The OU website has a new series of audio programs called “Kosher Tidbits.” The programs deal with such topics as cheese, vegetable inspection, and even the OU trademark. I haven’t listened to any of them yet, but I’m hoping that a few will help explain why the OU does what it does.

If there are any particular topics that you’d like to hear covered, Gil Student is willing to convey them to the powers that be.

Forget everything I said about saturated and trans fats. Apparently, all I had to do to make the ultimate parve brownies was to reduce the baking time to 20 minutes. I used 1/2 cup of canola oil (as opposed to 1/2 cup + 2 tbs butter or margarine — the standard conversion), and the brownies came out great. When they’re done, the a toothpick inserted into the center should be moist and a little bit fudgy at the bottom.

I’m adjusting the recipe.

Once again, we welcome roving reviewer Ari — now relocated from Boston to the midwest — who offers us a comparative glimpse of kosher dining near his new home.

Milk and Honey, a restaurant located off the main entryway of the JCC of Metro Detroit, is under the supervision of the Vaad Harabonim of Greater Detroit. Equally important, the food was a cut above most other restaurants at which I’ve eaten.

This dairy restaurant provides a relatively narrow assortment of fish, pasta, and vegetarian dishes. The menu (Adobe PDF) is certainly a different approach than Rubin’s twelve-insert menu. The basic, simple treatment of the menu is reflected in the restaurant’s decor as well. Tables are angled so that you face your party, rather than your neighbors. (Emily and I discussed that Ta’am China would have managed to squeeze in about 40% more tables.) The feeling of privacy is compounded by an orzo-shaped bar that divides one side of the restaurant from another. It was nice to have some space, both on the table, and around us. Of course, space is cheaper in the midwest.

We started with Minestrone soup for Emily, and Mushroom Barley for me. Her soup had a deep tomato flavor, while mine was relatively bland. Mine was only mildly better than Tabatchnick’s, though it had a lot more solids. Emily’s would be worth ordering again.

Given that Emily and I try to eat high-fat/high-starch foods, we followed with twice-baked potato skins. These were amazing, with solid amounts of cheddar and sour cream, and fresh chives. (As a note, ketchup is delivered in a bowl, rather than in the bottle!)

It was too early for us to eat the full-size fish or pasta dishes, and they were out of the portabella mushrooms (for the portabella sandwich), so we each had main course salads. Emily’s caesar had real anchovies, fresh croutons, and a generous portion. My Greek had great feta chunks, beets, and a great-tasting mild dressing. I appreciated that neither of the salads were drenched, and both were truly fresh. Given that we visited on a Sunday, I sometimes get nervous ordering vegetables at restaurants…

Dessert was Tiramisu and Apple Pie! The pie slice was bigger than my face with caramel sauce and ice cream. Tiramisu is a dessert that I love, but is so hard to find. Milk and Honey’s version was in a martini glass, and was a cut above.

In summary, lunch was great. I didn’t like that they included the tip on the bill, but the service was polite, the food was excellent (other than my soup), and I got out for a four-course meal for $45 when all was said and done.

That said: Jabbett and I have debated why no restaurant has tried to capitalize on the foot traffic of the Newton JCC. It seems like a great captive business and family audience, in a decent Jewish neighborhood.

(Jabbett’s note: To suggest that the Newton JCC is in a “neighborhood” is overly generous, perched up on that hill in what could be Newton’s only “middle of nowhere.” I’d have no problem driving to the suburbs for a good kosher meal, but there are far livelier spots — with far greater concentrations of kosher Jews — to choose from.)

On the coattails of news that Starbucks coffee liqueur would receive OU certification, Kosher Today reports that Kahlua Licor de Cafe will once again be certified kosher:

Kahlua liqueur will once again be available as kosher when bearing the OU on the label. This OU certification is at the moment only for Kahlua – Licor De Café with the Spanish label/produced in Mexico. This product with the OU will be available in several weeks in Mexico, at Duty Free shops around the world and possibly at other specialized locations. Many kosher consumers complained bitterly when Kahlua removed the OU several years ago.

The product is listed in the OU’s “Newly Certified” section. Too bad you can’t carry liquids onto planes these days.

(Thanks, Paul!)

I’ve made these brownies several times since I posted the recipe, and I’ve started to realize that, while the dairy version is indeed the ultimate, the parve version could stand some improvement. The main issue, I think, is that the saturated fat in butter gives the brownies a lush, moist texture that the margarines I’ve used don’t match. Hydrogenated oils should theoretically provide the same texture, but Fleischmann’s Unsalted Margarine probably doesn’t have enough. (It is significantly softer than butter at the same temperature.) Recently, I tried Smart Balance, and the brownies were downright dry. In this case, I think that the issue was simplify fat: Regular Smart Balance is 67% fat, while butter is about 80%. The package says that Smart Balance is “great for cooking and baking,” but don’t be fooled.

One option would be to switch to Crisco vegetable shortening, a favorite of a friend and former roommate of mine. Vegetable shortening (like regular margarine) is somewhat out of favor right now because it is high in trans fat, which, though once thought to be more healthful than saturated fat, is now generally believed to be worse. Nonetheless, as I’ve been implying, it takes a bit of saturated or trans fat to achieve that butterlike texture. Vegetable shortening has less water than most margarine, so it may be just right.

Anyhow, I’ll keep you posted. Not right away, though. I really do have to cut back.

(Cross-posted to Apikorsus.)

From today’s Boston Globe Magazine:

Kosher-centric blogs have been abuzz about the news that Shalom Beijing, on Harvard Street in Brookline, has gone tref . . . As one blogger laments, “That leaves Boston with no source for kosher sushi.”. . . Being kosher takes “a lot of money,” [owner Jun] Yang says. “I don’t have money.” When asked about the loss of kosher sushi, Yang sounds frustrated: “I don’t need ideas; I need money.”

Sorry, Jabbett.

(The quotation is from “Side Dish,” by Alison Arnett.)

Every so often, someone asks about what’s okay to drink at Starbucks cafes. Though the information is readily available elsewhere on the Internet, I am reposting here what the Star-K recommends:

Kosher Protocol at Coffee Shops
Due to the flood of consumer inquiries regarding what may and may not be purchased at local coffee shops such as Starbucks, we have compiled the following guidelines:

• All unflavored, roasted coffees (both regular and decaf), may be purchased in a disposable cup. Sugar may be added. Milk (not creamer) may be added, and is cholov stam.
• Creamers and flavors may be added separately after the consumer verifies that the label of the original container of these items bear reliable certification.
• Only packaged food items bearing reliable certification may be purchased.
• At Starbucks, bottled beverages bearing a KD are certified kosher, dairy, cholov stam, by R’ Zevulun Charlop.
• Frapuccino, whipped toppings, and other beverages prepared in coffee shops are not recommended since they are made in carafes/pump pots that are not exclusively used for kosher beverages.

R’ Eliezer Eidletz of KosherQuest.org recommends the following:

Coffee Shops often seem to be growing at a faster rate than the general population. When there is kosher certification on a whole coffee shop it is very easy for the kosher consumer to peruse their menu and order whatever they choose. However, many of the popular coffee shops today (such as Starbucks) sell some kosher coffee, but also carry many non-kosher items, flavorings and drinks. As a general rule, plain unflavored coffee (regular or decaf), in many types of roasts (such as French Roast etc.) does not present a kashrus problem. The main concern in such drinks would be that they be served in a disposable cup and stirred with a disposable utensil.

Patrons may even add milk if they are not particular about cholov yisroel. The small cream containers often display the kosher certification (such as O/U) and one has only to check the container for the reliable hashgacha. As a pareve alternative, many coffee shops also carry pareve soy milk, which too must be checked to ascertain that it is, in fact, under proper kosher supervision. Unless the sugar used is flavored, that too does not pose a kashrus challenge. However, a real problem in non-certified coffee shops are flavored coffees. Flavoring is often derived from non-kosher sources and therefore must bear a reliable certification. Some of these non-certified coffee shops actually use coffee flavorings bearing OK, OK-Dairy, or OU symbols, while others use flavorings with no kosher certification at all. In order to determine this, one must ask to examine the bottle of flavoring used in the flavored coffee to check for the presence of the hashgacha. In an unsupervised shop, this must be a ritual that is repeated each time one orders a cup of flavored coffee as the store can change the source of their flavoring at any given time. Therefore, if a coffee shop is not under reliable kosher supervision, the kosher consumer may purchase any unflavored plain coffee, or ask (each time) to see the bottle(s) of flavoring or topping used in a drink to look for a reliable hashgacha.

As with everything, ask your rabbi. Since coffee shop trends vary from region to region, you may be surprised to learn what is or isn’t permissible in your neighborhood.

According to a press release issued today, Starbucks coffee liqueurs will soon feature OU certification:

Those who love their Starbucks coffee, which is under the kosher supervision of the Orthodox Union, are certain to be delighted by the mid-summer announcement of Beam Global Spirits & Wine, Inc. — the fourth largest spirits company in the world and a unit of Fortune Brands — that Starbucks Coffee Liqueur and Starbucks Cream Liqueur products now also display the famed symbol.

…

A 750ml bottle of Starbucks Coffee or Cream Liqueur has a suggested retail price of $22.99, which varies by market. These products are also available in 1L, 375ml and 50ml bottles. For signature recipes and additional information, visit www.starbucksliqueurs.com.

This is welcome news. I never thought the kosher coffee liqueurs previously available really stood up to traditional Kahlua, and this US News article from March of last year suggests that tasters actually prefer Starbucks Liqueur to Kahlua in white russians. Time to plan another Big Lebowski party!

UPDATE: The coffee liqueur is OU pareve, and the cream liqueur is OU dairy.

Steven I. Weiss reports the closing of the Village Crown, which he describes as the “best kosher restaurant, dollar-for-dollar, in New York City.” The Village Crown Group will continue to offer catering and takeout from its midtown location.

The press release is here.

Grilling season is in full force — who wants to get the stove and oven going when the weather’s already broiling? Unfortunately, though, in many parts of country (Boston included), it’s tough to find quality glatt kosher sausages. We’ve been tantalized by the elusive Neshama Gourmet, and, though widely available, Meal Mart’s frozen sausages are little more than dressed-up hot dogs.

Enter KosherHeaven.com, which was created recently by a group of enterprising Brandeis alumni who share a penchant for meat. For a chunk of change, they’ll satisfy your cravings for both sausages and South African biltong (spiced beef jerky), all USDA-approved and certified glatt kosher by the Atlanta Kashrut Commission.

The biltong is available in two flavors, regular and spicy, and in two forms, chunks and easier-to-chew slices. The three-ounce packages last six months without refrigeration, making them a perfect fleishig travel snack. Shipping is free on orders of three or more biltong packs.

Sausages come in five varieties, four beef (regular, mild, garlic, chili) and one chicken. We had the pleasure of sampling the regular beef and chicken sausages, simply grilled and served alongside sauteed peppers and onions. The chicken sausages were astoundingly delicious; they stayed moist despite being entirely white meat and nearly fat free, and had a pleasant, delicate flavor. The beef sausages were also tasty, but their slightly chewy texture turned me off a bit. All their sausages come raw, making them very versitile for cooking applications.

Sausage shipping costs, like with any other perishable product, are a tough pill to swallow. Eight trays (13.36 lb.) of sausage — their best value option — cost $131.92, plus an additional $37 shipping to Boston, making the effective price about $12.70/lb. But a quick comparison paints a prettier picture: homemade turkey sausages from nearby butcher Gordon & Alperin run $12.99/lb. For the quality and convenience, they’re priced quite competitively — so stock up and get grilling!

Cheers: Cheryl Ann’s Expansion
I heard through the grapevine that, with the close of Putterham Circle’s “Roundabout” shop, Cheryl Ann’s Bakery of Brookline will be expanding into the now vacant space, providing desperately needed preparation space.

Jeers: Identity Theft at the Jewish Advocate
Several weeks ago, a mysterious letter appeared in our local Jewish newspaper’s “Letters to the Rebbetzin” column from “Jonathan” who “runs a popular blog about kosher food.” Naturally, friends, neighbors, and relatives thought the letter was from me, and since there exist no other Jonathans with Kosher Blogs, who could blame them? For the record, I am not responsible for submitting the dim-witted letter asking how to handle less-than-kosher submissions to a blog, and, further, the Jewish Advocate’s made-up advice column is the last place I would seek counsel on any matter. They should be ashamed for either hijacking my personality or neglecting to perform their due diligence if some imposter indeed sent in a fake letter.

As someone who both reads and occasionally provides content to the paper, I would at least expect “the rebbetzin” to know that I’d catch her unsavory deed. Sheesh.