From Wednesday’s Herald:
The owners of the kosher Bodavi Bakers and nearly century-old Gordon & Alperin meat market are expanding their Commonwealth Avenue businesses. They’re bringing a new deli, larger meat market and pizzeria - each of them kosher - into the neighborhood.
(P.S. Had a lovely time in Paris, thanks for all the advice! Spending Shabbat in London… back Sunday.)
On Sunday, I’ll be headed to Paris for the first time — you know, to visit before a democratically-elected Muslim government bans French wine 
Does anyone out there have recommendations for:
• Swanky restaurants for dinner
• Quality places for lunch
• Kosher markets with picnic supplies (cheeses, charcuterie, etc.) or other distinctive provisions
• Kosher wine shops
• Patisseries (I’m under the impression that Paris’s boulangeries are all within the bounds of kashrut)
In return, I’ll post all my pictures of the lovely places we visit. Thanks!
Here’s what’s been going on the discussion forums since we last checked in. Click an item to respond to the post. (Don’t worry, registering to use the forums is safe and easy.)
KOSHER HOW-TO RESOURCES?
Suggestions needed for books, websites, etc., with details on keeping a kosher home.
IS PRESEASONED CAST IRON KOSHER?
Manufacturers like Lodge coat their preseasoned cast-iron cookware with vegetable oil and heat them at high temperatures for better home performance. Should we be concerned about the oil being used?
HELP WITH CHICKEN TIKKA MASALA
This Indian dish requires yogurt. Is there a kosher substitute?
KOSHER FOOD BETWEEN BUFFALO AND TORONTO
Perhaps a place to stop for lunch?
NYC PASSOVER RESTAURANT SUGGESTIONS
Not sure if the request is for a seder, but any general recommendations/reviews should help.
KOSHER IN NORWAY
Anything Jewish in Stavanger?
KOSHER IN HAWAII
How much food to shlep? Any kosher resources already there?
KOSHER INFUSED OILS AVAILABLE
ChefJohnny.com sells ‘em online.
MENU PLANNING HELP AVAILABLE
Offer of e-mail help for Shabbat and Yom Tov menus.
Any leads on these products?
“MAGIC” SOUP FROM ISRAEL
HALLOUMI CHEESE
CELLOPHANE NOODLES
SHIRATAKE NOODLES
BRICK LEAVES IN BOSTON
MOCHA MIX
I like to say that I’m a Caesar salad purist, and by that I mean that I subscribe to Julia Child’s account of Caesar Cardini’s famous 1924 innovation of tossing romaine lettuce leaves with little more than olive oil, coddled eggs, garlicky croutons, and grated Parmesan cheese. I strongly encourage all Caesar fans to read From Julia Child’s Kitchen (pages 431-434) to get the true story of the salad’s origins and the authentic recipe.
So, I like to say that I’m a purist. In practice, I hold true to the salad’s ingredients — olive oil, lemon, eggs, imported Parmesan, freshly cracked pepper, and worcestershire sauce — but prepare the dressing separately.
What is unfortunately beyond the pale for even a reformer like me is the Three Cheese Caesar Dressing from Beyond Classics (OK-Dairy certification).
The three cheeses are encouraging — Parmesan, Romano, and Caciotta — but ultimately the dressing is a flop. For a whopping $4.79, you get what amounts to 12-ounces of grainy lemon sauce. The original’s dash of worcestershire is misinterpreted in this dressing as — gasp! — “anchovies” and instead of eggs and olive oil they use sour cream and canola oil.
Thankfully, making the dressing from scratch is a cinch.
MILD CAESAR DRESSING
Pareve
• 1 egg, coddled*
• 1/2 cup pure olive oil
• 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• 1 tsp. worcestershire sauce
• 5 grinds black pepper
• 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
Crack coddled egg into a large bowl, and beat briefly with a whisk. Combine the olive oils. Then, while whisking expeditiously, slowly drizzle the oil into the egg. The mixture will get creamy and thick. (If you like washing small appliances, feel free to drizzle in your oil while the eggs are whizzing away in a food processor.)
Whisk in lemon juice, worcestershire, pepper, and salt. Makes approximately 1 cup dressing.
If serving in a dairy setting, toss torn romaine lettuce leaves with enough dressing to coat, then toss with garlic croutons and ample freshly-grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. Alternatively, combine lettuce, croutons, dressing, and slices of grilled chicken breast for a great fleishig salad.
*To coddle an egg, bring a pan of water to a gentle boil and simmer your egg (in-shell) for exactly one minute. This brings up the temperature of the egg enough to theoretically kill harmful pathogens.
Perhaps you’ve had this experience:
You have a recipe that relies heavily on chicken or beef broth for flavor. In order to “parvise” the recipe (or make it vegetarian), you replace the meat broth with immitation chicken or beef broth from a mix. The recipe works beautifully, but you’re not happy about your reliance on phony meat, so one day you nobly prepare a homemade vegetable stock and use that instead. To your surprise, the flavor is one-dimensional and unappealing. You were better off with the mix.
Coke is releasing new “Coca-Cola Blāk” in several countries this year, combining the flavors of their traditional soda with coffee.
From a press release:
Coca-Cola Blāk is an invigorating and stimulating blend that has a perfect balance of the effervescent taste sensation of Coca-Cola and natural flavors, with real coffee. The lightly carbonated, mid-calorie beverage, which is designed to appeal to adult consumers, is yet another example how The Coca-Cola Company reaches out to new audiences and addresses new beverage occasions.
I assume that “new beverage occasion” is “breakfast”?
Coca-Cola Blāk is not just a flavor extension. It is a blend of unique Coke refreshment with the true essence of coffee and has a rich smooth texture and has a coffee-like froth when poured. We believe we have created a new category of soft drink – an adult product in a carbonated beverage – and a whole new drinking experience. This brand is ideal for any part of the day when people are looking for renewed energy or simply to take a break
So, it’s a frothy AM coffee-soda hybrid. But where there’s coffee there’s milk, and the Orthodox Union will be providing a dairy designation to this flavor.
UPDATE: Had a chance to try Coke Blak… it’s actually pretty tasty. Only forty-five calories in a single bottle (uses a combination of corn syrup and artificial sweeteners) and offers a pleasant combination of Coke Classic and coffee.
I’ve been using epicurious.com for about two years now, ever since I graduated from foodtv.com. I was instantly drawn to their excellent advanced search functionality, with which one can specify such criteria as cooking method (braise, saute, etc.) and absence of dairy or shellfish. In addition, the community comments accompanying each recipe are typically quite insightful. In September, I started using their “recipe box” feature since I kept searching for the same successful recipes again and again. Here are some of my recipe box favorites so far:
ROASTED ASPARAGUS WITH LEMON
GREEN BEANS WITH WHOLE-GRAIN MUSTARD
Two delicious vegetable recipes that are incredibly simple. Just follow the directions for perfect results.
SPICY SESAME NOODLE, GREEN BEAN AND CARROT SALAD
PEANUT SESAME NOODLES
Two noodle recipes that are ideal for prepping ahead of time and serving at Shabbat lunch. Just keep the cooked noodles separate from the sauce, etc., until ready to serve.
GRILLED SPICE-RUBBED SKIRT STEAK
MARINATED SKIRT STEAK
Two ways to make tremendous skirt steaks. As for the first, normally I avoid eating cinnamon/meat combinations, but this particular mixture of spices yielded a mysteriously tasty result, no one spice overpowering another. Both are best hot, but I also like to serve them a day later out of the fridge with Shabbat lunch.
SPICED CRANBERRY SAUCE
Made this at Rosh Hashana, then again at Thanksgiving. The spices really brought plain cranberry sauce to a new level, just make sure to pick over your cranberries well to eliminate any stems.
SWEET POTATO SALAD WITH ORANGE-MAPLE DRESSING
I’ve made this several times for Shabbat lunch, roasting the potato chunks rather than steaming. Grade B maple syrup works best in the dressing, since it has a more intense flavor. Like the noodle dishes above, keep the sauce separate until shortly before serving.
SPINACH SALAD WITH MANGO AND CANDIED PECANS
I’ve blogged about these balsamic candied pecans before — they’re the ultimate sweet-sour snack on their own or tossed in the salad.
SMOKY BLACK BEAN DIP
I eliminate the bacon in this one, add some more chipotle goodness, and replace the cilantro with flat parsley. Great with Green Mountain Gringo Tortilla Strips.
CREAMY WHITE BEAN DIP
If you ever get tired of chumus, try this. The cannelini beans and subtle spices are much smoother than the typical over-garlicked garbanzo dip. Serve with homemade pita chips.
CHICKEN BREASTS WITH CHIVE AND MUSTARD SAUCE
I made this for a dinner guest who avoids red meat. I can’t remember if I replaced the cream with NDC or cornstarch solution, but the brandy, wine, and dijon mustard gave the sauce plenty of flavor and body. The sauce separated a bit after its time on the warming tray, but a quick stir did the trick.
RAVIOLI WITH HERBED WALNUT SAUCE
A few months ago, I had a hankering for homemade ravioli, but I wanted a sauce that wouldn’t overpower the ravioli’s subtle flavor. This one was just right.
This Week’s Jewish Week (at least my printed version) contains an article by Gamliel Kronemer on kosher Pinot Noir. The article is no longer on the website for some reason, but here is a link to a cached version, for as long as it lasts. A few snippets:
Pinot Noir is the famous red grape of France’s Burgundy region, and has long been considered one of the greatest and most versatile red wine grapes in the world. These grapes are used to make everything from dry, sparkling whites to fruity reds. …
It is important to note that a Pinot Noir wine can vary a great deal in quality not only from vintage to vintage but also even from bottle to bottle. A producer may make a great Pinot Noir one year and a mediocre or awful Pinot Noir the next. When buying this type of wine it is always best to buy one bottle and sample it before buying more.
The article is accomanied by a guide to kosher Pinot Noir under $30. Five wines are evaluated and given letter grades:
Hagafen Pinot Noir. Napa Valley, 2004: B/B+ ($29.95)
Domaine gaston & Pierre Ravaut, Ladoix, 2001: B/B+ ($29.99)
Yarden, Pinot Noir, Golan Heights, 2002: B ($21.95)
Gamla, Pinot Noir, Golan Heights, 2003: B ($15.99)
Barkan, Pinot Noir, Negev, 2000: B ($17.95)
The evaluations are generally favorable, although the Barkan wine is described as “perhaps a tad too sweet.”
Have you tried any of these wines? What did you think?
ORTHODOX UNION ANNOUNCES NEW “OU-T” HEKSHER
The Manhattan-based Orthodox Union, the world’s most recognized and trusted kosher supervision organization, announced this week the introduction of a new variant on their traditional “OU” symbol — the “OU-T.” Not unlike the “P” for Passover and “D” for Dairy variants, the “T” will alert consumers to the inclusion of non-kosher, or “Treyf,” ingredients that should be avoided entirely. Exclusive to the Kosher Blog, a representative of the OU’s Communications and Marketing arm explained, “Our goals with the OU-Treyf program were two-fold. First, many consumers still insist on reading ingredient labels to decide whether a product is kosher. The presence of our new symbol will be a clear indicator that the product in question is fully off-limits to the kosher consumer. Second, the non-kosher market represents a huge, heretofore untapped opportunity for the Orthodox Union. Whether it’s Empire or Purdue, we’re committed to making our certifications globally accessible.”
RABBINICAL ASSEMBLY’S COMMITTEE ON LAW AND STANDARDS ADOPTS 5-SECOND RULE
The world of Conservative Judaism was rocked yesterday when the Rabbinical Assembly’s 25-member Committee on Jewish Law and Standards voted overwhelmingly to adopt new kashrut procedures, among which included what is commonly known as the “five-second rule.” Now, with a local mara d’atra’s approval, Conservative Jews worldwide may salvage meat or dairy products that were in contact with the opposite food type for less than five seconds. A Los Angeles rabbi who voted in affirmative expressed his approval of the change: “Keeping with our principle of viewing tradition in light of cutting-edge science, we’ve updated our halacha to reflect recent laboratory research which suggests no transfer of ta’am (taste) between foods or utensils in under five seconds.”
KOSHER DEFENSE LEAGUE’S “TREYFE SQUAD” BEHIND NEW TEL AVIV MCDONALDS SIGNAGE
Following the news last week that Israel’s 12 strictly-kosher McDonald’s eateries would receive distinctive blue signs, representatives of the Kosher Defense League’s notorious “Treyfe Squad” have stepped forward to claim responsibility for causing the dramatic move, challenging the Tel Aviv Chief Rabbi’s role in the process. “As the rest of the world stood idly by, we found ourselves with no choice but to defend our traditions with any means available,” said a masked spokesperson for the secretive group, referring to the series of violent window-smashings and drive-by pork-throwings that befell the Jewish state’s 111 uncertified McDonald’s locations in February. KDL leaders agreed that the Chief Rabbi had not been tough enough with non-kosher interests before the incidents, but insist that the attacks were carried out by fringe extremist elements no longer affiliated with the organization.
(Happy Purim!)
I only follow J-Blogs semi-regularly, so I didn’t find out about the Kosher Cooking Carnival until today. It’s a monthly event showcasing Jewish recipes, started by me-ander and hosted by a different blog each time. The latest (third) edition is at SarandEz. Previous carnivals are at me-ander, here and here. Apparently, you can submit your own recipes if you show up early enough.
(Cross-posted to Apikorsus.)
We have word from Craig Winchell that two Gan Eden varieties are still available. In exchange for having to charge 7.75% sales tax, he’s offering free shipping on 3 or more cases.
1997 Limited Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon: $240/case
2000 Syrah: $108/case
I just opened my first bottle of Gan Eden Syrah on Friday night. Not only did it pair very well with my latest version of braised short ribs in chile sauce, but a guest who prefers non-kosher wines was even won over with this non-mevushal variety.
We were fortunate to receive some time ago several samples of OK-certified Asian Star-brand mock crab products from Zaloom Marketing. Since then, we’ve had the opportunity to try them in a few different applications, and were quite pleased with their quality and versatility.
Their flake-style “crab” made both an excellent hot dip and a tasty seafood salad. (Tasters of the non-kosher persuasion weren’t fooled, but they enjoyed nonetheless.) For sushi, the filament-style sticks made nicely-balanced California rolls every time, and each stick is individually wrapped for convenience.
If you’re running out today to buy a frozen cheesecake for Shavuot, consider Trader Joe’s (KVH, I think) — it’s the best I’ve had. If you don’t have access to a Trader Joe’s, you might want to try Sara Lee (Circle-K, I think). It’s surprisingly good, and the slices are separated with pieces of paper, so you don’t even have to cut it.
I received Nancy Baggett’s All-American Cookie Book
What Boston may lack in upscale restaurants, Efraim Krug is making up for in ingenuity. He’s been working in food service for over 25 years, serving as mashgiach to Boston’s most impressive establishments, and now offers his expertise as a personal chef.
In particular, he’s launched the EMK Muffin Club. It’s based on a simple premise: he makes delicious kosher muffins every Sunday morning with the freshest seasonal (kosher dairy) ingredients, and then delivers a warm baker’s dozen of them to your home before 8:30AM. Right now, he’s charging $18 for the dozen (delivered within the Boston eruv) and I can personally attest that they are excellent. We’ve enjoyed the following varieties: apple spice, wild blueberry, pineapple ginger, carrot raisin cinnamon, mocha chocolate chunk, and banana chocolate chunk.
Creative flavors, quality ingredients, just the right level of sweetness … a great, new reason to wake up early on Sunday. Just contact Efraim before Shabbat, and say the magic words, “I need muffins!”
After many weeks of preparation, the Kosher Blog is happy to announce the Massachusetts Kosher Community Survey, presented in coordination with the inimitable Neil Rosenbaum of DC Kosher Survey fame.
Share your opinions about local kosher restaurants, grocery stores, and bakeries by visiting survey.kosherblog.net. A summary of the results will be distributed to the community — check here for updates.
Questions and comments should be directed to Neil at koshersurvey@gmail.com.
Can anyone please tell me if kosher "Nuoc Cham" aka Vietnamese "fish sauce" exists AT...
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