Bourbon Slushie

I served these Bourbon Slushies to the adults at my son’s birthday party and people asked me to text them the recipe on the spot, it was so good!

Mango Mojito

Tasty, delicious and gorgeous, enjoy a Mango Mojito on a hot Summer day.

Maple Roasted Almonds

Cheese Straws

Hearts of Palm Dip

Calling all Gold’s recipes!!!

Please SUBMIT your favorite recipes using any Gold’s brand product, from Duck Sauce, to BBQ Sauce, to Borscht, to the classic Horseradish and more we want them all.  Enter as many recipes as you would like.  Perhaps it’s your go-to chicken recipe that you cook when inspiration has left the building but you know will satisfy those hungry tummies. Perhaps it’s the recipe passed down from Grandma Zelda that has withstood the test of time. All recipes that include a Gold’s product submitted to this site between now July 18th will be entered.

After July 18th the JoyofKosher team will pick the top five finalists from the Gold’s recipes submitted. We will make all five of those dishes and on July 31st we will choose two recipes to go head-to-head for the top prize. You, our readers, will get to vote on who takes home the prize. Voting will take place from 9 am EST July 31 until 9 am EST August 14th.

The Winner will be announced on August 15th and featured in the Chanukah issue of our magazine.  The winner will also receive a package of Gold’s products, 1 copy of Quick & Kosher Meals in Minutes, $100 Amex Card and a 1 year subscription to magazine.

Runner up will receive 1 year subscriptions to the magazine and a copy of Quick & Kosher Meals in Minutes.

Enter Now!

Winners must be over 18 years of age and US residents.

In many houses, crockpots are associated with Shabbos day Cholent. However, that is far from their only use. Slow cookers have earned themselves a prominent spot in the kitchen, and rightfully so.

The crockpot, originally called the Beanery because its original sole intended use was to cook beans, was first patented in 1970. It was not until 1971, when Rival, the company who owned the patent and was doing in-house testing, realized that this slow cooker was fantastic for slow cooking meat as well as beans and other foods. Finally in 1974, the crockpot that we all know and use was introduced to the market and has been a huge success ever since.

Personally, I have not made cholent in the crockpot in years –I prefer my Moroccan dafina (the type of cholent we eat in my house) made in a big, heavy cast iron pot that cooks first in the oven and then on the blech on the stovetop. So if I was going to jump head-first into the world of slow cooked meals, I was going to have to head out to the store and buy myself a new pot.

Luckily, kohls was having a super Savers Day and I got a terrific digital 5 quart crockpot for $20.27, which was such a great deal that I bought two. I designated one for dairy so I can try the slow-cooked lasagna I have always wanted to make. What I love about cooking things slow and long, is how soft and melt-in-your-mouth delicious those meals are. Meats and chickens come out so tender and entirely infused with the
flavors that you have added, not to mention the unbelievable convenience of putting up dinner in the morning before you leave to work and coming home 4-6 hours later to a scrumptious, hot, perfectly cooked meal!

One-pot meals are the solution for us mothers for quick and easy cooking when you really don’t have the time or patience to cook, but you don’t really have a choice. Additionally, it is the perfect way to make a meal that is meant to be cooked slow and long, but not make you feel like
you are stuck in the kitchen the whole day babysitting your pot.

One-pot meals come in all shapes and sizes, but all with the common concept of putting a variety of ingredients into one cooking pot and then setting it and forgetting it.  There’s no anxiety-ridden moment about getting the timing right so that the various components of your meal are ready at the same time. This is, of course, a relief for all those who aren’t that proficient in the kitchen. Best of all, instead of a sink full of
dirty pots and pans to scrub after dinner, there is only one pot to clean.

For an every day dinner try my Tuscan Eggplant, Tomato & Chickpea Stew.  There is nothing more Italian in my very non-Italian mind than putting together eggplant and tomatoes. It is this quintessential pairing that makes this vegetarian stew so hearty and delicious. Adding the chickpeas or any other legume, gives it an old-world Tuscan flavor and heartiness, reminiscent of what the farmers, working the beautiful countryside, enjoy as their midday meal. I make this dish for lunch, and usually sauté some dark chicken cutlets and/or stew meat to add to the pot for dinner the next night.

Italian Wedding Soup – The term “wedding soup” is a mistranslation of the Italian minestra maritata, which is a reference to the fact that green
vegetables and meats go well together (“married”). I am not sure that in Italy they actually serve such a soup at weddings.  However, I will say that the marriage of meatballs, pasta, vegetables and flavor makes this soup a dish that my family  loves any night of the week.  It is a great twist on the classic American-Italian meatball and spaghetti dish that kids will devour!

Watch Jamie Geller show you how simple it is to make her Kosher Deli Roll.

As a general rule, chowders are laden with heavy cream and butter.  An 8oz serving of your average corn chowder packs 13 grams of fat (6 of which are saturated).  It also typically takes an hour to cook.  So if you ever needed a reason to avoid putting corn chowder on your menu, I just gave you two.  But I recently made a healthy and raw vegan corn chowder that tastes great!  While this recipe doesn’t require any cooking and is really good cold, which is how I am able to include it in this link up, it can also be gently warmed in the microwave or stove top.  With the heat of summer approaching and a need for easy, plan-ahead Saturday lunch and third meal options, I’m going cold.

I discovered this soup when I was reviewing a fabulous cookbook, Raw & Simple.  I loved how easy it was to make, how tasty it was and how it was filling enough for dinner.  I have added this recipe into our regular rotation and we have been enjoying it at least once a month.  It goes well with Mexican food and you can always add a bean and cheese quesadilla or soft taco when you need a little something more.

At under 200 calories a serving and less than 2 grams of fat you can enjoy this guilt-free soup all summer long and still fit into your favorite swimsuit.  I’ve been using frozen corn for convenience, but I can’t wait for corn season to really see how this soup can be enjoyed at its very best. It would also be fun to serve in shot glasses during a summertime party, I guarantee a lot of happy guests!

Get my recipe for Vegan Corn Chowder.

No matter how you slice it, pizza has gone mainstream and is now one of the most popular fast foods in North America.  Pizza was first made popular in the United States by soldiers who brought the concept back from Italy at the end of World War II. The literal translation for pizza is “pie,” but pizza pie is generally savory, not sweet. Pizza is usually round in shape and is made from crispy, yet tender yeast dough topped with
tomato sauce, grated mozzarella cheese and various toppings such as bell peppers, mushrooms, onions, even anchovies. Different cheeses can be used: goat cheese, feta, Monterey Jack, Swiss and Parmesan.

Gourmet-style pizzas might be topped with shiitake, porcini or Portobello mushrooms, roasted peppers, artichoke hearts, hearts of palm, capers, salsa, tomato slices, sun-dried tomatoes, zucchini slices, fresh or dried herbs (basil, oregano, rosemary, thyme), sliced red onions or leeks, partly cooked eggplant slices, chopped spinach, garlic slivers, blanched broccoli, cauliflower or asparagus, grilled potato slices, green or black olives, even smoked salmon and cream cheese!

Pizza comes in various sizes and shapes – from mini pizzas which make excellent appetizers to large rectangular family sized pizzas baked on a sheet pan and then cut into squares. The crust can be thin and crispy, thick and chewy, or somewhere in between.  The dough is usually made with all-purpose flour but you can use a combination of all-purpose and whole wheat flours. Spelt flour has a slightly sweet, nutty flavor but it
works well as an alternative to all-purpose flour in pizza dough.

Pizza is usually baked on a round metal pan ranging in diameter from 12 to 15 inches, with a shallow, rounded raised rim.  If you prefer thick crusted pizza, there are deep-dish pizza pans with 2″ sides. Perforated pizza pans have dozens of small holes to allow moisture to escape and create even browning. Don’t expect great results if you bake pizza on a disposable foil pizza pan – the crust won’t brown properly and will be
pale and doughy.

Baking pizza in the lower third of the oven helps create a nicely browned, crispy crust. Pizza dough can even be grilled on a BBQ about 4 or 5 minutes on the first side, then flipped over, topped with tomato sauce, grated mozzarella cheese and grilled vegetables, then cooked a few minutes longer, until the cheese is melted and golden.

Rosemary Focaccia with Other Appetizer Options

Focaccia is an Italian flatbread made from yeast dough that has been rolled very thin and shaped into a large, flat rectangle or smaller ovals. The dough is then generously brushed or drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with salt. Slits are cut into the dough or indentations can be made with your fingertips. The indentations are often stuffed with fresh rosemary or other fresh herbs before baking. Focaccia makes an excellent accompaniment to soups or salads and also is delicious served as an appetizer.

Pizza Pinwheels

This article was originally published in Joy of Kosher with Jamie Geller Magazine (Bitayavon Summer issue 2012) – to get more recipes like these and more pizza variations subscribe now!

Salads are a great way to get in your daily dose of veggies. If you’re aiming for a light and healthy meal, you may think choosing a salad is a no-brainer. Although this CAN be the case, if made incorrectly, salads can contain more calories and fat than wanted. Whether you prefer making your own chopped salad, or going to the local deli and having them assemble it for you, it IS possible to make a super-nutritious salad that’s even waist-friendly. Here’s how to do it:

Start with a hearty foundation.

Start by choosing a base for your salad that provides important nutrients like folic acid and lutein. Ditch the iceberg lettuce for baby spinach or mixed greens for added vitamins and minerals. Plus, even if you chop up the big spinach leaves, you will still get all of the health benefits!

Load on the veggies.

Pile your favorite fresh vegetables on top of your greens for 25 calories or less per ½-cup serving. Paint the rainbow! Choose a variety of colors to get the most health benefits- think red and green bell peppers, broccoli, carrots, tomatoes, cucumbers, and onions. You get extra points for bright-colored vegetables as these are high in antioxidants. Tomatoes, for example, contain lycopene and beta-carotene which are carotenoids that act as antioxidants.

Top it with protein.

While the fiber in the vegetables can provide some satiety, protein is a great way to make sure your salad has some staying power. If you’re opting for animal protein, select a lean source such as skinless chicken or turkey breast, water-packed light tuna, wild salmon, or lean steak. Three ounces is the perfect portion size. If you prefer a plant-based protein source, choose half a cup of cubed tofu or ¾ cup of beans (chickpeas, kidney beans, or black beans).

Add some fat and flavor.

Fat is necessary for absorbing many of the nutrients in this salad, specifically the vitamin A and vitamin K found in the spinach and added veggies. Queue: salad dressing. The dressing that you choose can ultimately make-or-break your salad. When ordering a salad, it is best to request the dressing on the side so that you can control your own portion. Whenever possible, choose light, low-calorie, or low-fat options. I prefer making my own vinaigrette using one part olive oil and three parts vinegar mixed with some mustard, lemon juice, or spices for added flavor.

*And now for one of my favorite summer salads… This recipe is light and refreshing. It is perfect for a beach barbeque or backyard party.

Enjoy my Strawberry Spinach Salad

For more great salad recipes and ideas to help Build Your Own Salad Bar click here.

Based on everything I read and hear from my friends and neighbors, Father’s Day often involves grilling hot dogs and hamburgers. That’s also what I ate, growing up, when we spent every Father’s Day at my Uncle Herb’s house.

But those days are long gone. My daughters and their husbands come to my house for the Father’s Day weekend and, to tell the truth, the men would really rather have something else.

In fact, they prefer to eat un-grilled.

My husband Ed would much rather have Chinese food.

He would always rather have Chinese food.

Kung Pao Gai Ding (Peanut Chicken)

And he would specifically wish for Kung Pao Gai Ding (Chicken with Peanuts). Of course he’d also love some homemade egg roll, fried rice and Sichuan Beef with Orange Flavor. But with the free-for-all going on in my house when the children plus 5 grandchildren come, that’s impossible.

Stuffed Cabbage

Especially because one of my sons-in-law would really really really like Stuffed Cabbage with his Kung Pao rather than an all-Chinese menu. It’s like a combination plate I suppose.

Jesse loves when I serve Chinese food and he loves my modern, innovative recipes. But every once in a while, you know, you need to go back to the source — the Ashkenazi Jewish source — for some old fashioned comfort. And for him that means Stuffed Cabbage.

Because Father’s Day is for the men, so, okay. No problem. He’s going to get his wish. I already made the Stuffed Cabbage and have it in the freezer.

Brownie Cookies

My other son-in-law is one of those wonderful souls who eats whatever I make. Isn’t that a pleasure? So Greg has absolutely no problem feasting on the Kung Pao plus Stuffed Cabbage potpourri.

But Greg always wants something with chocolate for dessert. Every time he and his family stay over I make some chocolate dessert hoping it’s the perfect one. Brownies. Cake. Mousse. Black Bottom Pie. He likes them all but to tell the truth I haven’t created chocolate nirvana for him yet.

I’m hoping to do it this time with Brownie Cookies. I got the recipe from an online friend, Jami Curl, who owns the St. Cupcake bakery in Portland, Oregon and writes a blog called Sprinklefingers. This recipe is marvelous, so I am passing it on.

Get the recipes:

Kung Pao Gai Ding

Brownie Cookies

Stuffed Cabbage

The 2nd annual Long Island Kosher BBQ Championship at Temple Beth Torah in Westbury hosted 22 teams and thousands of visitors this past Sunday on a gorgeous sunny day. The Joy of Kosher team including Tamar Genger, Executive Editor of JoyofKosher.com, Shifra Klein, Editor-in-Chief of Joy of Kosher Magazine and Shlomo Klein, Chief Marketing Officer of Joy of Kosher Magazine joined over 30 others to judge this year’s competition which was sponsored by Fairway Market.

Back in 2010 I first wrote about the Asbee Kosher BBQ Championship in Memphis, then in it’s 22nd year and still going strong today.  It is amazing how much kosher BBQ has grown since then. As news of Asbee spread more cities decided to start their own competition and today there are several cities from Atlanta to Kansas City to Alabama and New York with their own Kosher BBQ championships and the Jewish people couldn’t be happier.

There were 22 teams participating in this year’s championship hailing from Long Island, Kansas City, Atlanta, Washington DC, Albany and Bridgeport.  Teams were judged on the creativity of their names as well as how they decorated their booths and many got very creative.  Team names ranged included Fifty Shades of Flayshick, OU Gotta Taste This Q, Macher Meats, Jew-nited States of BBQ, Hakadosh BBQ, Korbonos Kings, RaBBi-Q and 4 Moyals and a BrisKit, here are few pictures of some of the booths.

Then of course there was the food.

If you are wondering what it is like to be a judge, I can tell you that judging a BBQ championship is not very lady like, no forks allowed.   Somehow I did manage to stay clean with the help of many wipes, not to mention all the jokes I got for using a toothpick during the first round.  At least they did offer spoons for the beans.

Here is Fleish Gordon at the judges table, he dressed for the occasion.

I was also joined by Hadassah Sabo Milner from In The Pink, Ilan Kornblum from Great Kosher Restaurants Magazine and Dani Klein from YeahThatsKosher.com, hope to see you all again next year.

In addition to the championship, there was a pickle-eating contest, a basketball skills tournament (got to work off all that food) and Kids play zone filled with bounce houses, face painting and more.

Finally, here are the winners.

Team Name: Grillin’ Tefillin
Best Booth: Grillin’ Tefillin
Beans: Uncle Mordy and the Meatzva Girlz
Chicken: Shloimy’s Shmoke House
Ribs: Grillin” Tefillin
Brisket: Hakadosh BBQ

Grand Champion: Grillin’ Tefillin

If you missed out on this fabulous event, but still want to get your kosher BBQ fix, find Brisket winner, Hakadosh BBQ at various locations around NY every Sunday this Summer.  Click here for locations and dates.

It is no secret that Jewish and BBQ go together, on this year’s Food Network Star, contestant Chad Rosenthal describes himself as a “BBQ Jew from Philly” he doesn’t keep kosher, but I am rooting for him, you never know maybe we can get him to join us at next years Kosher BBQ championship.

When I write about Gold’s I get uber nostalgic.  Gold’s Duck Sauce was perhaps my first kitchen lifesaver.  My first proof (to no one other than myself) that YES, I got this!  My first triumph with Hubby back seat cooking right by my side.

About a week into my marriage, as a recovering vegetarian, I found myself staring at this raw chicken, wondering if there is a way to cook it without touching it. Hubby came to my rescue sharing his all-time favorite chicken recipe.  I called it bachelor food until I realized this “recipe” graced many a Shabbos table all over the world.

Apricot Chicken

And the recipe is…  Duck Sauce Chicken. Yup, it’s chicken with duck sauce just slathered over it. Now here was a “recipe” that was just my speed. I actually measured out the exact amount of sauce for your benefit, but in reality I never measure, just eyeball and pour.

Duck sauce chicken was the basis for the concept of my first cookbook and the entire Quick & Kosher brand.  In fact I almost called the book “Duck Sauce Chicken”,  seriously!  But I was talked out if it with reasoning like “people will think it’s just chicken recipes”, or “just Chinese food”.

Sweet and Sour Salmon

The prep time on this recipe is just 3 minutes and that includes 2 minutes and 50 seconds to clean the bird. Otherwise, the recipe takes just 10 seconds—and people love it!

They always ask me what’s on the chicken and I answer,

“Duck sauce.”

And they say, “What else?”

“Nothing.”

“Just duck sauce?”

“Yes, just duck sauce.”

It’s almost embarrassing. But I do have a secret… it’s Gold’s Cantonese Style Duck Sauce.  I have borrowed a generic brand, from my neighbor, once, when I ran out and ooooh, it was NOT the same. It was thinner and not as flavorful and didn’t behave or taste or look like I wanted.  That was just once.  Never again.  So now people know my recipe and my secret ingredient, which really is just as important.  I mean come on, when there are only two ingredients one of which is chicken the second better be a winner.  And Gold’s Duck Sauce is mine.  I have been known to kiss the bottle in thanks!

Here you will find the recipe for my famous Duck Sauce Chicken and more great Gold’s Duck Sauce recipes you should try:

Apricot Chicken

Sweet and Sour Salmon

Orange Chicken Thighs with Beets and Sweets

Sweet and Pungent Asian Roast

***Giveaway*** Now’s your chance to win some of my favorite Gold’s products.  Start by telling me What do you do with Duck Sauce? in the comments below then enter with Rafflecopter.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Photo credit: Melinda Strauss took all the photos in this post, thanks Melinda.

Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post and giveaway as part of a partnership with Gold’s. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

Who is Stella? A remarkable woman from across the world who recently published the most stunning coffee table cookbook with tasty recipes and fascinating stories titled, Stella’s Sephardic Table.   I asked Stella a few questions to help you understand what kind of book this is and she eagerly shared a few of her favorite recipes with us too.

I was fascinated by your rich history that you shared in the book, can you give our readers a quick little teaser of where you come from and why you wrote this book?

I grew up in Southern Rhodesia, now Zimbabwe, a world away from Rhodes Island, Greece and Turkey – the birthplaces of my parents. From an early age I was immersed and deeply drawn to the soulful cuisine and enduring culture of the Jews of Rhodes – the Rhodeslis.

I was further inspired by the tales of my great grandfather, Yaacov Capouya, a Rabbi of Rhodes. Watching my mother cook I became fascinated by her Ottoman Sephardic prowess. I was also prompted by the successful multiple reprints of a concise cookbook I co-authored – “Sephardi Cuisine”, published by our Community in Zimbabwe.

In the 1980s my children Claude and Monique Levy left Zimbabwe to further their studies in the US, where they still live and are blessed with children. On my frequent visits they urged me to document and update our Rhodesli family recipes more fully and include our customs that are slowly vanishing.

My intention in writing this book was to dedicate it as a tribute to the Jewish women of Rhodes who were exterminated by the Nazi genocide in 1944.

When did you first learn to cook?

Ironically it was only as a newlywed that I frantically learned to cook. Until then I had been pursuing a career in economics!

What is your earliest cooking memory?

My earliest cooking memory was as a young child, sharing mealtimes with three generations of extended family and often friends. As my sister and I entered our house back from school, enticing aromas of our Ottoman Sephardic cuisine permeated with smells of a simmering lentil stew or fragrant cumin from sizzling kebabs being char grilled. The heady scent of rosewater wafting from a sublime rice pudding bubbling on the stove would also often greet us. These familiar smells could have been from the kitchen of my ancestors from the old city of Rhodes. It was however, that of my home set in tropical Africa.

Meatballs Poached in a Fresh Tomato Sauce

What is your favorite recipe? Will you share it with us?

It is impossible to have one favourite recipe from such a culinary wealth that dates back from Medieval Spain and that of the Levant. A family favourite, loved by my 86-year old mother right down to her great grandchildren, is meatballs poached in a fresh tomato sauce. This makes a wonderful dish for a casual family gathering, served with a Spanish fried rice pilaf and a green salad.

Turnovers with Vegetable Filling

What do you feel is the most important recipe for it’s historical significance? Will you share it?

From a historical significance the scrumptious array of savoury pastries that hark back to Medieval Spain showcase an important section of our home cooking. In particular are the crispy turnovers, called bourekas. These enticing pies are made with a cheese pastry encasing a variety of delectable vegetable fillings evolved from the empanadas of the Spanish Moors. In the 15th Century the Jewish Iberian exiles blended this pie with the Turkish borek to create the popular and acclaimed bourekas, now found throughout the Middle East and Israel. Of all the savoury pie
making they are the quickest and easiest to prepare.

Fried Marinated Fish

For someone new to Sephardic cooking, what is a good dish to start with? 

The pea stew, eggs poached with tomatoes, or fried marinated fish may be good Sephardic dishes to begin with.

Here is a recipe of pan fried fish fillets marinated in a lemon, garlic and fresh herb sauce which is an easy dish that can be made hours or even a day ahead. Chill in the fridge to allow the flavours to meld and return to room temperature before serving. I like to prepare this on a Friday ready to be served for the Saturday Sabbath lunch with a potato salad.

Thank you so much to Stella for sharing this amazing story and cookbook with all of us.  I know we will all enjoy this sampling of recipes, but to really get the full experience, I recommend buying the book -Stella’s Sephardic Talbe.

Fried Marinated Fish

Turnovers with Vegetable Filling

Meatballs Poached in Tomato Sauce

****Now is your chance to win a copy!!!  I still recommend buying it, because it makes a fantastic gift.  Let us know what Sephardic recipe you are interested in trying in the comments below and enter with all the options here with rafflecopter with many chances to win.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Summertime is upon us! For many, the name of the game is BBQs and parties. With the revival of the cocktail culture a la the 1920s, American consumers are increasingly making cocktails a centerpiece of their soirees.

But what about those of us in the kosher world? Many of the classic cocktail ingredients have at best dubious kashrut or are downright non-kosher. However, this is changing; many companies are producing alternative ingredients that are good approximations of their classic counterparts, along with the requisite kashrut certification! I wanted to look at three classic cocktails surrounding gin (a year-round mainstay for me, but especially during the warmer months!), and provide kosher alternative ingredients.

First, the base itself. There are kosher-certified gins on the market (such as 209) but many gins on the market are considered fine with or without certification. The main problem is to ensure that the spirit used to make the gin is not grape spirit. Artisanal gins have opened up the spectrum of flavors and make cocktails a fun experiment to find your favorite tipple.

Perhaps the king of the summer gin cocktails is the Negroni, named after an Italian count who requested the original cocktail. The recipe is 1 part gin (I really like Breuckelen Glorious Gin for this), 1 part sweet vermouth (Kedem is the only kosher brand on the market currently), and 1 part Campari. Here’s where things get tricky: unless your Campari is produced in Israel, it is not kosher. However one of my favorite alternate-brand companies, Luxardo, has come to the rescue. Their “Bitter” aperitif is certified by the London Beis Din and is a very good approximation of the classic counterpart. The preparation is very simple: stir everything together in a glass with ice and garnish with a lemon peel. Bright and citrusy and just enough bitterness to keep everything in check, one of my all-time favorites, even over the martini.

For those of you who cannot do without a martini, here’s a summertime variation called the Alberto Martini. I like a drier style of gin, so a classic like Bombay or Beefeater may be better suited for this one, but there’s no need to buy more than maybe one or two types of gins for your bar. The recipe calls for 1 ¼ shot of gin, 1 ¼ shot of dry vermouth (again, Kedem), 1 shot of Tio Pepe fino Sherry (they make a kosher Tio Pepe), and ½ shot of Cointreau. Stir everything together in a shaker with ice (DO NOT follow James Bond’s instructions!), and strain into a chilled martini glass. The sweetness from the vermouth and the Cointreau balance out the dryness of the gin and the sherry’s salty assertiveness.

For large parties, I like to make a punch, and Gin can make a refreshing one! A classic gin punch calls for 2 parts gin, ¾ part lemon juice, ¾ part simple syrup, 2 parts chilled mineral water, and a dash of Angostura bitters (London Beis Din certified). If you are making individual servings, shake everything together with ice and strain into an ice-filled glass. If you’re making mass quantities, shake everything except the bitters; hit each glass with a dash of bitters as you’re serving.

Gin makes an excellent base for so many cocktails, and with more kosher cocktail ingredients coming onto the market, these cocktails are becoming more accessible. And like with any recipe, feel free to experiment! Try using sparkling water in your punch instead of mineral. Want a little more sweetness in your martini, add some more Cointreau (or use less if you want it drier). A dash of bitters will brighten up any cocktail (and it’s fun to cook with, too!). Don’t be afraid to come up with your own concoctions, as half the fun is sharing with friends. L’chayim!

Finding the perfect gift can become a real guessing game. Some people become overwhelmed with doubt, unsure whether the gift they choose will be appropriate and appreciated. Yet one thing that is always sure to please is a present made with a personal touch, chock-full of love. For the modern day foodie, the go-to DIY gift is, naturally, a gourmet treat.

And there is no better place to start than with homemade flavored olive oil, also known as infused oil. It is a quick yet sophisticated option to be
given out at various holidays and occasions: At dinner parties or birthdays, as housewarming gifts, or “just thinking of you.” You will be giving more than a fantastic kitchen staple that can be used for salads, sauces, garnishes and more; it will be a gift of your time, thought, and little bit of yourself too.

Anything goes really, just follow the basic guide in one of these recipes and use your favorite flavors.  To get you started try:

Infused Chili Oil

Basil and Garlic Oil

For more edible gift ideas for Father’s day click here.

As seen in Joy of Kosher with Jamie Geller (Bitayavon Summer 2012) – Subscribe Now

Let’s get spicy.

I’m talkin’ burn your mouth on fire spicy. Can you handle it?

If you can, read on about my Harissa journey…

Harissa is a traditional North African/Tunisian condiment. I wanted to keep my harissa spicy enough to be authentic, but manageable for my taste buds. Armed with my ingredient list, I went to my local grocery store to buy my spicy peppers. I asked the man unpacking vegetables how he makes harissa. It is one of his favorite condiments and he wished me a joyful good luck making this dish. Smiling, he must have known I was picking the spiciest peppers unknowingly about to burn my mouth and bring tears to my eyes. I was supposed to buy only one habenero pepper, and I bought four. Followed directions for the ingredients of the recipe I found, but with the wrong peppers!!

So wonderful readers, when you set out to make harissa, shop SMARTLY. Learn your peppers beforehand! Harissa, when made correctly, is an incredibly flavorful sauce that is so versatile.

Try it with scrambled eggs or as a marinade for meat/chicken/ fish. Or follow my lead and try  your favorite Chummus recipe with Harissa or my inventive Sauteed Pasta with Harissa (using wonton wrappers).

Harissa Sauteed Pasta

Even though my mouth burned because of the pepper’s heat, I craved the spice the very next day. Go harissa!

Harissa Recipe