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Kosherfest is the world’s largest kosher-certified products trade event serving the retail and foodservice industries. This year it is taking place on Nov 8th and 9th in the Meadowlands Exposition Center, in Secaucus NJ.

We will be there this year – look for us in Booth #346. Click to see floor plan. If you stop by our booth and sign up for our weekly newsletter you will have a chance to win a one-year subscription to the Joy of Kosher Magazine with Jamie Geller.

Kosherfest is the annual meeting place for the industry’s top kosher supermarket and restaurant buyers. There will be more than 350+ exhibitors featuring kosher-certified products from all around the globe.

Thousands of kosher products and services for retail and foodservice will be showcased – featuring the Winners of the 2011 Kosherfest New Product Awards. Kosherfest will introduce hundreds of new-to-market certified kosher products.

Just for an extra bit of fun there will be the 4th Annual Kosher Culinary Competition. There will also be workshops on State-of-the-Kosher-Industry Insights and Education.

If you are in the kosher food industry it is THE place to be. For more information, go to kosherfest.com.

As the last decorations come down from the Succah –gourds and all – and we prepare to dive into our year’s activities, I can’t help but wonder and ponder…what on earth do we do with these gourds anyway? Not to say that their place as a Succah decoration is an unjust existence, but c’mon…what does one actually do with them? Quite a lot, it seems, or at least so I discovered after doing some research (we love Google!). With over 700 known species, the gourd seems to have infinite craft and artistic possibilities and has been used by people throughout the world for musical instruments, pipes, masks, canteens, water jugs, dippers, birdhouses, bath sponges and as decorative pieces with intricate etched designs. So important were gourds to Haitian people in the early 1800s that gourds were temporarily made the national currency. But this is a cooking article, so I am clearly more interested in the edible possibilities. Some of the most delicious members of the gourd family include squash, pumpkin, cucumber and melons.

With the return of cooler weather, winter squash is back…and may just be the perfect warming ingredient, bound to qualify any dish as “comfort food” with all its sweet, orange creaminess. Though Butternut and Acorn squash happen to be the most common and known supermarket varieties of winter squash available, there are many other terrific kinds worth trying – Sweet Dumpling, Banana, Kabocha and Buttercup varieties, just to name a few. Each type has its own special flavor and texture. Using a new variety or a combination of a few may add a new flavor or dimension to your next squash dish.

Curried Squash Soup with Frizzled Leeks

One of the most commonly asked questions about winter squash is how to handle and prepare it, due to its thick peel and hard texture. Don’t be discouraged – a good peeler, a sharp chef’s knife and some “elbow grease” can make all the difference in your preparations. Even with that said, some prep tips are always helpful.

Some winter squash have a thin or smooth enough rind to be peeled with a good peeler, such as Butternut or Buttercup squash. The easiest way to take these squash apart is the following:

1. Trim ends
2. Cut the squash in half lengthwise
3. Using a good peeler, peel away the tough skin
4. Scoop out the seeds
5. Cut as needed (i.e. chunks, cubes)

Once prepared in this way, it can be boiled, roasted, steamed, sautéed, etc. and used in your favorite dishes.

Other squash, such as Acorn squash or Sweet Dumpling, are difficult to peel as the natural grooves make peeling hard to maneuver. With these types of squash, most people opt to cook it unpeeled – simply scrub, halve, seed and bake. The skin is edible, however, if tough, the cooked flesh can simply be scooped out of its “cup” and eaten, discarding the skin. I like to roast it this way drizzled with maple syrup, olive oil, salt, pepper and cinnamon – simple, yet delicious! Additionally, these small-sized squash make them ideal choices as “stuffing” squash.

Squash puree is easy to prepare for baking recipes:

To pre-bake squash halves (any kind): simply cut in half, scoop out the seeds, and bake cut-side down at 375-400 degrees Fahrenheit until fork tender (about 45 minutes). Once baked, the cooked flesh can be scooped out of the skin and mashed or pureed in the food processor for other recipes.

• Winter squash store very well – they’ll last the “winter” in a cool, dry, well-ventilated location (like a basement). Check on a regular basis for rot and use within three to six months.
• Refrigerated, cut pieces of winter squash will last up to a week stored in plastic storage bags or tightly saran-wrapped.
• Choose firm, well-shaped squash that are heavy for their size and have a hard, tough skin. Do not choose those that have sunken or moldy spots. Avoid squash with cuts or punctures in the skin.

Some helpful equivalents in your squash adventures may include:

• 1 pound peeled squash = 1 cup cooked, mashed
• 2½ pound whole squash = 2¾ -3 cups pureed
• 1/3-½ pound raw unpeeled squash = 1 serving

Here are some wonderful fall recipes bound to warm you up on a chilly night even once your Succah is down. It may not be a marimba or a vase, but recipes like these certainly remind us to celebrate the gourd family!

Curried Squash Soup with Frizzled Leeks
Autumn Rice Pilaf with Butternut Squash

We have some really great news for you – Jamie Geller’s Quick & Kosher online cooking show is coming to television! JLTV will be premiering the first episode on Monday October 31, at 9pm ET & PT!

For viewing info in your area please click here.

We hope you tune in!!

Cabbage Chana Dal salad is a popular vegetarian Indian dish, but it is beginning to take over the western world. For those who are looking to expand their dinner options to include Indian cuisine, this is a great dish to start with. It has all the authenticity of traditional Indian food with the added benefit of being delicious and healthy for the entire family.

This healthy and refreshing salad is a colorful dish that will brighten up any meal. Cabbage Chana Dal Salad is perfect for a summer brunch or a light meal during any season. It is a traditional vegetarian Indian dish that is increasing in popularity because it accommodates a wide range of palettes. Even if you have not experimented with many Indian dishes, this is one that will surely spark an interest in further exploration. What makes it even better is the fact that it is not so “out there” that your kids will push it aside. If a healthy, vegetarian Indian dish for the whole family is what you are looking for, Cabbage Chana Dal Salad is the meal for you.

You can substitute the chana dal with split yellow moong dal or moong dal sprouts. The chana dal and split yellow moong dal are very similar in terms of taste and texture, but yellow moong dal does not have to be soaked. If you want to make the salad quickly, use the moong dal to cut out the first step and save two hours. The moong dal sprouts need to be soaked overnight, but they have a crunchier texture that many people find appealing in the salad. Try making the salad a couple times and experiment with the various types of dal to find the one that works best for your family.

Sometimes the chana dal, split yellow moong dal, and moong dal sprouts can be difficult to find in traditional grocery stores. You will likely find them in ethnic grocery stores if you take the time to look. However, if you are grocery shopping in a pinch and only have time for one stop, the dal can also be substituted with more western products while still retaining the Indian quality. Instead of the chana dal, try boiled corn or finely chopped bell peppers. You can even make a mixture of the two to increase the flavors and textures.

To add a touch of Indian flavor to other dishes, use the salad dressing on any salad you may be making, whether it is traditionally Indian or not. It will add a bit of authentic flavor even if you are pouring it onto a bowl of salad from a bag.

Another popular way the salad dressing is used in the Indian culture is as a dressing for fresh fruit like the one that you can try on different hotels and restaurants. To use it this way, skip adding the vinegar to the dressing and add some chopped mint leaves. It is refreshing, and will get even the pickiest eaters to enjoy their fruits.

Ahhh, Simchat Torah ~ a joyous time to celebrate the end and the beginning. Simchat Torah caps the holiday-packed month of Tishri — the month is filled with days of awe, atonement and newness. The holiday overflows with celebration and happiness as Jews all over the world begin to read anew the Torah.

Simchas Torah literally means “rejoicing of the Torah.” This is not a holiday to celebrate on your own and joy is evident when you celebrate with your temple! Our new year begins and the Torah reading cycle winds down with splendor and intensity. The celebrations in shul are a highlighted by dancing, singing and parading around with Torahs held proudly aloft. Children and adults alike wave the Israeli flag and shout out a hearty “Chag Sameach” and “Git Yomtov”.

Some congregations don white gloves as they grip the unfurled parchment of their Torah and walk around the sanctuary. The Torah’s laws and commandments truly belong to the people as they hold on to their beloved Torah. Other temples choose to keep their Torahs rolled and covered as they proudly march them through the streets of their neighborhood.

When it’s time to leave the synagogue’s celebration to go back home, the foods you prepare should continue the observance. And celebrating at home has its own rewards… the final meals in the Sukkah and the comfort that we have cooked and entertained with great results. We let our taste buds know that it is truly a day for delight and pleasure. This year, I’ve chosen a recipe that celebrates the end of the summer fruits with the onset of the autumn bounty. I hope you and your family enjoy this Apple Blackberry Crisp.

From my home to yours, along with this decadent recipe, we wish you a Chag Sameach!

It may be related to how on Sukkot we are at the end of the summer, and bringing in the bounty from the fields, we are “stuffed” or “wrapped” in Gods blessings. It is at this time when we could become conceited with our possessions, and newly acquired success, when we leave the comforts of our homes and live in a flimsy roofed sukkah, and thereby put our faith in God.

Also there is an idea that real blessing only comes from things that are hidden from the eye. We therefore cover our blessings from everyone out there, and show our appreciation from God.

Some Stuffed Recipes:

Quinoa Stuffed Tomatoes

Mushroom Stuffed Chicken Breast

Roasted Veal Rib Stuffed with Cranberry

Stuffed Cabbage

Onions Stuffed with Curried Couscous

Sukkot, while known primarily as our Festival of Booths, is also the Jewish harvest festival celebrating nature and the ingathering of the fruits of the earth. As such, on Chag HaAsif, the “Feast of Ingathering,” vegetables and fruits are the theme of the meals eaten in the Sukkah as well as the décor of the Sukkah itself. What better way to honor this holiday of harvest than by utilizing a wide variety of fruits, vegetables and nuts in delicious treats to adorn our tables and share with our family and friends.

In our home during the holidays, sweet treats are not only limited to the desserts served after a festive meal. We enjoy bringing the sweet yom tov spirit into every meal by enjoying healthier home-baked goodies for breakfast, snacks and as dessert after meals as well. Muffins are usually our treat of choice as they are pre-portioned, are not too sweet, can be filled with healthy, nutrient and fiber boosting ingredients (don’t tell the kids), and most of all our kids love them. The Triple Apple Muffins and Pear Zucchini Muffins are two of our family’s favorites, and are also the perfect anytime treat to enjoy in your own Sukkah.

As the end of Yom Kippur can bring about a great sense of inner peace and rejuvenation of the soul, it seems only appropriate that Break the Fast should follow a similar theme… bringing about a rejuvenation of the body.  To present a delicious dish that is warm and comforting is a lovely way to mirror the feelings of the warmth and comfort shared by those sitting down to this special meal.

Suitable in the morning, afternoon, or as an evening dessert, these sticky sweet spirals may resemble cinnamon rolls, but they require none of the tedious and time consuming rolling out and folding necessary for puff pastry cinnamon rolls. And, while many cinnamon roll recipes tend to turn out far too sugary sweet, the flavors (and the dough!) of these sticky buns are completely fool-proof and allow for beautiful, scrumptious buns every time.  A delectable and simple addition to your Yom Kippur feast, these homemade Sticky Fig Sweet Buns combine all the elements necessary in a Break Fast treat in order to replenish, rejuvenate and satisfy.

These Sticky Fig Buns are delicately sweetened with a medley of seasonal dried fruits and slightly spiced dark brown sugar, rich in molasses with a hint of cinnamon and clove.  The sweetly fragrant date and currant filling is rolled into a spiral of fluffy buttermilk biscuit dough to create an exciting and unexpected combination of savory, sweet, light and rich.  The buns are smothered with and baked in an ooey-gooey fig infused caramel, providing the perfect sticky canvas for crunchy topping of toasted sliced almonds or pecans, if desired.

While the fruits and flavors used in these sticky buns are perfect for Fall, the versatile buttermilk biscuit base of the buns allows for much creative interpretation of the recipe.  Try different combinations of dried fruits, nuts, and chocolate for use in the filling of the buns for fun variations suited specifically for your family or for the occasion.  The caramel topping would be delicious with a splash of bourbon or a touch of jam in place of the fig, or can easily and deliciously stand alone without added fruit or flavor infusions of any kind.

Regardless of whether or not the recipe is followed exactly, or if the flavors are tweaked a touch, the heartfelt gesture of lovingly preparing this special (and delicious) dish for your family will, in the end, bring the perfect warmth and sweetness to the table this Yom Kippur.

It is a mitzvah to eat and drink heartily on Erev Yom Kippur. Our Sages write: The Torah (Leviticus 23:32) states: And you shall afflict your soul on the ninth of the month in the evening.

Do we fast on the ninth? We fast only on the tenth! This comes to teach us that all who eat and drink on the ninth, and fast on the tenth, are considered by Scripture as if they had fasted on both the ninth and the tenth.

The reason why eating on the ninth is considered so great a deed that it is equivalent to having fasted, is that by doing so, we show our joy that the time for our atonement has arrived. By extension we thus show that we are concerned with our sins.

On other Festivals we partake of fixed meals as a means of expressing our happiness in having the opportunity to fulfill mitzvot. This joy is in itself a source of merit. Since we cannot partake of a festival meal on Yom Kippur, we do so on the day before Yom Kippur instead. The festive meal on Erev Yom Kippur provides us with the physical strength needed on Yom Kippur to focus ourselves on prayer, supplication, and reflection that will lead us to teshuvah.

It is customary to eat fish at the morning meal on Erev Yom Kippur.

The Midrash (Bereshit Rabbah 11) recounts:

“R. Tanchuma taught: It once happened in Rome on Erev Yom Kippur that a Jewish tailor went to the market to buy fish. There was only one fish available, but there were two buyers: the tailor and the servant of the Roman governor. Each offered a progressively larger sum until the price reached twelve dinar, which the tailor paid.”

When the Roman governor asked the tailor why he was willing to spend that much money on a fish, he responded “Sir! We have but one day during which all the sins that we commit throughout the year are atoned for. Shall we not honor that day when it comes?” The governor replied: “Since you have explained your behavior, you may go.” A miracle happened for this tailor and a jewel was discovered inside the fish which supported him for quite some time.

We do not however eat like gluttons on this day, instead we eat many small meals as the day goes on.

In some chassidic circles there is a custom to eat ‘Lekach’ honey cake on erev Yom Kippur too.

When was the last time you had a fruit salad?  Maybe I’ve been listening to The Wiggles “Fruit Salad” song a hundred times too many, but nobody seems to make fruit salad anymore – except on kids TV.  We still serve fruit, but it’s just a bowl of grapes or cut up melon – nothing more.   How lonely.  Somehow, when you combine sweet strawberries, plump peaches, tart blueberries, cherries and watermelon, you’ve got a colorful ending to a delicious Shabbat meal.  Unlike the leftover babka that mercilessly tempts me and my preferred dress size, I feel great about grabbing a guilt-free bowl of leftover sliced and diced fruit sitting in the fridge.

With the winter cold season knocking on the door, I love the idea of boosting my family’s immune system.  A variety of fruits are loaded with vitamin C, vitamin E, carotenoids and more antioxidants that will improve your body’s fight against a cold. They are also full of fiber ans surprisingly full of water (80%), both make them the perfect nutrient dense food for anyone.  They give your body energy, fluid and they keep you full.

But no one is getting enough fruit in their diet.  So I say, bring back the fruit salad! But dress it up a little so it is an enticing dessert that you can enjoy all week.  Combining seasonal fruits with fresh herbs and low alcohol dessert wine or citrus juices and a little honey totally transforms the dish and gets everyone excited about fruit again.  True confession: when I first tested these fruit salad recipes I thought, no one is going to eat this but me and maybe I could get hubby on board since he only eats fruit if it is cut up for him, but to my amazement I found myself fighting with my kids for the last bite…They won!

So here are my three takes on fruit salad.

Pine-Apple Fruit Salad

Israeli Fruit Salad

Asian Pear Salad

How do you like to mix your fruit up?

There are few culinary pleasures in this world like enjoying a heaping spoonful of peanut butter while standing in your kitchen.  Not much can match it – except for the 2^nd spoonful.  Given my ’druthers,  I’d joyfully  work peanut butter into most every dish – noodle recipes, salad dressings, tofu dishes, chocolate desserts – and serve it on every occasion.  But Hubby, ever so rightfully, cautions me against it in big crowd situations.  Lots of folks are allergic to peanuts, so we lose the peanut butter unless we know for a fact that everyone present can eat it. Can’t be too careful about that.

So entertaining with peanut butter is somewhat of a lost art these days, but if there are no in-house peanut allergies you’re safe to indulge at home.  This is the perfect, crispy, homemade Sweet Peanut Butter Cereal Bar recipe for your kids (and you!)  You probably have all of the ingredients on hand, assuming you stock Chex and Honey Nut Cheerios.  Ok, maybe you’ll need to make a special trip to the store for the sunflower seeds, but in my opinion, they’re worth it.  Their mild nutty taste and soft texture go a long way. And you’ll need honey (a great compliment to peanut butter) but who doesn’t have plenty of that around right now? You’ll also need brown sugar, cinnamon, vanilla and of course –the glue that holds it all together – the hero of our cereal bars… smooth, creamy peanut butter.  And I won’t tell if you help yourself to a spoonful or two while you’re preparing this.

Do you have a favorite peanut butter recipe?

Master pastry chef Ron Ben-Israel is the Sweet Genius, and host of a brand new show premiering on the Food Network this Thursday, September 22nd at 10pm ET/PT.  Each week four of America’s top pastry chefs will compete against each other for a $10,000 cash prize – creating magical and inventive desserts, while being given an inspiration, surprise ingredients, and a limited amount of time.

Born and raised in Tel Aviv, Ron Ben-Israel is used to hearing applause. Before embarking on a career as a pastry artist, Ben-Israel enjoyed a fifteen-year career as a professional modern dancer.  I couldn’t control my curiosity.  What kind of person would trade ballet slippers for a baking pan?  “I always enjoyed Israeli folk dancing, and even while attending art school I continued performing,” explains Ben-Israel,“but after finishing my three years of [army] service I was able to devote myself to practicing ballet and modern techniques, and was accepted to one of the top companies in Israel at the time, Bat Dor. I performed and toured for years, and while in Canada I fell in love with the art of being a pastry chef.  Consequently, when I had to retire from professional dancing, I found a new stage at the kitchen.”

Ben-Israel’s innate culinary gifts were already well established before he decided to dedicate his career to baking. “My mother hails from Vienna…  I don’t think we ever bought a cake in a store; and all the cakes at home were made with whipped egg whites, the old fashioned way. Baking powder was the easy way, according to that generation of Austro-Hungarians.”  Ben-Israel grew up absorbing the traditions of a lost generation of European baking and an immersion of regional flavors introduced by friends and neighbors, like halva, rose water and cardamom.  The amalgamation of taste and tradition continues to inspire his most memorable confections.

After arriving in New York City, Ron’s cakes were discovered by Martha Stewart while on display in the windows of Mikimoto on Fifth Avenue.  In 1999 he established his eponymous design studio and bakery in Manhattan’s fashionable SoHo neighborhood. He is a Master Pastry Instructor at the French Culinary Institute in New York City, and has been awarded prestigious gold medals for his confectionery achievements.

Ben-Israel is not afraid of dessert without dairy.  For a perfectly pareve dessert, he recommends to “try not to use too many commercial products, and rely on wonderful ingredients such as soy and rice milks to replace dairy components.”  To bolster the sometimes shaky confidence of a casual kosher baker, Ben-Israel notes that, “an intense chocolate cake actually benefits from not using milk, which only disguises the depth of the cocoa flavor.”  You can even special order a kosher parve  Ron Ben Israel wedding cake from his New York City shop.

The Food Network has (sugar) high hopes for Sweet Genius and I can’t wait to see some of the most talented pastry chefs in the world compete for cash and fame on cable TV.

If you are wondering if cheese puffs can possibly work in a frozen dessert inspired by fire, how carbonated candies might taste if inspired by a disco ball, and why someone would ever combine duck fat and fusilli in a frozen dessert inspired by diamonds, you will just have to watch.

We are super excited to tune in on October 27th when the Kosher Baker, Paula Shoyer, mixes it up with the Sweet Genius before a national TV audience.  We will be publishing an exclusive recap with Paula Shoyer right after the episode airs, as she promises to reveal what it’s like behind the scenes and under the bright lights at Food Network studios at Chelsea Market in New York City.

We have lots of amazing Rosh Hashanah menus around here, but most are for dinner.  Now don’t get me wrong, dinner is one of my three favorite meals of the day.  But with three (way past) overtired children, I sometimes prefer to entertain for lunch.  Sure shul may go on until 2pm,  but when we get back everyone is truly hungry and it is a perfect time to show off some yummy creations.

Orange and Date Challah

On Shabbat, I like to mix it up and serve different kinds of breads, but on Rosh Hashanah a round challah is a must!  After filling up on my delicious Apple Challah for the first night, I go for a lighter Orange and Date Challah during the day.

Pomegranate Guacamole

A Pomegranate Guacamole is a favorite spread that is a perfect compliment to this Cucumber and Black Bean Salsa Salad.

Mango Chicken

For the main course, I am going to make a Mango Chicken that can be served hot or cold.  On the side will be Yellow Rice with Cilantro and some Garlicky Green Beans.

Margarita Cupcakes

If I am feeling wild, I will make these Margarita Cupcakes, but more likely I will go with my mom’s traditional and incredibly Easy Honey Cake.

I showed you mine now it’s your turn, what are you making for your YomTov?

During the year on Shabbat we eat Challahs that are braided. One reason for this is because each strand of the challah represents one of the six days of the week that we have completed, and now turn all those strands into Shabbat enjoyment, as if to say, all the six days of work are now complete, let us rejoice in the culmination of these days and enjoy the fruits of our labor by thanking and recognizing G-d on this very special day.

On Rosh Hashanah however we have a custom to make round as opposed to braided challahs. Why is this?

One opinion is that since on Rosh Hashanah we are crowning G-d as King over us, we make a challah that looks like a crown!

The word for year in Hebrew is ‘shana’. This word is related to the word in Hebrew for ‘repeat’. The year for us has a cyclical nature. We travel through the year until we reach the end, and start again. The challah represents this continuous circle of life, by reminding us that the Jewish year is about to be completed and we need to focus on restarting and improving the new year from it’s start. The word shana, also means to ‘change’. As the year comes to a close and we restart the cycle, we also want to make the upcoming year a year of change and newness.

Circles play a big part in Jewish life. We place a circular ring on the bride under the chuppah, we also dance in circles at weddings and other celebrations. King Solomon was famous for wearing a ring with the words “this too shall pass” inscribed upon it. Rabbi Avigdor Miller used to say this was because when life was challenging for him, he would look at his ring and think, “life is tough now, but it will be better soon such is the cycle or ring of life.” So too when things were going well, he would look at the ring and remember that even the good times do not last, and a hard times are always around the corner, such is the cycle of life.

On Rosh Hashanah we look at the challahs and remind ourselves that no matter how bad or good the last year was, we are part of the circle of life, and the new year will bring good times and also challenges with it. We pray to G-d that he protects the upcoming year, and gives it all blessing just like the blessing we make over the challah.

An Ashkenzaic custom is to not eat nuts on Rosh Hashanah, and some say right through till Yom Kippur. A couple of reasons are given for this. The Maharil says that nuts increase the saliva in the mouth and may interfere with the prayers we say during the high holidays. Since during these days we are praying more than usual, some refrain from nuts that could interfere with that.

The deeper Jewish sources say, that it is connected to the numerical value of the Hebrew word for nut, Egoz, which has the same numerical value as “Chet” (sin), 17. Since we want to stay far away from sin as possible, some stay away from any foods, which may even conjure the idea of sin in our lives. Although the number 17 is also the gematria for “tov” (good), some respond that it is better to not even allow sin to be even mixed in with good during these days.

More important than these customs of course, is to pray fervently and to enjoy all of our meals on these very special and holy days!