Jewish Food Festival at the JCC in Richmond, VA

Yesterday was the first day of the annual two day Jewish Food Festival, held at the JCC (5403 Monument Avenue, Richmond, VA 23226 – Tel: 804.285.6500), presented by Knesset Beth Israel (6300 Patterson Avenue, Richmond, VA 23226 – Tel: 804.288.7953) with supervision by the Moro d’Asro, Rabbi Dovid Asher.

One of the various stations preparing food in the kitchen

Carrot kugel, broccoli kugel, latkes and stuffed peppers… MmmmMMm!

Donut Holes, Homentashen, Menorah Cookies, Rugelach and more!

There was so much to choose, but I started with a plate of brisket, potato latkes and a ouple of knishesk. I followed with a combination of lamb and turkey shawarma with roasted vegetables wrapped in a laffa. The portion were nice sized, in fact I’m afraid the only way to get rid of the weight I gained would be to walk all the way back to Brooklyn.

Among the various booth, and being a foodie, there was one which really got my attention, Ginger Juice…

It was hard to decide which flavor to buy…

I tasted various of their juices, including Giving made from beets, pears and ginger. It reminded me so much of my mother’s (aleha haShalom) borsht – a taste nobody had ever been able to replicate…. until now. Another flavor I liked was Goodness which consisted of kale, apple, celery and mint. Who knew kale and celery could taste this good?!?!? When I finally got ready to go home, I picked up a bottle of Glitzy (pineapple, apple, pear). Needless to say, it didn’t last very long.

This event was truly a feast for the palate, the eyes and the nose!

CS

A Roundup of our Shavuos Recipes

Over the last couple of years we featured some great Shavuos recipes on these pages. To make it easy for anyone to find them, we”ll put up all the links together, right here.

For three superb cheesecake recipes, check out And the Winner Is…, or you can try Levana’s Ricotta Almond Pie. You’ll enjoy Pam Reiss’ Cheese Kugel it is different from the usual kugels and very tasty! If you are looking for a different recipe to make blintzes or you want a Macaroni, Tuna and Cheese Casserole, you’ll find them at: And the Runner Up Recipes Are.

Macaroni, Tuna and Cheese Casserole — Photo by: Giora Malinowski

For an incredible treat, you might want to look at Pessy Haskelevich‘s Beet and Asparagus Crosstata, at: The winning Recipe Is…; for a great soup, hardly anything is better or more refreshing than Cold Watercress Soup,  while there you might also like the Polenta Casserole au Gratin. One of my all time favorites, which I”ll make many times during the year besides Shavuos is: Fettuccine Alfredo with Mushrooms. If pasta, cheese and mushrooms are involved… I can’t help myself!

Fettuccine Alfredo with Mushrooms, I can’t wait!

This week we presented Dairy Beet Borsht, ‘Ataiyef – Syrian Blintzes? and another cold soup, Vichyssoise. i must confide in you, gentle reader, not only will shavuos be inspiring as a renewal of each individual Jew’s re-acceptance of Torah, but the food will also be delicious.

Wishing a chag same’ach – agutten yontef to everyone and may our hearts be fully imbued with the true spirit of na’ase venishma and may torah always be sweet on every Jew’s lips!

CS & SYR

Shabbat Comfort Food

Last Friday we posted Oyfn Pripetchik… – In the Fireplace… with an unusual but interesting kugel recipe. Today we follow up with a very easy recipe for a great Yerushami Kugel. Truth is, I’ve never been a fan of this type of kugel, the idea of sweet pasta just doesn’t do it for me, but, last Monday at Chef Lévana‘s cooking demo I tasted this and was forced to change my mind:

Yerushalmi Kugel

Ingredients

• 1 pound thin noodles, any noodles (gluten-free will work too!)
• ⅔ cup vegetable oil
• Salt to taste
• 1 teaspoon ground pepper, or a little more to taste
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 4 eggs
• 3/4 cup sugar or Sucanat
• 1/4 cup agave syrup
• 1/2 cup water

An individual portion of Chef Lévanas' Yerushalmi Kugel

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Boil the noodles until just barely tender. If you started with long noodles, cut through the whole pile with scissors until you get smaller pieces.
3. Place in a mixing bowl, and mix in the oil, pepper, cinnamon, vanilla, and eggs. Combine thoroughly.
4. Meanwhile, heat the sugar, agave and water in a small saucepan.
5. Reduce the flame to low and cook about 5 minutes, until the mixture turns a nice amber color (watch the cooking, don’t let the mixture burn).
6. Immediately add to the noodle mixture and stir to combine.
7. Pour the mixture into a greased 9 x 13-inch pan or a greased tube pan.
8. Bake about 1 hour, or a little longer, until the top looks set.

Delicious warm or at room temperature.

Enjoy, gentle reader, and have a gutten Shabbos, Shabbat shalom umevorach!

CS

Oyfn Pripetchik… – In the Fireplace…

It snowed overnight, after most of the snow and ice on the ground had just about melted away…

This morning’s view from my apartment window…

Oyfn pripetchik brent a fayerl
Un in shtub is heys.
Un der rebbe lernt kleyne kinderlekh
Dem alef-beys.

A fire is burning in the fireplace
and its warm in the house,
as the Rabbi is teaching little children
the aleph-beys.

Street view…

It’s cold and Shabbos is coming and as we recharge our batteries from the week’s harsh realities, or we contemplate on the week’s successes, there is that special Shabbos food to warm us, to comfort us. Cholent, kugel (whether potato or lokshen – noodles) and more.

As we sing Shabbos zmiros, as we tell over divrey Torah there is a warmth that permeates the heart’s own hearth – the tiny inner pripetchik where the pintele yid is always burning, always reminding one who and what he or she is. Regardless of the weather outside, whether cold, freezing, warm or hot, the heart’s temperature is perfect, as the mind feels uplifted by the niggunim, by the words of ancient wisdom, by the stories that touch one’s soul and the body enjoys those special flavors of the Shabbos food (the same food, prepared the exact same way, just tastes so different during the week).

[..]Gliklekh iz der yid vos lernt toyre,
Vos darfn mir nokh mer?

Happy is the Jew who learns Torah
What more do we need?

(Oyfn Pripetchik – Old Yiddish song)

Talking about the special taste of Shabbos food, I came across this easy recipe, on The Food Network, by Joan Nathan, it is different and very good:

Vegetable and Fruit Kugel Cupcakes

Ingredients

• 2 apples, grated
• 1 large sweet potato, grated
• 4 carrots, grated
• 1 cup matzoh meal
• 1 stick pareve margarine, melted
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 24 paper muffin cups
• 2 (12) cavity muffin tins

Directions

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients.
2. Place the paper muffin cups in the muffin tins.
3. Pour the batter into the cups. They should be two-thirds full.
4. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until done in a preheated 350 degree oven.

A gutten Shabbos – Shabbat shalom umevorach, gentle reader.

CS