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

A Conversation with Mark (Gavriel) Sanders

Gavriel Sanders, publicist at ARTSCROLL MESORAH PUBLICATIONS for Susie Fishbein‘s Kosher by Design series – since it started appearing in 2003, will talk to us this evening (at 7:00pm Eastern Time, on BlogTalkRadio.com) about his fascinating life’s path from missionary to proud Orthodox Jew. Other projects he’s handled on behalf of publisher ArtScroll Mesorah Publications include Life Is A Test by Rebbetzin Esther Jungreis, Gateway to Judaism by Rabbi Mordechai Becher, and several books for Rabbi Dr. Abraham Twerski and Rabbi Paysach Krohn.

As you can see in the video – below – his story is fascinating, his quest for identity inspired by his mother’s own search…

Sanders’ voice is familiar to many Jewish radio listeners in the New York area. Appearing on over 100 commercials, he has also been producer and host of Mah Nishma with Gavriel on FiveTownsRadio.com, IsraelNationalRadio.com, The Jewish Journey on JWisdom.com and of the Gavriel Sanders Show on Zev Brenner‘s Talkline Communications Network. He recently began broadcasting on J-RouteRadio.com. Sanders has lectured coast to coast and internationally on themes of Jewish living, including his popular autobiographical presentation of “A Minister’s Journey to Judaism”.

Meanwhile, in case you missed it, here’s the taped show we did with Julia Roth, a mother/teacher/community activist from Richmond, VA, who’s working hard to revitalize and provide missing services to one of America’s oldest Jewish communities.

Please don’t forget to tune us in this evening at 7:00pm Eastern Time for a fascinating conversation. We’ll be waitin’ for ya!

CS

Kosherfest 2011 Highlights – Part 1

I spent this past Tuesday and Wednesday at the Meadowlands Exposittion Center together with my good friend, successful commercial photographer and former Chair of the Photo Department at Fashion Institute of Technology – Irving Schild. I’ve been to Kosherfest quite a few times and as good as they were this one leaves those before it far in the dust. Not only was it far bigger (more exhibitors), it had far more visitors who were more informed, more health conscious, than ever before.

There were many new and exciting products, that will be hitting the store shelves soon, as well as non-food items that  caught our attention:

Ner Mitzvah - A candlemaker in the shtetl.

This company used a very creative way to show us their line of products, no words were necessary… just good old fashioned candle making.

Argentina, a country right across the river from where I grew up, distinguished itself by having Marumatok snatch the Kosherfest’s Best New Wine of the Year (Fincas Marumatok Cabernet Sauvignon Malbec). Marumatok has a nice line of wines at very reasonable prices, they may be hard to find but are well worth the search!

One of Marumatok's executives talking about the company's wines...

Costa Rica had its own booth promoting kosher travel tours in that country.

Kosher Costa Rica Tours

To me one of the main highlights was a panel discussion with various cookbook authors where new and upcoming trends were discussed:

From left to right (seated) authors: Jeff Nathan, Levana Kirschenbaum, Susie Fishbein, Gil Marks, Jamie Geller (standing) moderators: Leah Schapira and Esti Berkowitz

Various bloggers were allowed to ask questions to the authors, making this an interesting information packed hour.

There were far too many interesting items and products for the scope of this brief post, but we’ll talk about a few more in the 2nd part of this series. Especially worthy of mention, however, is the Best Overall New Product winner: Tishbi Passion Fruit and Strawberry Champagne Preserves. Ora Tishbi truly outdid herself for the second year in a row. I’m not into preserves but these are truly delicious

Seyman once again had an incredible display of superb European cheeses… that Manchego, the Gruyère, the Halumi, the Parmegiano Reggiano… just remembering the taste makes my mouth water and I wasn’t even taking part in a Pavlovian experiment!

The Petrini Gelato Shoppe, introduced a new dimension of flavor. Both their milchig and parve lines were outstanding

The French chocolates from Michel Cluizel, were miniature works of art. Their taste incomparable, far above any other chocolates this chocaholic ever tasted before!

CS

The Week’s Events

Monday, March 14

Photo by: ArtScroll

11:30 am

Location:

Pomegranate Supermarket (1507 Coney island Avenue – Corner of Avenue L – Tel: 718.951.7112)

Who:

Susie Fishbein

Subject:

Cooking Demonstration: Fish (last part of series)

• Poached Salmon with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce
• Tuna Teriyaki with Radish Salad
• Green Tea Poached Cod

Free!

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7:00 pm

Location:

210 West 101st Street, Apartment 9L (in Manhattan, between Amsterdam Avenue and Broadway)

Who:

Lévana Kirschenbaum

Subject:

Lévana’s Dinner and a Show

THE VEGETARIAN INDIAN FEAST GLUTEN-FREE – Lévana will demonstrate the following dishes:

• Corn hot and sour soup
• Aloo gobi
• Vegetable pancakes in ghee
• Jasmine rice
• Apricot chutney
• Yogurt raita
• Mango lassi
• Carrot nut pudding

The Demo runs from 7:00 to 9:00 followed by dinner, classes cost $45.00 for one session, $120.00 for 3 sessions or $200.00 for 5 sessions and a signed cookbook. Make your reservations at: http://www.levanacooks.com/kosher-cooking-classes/weekly-classes/

CS

Events for the Week of February 27 Through March 5

Once again we have some great events. It all started last evening with Lipa‘s free concert at Pomegranate,

Monday, February 28th

Meet and Greet Susie Fishbein

Meet, Greet and Join Celebrity Chef, award winning cookbook author Susie Fishbein for a Cooking Demonstration Series at Pomegranate (1507 Coney Island Avenue – corner of Avenue L – Brooklyn, New York 11230; Tel: 718.951.7112). She will be demonstrating fish cooking techniques:

Cod

• Miso Glazed Cod
• Cod, Potatoes and Sun dried Tomatoes

Snapper

• Blackened Red Snapper
• Snapper in Parchment

The demo will start at 11:30am

Lévana’s Dinner and a Show

This week it will be held in Lévana’s house at: 210 West 101st Street, Apartment 9L (in Manhattan, between Amsterdam Avenue and Broadway). The subject of tonight’s class will be: THE LEAN LATIN FEAST. She will demonstrate the following:

• Tilapia with green tomato sauce
• Spicy pumpkin corn soup
• Chicken breasts with chipotle sauce
• Cabbage, cucumber and jicama salad with “yogurt” cilantro sauce
• Café con leche pots de crème
• Sangria

The Demo runs from 7:00 to 9:00 followed by dinner, classes cost $45.00 for one session, $120.00 for 3 sessions or $200.00 for 5 sessions and a signed cookbook. Make your reservations at: http://www.levanacooks.com/kosher-cooking-classes/weekly-classes/

There Is Still Time…

The Kosher Food & Wine Experiences 2010 was very good, this year – with more restaurants and caterers exhibiting, with more Chefs demonstrating and answering questions, with more wines – it promises to be better!

There are a few days left, you can still get your tickets, you can still get your 10% discount

As always, the star of the show is the food and wine on offer. This year over 300 wines from all over the world will be available from wineries including Herzog, Yatir, Castel, Capcanes, Elvi, Goose Bay and more! In addition, Royal Wine will be launching some new wines at KFWE2011 including the Herzog Special Edition Chalk Hill Warnecke Vineyard 2008, the Oak Knoll Single Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon and a new line of GamlaReserves. Additionally, the wines of Alexander Winery in Israel will be making their debut in the United States market.

Guests will also be able to taste delicious food from some of the top rated kosher restaurants and caterers in the Tri-State area. “This is an opportunity to try some exceptional wines and great food, we don’t hold anything back,” said Mr. Landsman, “KFWE is our gift to our customers. We want to give people a chance to try the wines they are hesitant to buy, the special occasion wines they read about or see in the store.” Another benefit of this event is its proximity to Passover, giving people the opportunity to trywines that they would like to feature at their Seders.

A notable addition to the event this year will be the attendance of celebrity cookbook authors/food personalities Joan Nathan, Jamie Geller, Suzy Fishbein, Lévana Kirschenbaum and Jeff Nathan who will all be available to discuss food and wine pairing and their newest books.

KFWE 2011 will take place on Tuesday, February 22, 2011 at 6:30pm at Pier 60 – Chelsea Piers, NYC. For more information on the 2011 Kosher Food & Wine Experience or to order tickets, please visit: www.kfwe2011.com .

Don’t forget to enter KSCENE10, as your discount code, when you buy your ticket(s). Hope to see you there, gentle reader!

CS

Kosher Food & Wine Experience 2011 Discounts

The Kosher Food & Wine Experiences 2010 was very good, this year – with more restaurants and caterers exhibiting, with more Chefs demonstrating and answering questions, with more wines – it promises to be better!

As the Royal Wine Corporation‘s press release for this event states:

As always, the star of the show is the food and wine on offer. This year over 300 wines from all over the world will be available from wineries including Herzog, Yatir, Castel, Capcanes, Elvi, Goose Bay and more! In addition, Royal Wine will be launching some new wines at KFWE2011 including the Herzog Special Edition Chalk Hill Warnecke Vineyard 2008, the Oak Knoll Single Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon and a new line of Gamla Reserves. Additionally, the wines of Alexander Winery in Israel will be making their debut in the United States market.

Guests will also be able to taste delicious food from some of the top rated kosher restaurants and caterers in the Tri-State area. “This is an opportunity to try some exceptional wines and great food, we don’t hold anything back,” said Mr. Landsman, “KFWE is our gift to our customers. We want to give people a chance to try the wines they are hesitant to buy, the special occasion wines they read about or see in the store.” Another benefit of this event is its proximity to Passover, giving people the opportunity to trywines that they would like to feature at their Seders.

A notable addition to the event this year will be the attendance of celebrity cookbook authors/food personalities Joan Nathan, Jamie Geller, Suzy Fishbein, Lévana Kirschenbaum and Jeff Nathan who will all be available to discuss food and wine pairing and their newest books.

KFWE 2011 will take place on Tuesday, February 22, 2011 at 6:30pm at Pier 60 – Chelsea Piers, NYC. For more information on the 2011 Kosher Food & Wine Experience or to order tickets, please visit: www.kfwe2011.com .

Don’t forget to enter KSCENE10, as your discount code, when you buy your ticket(s). Hope to see you there, gentle reader!

CS

Kosher By Design: Teens And 20 Somethings

Well, Susie Fishbein’s done it again!! Her latest Kosher by Design cookbook for young adults will turn any teen, college student, or young at heart-Fishbein fan, into an instant gourmet superstar. If you’re tired of the same old pizza with fries, or pocket pinching foil-packed fast food entrees, you’re just going to love the 100 deliciously innovative, easy to prepare recipes in her new cookbook. Susie prepares young cooks with great tips on the basics of cooking and the tools they’ll need; tips like using dry and liquid measuring cups because of volume differentials to achieve optimum results, making healthy food choices, and sidebar symbols indicating vegetarian, gluten-free, dairy free and nut-free recipes. All the recipes that made it into the book were taste-tasted and approved by discerning “tastebud” teens.

John Uher’s photography is colorful and appealing throughout – especially the dessert section. Aside from Starters, Munchies, Soups and Salads, Poultry and Meat, Fish, Pasta and Dairy, Side Dishes, Desserts, there’s an exciting section on planning themed Parties, and Special Diet Needs.

It was hard to choose a favorite recipe from all of them, but this one seems intriguing as it shows Mrs. Fishbein’s culinary mastery and understanding of the young:

Chocolate Tart in Pretzel Crust

DAIRY – YIELDS 10-12 SERVINGS

Crust:

• 6 chocolate sandwich cookies, such as Oreos®
• 2 cups mini pretzel twists
• 6 tablespoons butter, melted

Chocolate Filling:

• 1 (4-ounce) good-quality semisweet chocolate bars, such as Ghiradelli®
• 1 (4-ounce) good-quality milk chocolate bar, such as Ghiradelli®
• 1 cup heavy cream
• whipped cream, optional for garnish
• additional mini pretzel twists for optional garnish

1. Preheat oven to 350˚F.
2. Place the pretzels and cookies into the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal “S” blade. Pulse until almost fine; some small pretzel pieces should remain. Pour into mixing bowl. Add the melted butter. Stir to moisten the crumbs. Press into a 9-inch glass pie plate or a 9-inch tart pan with removable bottom. Use the bottom of a measuring cup or your palm to work mixture into an even layer on the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Place the pan on a cookie sheet for easy transfer to and from the oven. Bake for 15 minutes. Set aside to cool.
3. Place the chocolate on your cutting board. Using a sharp knife, finely chop the chocolate.
4. Heat the cream in a medium pot until it is simmering. Add the chocolate, including any small shards from the cutting board. Turn off the heat. Stir until smooth and chocolatey throughout. Pour into the prepared crust and chill for at least 2 hours.
5. Slice and serve plain or with whipped cream and pretzels.

All in all, Teens and 20-Somethings is informative, creative and a lot of fun; Susie is at her best, giving the next generation their shot at looking great in the kitchen, and us the opportunity to sit back and be fed and entertained by our kids.

Enjoy, gentle reader, enjoy!

SYR

Contest

On October 18th, we announced a photo contest, it’s a food photography competition and the best photo of a Kosher by Design recipe will win a copy of Susie’s latest: Kosher by Design Teens and 20 Somethings. You may download a free copy of the complete KBD recipe index from: http://bit.ly/KBDrecipeindex. Choose a recipe, make it, serve it and photograph it. Please check out Contest!!! for some pointers on food photography and links to a few outstanding food photographers’ online portfolios. Send us your best to:

kosherscene@gmail.com

RELATED POSTS

A Talk with Susie Fishbein

Maple Roasted Pears and Sweet Potatoes and More

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Preorder your copy today at ArtScroll.com – enter the coupon code KBDBLOG at checkout to save 10% and receive free shipping in the continental U.S. Join the KBD online communities to find more reviews and giveaway contests! Kosher by Design Teens & 20-Somethings: cooking for the next generation is aimed at the young and digital-savvy fast-food generation and those who cook for them. Susie Fishbein is an everyday cook who loves to share her passion for cooking and entertaining with friends and family. Her enthusiasm for food and entertaining led to the creation of her best-selling cookbook, Kosher by Design, published in 2003 by ArtScroll Shaar Press. For more recipes and updates, visit the Kosher by Design blog or connect with them on Facebook and Twitter.