Yesterday Chef Lévana spent the morning cooking with volunteers at Masbia...
Flatbush location, in Midwood, 1372 Coney Island Avenue; between Avenue J and Avenue K.
Tina Weiss – volunteer – helping Chef Lévana, volunteer.
Putting the first batch of 500 portions of chicken in the oven…
Shmuel Ben Eliezer, photographer and columnist for The Jewish Press, covering Lévana‘s cooking
Rabbi Farahbot, the mashgiach, speaking with Chef Lévana
Masbia is an organization with three locations: Borough Park, Rego Park, and Flatbush. They serve 500 meals a day, In the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, they gave out over 20,000 meals to hurricane victims. As its website states:
The Masbia Soup Kitchen Network has been feeding the hungry for over ten years and since its opening in April, 2005 the kosher soup kitchen has expanded, now serving meals at three locations in Brooklyn and Queens and distributing one and a half million meals a year. Masbia relies heavily on the generosity of its benefactors and food donors, which oftentimes requires the cooking staff to rely heavily on creativity and ingenuity […]
[…]One of our favorite Bible passages is from Parshat Vayera. In the reading we learn about the virtues of kindness, or chessed, from Avraham and Sara. Avraham teaches us that helping others should be done with respect and dignity. This is evidenced by his running out to greet his guests despite having received his Bris Mila just three days prior. In addition, the Midrash teaches us that Avraham’s tent was open in all four directions, allowing him to see a guest coming from any direction. This serves as our inspiration for our service model and our logo.
Like Avraham and Sara we serve every one of our clients in a dignified manner, regardless of which direction, or from what life circumstances, they may come. Volunteers acting as waiters are present every evening in our restaurant-style locations. Individuals coming to Masbia will always find a warm welcoming atmosphere where they can rest their souls and fill their stomachs.
Avraham gave kindness freely and without judgment, and so does Masbia. Our logo represents how important Abraham’s acceptance was in shaping how we choose to help people. Individuals that are hungry in New York know that Masbia doesn’t have any requirements or restrictions on our services. Referrals, proof of income, or any paperwork for that matter are not required.[…]
- […]Everybody in need is welcome. No qualifications are required and no questions are asked. However, in order to serve as many people in financial need as possible, we ask that those who dine at Masbia on a more regular and continuing basis to have a reference letter with them, either from a social worker or a community leader.
Chef Lévana and other dedicated volunteers worked tirelessly throughout the morning to produce nourishing meals for those in need. Masbia serves the meals in restaurant like settings.
Chef Lévana has graciously agreed to share one of the recipes she made yesterday:
Chickpea Vegetable Soup
This recipe makes 150 quarts, and serves about 500. I have no doubt you will want to make a smaller batch! I am including the smaller amount for each ingredient on each ingredient’s respective line in parentheses, to make about 8 quarts, 2 gallons.60 quarts water (12 cups)60 cups canned chick peas , rinsed (3 cups)
6 cups olive oil (1/3 cup)
16 cups tomato paste (2/3 cups)
10 pounds diced carrots (2 large carrots)10 pounds diced zucchini (2 large zucchini)10 pounds diced rutabaga or purple turnip (1 medium head)10 pounds frozen chopped spinach (1 small box, about 12 ounces)10 pounds chopped onion (1 large onion)
1 1/2 cups sea salt (1 1/2 tablespoons)
1/2 cup ground bay leaves (1 teaspoon)1 1/2 cups paprika (2 tablespoons)1 1/2 cups turmeric (2 tablespoons)
1 1/2 cups dried dill weed (2 tablespoons)Bring the water to boil in a heavy pot with a broad bottom. Add all remaining ingredients and bring to boil again. Reduce the flame to medium, cover the pot, and cook for 1 hour. Adjust the texture and seasonings.
The Kosher Scene 
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