Before I pick up Slutzman’s gauntlet, I would like to advise against his policy of “consider[ing] all hechshers (excepting the plain “K” unless I know about that particular item) acceptable.”

New York State enacted America’s first Kosher Food Law in 1918. This original law — on which virtually every other state subsequently based their own Kosher Laws — prohibited selling non-kosher goods with kosher “certification” attached and required stores selling both Kosher and non-Kosher products to post signs attesting the fact. As the nation’s processed food industry developed, additional laws were passed that defined what one may and may not hype as “kosher” without running the risk of fraud. These statutes were based on normative Orthodox practice.

On July 28 ‘02, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York declared portions of the New York Kosher Laws unconstitutional, holding that their Orthodox roots tacitly violated the Establishment Clause: By basing a state statute on a given denomination’s practice the NYS Legislature gave Orthodox Judaism credence over Conservative, Reconstructionist and Reform.

Although NYS Governor George E. Pataki has repeatedly called upon the NYS Department of Agriculture and Markets’s Division of Kosher Law Enforcement to appeal this decision, the July ‘02 ruling stands. Consequently, anyone who wishes to may start their own kosher certification agency, copyright their own symbol and start hekshering away. There is no assurance that their standards are even nominally related to any denomination’s interpretation of Jewish law.

Now, back to the gauntlet. Having supervised a kosher kitchen or two (just kidding, only one) in my day, I’d like to suggest a few questions one should bear in mind when researching a new kosher certifier:

1. What are the requirements to serve as a mashgiah (kosher supervisor)? What are the on-staff mashgihim’s qualifications? What sort of training to they receive? Do they keep up to date on the kosher industry’s going-ons? How often are they quizzed to see that their knowledge of halakha (Jewish Law) is still up to snuff?
2. Are the mashgihim’s visits to an industrial plant (say, Dole Fruit) scheduled in advance or spur of the moment? (Spur of the moment being preferred to scheduled.)
3. Are new industrial products approved after inspection of ingredients or does the company simply fax over a list of ingredients? (The ingredients ought to be inspected.)
4. How do they ensure that there is no bishul akum (cooking by non-Jews, a violation of Orthodox kosher observance)?
5. What is their policy on bediqa (checking for bugs)? Are there any vegetables/fruits which they don’t check as a matter of course? When bediqa is performed, which techniques are used for which produce?
6. What hekshers (certifications) do they permit their restaurants to use when purchasing meats?
7. Do they require their restaurants to have a mashgiah temidi (constant supervisor) on premises whenever the kitchen is unlocked?
8. Is it possible for chefs/staff to have access to the kitchen when there is no mashgiah present?
9. Are the mashgihim paid directly by the kosher supervisor, the restaurant they work for, or both (say, a 70/30 split)?

By no means take this list to be all-inclusive. Feel free to post additional questions (as well as comments/critiques of mine) below. And, as always, when asking questions and evaluating answers keep a trusty Rabbi close at hand.

I stumbled upon Chicago-based Sugar River Cheese recently, and inquired if their products (like White Cheddar with Chipotle) were available in my neck of the woods. The closest they get to the Hub is New York City — so, Knickerbockers, visit your local Zabar’s, Fairway Market, or Amish Market. (The cheese will appear on New Jersey shelves later this month.) If you find Sugar River and try it, please drop us a comment here and let us know. Fellow Bay Staters might like to request by e-mail that they make their way further north. Kashrut by Chicago Rabbinical Council.

So here’s a question for TeamKosher –

You find something in the store that you think would be nice to add to your favorite recipe, but don’t so much recognize the hechsher on the package. How do you go about assessing the acceptability of the hashgacha (outside of asking your rabbi)? What questions would you ask if you were able to talk with the people in charge? With the increasing diversity in kashrut certification organizations, this is perhaps becoming more and more of a concern.

I’ll start the discussion by saying that my personal policy is that, in favor of community, I consider all hechshers (excepting the plain “K” unless I know about that particular item) acceptable until I have good reason not to. Of course then the question becomes what constitutes good reason not to. Thus, the question of how to find out more and what questions to ask. What do you think?

Sneak Preview From the Kosher Blog Test Kitchen: We’re hard at work trying to crack the recipe for Pizzeria Uno-style deep dish pizza. Such recipes are already available on the Internet, but they’re too involved. An attempt early tonight with a simple, no-rise dough yielded good results, but it’s not perfect. Stay tuned.

Zaman, a Turkish daily newspaper, offers this strange report today, suggesting that all Turkish exports to the U.S. will require Kosher certification. They seem to think that U.S. supermarkets don’t buy products that aren’t Kosher. Check it out.

Jon Klein, who’s working hard to keep kosher in Kentucky, just wrote in to tell TeamKosher about Jeff’s Gourmet in Los Angeles:

Jeff makes a wide variety of gourmet artisanal glatt sausages. These include: Smoked Chicken Apple, Chicken Cilantro, Mergez, Turkey Italian, Veal Bratwurst, Polish Thai Chicken, Borewores (South African!), Moroccan Chicken with Preserved Lemons & Olives (my favorite), Jalapeno Kosher Dogs, Sweet Italian, and Cajun Chicken.
 
As best I can tell, he’s the only person out there doing this kind of work. The products are terrific. He ships nationwide and I can vouch for the fact that the products arrive in excellent condition. This last matter is no small thing in kosher on-line shopping. I once received an order of meat from a website called AviGlatt that came with no ice. Oh, yes, they refused to refund my money.

Thanks for the tip, Jon. Here’s an article from the Jewish Journal of Los Angeles about Jeff and his sausages. FYI, kashrut supervision is provided by Rabbi Avraham Teichman of the Kehilla of Los Angeles. I’ll be making an order shortly! Mmm, sausage…

Produced by Anderson International Foods
Kashrut by O.K.
This product is Cholov Yisroel and may be used for Passover

Background: Mozzarella is a cow- or buffalo-milk cheese, available in low- or high-moisture varieties. High-moisture mozzarella, sometimes called “fresh mozzarella”, is very soft and spungy, has a bland flavor and smooth texture, and is often served uncooked. Low-moisture mozzarella (and its dried cousin Scamorza) is the variety most frequently seen in America and used in Italian-American cooking (lasagna, pizza, etc.). It has a firmer texture, though still soft, and a saltier flavor.

Review: This a truly delicious part-skim, low-moisture mozzarella. It has an ideal texture, firmness, and flavor. I’m finding it great just for snacking, and I imagine it would hold up well even against non-kosher alternatives. The shape and firmness of this product should make it good for grating or slicing. More details to come on its fitness for pizza.

Overall: Receives high marks in all areas.

Imported from Chile by Anderson International Foods
Kashrut by O.K.

Background: Kashkaval is a sharp sheep or goat’s milk cheese that originates in Bulgaria.

Review: This is my first cheese review of the day because it’ll likely be the shortest. I could not stomach even one bite! I attribute this to my relative inexperience with firm goat’s milk cheese. (I’ve used soft goat cheese in my cooking with much success -delicious caramelized onion and goat cheese foccacia.) Two of my (non-Kosher) coworkers who enjoy strong cheese both tried and enjoyed this kashkaval.

Overall: This cheese has a strong bite, and is recommended for folks who enjoy the flavor of goat’s milk products. For the untrained, it’s probably best to stay away.

From the New Mitzvah Opportunities Dept.:
Always looking for new ways to support Israel, my wife and I were excited to find Israeli-grown Arava red peppers in our supermarket (ah, yes, the glamorous lives of 23-year-old newlyweds). We surprised to learn the Orthodox Union reports that these peppers were not tithed. But don’t fear, they offer convenient guidelines for do-it-yourself tithing.

Tomorrow morning, my mission is to find new kosher cheeses to critique. This time, I’ll be looking for Natural & Kosher brand products, Les Petites Fermieres brand products, and Kirkeby brand products. Those first two brands are produced by Anderson International Foods of Los Angeles, which has been featured in several Kosher Today articles.

Have any critiques of your own? Please share by posting a comment. Have any suggestions for future cheese critiques? E-mail us at submit[at]kosherblog[dot]net

From the Kosher Conversions Dept.:
Lobster sauce was my Chinese dish of choice as youngster. For the unfamiliar, it is a thick, dark sauce of ground meat often served with shellfish. There is, however, no lobster even in the treyf lobster sauce served at your local Chinese restaurant. Pork, however, is an ingredient, which is why this “conversion” is necessary.

This recipe is the closest I’ve come so far to the lobster sauce of my youth. It’s a bit thinner and lighter of a sauce, but I still enjoy it quite a bit. Feel free to vary the amount of soy sauce you use, to omit the egg altogether, or to add vegetables (like peas or green beans) for a healthier result. Serve over rice (my favorite is Nishiki).

There’s-No-Lobster Sauce
1 lb. ground turkey
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1/4 cup vegetable oil
8 green onions, thinly sliced, white parts only
1 1/2 cups boiling water
2 beef bouillon cubes
1/2 cup cold water
3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1 egg, slightly beaten

Saute turkey and garlic. Dissolve boullion cubs in boiling water. When meat is brown, add the vegetable oil, green onions, and bouillon mixture; bring to a boil. Mix remaining ingredients (except for the egg) and add to the mixture in the pan. Cook until thick, stirring constantly. Stir beaten egg briskly into the mixture.

Yield: 4 dinner servings.

Welcome to ColumbiaAuds, who recently returned to Boston from New York, and will be providing color commentary now and then.

“Tomatoes and oregano make it Italian; wine and tarragon make it French. Sour cream makes it Russian; lemon and cinnamon make it Greek. Soy sauce makes it Chinese; garlic makes it good.” (Alice May Brock)

What, then, makes it kosher? Kudos to Jonathan for starting this delightful blog!

Brilliant product idea: A new line of safe-for-your-Shabbat-table butter products called I can’t believe it’s not milchig!

BTW, for those of you Jews with time to kill and a penchant for glatt kosher trivia…

The Kosher Blog would like to formally welcome meredith to the Kosher Blog family. She’ll be covering the New York beat, as I don’t make yerida from Boston very much.

Was just clued-in to the presence of The Kosher Bachelor … nice to see we have company in the niche.

As a result, I briefly entertained the idea of a name change to “The Kosher Husband”, but I think that ventures too far into Shmuley Boteach’s realm.

Kosher consumers can breath a little easier, at least in Cleveland, according to one of their local beef producers, interviewed in the Cleveland Jewish News.

The JTA also reports on the virtues of Kosher beef, quoting representatives from Star-K.

I had hoped that the laws of shechita would shield us against consuming BSE-infected beef. There are no guarantees, but it seems that the Jewish practice of using younger (12-18 month-old) cows helps.

According to Abe Hollander of the Lawrence, N.Y. Supersol: “I don’t pay any attention to it, it’s the mad butchers you have to worry about.”

Though this Miami Herald article is a little on the basic side when it discusses kashrut, it gives some good examples of Kosher food passing for haute cuisine, and shows that people are starting to realize that “Kosher” doesn’t have to mean second class.

I was a little puzzled by the mention of steak toward the end of the article… as long as the meat’s properly soaked and salted, there’s no problem with having it rare.

Which raises a point: while at college, I was overwhelmed by the number of people in the Kosher community who refused to eat any beef that didn’t resemble shoe leather. Are most frum folks raised with an aversion to properly-cooked (read: medium rare) beef? Even now, it’s incredibly difficult for me to cook my wife’s steak beyond medium. Give me a cool pink center any day.