This Week’s Radio Show

This week’s radio show on our BlogTalkradio hour, this Wednesday evening, November 2nd, at 10:00pm (Eastern Time) will feature a panel of new media and traditional media personalities. These are:

• Esti Berkowitz, mom blogger at Primetime Parenting.
• Kim Amzallag, who is Director of Advertising for the 114 year old The Jewish Daily Forward and website which features the popular blog The Jew and The Carrot, as she continues to do sales and marketing for Mishpacha and Kosher Inspired magazines.
• Soshana Raff, mom blogger at The Kosher Shopaholic.

We will be discussing next week’s Kosherfest, the new media presence and the impact of bloggers on kosher food trends. Please listen in.

For those of you who missed last week’s Venice – 700 years of Jewish History, tradition and Food with Alessandra Rovati from the Dinner in Venice website and Corrado Calimani from the Venice Jewish Community Board, you can listen to the taped archive here. It was a very interesting and educational show with two very charming people! We discussed the over seven hundred year old Venetian Jewish community, the upcoming 500 year commemorations (in 2016) of the world’s first ghetto ever (Venice’s Jewish Ghetto), the communities traditions and rites as well the food…

Don’t forget to tune in our broadcast tomorrow at 10:00pm (Eastern Time) on BlogTalkradio, with some of the best schmoozers in blogland. We’ll be waiting for ya…

CS

This Evening’s Radio Show, Yesterday’s Superb Lunch

If you missed last evening’s very informative show: A Conversation with Menachem Lubinsky, you can hear it here.

Yesterday Alessandra Rovati (from dinnerinvenice.com), Esti Berkowitz (from primetimeparenting.com), Geilah Hocherman (author of upcoming cookbook The Kosher Revolution), Kim Amzallag (from Kosher Inspired/Mishpacha Magazine), Suzannah Raff (from koshershopaholic.com) and yours truly met at Chef Lévana Kirschenbaum‘s (from levanacooks.com) place.

We started the session with an incredible Moroccan lunch feast prepared by Lévana, of course. It consisted of:

• Cold avocado cucumber soup
• Spicy olive lemon salad
• Celery remoulade
• Moroccan tomato salad
• Hummus-Tehina with za’atar
• Lamb-stuffed artichoke bottoms
• Chicken roasted in dry spice rub
• Chicken Pastilla
• Hot and sweet parsnips
• Potato, tomato and olive tajine

For dessert she made us:

• Spicy nut truffles
• Date nut roll
• Chocolate “salami”
• Chocolate espresso bark
• Coconut cookies
• Chocolate chip cookies
• Quick halvah

After the meal we started our discussion, Suzannah Raff put it on video (she will have it up on YouTube soon!), while I taped it for this evening’s radio show. After such a rich, healthy, scrumptious meal you can bet our discussion was lively, entertaining, informative.

The topic of our discussion was Healthy and Delicious versus Delicious at any Cost. This pretaped show will air it this evening at 8:00pm (Eastern Time) on BlogTalkRadio. Please tune us in this evening, we’ll be wait’n for ya!

CS

Internet Radio Broadcast and a Recipe

Last week we were plagued by some faulty equipment and technical problems during our live broadcast from Nargila Grill (1599 York Avenue – between 84 and 85th Streets on Manahattan’s Upper East Side). Today I did a makeup broadcast where I summarized what everyone said during the discussion we had on the Jewish cuisine, as a record of our history, dispersion and culture.

Our group consisted of Alessandra Rovati (dinnerinvenice.com), Geila Hocherman (kosherrevolution.com), Kim Amzallag (Kosher Inspired/Mishpacha Magazine) Levana Kirschenbaum (levanacooks.com), Marlene Mamiye (thejewishhostess.com) and Suzannah Raff (koshershopaholic.wordpress.com/)

Palov - Photo by: Kim Amzallag

After some mild and spicy salads, hummus, and more we were served palov – a Bukharian rice and beef dish. It was delicious but I couldn’t get the restaurant to share its recipe, so I was forced to go online to search for it. Here’s what I found on about.com:

Bukharian Rice – Plov

My 12-year-old son, who is by far our family’s pickiest eater, came home from his friend’s house singing praises about this amazing rice dish. The song went something like this, “It was the most delicious dinner I have ever eaten in my whole life!” Of course I immediately called Ilanit for the recipe. I was happy to discover he was talking about a rice, chicken, vegetable combination prepared in one pot. Without further ado, enjoy Ilanit’s Bukharian Rice recipe.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes

Ingredients:

• 3 onions, chopped
• 6 carrots, grated thick
• 5 Tablespoons oil (enough to cover bottom of pot)
• 1 Tablespoon sugar
• 2-3 pounds (1-1.5 kilo) boneless chicken breast, cut into small bite-size squares
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 2 1/2 cups rice
• 1/2 teaspoon salt rice
• 3 1/2 cups boiling water (enough to cover the rice by 1/2 inch or 1 cm)

Preparation:

1. Heat oil in a pot. Add onions, and then carrots. Stir in the sugar. Cook until the onions are translucent.
2. Lay the chicken on top of the onions and carrots. Don’t stir in order to maintain a layer of vegetables and a distinct layer of meat. Sprinkle salt and pepper on the chicken. Cook the chicken, gently turning the pieces over in the middle, until the chicken turns white.
3. Add rice on top of the chicken. Don’t stir because the layers of vegetables and chicken should remain undisturbed, but distribute the rice evenly over the chicken. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Add boiling water. Turn the heat down to low and cover.
4. After about 15 minutes, scrap down the sides and poke a few holes through the rice to the bottom of the pot with the handle of a wooden spoon. Cover and cook for another 15-25 minutes, until the water has been absorbed and the rice is tender.
5. Serve in reverse order of the layers. Put the rice, then the chicken, then the vegetables onto the plates.Yields: 6-8 servings.

Enjoy, gentle reader, enjoy. We did!

CS

Live at Nargila – Part 3 – Tomorrow’s Radio Show

Tomorrow we will once again, be’ezras Hashem, be transmitting live from Nargila Grill (1599 York Avenue – between E. 84 and E. 85th Street – New York 10028; Tel: 212.535.3700). Why? Because… tomorrow the owner’s mother will be cooking her famed Bukharian dishes.

A corner at Nargila Grill...

With me will be Alessandra Rovati (Dinner in Venice), Esti Berkowitz (Primetime Parenting), Levana Kirschenbaum (Levana Cooks), Kim Amzallag (Kosher Inspired/Mishpacha Magazine), Marlene Mamiye (The Jewish Hostess), and Suzannah Raff (The Kosher Shopaholic).

Another corner...

We will discuss the cultural differences in Jewish foods, how the Jews throughout history were influenced by the local environment, but still managed to keep a strong Jewish tradition. It’s been said that its food defines a people, we will discuss how we adapted ourselves how the Jewish cuisine evolved and is far more than just gefilte fish, brisket and tcholent.

You can tune in to us at 7:30pm (Eastern Time) tomorrow evening at: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/kosherscene or you can join us at Nargila Grill ((1599 York Avenue – between E. 84 and E. 85th Street – New York 10028; Tel: 212.535.3700) for an evening of great talk and superb food. Nargila Grill is under the hasgacha of of the O K Labs.

I can’t wait to be surprised by owner/manager Michael’s mother cooking, I’m sure we’ll likely wash with some lepeshka bread, have some plov (Bukarian rice), or maybe we’ll have some samsa? or kebobs? Hmmnn, my mouth is watering! Oh, what’s the use, I better not think about and just taste whatever delicacies as they come.

So, gentle reader, considering the great food and the low prices we’ll we see you there? Why not come over and say hello?

CS

Live from Nargila! – Part 2

This past Wednesday, The Kosher Scene Radio Show did a live broadcast from Nargila Grill (1599 York Avenue – between E. 84 and E. 85th Street – New York 10028; Tel: 212.535.3700).

From left to right: Esti Berkowitz (Primetime Parenting), Alessandra Rovati (Dinner in Venice), Marlene Mamiye (The Kosher Hostess), Yours Truly, at the controls (The Kosher Scene), Kim Amzallag (Mishpacha/Kosher Inspired Magazine); Suzannah Raff (The Kosher Shopaholic), not pictured - as she spoke to us on the phone - Amy Channa (The Gluten Free Maven) PHOTO BY: Irving Schild

Nargila Grill is a Middle Eastern/Mediterranean type restaurant, the decor authentic Middle Eastern, with softly piped in music to match.

Getting ready to order. PHOTO BY: Irving Schild

After the show we all enjoyed an incredibly delicious meal consisting of assorted Mediterranean salads, beef, lamb, and chicken kabobs. Each type of meat was done in a variety of styles and came on multiple skewers, each more succulent than the other!)

We are going back next Wednesday, to do another live show and to enjoy the owner’s mother’s Bukharian cooking. She comes in once a month to prepare some real delicacies. My mouth is watering just thinking about it. Why don’t you join us at: Nargila Grill (1599 York Avenue – between E. 84 and E. 85th Street – New York 10028; Tel: 212.535.3700), next Wednesday evening? We’d love to meet you and we know you’ll love the food! We’ll leave the light on for ya. May we have the pleasure of seeing you there?

CS

Live from Nargila!

The Kosher Scene Radio Show, this evening at 7:30pm (Eastern Time), will be transmitting live from Nargila Restaurant (1599 York Avenue – between E. 84 and E. 85th Street – New York 10021; Tel: 212.535.3700). With us we’ll have: Alessandra Rovati from Dinner in Venice, Amy Chana from The Gluten Free Maven, Esti Berkowitz from Primetime Parenting, Kim Amzallag from Mishpacha Magazine, Marlene Mamiye from The Jewish Hostess and Suzanah Raff from The Kosher Shopaholic. Also with us, will be my dear friend Irving Schild, photographer extraordinaire, and possibly my coblogger SYR. We will talk with each of the mom-bloggers about the particular focus of their individual blogs, about the liberating effect of writing, the new contacts and interaction that have resulted, social media in general and – of course – food. We are all foodies, after all!

If you missed our last show on the Wednesday prior to Shavuos, you can hear the archived recording right here. Our guests included Moshe Vogel from Anderson International Foods in the first half hour and Kim Amzallag from Mishpacha/Kosher Inspired Magazine. In honor of Yom Yerushalayim we started the hour with the reading of a very short piece I wrote a few years back (which was reprinted on The Jerusalem Post and on Ynet.com). It was about the first Yom Yerushalayim – Jerusalem Day, commemorating the reunification of Jerusalem. I was there when the Old City – Ir Hatika became ours again…

Please listen to us this evening, from 7:30 to 8:30, on BlogTalkRadio/kosherscene, Call us on the air at: 714.333-3357 with your comments, questions or suggestions or join us at Nargila Restaurant (1599 York Avenue – between E. 84 and E. 85th Street – New York 10021; Tel: 212.535.3700). We’ll keep the light on for ya!

CS

Internet Radio Show Tonight

Thanks to Sidney and Tammy Cohen  we did an incredible one hour show last week, live from 18 Restaurant (240 E 81st St, New York NY10065; Tel: 212.517.2400). Our guests lineup included: Gil Marks – author of Encyclopedia of Jewish Food, Chef Lévana Kirschenbaum – who spoke of her brand new cook book. Kim Amzallag from Kosher Inspired Magazine, Esti Berkowitz from the Prime Time Parenting blog and, of course, the incomparable Tammy Cohen . The food was great, the atmosphere just perfect and the place was packed.  We all loved it!

This evening, at 7:30 pm (Eastern Time), we will broadcasting again. You can listen to our show at BlogTalkRadio/kosherscene. We will start with a reading of a very short piece I wrote a few years back (which was reprinted on The Jerusalem Post and on Ynet.com) it’s about the first Yom Yerushalayim – Jerusalem Day, commemorating the reunification of Jerusalem. I was there when the Old City – Ir Hatika became ours again…

Then we’ll turn the conversation to Shavuos and dairy food with Brigitte Mizrahi and Moshe Vogel from Anderson International Foods (who manufacture the cholov Yisroel line of cheeses Natural & Kosher, and the non-cholov Yisroel brands Les Petites Fermieres and Organic and Kosher. We will follow with Kim Amzallag (whom I prerecorded yesterday afternoon), who will talk to us about the new Shavuos issue of Kosher Inspired and much more.

A tiny selection of Anderson International Foods' cheese offerings

Please tune us in this evening from 7:30pm t0 8:30pm, at: BlogTalkRadio/kosherscene. We have a very interesting program, geared to Shavuos (which is next week, starting Tuesday eve and continuing through Thursday night, the evening of the 7th through the 9th of June). We’ll be waiting for you!

CS

Live! From 18…

This evening’s broadcast will be live from Manhattan’s 18 Restaurant (240 E 81st St, New York NY10065; Tel: 212.517.2400), starting at 7:30 – Eastern Time – we will be on the air until 8:30. Our guests include: Tammy Cohen from 18, Gil Marks – author of the Encyclopedia of Jewish Food, cooking guru and cookbook author extraordinaire Chef Levana Kirschenbaum, Kim Amzallag from Kosher Inspired Magazine and blogger Esti Berkowitz from Prime Time Parenting.

Whenever I go to 18 Restaurant, whatever else I may eat, I gotta have the Yemenite Meat Soup. Tasty and just spicy enough!

They have all been on our show before, except for Mrs. Berkowitz (who is a fascinating individual in her own right), but are back per listeners’ requests. What better venue than to have all of them together in one place, having a nice conversation, enjoying a meal and delighting you with their knowledge, humor and passion for all things food?

Won’t you join us, this evening at 7:30pm, at 18 Restaurant (240 E 81st St, New York NY10065; Tel: 212.517.2400) where you can meet our guests in person and partake of the restaurants delicious, yet reasonably priced fare?

Last Wednesday, we had the pleasure of hosting master photographer Irving Schild. He spoke to us about a fascinating new book project, he’s currently working on, about Jewish communities coming back to life in Eastern Europe, as well as some others prospering in more exotic parts of the globe. If you missed that show you can hear the archive here at: Talking with Irving Schild.

Even if you can’t come to the restaurant you can still hear us this evening from 7:30 to 8:30 pm on http://www.blogtalkradio.com/kosherscene. We’ll be wait’n for ya!

CS

Puah’s 20th Anniversary Dinner

This past Tuesday, April 5th of 2011, Puah celebrated its 20th Anniversary with a festive dinner attended by close to 200 persons at Manhattan’s 5th Avenue Synagogue.

Prior to the dinner’s start, Shlomo Blashka from the Royal Wine Corporation gave a wine tasting, featuring wines and spirits from among the company’s many imports.

The honorees were Mr. Mrs. Barry Akrongold, of Fortune Financial and Investment Corporation, received the “Gift of Life Award” on the very eve of their first son’s brit milah . Dr. Lawrence Grunfeld, OB/GYN from Reproductive Medicine of New York, received the “Physician of the Year” award. Mr. Brian Andreoli, Esq., partner at Squire Sanders, received the “Partners in Creation Award.” Mr. Sam and Mrs. Peggy Nitka, from Crown Equities received the “Pioneers of Hope” award.

Rabbi Gideon Weitzman, Director of the Puah Institute addressing the dinner attendees.

The speeches were very moving but brief. Rabbi Yaakov Kermaier, spiritual leader of the Fifth Avenue Synagogue more than ably MC’d the dinner. Rabbi Gideon Weitzman, Puah Institute‘s Director and Visiting Associate Professor at Einstein University, handed the awards to the honorees and shared Puah’s successes and future plans as global leaders in rabbinic halachic counseling, hashgocho and continuing education for both the professional and the layman.  The attendees were deeply moved by keynote speaker Rabbi Steven Pruzansky, spiritual leader at Congregation Bnai Jeshurun of Teaneck, NJ, whose family just endured the tragic loss of a little granddaughter.

The Kosher Scene is grateful to those of our friends who made the effort to join us for this inspiring, heart-warming evening.  The work of Puah, the hundreds of families they help to build each and every year, the amazing support and counseling they provide to couples struggling through the maze of information and disinformation regarding fertility issues is second to none. We support their extraordinary efforts and wish them tremendous success. Some of our friends and fellow foodies in attendance included incomparable Chef Lévana Kirschenbaum, her husband Maurice, their son Yaakov and his wife, Kim Amzallag – Director of Sales and Marketing at Kosher Inspired magazine – among others.

During the dinner we managed to talk about Puah’s work with Kim Amzallag (here), who shared a personal story; Dr Lawrence Grunfeld told us how Puah’s work extended to these shores and how he’s involved (here); with his obvious caring and genuine humanity Brian Andreoli, Esq., singlehandedly – in less than five minutes – managed to dispel all my misconceptions about lawyers (here)

All in all, it was an evening well spent.

If you’d like to find out more about  PUAH’s mission services and partnering opportunities, visit: them at: www.puahonline.org

CS

The First Guest on Our New Radio Venue Is…

Starting this coming Wednesday, March 16th, we’ll be moving to a new internet radio home: at BlogTalkRadio.

This week’s guest will be Kim Amzallag, Director of Sales and Marketing for the new and exciting Kosher Inspired food magazine. She is an advertising sales and media professional and has been in the business since 1982. During her 29 year career she’s been been involved in sales development and led many wildly successful sales teams, most recently as launch publisher for Jewish Living Magazine. Her prior magazine experience includes successful stints as Director of Luxury Goods for Western Interiors and Design Magazine, Travel & Leisure, Golf, Brides, Saveur, Garden Design and GQ Magazine.

She has taught Sephardic cooking classes at the Spanish and Portuguese Synagogue, regularly cooks and entertains in her home and has been widely influenced by her Italian mother and her Moroccan husband’s family, customs and cuisine.

She’s a ba’alas tshuva, a dynamic and inspirational public speaker for various Jewish organizations, including the Manhattan Sephardic Congregation of which she and her husband are founding members. For the last 10 years She has been teaching the Crash Free Hebrew Reading Program, enabling many Jews to read Hebrew, overcome their fears and participate fully as full fledged members of the synagogue. Her weekly class spills over into parshah and basic Judaism.

She has continued her own Torah studies with Rabbi Yosef Kalatsky, Rebbetzin Leah Kohn, Dr. Shera Aronoff-Tuchman for the last 20 years; she mentored University students for 15 years with The Jewish Heritage Program, a college based Jewish Outreach program. Currently, she’s hard at work on a book about converts to Judaism and lives with her husband and 3 children in Manhattan.

Please tune in to this informative and entertaining interview, here, at 8:00pm Eastern time on Wednesday, the 16th of March.

CS