8:00 pm (Eastern Time).

We’ll be wait’n for ya!

CS

A Conversation with June Hersh

This evening on our radio show we will talk with June Hersh, author of Recipes Remembered: A Celebration of Survival and Kosher Carnivore. June is teacher, writer and passionate home cook.

In Recipes Remembered she not only gives us some great recipes of yesteryear, but the author brings us  the personal stories of Holocaust survivors, or their children, with memories of their childhood, their struggle for survival, ultimate success and each one’s personal favorite recipe. It is a book filled with love and admiration, as only someone who understands life and is passionate about food could write. In a way it is as a record of Jewish life as it was, a glimpse of what we lost…

In Kosher Carnivore, the author gives us her favorite meat recipes but teaches us how to buy meat, which cuts are best for what type of meal, she also talks about wine and food pairing. Both her books are beautifully written, both are more than just cookbooks!

We will be speaking to her this evening at 8:00pm (Eastern Time) on BlogTalkRadio.com. June Hersh is an exceptional writer, a superb storyteller we a passion for all things Jewish. As we speak to her tonight, her charm, her warmth, her genuineness, will shine trough, enveloping each and every listener.

If you missed last week’s broadcast about The Peppermill, you can hear it right here.

Please tune us in this evening at 8:00pm (Eastern Time) on BlogTalkRadio.com. We’ll be waiting for you.

CS

Pomegranate Supermarket on Radio this Evening

This evening’s show was prerecorded at Pomegranate Supermarket (1507 Coney Island Avenue – corner of Avenue L – Brooklyn, New York 11230; Tel: 718.951.7112). We spoke with Avi Gantz – General Manager, Ari Heineman – Meat Department Manager and Chef Boris, one of the main wizards in Pomegranate‘s kitchens. It will broadcast this evening at 8:30pm Eastern Time on BlogTalkRadio.com.

From left to right: Ari Heineman, Avi Gantz and Chef Boris

While I never considered it a pleasure to go to a supermarket, it was just one of those places one had to shop at, that all changed when Pomegranate opened in 2008.

A partial view of the meat department...

The wide aisles, the cleanliness, the well stacked shelves, the fresh fruits and vegetables, the rich selection of items, the colors of food as it is displayed, all have made Pomegranate a place where a foodie – a kosher foodie – can spend a long time shopping and enjoying the experience.

...a partial view of the Deli department

We spoke about the philosophy behind the store, we spoke to the special people who make every customer feel special and every visit a delectation.

Some of the salad selections

Please tune us in this evening at 8:30pm Eastern Time on BlogTalkRadio.com. Meanwhile you can listen to our earlier programs from this week: The Center for Kosher Culinary Arts and A conversation with Jack Dahan.

CS

This Week’s Radio Show

Tomorrow evening, Wednesday the 7th of December, we will be back with our regular Blogtalkradio show. Our guest will be: Norene Gilletz from gourmania.com. Norene published her first cookbook in 1968 (Second Helpings), since then she’s written several more, including the just revised The NEW Food Processor Bible: 30th Anniversary Edition.

Who is Norene Gilletz? Does she have something to say? She most certainly does! Cuisine Canada Scene describes her this way:

Norene Gilletz is the leading author of kosher cookbooks in Canada and the owner of Gourmania Inc. Norene is crazy about food and her world revolves around recipes. She divides her time between work as a freelance food writer, editor, food consultant, cooking teacher and culinary spokesperson. Norene is a Certified Culinary Professional with the International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP) and a member of the Women’s Culinary Network of Toronto. She conducts cooking demonstrations and lectures for various organizations, including hospitals, foodservice and charitable fund-raising groups. Norene is passionate about healthy cooking and living, and has expertise in a wide variety of health concerns and special diets. Her motto, “food that’s good for you should taste good,” has been a core principle guiding her culinary career.

Please tune in tomorrow evening on Wednesday, December 7th, 2011 at 8:00pm Eastern Time. You can find us on blogtalkradio.com/kosherscene.

Meanwhile, if you missed it or just want to hear it again, you can catch our last broadcast on The Evolution of Kosher Wine, Post Kosherfest Talk. The show aired on November, the 16th and my guests were Costas Mouzouras from Gotham Wine and Liquors in Manhattan in the first half. In the second half we spoke with a group of foodie bloggers in the second half: Alessandra Rovati (Dinner in Venice), Esti Berkowitz (Primetime Parenting), Roberta Scher (Kosher Eye) and Suzzanah Raff (The Kosher Shopaholic).

Please don’t forget to listen to our show tomorrow December 7th, 2011 at 8:00pm Eastern Time. We’ll be waiting for you!

CS

***UPDATE***

Due to unforeseen circumstances I was forced to postpone this show, but it will be rescheduled for next week, be’ezras Hashem.

Our Next BlogTalkRadio Broadcast

Tomorrow, Wednesday, November 16th, at 8:00 pm (Eastern Time) we will be joined by Costas Mouzouras, Manager of Gotham Wines & Liquors and wine-master par excellence. We will talk about kosher wine and how it evolved from being the industry’s laughingstock to where it’s winning international awards in direct competition with the finest wines from all over the world.

Costas hails from Cyprus, where his grandfather was a winemaker. During summer vacations from school, young Costas would help out in the winery. In 1988 he came to these shores to attend Queens College and shortly after, at a friend’s urging, he took a job at Gotham and he’s been there ever since. He first became the kosher wine buyer, at a time when the choices were very limited. As he advanced in rank – at Gotham – so did the quality and the number of kosher wine selections.

In the second half of our broadcast, at 8:30pm, Alessandra Rovati (Dinner in Venice), Esti Berkowitz,(Primetime Parenting), Kim Amzallag, (Director of Marketing for The Jewish Daily Forward)  and Shoshana Raff (The Kosher Shopaholic) and Roberta Scher (KosherEye), will join me for a discussion on last week’s Kosherfest 2011. What impressed us, what trends became apparent, where the kosher industry might venture next, how the internet is impacting it all; we will cover these topics and more. Please tune us in at BlogTalkRadio.com/ tomorrow at 8:30pm (Eastern Time) for an interesting and informative show. We’ll be wait’n for ya!

CS

No Radio Show This Evening

Photo from: HowStuffWorks.com

I got back from Richmond, VA, this morning where I had some important family business to take care of. My guest for this evening had his own emergency. The show I pre-taped earlier needs some editing and there was no  time left before show time; we will have a 60 minute show tomorrow evening, instead, with three guests.

Our guests will be award winning documentary filmmaker and author Joseph Dorman, founder of Riverside Films he will talk to us about his current movie showing around the country: Sholom Aleichem: Laughing in the Darkness. In the second half of the show we will host Aron Ritter, President of the Kosher Wine Society and Alex Haruni, owner of the Dalton Winery in Israel

Please listen to our show tomorrow evening, at 7:30pm (Eastern Time) on BlogTalkRadio. See you there!

CS

Tonight’s Radio Show – Alessandra Rovati From Dinner In Venice

Last minute cancellation due to unforeseen emergency!

Last minute cancellation due to unforeseen emergency!

Photo by: Irving Schild

Italian cuisine has earned a very well deserved place in the pantheon of superior cookery from around the world. Within that cuisine, it is the Cucina Ebraica, the Jewish Italian cuisine, which is considered its crown jewel. Our guest on The Kosher Scene Radio Show, this evening, will be Venetian born and bred Alessandra Rovati from  Dinner In Venice.com website and blog.  We will discuss the history of the Jews in Italy, a history that goes back almost 2200 years, the history of Jews in Venice specifically and, of course, the famed Jewish Italian cuisine.

Venice is where the first Jewish Ghetto came to be in 1500. The earliest known mention of Jews in Venice is around 1090. The census in 1152 showed 1300 of our coreligionists, mostly merchants, originally from Germany and  the Levant. Throughout its history, Venice has been the venue for some of the most picturesque chapters in our people’s history, featuring both famous and infamous Jewish personalities.

Please tune us in this evening on the internet’s blogtalkradio.com, at 8:00 pm (Eastern Time), for what promises to be a very interesting, and informative show.

If you missed our show last week with Ezzy Duchman from Jewpon, you can hear it here. The guest was interesting, the subject will save you money!

Please, don’t forget to tune us in this evening’s for our conversation with the charming, Alassandra Rovati, when we will explore the  history and the cuisine of Jewish Italy at 8:00pm (Eastern Time). We’ll be wait’n for ya…

CS

***UPDATE***

7:25 pm (Eastern Time) Ms. Rovati had a small electrical fire in her house and had to cancel this evening’s appearance.

Tonight’s Radio Show…

This evening on Blogtalkradio we will be speaking, at 8:00 pm (Eastern Time), to Ezzy Duchman, who founded Jewpon together with his brother Zalmy. At a time when the coupon field is starting to get crowded, do we need yet another player? Does the new kid in town offer anything different or is it more of the same?

Jewpon started out in December 2010, it’s first deal was in Miami and since has expanded to Lakewood, Monsey, Manhattan, Los Angeles, Boca Raton, Toronto and overseas to Yerushalayim. They also have a lot of national deals going at any given moment. Aside from all these, the company also runs various charity drives as we shall hear. The company has been written up and discussed by examiner.com, CNN Money, Market Watch, Yiddish Life, The Miami Herald, Jewish Life and Dan’s Deals.

A typical Jewpon Deal

Ezzy will explain what Jewpon is about, what makes it different. Please listen in this evening to The Kosher Scene Radio Show at 8:00 pm to 8:30 pm (Eastern Time) for an interesting, informative and money saving conversation.

If you missed our show from last week, you can access our archived interview with Poopa Dweck, author of the most beautiful kosher cookbook I’ve ever owned – Aromas of Aleppo, here. Mrs. Dweck is a community activist based in Deal, NJ. Her cookbook is more than just a collection of recipes, the photos are truly amazing, the notes accompanying each recipe, the history and cultural tidbits set it far apart from any other cookbook I’ve ever seen. Both her cookbook and our conversation attest to her passion for the subject, it’s well worth a listen!

Meanwhile don’t forget to tune us in this evening!

CS