This past Friday, the Wall Street Journal published its annual pre-Passover kosher wine column and recomendations. A paid subscription is required to see the electronic edition of that article, so for those of you who missed it I will try to add their list of recomendations later. What was most interesting was the contrast between that column and the NY Times column discussed by NonMevushalMarc earlier. While the Times describes kosher wines being mostly substandard, the Journal seems to feel otherwise, saying “people who don’t keep kosher should not avoid the kosher aisle” and that they “include kosher wines in [their] regular blind tastings, and some have been among [their] favorites.”

Newsweek also piped up this year, with a short piece containing ratings lifted from the Wine Spectator

With Pesach coming, so does a whole lot of preparation. I, for one, started cleaning on Monday, and will continue through Sunday. Alas, cleaning isn’t the only thing that needs to be done, especially for those of us who aren’t fortunate enough to have gotten married and amassed a wealth of four sets of kitchenware. I’m talking about the crazy task of kashering for Pesach. While I’ve done this more than a few times, I always find it helpful to have some resources at hand to help make sure everything is done up to snuff. So, I thought I would share with you some sources of information. (Please note that some of these may be contradictory. I do not claim to have answers to resolve questions, so please contact your own rabbinic authority.)

Kashrut.com Passover Page
The Star-K Passover Kitchen
USCJ Kitchen Countdown
RA Guide to Kashering for Pesach
CRC Kashering Guide

With Pesach looming, the mainstream metropolitan press has been spinning out their annual reviews (sparse though they may be) of kosher wines. The NY Times article ran today and is available online (free registration required).

Of the wines they review, I have recently had the Tierra Salvaje Tempranillo from Spain (Yecla) (not Mevushal). If you’re looking for something a little different than the usual California or Israeli wines that grace most kosher tables, this is a great pick. It is highly affordable (usually $9-$12) and is very drinkable. It has distinct cherry notes and complements everything from chicken to heavier roasts or other red meat well.

I have been very impressed with the entire Tierra Salvaje line, which includes wines from Spain (a Rioja in addition to the Tempranillo), Chile, and Argentina. They feature both reds and whites — all affordable and all have been enjoyable.

Devoted KBlog reader and fellow blogger Steve Silver is trying to balance his Atkins diet with the rigors of Passover. As an Atkins veteran myself, I’d say that Passover really has Atkins written all over it — the diet already focuses on protein-laden, Pesadik items like eggs, cheese, and meat. As for the matzah issue, I know some major manufacturers are producing whole wheat alternatives to standard matzah, which have slightly fewer grams of carbs, and a bit more protein. Non-wheat varieties (spelt, oat) may also be worth a look.

Believe it or not, the Atkins website itself has some helpful menus for the Passover holiday, including glazed brisket and stuffed veal.

Also, please note that, as far as I am aware, the only major brand of artificial sweetener (a must for an Atkins adherent) is Sweet & Low (look for the specially marked Passover boxes).

Some more thoughts on Pesach strategies:

* We have a wooden island in our kitchen which we use for food preparation and eating informal meals. For Pesach, we’ve purchased a 36″ x 48″ plexiglass sheet ($17) from Home Depot to cover the island’s surface, plus four clamps ($2.97/ea) to hold it in place. That way, we’ll have a sturdy, easy-to-clean work surface that we can use year after year.

* Rather than meticulously detailing your vehicle, we suggest buying a new car to rid yourself of pesky automotive chametz. I’ve just swapped my crumb-laden 1993 Ford Explorer for a 2004 Chevy Malibu. Better gas mileage, tighter turning radius, and ready-made Kosher for Passover.

WANTED: A recipe for exceptionally moist pareve cornbread. Please note that the cornbread recipe in The Kosher Palette falls into the “bone dry” category.

E-mailed or commented recipes greatly appreciated.

I know they’ve both been posting/commenting up a storm already, but I’d like to extend formal greetings to Beerhound and NonMevushalMarc, who will be heading up the KosherBlog Wine Desk.

If you have any suggestions or questions for our Chief Sommeliers, please send them to submit[at]kosherblog[dot]net.

We’ve all seen the “ask the rabbi” web sites that are available across the web for submitting our religious quandaries. A grocery store in Rancho Mirage, California has taken it one step further, according to this Desert Sun article.

Rabbi Yonasan Denebeim of the Chabad of Palm Springs was available in the Rancho Mirage Albertsons supermarket today to answer any questions shoppers had — presumably Pesach questions, but, according to Denebeim, “if someone wants to know what row the Corn Flakes are on, I’ll help them find it.”

Rabbi Denebeim will also be available Wednesday from 10:30AM-1PM. This ssounds like a great idea that more stores should try this time of year.

This past Sunday?s New York Times Wine Under $20 column (free subscription required) mentions the Bartenura Moscato D’Asti as a ?Treat for the Seder.? My first objection is that tradition calls for red wine at the Seder; second, Passover is probably an appropriate time to splurge on something a bit more expensive; and third, you can do a lot better for under $20 (fourth, if the Times wrote about it, you know that it is so over). For a semi-dry to off-dry white that’s a bit more sophisticated than an Asti, try an Alsatian Gewurztraminer or Riesling. The brand I used to know (Rappaport?) doesn?t seem to be around anymore, but Abarbanel does import both, and if it?s up to their usual standards, they should both be a real treat.

R’ Yuter has an interesting post on soft matzah baked in the sephardic tradition, as well as a site from which they can be ordered. I had long heard of these matzot, which seem to resemble pita bread, and I wonder if the ashkenazic tradition has any objection to them.

Not to say that kosher wine hasn’t been a known quantity for sometime, but this month’s issue of Food & Wine, my cooking magazine of subscription (and usually of choice), has a “holiday” section feature several Pesach recipes and a brief listing of “Passover” (read: kosher) wines — alongside several recommended Easter wines. You can fine their wine discussion online, as well as the recipes. I would like to point out that of the Bartenura Moscato D’Asti, the author notes, “It’s traditionally served as an aperitif.”

Another note in the “flash pasteurization” file, from the F&W wine reviews: “In fact, flash pasteurization, now used by some kosher winemakers, may also enhance a wine’s body and aromas. Châ´¥au de Beaucastel, the great estate in Châ´¥auneuf-du-Pape, France, actually uses a process that is related to flash pasteurization, not in order to make its wines kosher but simply to make them more delicious.” I still trend towards non-mevushal wines, as the better wineries still choose, it seems, to leave their wines unboiled, but I have certainly had wonderful wines that are mevushal. I still hold out hope, though, that we’ll get over our fear of non-Jews and “idol worshippers” and leave this distinction in the long-since-passed millenia where it belongs.

The Va’ad Harabonim of Massachusetts has issued its annual list of supervised products and facilities for Pesach 5754.The following milk firms are under the Orthodox supervision of the VAAD HARABONIM of Mass. for Passover 5764-2004. All products must have special certification except where noted.

Borden

Half & Half: pt., qt.
Light Cream: qt.
Heavy Cream: ? pt., qt.
Crowley, (Weeks Division)
Homogenized Milk: ? pt., ? gallon
2% Milk: ? gallon
Skim Milk: ? pt., ? gallon
Orange Juice: ? gallon, gallon

Garelick Farms

Homogenized Milk: 8 oz., qt., ? gallon, gallon
1% Milk: 8 oz., ? gallon, gallon
2% Milk: 8 oz., ? gallon, gallon
Fat Free Milk: 8 oz., qt., ? gallon, gallon
Half & Half: pt.
Light Cream: ? pt., pt.
Heavy Cream: ? pt.
Whip Cream: pt.
Orange Juice from conc.: ? gallon

H.P. Hood

Homogenized Milk Eco-Pak: 8 oz.
Homogenized Milk: ? gallon plastic
1% Lowfat Milk: ? gallon plastic
Half & Half Pure-Pak: pt., qt.
Light Cream Pure-Pak: pt.
Regular Sour Cream: pt.
4% Small Curd Cottage Cheese: 16 oz., 24 oz.
1% Lowfat Cottage Cheese: 16 oz., 24 oz.

Oakhurst

Light Milk (1.5%): qt.

Shaw’s Supermarket

Orange Juice from Conc.: ? gallon, gallon
Orange Juice from Conc. w/Calcium: ? gallon
Skim Milk: ? gallon, gallon
1% Milk: ? gallon, gallon
2% Milk: ? gallon, gallon
Homogenized Milk: ? gallon, gallon
Heavy Cream: 8 oz., 16 oz.
Light Cream: 8 oz., 16 oz., 32 oz.
Soft Cream Cheese: 8 oz., 12 oz.
Cream Cheese: 8 oz.
Regular Cottage Cheese: 16 oz., 24 oz.
Low Fat Cottage Cheese: 16 oz., 24 oz.
Salted Butter: 1 lb.
Unsalted Butter: 1 lb.
Half & Half: 16 oz., 32 oz., 64 oz.
Sour Cream: 16 oz.
Non Fat Plain Yogurt: 32 oz.
Low Fat Plain Yogurt: 32 oz.
Spring Water: gallon

Stop & Shop

Milk: qt., ? gallon, gallon
Light Cream: 8 oz., 16 oz., 32 oz.
Heavy Cream: 8 oz., 16 oz., 32 oz.
Half & Half: 16 oz., 32 oz., 64 oz.
Fat Free Half & Half: 32 oz.
Whipping Cream: 16 oz.
Sour Cream: 8 oz., 16 oz., 32 oz.
Salted Butter: 1 lb.
Unsalted Butter: 1 lb.
Whipped Cream Cheese: 8 oz.
Soft Cream Cheese: 8 oz., 12 oz.
Nonfat Cottage Cheese: 16 oz., 24 oz.
Lowfat Cottage Cheese: 16 oz., 24 oz.
4% Cottage Cheese: 16 oz., 24 oz.
Orange Juice: gallon
Orange Juice w/Calcium: gallon

The following products are KOSHER FOR PASSOVER only when our special Passover certification is on each container.

Candy, Fruit Slices (with KP or KVH-P only)

Boston Fruit Slice & Confectionery - Lawrence, MA
Sweethearts Three, Inc. ? Sharon, MA

Beverages

Pepsi
Diet Pepsi cans (with KP only)
Diet Pepsi-Free cans (with KP only)

Herring (with KVH-P only)

Rite Foods - Boston, MA
Rite Nova Bits
Rite Whitefish Salad
Rite Chopped Herring Salad
Rite Cream Cheese & Lox
Rite Cream Cheese & Scallions
Nathans Nova Salmon
Rite Herring In Wine
Rite Herring In Cream
Marshalls Herring In Wine
Marshalls Herring In Cream

Meat Market (Glatt)

Gordon & Alperin
552 Commonwealth Avenue
Newton, MA 02459
(617) 332-4170

Health Care Facilities

The following Health Care Facilities are licensed by the KASHRUTH COMMISSION of the Synagogue Council of Massachusetts and are certified Kosher for Passover and the entire year by the VAAD HARABONIM of Massachusetts.

Chelsea Jewish Nursing Home
17 Lafayette Avenue, Chelsea, MA 02150
(617)884-6766

Chestnut Park at Cleveland Circle
50 Sutherland Road, Brighton, MA 02135
(617)566-1700

Coolidge House
30 Webster Street, Brookline, MA 02446
(617)734-2300

Caterers

The following catering firms licensed by the KASHRUTH COMMISSION and supervised by the VAAD HARABONIM are Kosher for Passover, 5764-2004

Catering by Andrew
402 Harvard Street
Brookline, MA 02446
(617)731-6585

Izzy?s Caterers
1800 Post Road, 8B
Warwick, RI 02886
(800)262-2837

Kosher Cuisine by Tova
80 Brook Road
Sharon, MA 02067
(781) 784-5162

Provender Caterers
P.O. Box 352
Accord, MA 02018
(781) 871-1364

My wife and I were recently discussing the nature of “mevushal” wines, and I did a little research, which I thought I’d share.

For the unfamiliar, here’s a simple explanation (gleaned from this article). Based on the prohibition against using wine involved in idol worship (yayin nesech), the rabbis prohibited consumption of all non-Jewish wine (stam yeinam) — which would discourage fraternization, and eventual inter-marriage, with non-Jews. Even Jewish wines which come in contact with a non-Jew can become stam yeinam. This prohibition, however, does not apply to wines which have been “cooked” — brought to boiling point in an open container. These wines are described as yayin mevushal. Once wines are cooked in this manner, non-Jews may produce, serve, or otherwise handle them without issue.

An interesting article in the Boca Raton News by Sara and Monty Preiser sets the record straight as to the effect of heating wine on the wine’s flavor:

What about wines that are “Mevushal?” Does that mean they were boiled to meet pasteurization requirements? Not under modern technology. Technically, in Mevushal wines the crushed juice is flash pasteurized before fermentation for white and blush wines, and just after alcoholic fermentation for reds. Today, flash pasteurization is a sophisticated process where wine is heated to 185 F. for just a few moments, and then cooled “in a flash.” The University of California at Davis (the leading wine university in this country) has calculated the time/temperature threshold at which a sensory difference can be perceived, and has concluded that it is not possible to consistently taste the difference between Mevushal and non-Mevushal wine. Modern wineries flash pasteurize at about 1/10 the threshold factor, that is to say, totally undetectable to almost any palate. We have recently tasted a number of wines made with and without the Mevushal process, and we cannot identify which were put through the process, and which were not. So don’t let that classification keep you from considering a particular bottle.

Noticed on Protocols that a new blog has entered the Kosher Blogosphere — The Kosher Nexus. It’s run by the Union for Traditional Judaism, the right-of-Conservative splinter group which broke off from the United Synagogue in the 1980s, and has since positioned itself as a “transdenominational” Halakhic group (FAQ).

The blog lends its name from the UTJ’s quarterly newsletter, but will feature more timely Kashrut information than a quarterly publication can naturally provide. Both the blog and the newlstter have some interesting commentary and news. (I find the layout/design a bit difficult to read, but I have word from the Nexus’s administrator that he appreciates any frank criticism to improve the blog.) Check it out.

Here are the Orthodox Union’s Passover Product guides for 5754.

PRODUCTS REQUIRING SPECIAL PASSOVER CERTIFICATION
Names A-C**
Names D-M
Names N-T
Names T-Z

PRODUCTS THAT DO NOT REQUIRE SPECIAL CERTIFICATION
All Products

(**KBlog-afficionado Ben just had to laugh at the “discerning gourmets” who had to taste-test all the contenders on page 3.)

This year, we have the auspicious responsibility to host our family’s seders, as we’ll be the only ones with an entirely Kosher-for-Passover home. Since neither of us have ever done an honest-to-goodness, spic-and-span, soup-to-nuts Pesach on our own, we’re at the mercy of of our shul’s annual Pesach guide and Blu Greenberg’s How to Run a Traditional Jewish Household (a treasured gift from my high school Spanish teacher). Unfortunately, all the usual family guests will not be able to attend due to Pesach’s mid-week calendar appearance… fortunately, it makes our first do-it-yourself Passover a little easier to coordinate.

For one, we don’t have a huge dining room table (seats six comfortably). Plus, we don’t know how much of anything we need to buy, or exactly which pots, pans, and other utensils we’ll need. As such, we’re convinced we need to start out on the right foot this year to make life easier in the future. We’ve adopted the following strategies:

1. Detailed Inventory of All Passover Kitchenware
It’s hard to maneuver our one extra closet, so we’re assembling a detailed list of all our stuff, and we’ll keep track of how much we use each item and what additional items we might want for next year.

2. Detailed Inventory of All Passover Food
Slightly more elaborate is our food inventory. I’ve set up an Excel spreadsheet listing every Peasch foodstuff we purchase, where it was purchased, in what quantity, and for what price. After Pesach, I’ll add information on how much was actually used/enjoyed, to aid next year’s shopping.

3. Bargain Shopping

We bought quite a bit of our Passover kitchenware at Target last week, and tonight, I explored an old family favorite, Cirelli Foods of Middleborough (formerly of Brockton). Cirelli’s is a “foodservice distributor” which runs a wholesale store open to the public. My family has always used it for bulk party food and supplies but they also have a full line of (relatively inexpensive) commercial kitchen tools. I visited tonight with my mother to get Pesach supplies, and made out well with foil trays, plastic serving platters, heavy-duty plastic containers for freezing bulk food (brisket, chicken soup, etc.), salad tongs. For the rest of the year, they have great, bulk Kosher food products like cakes, pies, cookie dough, dairy and “non-dairy” items, egg substitute, snacks, soda, alcohol, fresh produce, condiments… perfect for large families, parties, barbeques… and without the traffic and membership fees of the mainstream Wholesale Clubs.

4. Pre-Preparation & Freezing
A week or two before the holiday, we’ll kasher our kitchen (not entirely sure how yet), and, with the help of our mothers, we’ll prepare in advance everything we can. Right now, it may just be all our chicken soup and brisket, but even that will help ease the pre-yomtov rush.

5. Chol HaMoed Shopping
One thing most people don’t seem to remember is that stores are open during Chol HaMoed. You don’t need to stock up like crazy before the holiday, because you can always run out for a box of Matzah should the need arise.

Thanks to Amazon, I grabbed copies of Home Cheese Making (Carroll/Werlin) and Making Great Cheese At Home (Ciletti) in no time (their 3-7 day USPS shipping got them to me in much less time than 3 days). Both were easy and enjoyable reads. Carroll seems to be the classic cheesemaking primer (now in its third edition), and the author’s expertise is apparent — Ricki Carroll has run the New England Cheesemaking Supply Company in Ashfield, MA for 25 years. Ciletti is also a top-notch book, the strengths of which are its full-color photographs of cheeses and the cheesemaking process, plus its entertaining first chapter on the history of cheese. Ciletti, however, is lighter on the “scientific” details — only 17 pages of background before getting into cheesemaking recipes. Carroll weighs in at around 60 pages of background, detailing every aspect of the craft — milk selection, rennets, bacterial starters, flavoring additives, equipment, and technique — with tasteful line drawings to illustrate key topics. Together, it seems the two books offer a solid foundation for the newbie cheese maker.

Probably after Pesach, I’ll do as both cheese guides instruct and start with simple, soft cheeses (tday and dlevy recommended paneer and ricotta).

Keeping an eye out for the more-involved varieties down the line, I’ll assemble here a list of ingredients that may require some fancy Kosher footwork to acquire.

Milk
Some say the best cheeses are from fresh, raw milk — that’s un-pasteurized and un-homogenized. If I can find minimally pasteurized, un-homogenized, it’ll be a coup. Time to scour the local farmstands for something closer to nature than Hood and Garelick Farms.

Starters
There are two predominant types of “starters” which convert the lactose in milk into lactic acid, starting the cheese development process: mesophilic and thermophilic. I currently have no idea what the kashrut status is of these bacterial additives.

Rennet
Rennet coagulates the milk and initiates the separation of curds from whey (the curds eventually become cheese). Traditionally, rennet comes from a calf’s stomach lining, but “vegetable” and “microbial” alternatives exist. I’ve already found websites of microbial rennet producers (DSM, for example, produces Kosher Maxiren, a genetically-modified yeast). Now to find people who sell it retail.

Lipase
It’s added to many Italian cheeses to develop a stronger flavor. Again, no idea about kashrut status.

Molds
Once I’m a seasoned cheese artisan, I’d love to try a homemade camembert (the commercial alternatives stink). Mold-ripened cheeses of this nature require special bacteria like Penicillium camemberti or Penicillium roqueforti. Not sure why a simple bacterium might not be Kosher, we’ll see.

Any leads? Post a comment!

While we’re waiting for Mr. Slutzman to post on SausageFest (nudge, nudge), I thought I’d share my reaction to one variety we didn’t sample last week due to nut allergies on the tasting panel.

Neshama Gourmet’s “Breakfast Delight” — a sweet, chicken/turkey-based sausage — really ranks among my personal favorites of all the Kosher sausages I’ve been priviliged to try lately, Jeff’s included. It has the basic underlying flavor of a typical treif breakfast link (I believe sage is the predominant spice), which gave me a pleasant initial experience. Neshama’s use of discernable chunks of apple, walnut, and cranberry, though, take the breakfast sausage to a new level. Jimmy Dean & company are kid stuff compared to this mature link.

Breakfast Delight is delightful on its own, but was a real treat for me when coupled with some maple syrup. Plus, it’s far better nutritionally than the traditional alternative, and consumers — Kosher and non-Kosher alike — can be sure of the wholesome quality of the ingredients (no nitrates or preservatives).

To boot, my wife (the treifaphobic) who shudders at the thought of even Kosher products that taste like treif, enjoyed it.

Neshama products are currently available in Southern & Northern California, the greater New York area, the Southeast and the Southwest. They’re talking to a potential distributor in the Boston area, so it may not be long until we see them in these parts.

My wife thinks I’m obsessed with cheese, so if you, dear Reader, agree with her, I apologize in advance. It’s my blog, and I’ll post if I want to … this time about attempting a kosher cheesemaking hobby.

I was always taught that if you want something done right, do it yourself. Couple that with my lifetime inability to follow through on ill-conceived hobbies, and you end up with a closet full of half-painted model aircraft carriers and a box of dusty blockprinting supplies. This time, however, will be different! I’m going to document (in blog form) each step in my learning process and each tidbit of peripheral information I come upon. That way, I can keep track of my progress, draw out any helpful suggestions and ideas from the general Internet world, and, with luck, end up with an invaluable online resource for Kosher Cheesemaking.

I believe my first step will be acquiring books on cheesemaking. Two candidates: Home Cheese Making by Ricki Carroll and Laura Werlin and Making Great Cheese At Home by Barbara Ciletti.

Signaling the increasingly mainstream uses of Kosher salt, Morton Salt has announced a contest for the best recipe containing the traditional Jewish ingredient. From the contest website:

Morton is offering four lucky winners the chance to share space on its box with one of America’s most recognizable icons. Winners will have their photo and recipe featured on the box. For your chance to win, enter an original recipe for a side dish, beverage, main dish or appetizer using Morton Kosher Salt and you may soon be walking in the rain with the Morton Salt Umbrella Girl!

Traditionally, our people has taken advantage of these large granules to absorb and remove blood from our meat. Modern chefs have been drawn to Kosher salt for its less severe taste and slightly crunchy texture, as contrasted with table salt. In fact, I’ve heard several chefs swear-off table salt completely: Kosher salt is the de-facto cooking additive, and sea salt (an even larger, crunchier grain) is the de-facto “table” seasoning.