Review

When I first discovered frozen cubes of ginger, garlic and herbs from Dorot at the local kosher market, I couldn’t believe it.  What a great idea!  It’s about time someone came out with an easy to use alternative to dried herbs or jarred garlic.  How many times had I bought a huge bouquet of dill for chicken soup, only to find a bag of mush on the bottom of my fridge a few weeks later?  These Dorot cubes give the taste of fresh garlic and herbs, without the chopping and the waste.

Charoset with Ginger

Dorot is named for the kibbutz in Israel where the idea was hatched.  Like all great ideas, the inspiration for crushed garlic came as an answer to a clear consumer need.  About 30 years ago one of the kibbutz members turned his home into the first experimental laboratory and worked on what would years later become Dorot’s flagship product, frozen crushed garlic. The first plant for crushed garlic production was established in Kibbutz Dorot in 1992, in a caravan.  And the rest, as they say—is history!

Seder Matzah Ball Soup

Dorot Garlic & Herbs come in 7 varieties, Crushed Garlic, Chopped Basil, Chopped Parsley, Chopped Cilantro, Crushed Ginger, Chopped Dill, and even Chopped Chili, no more “chilified” fingers burning your eyes.  Dorot picks, chops and packages all its products while they are still fresh and tasty so they retain all their natural flavor.   They are easy to use one cube at a time — like miniature ice cubes and they last for 2 years in your freezer.  But I’m guessing they won’t last long in yours!

Dorot Leek Pancake

On Passover, the challenge is adding vibrant flavors with so many restrictions and an off limits spice cabinet.  Here are some fabulous kosher for Passover recipes from the Dorot chefs that will make your Passover herbalicious!

Main Image – Coconut Cream & Ginger Tower

More Recipes from Dorot -

Seder Chicken Soup with Matzo Balls

Slices of Beef Fillet

Chopped Liver

Beef Bourguion

Roasted Lamb with Artichoke Hearts

Herb Leek Pancake with Aioli

 Chopped Liver

Charoset with Ginger

Roasted Chicken with Peach Chutney and Cilantro

Many more recipes are available online at www.mydorot.com – for Passover and other holidays.

I am in love.

Yes I know, again.

Sometimes I just can’t help myself. In this case I actually feel like I didn’t have a choice. The restaurant chose me.

Tamar and I were wrapping up a late (read: very late, missed the kids’ bedtime kinda late) night at the office in BP- that’s Boro Park – in BK – that’s Brooklyn.

So we decide to reward ourselves for a hard day’s work that goes so way beyond the 9 to 5 it’s scary, and on a rainy dark night we drove across BK (thinking it would take us 5 minutes because we ain’t from these parts) and 40 minutes later (admittedly most of the time was spent looking for parking) we arrived at Basil, the then new restaurant in Crown Heights.

Now, I love Tamar too. Because Hubby will never accompany me to a milchig restaurant (why would he when he can eat a steak the size of my head) so I have to rely on true friends like Tamar to join me on what I like to call…research.

We ate some nice apps like Polenta Fries with Sun-dried Tomato Caper Mayo, great pastas like Cannelloni with Mushrooms, Pencil Asparagus and Parmesan Cream and great desserts like Lavender Dusted Funnel Cake with Basil Ice Cream. And yes you read right we ordered lots to share. And, yes, that funnel cake was like a gourmet retro throwback to my youth. Those hot summer days at the theme park watching the guy with the funny hat make and dust the funnel cake with confectioner’s sugar. And you know how nothing can be as good as your memory?  Well, this grown-up version was better.

But, the Pièce de résistance…

The reason to travel back there even if takes 4 hours in the rain and you can’t find parking so you have to eat in the car…

Their wood oven pizza.

More specifically…

The Bosc Pear & Blue Cheese with Arugula Pizza

Now when I tell you I dream about this pizza I do not lie. When I tell you it inspired a recipe in my new cookbook I do not lie. When I tell you that in my over 3 decades on this earth it may be one of the single most exquisite things I have eaten, I do not lie. The crust is thin, the pear slices paper thin, the blue cheese with just the right balance of cream and tang the piled high peppery arugula so fresh I am convinced they ripped it from the ground just before serving me.

Next time, though, as much as I love Tamar, I don’t want to share my pizza.

(Main Image from Basil’s website)

Last year, Amy’s debuted a new line of frozen meals under the ‘Light & Lean’ label.  Amy’s has been providing high quality and affordable organic frozen foods from spinach or pizza pockets (my kids’ personal favorites), burritos, frozen dinners and more.  All their products are organic, vegetarian, and made without the use of trans fats or GMOs.

Company co-founder and Amy’s mom, Rachel Berliner, started the company to help busy families create healthful and quick meals.    Amy’s products have always been free of meat, eggs, trans fats and corn syrup, but now they are expanding to meet the needs of a wider array of special dietary needs.  They have vegan and gluten free products and this new line of frozen meals have fewer calories and less fat for those trying to lose weight or reduce their sodium intake.

This new low calorie line contains less than 300 calories, 5 grams of fat and 590 mg of sodium.  It started with 4 varieties: Pasta & Veggies, Spinach Lasagna, Soft Taco Fiesta, and Black Bean & Cheese Enchilada and expanded  to  5 more just 6 months after launch, including a Bean & Cheese Burrito, Roasted Polenta with chard, Spaghetti Italiano, 3 Cheese Penne Marinara, and Sweet & Sour Asian Noodle.

I recently had a chance to taste the 5 new varieties and was pleasantly surprised.  To be honest, I don’t usually eat frozen dinners, but when I was going to and from work every day it is nice to know there is something nutritious in the freezer.   The polenta dish was just like something I would have made myself, this dish however was a little too light for me, at only about 150 calories, it was tasty but left me still hungry.  The Sweet & Sour Asian Noodle bowl didn’t look so promising when I opened it up, but once cooked and mixed it was surprisingly flavorful and filling – pretty close to the local Chines take-out.  Even the frozen veggies were pretty good.  The burrito is a great easy lunch.  Both pasta dishes came out better than expected, too.  The pasta retained a good texture and the flavor of the sauce was very good, it may not look like mama mia’s when it comes out of the microwave, but give it a nice mix and you will have a quick meal ready to eat.

Most Amy’s products are certified kosher by Ner Tamid K, please check the packaging to confirm.

Over eighteen months in the making, the Bais Yaakov Cookbook features recipes from contributors representing over three hundred Bais Yaakovs worldwide.  It is as much a tribute to the Bais Yaakov movement as it is a cookbook.  Proceeds from the cookbook will benefit the Fund for Jewish Education, which benefits numerous charitable institutions and schools in the Unites States and Israel.

Apple Buns

The Bais Yaakov Cookbook combines over 200 recipes, gorgeous graphics and important Halacha and Hashkofoh.   The book begins with a pictoral history of Sara Schenirer and the Bais Yaakov Movement.  Bais Yaakov went from a small school in a one room apartment into the world famous Bais Yaakov Seminary of Krakow producing teachers who spread Torah education for women throughout Poland and beyond.

Shiitake Beef and Barley Soup

In 1937 Vichna Kaplan arrived in America with a dream to establish the Bais Yaakov Movement on this side of the Atlantic.  She worked tirelessly to convince American Jews that just as Jewish schools for boys were imperative to the survival of Judaism, Jewish schools for girls were equally critical.  In 1944, the first all day Bais Yaakov school opened.  Today there are hundreds of schools providing a Jewish education to thousands of girls, a true realization of a dream.

Roasted Vegetables and Pastrami Salad

The Bais Yaakov movement may have originated from Poland, but the recipes in this book are from all over the globe.  There is no cholent recipe, only three kugels and only one challah recipe at the beginning of the book that is more of a tribute to Rebbetzin Kanievsky.  The only gefilte fish is Hot Gefilte Fish with Tomato Sauce and Bell Peppers, not your Bubbe’s gefilte.  The recipes range from Grilled Beef Rolls with Scallion Dipping Sauce to Cigars, Kebabs, Potato Duo Soup and so on.  The recipes use easily found ingredients and are simple to prepare.

Cream Filed Cannoli

In addition to the 200+ recipes, there is a 25 page guideline of Halacha written by Rabbi Daniel Neustadt .  He covers most of the issues you will encounter in a contemporary kosher kitchen, from checking fruits and vegetables to how to use an oven for dairy and meat.  There is a guide for brachos and a comprehensive guide to shopping for meat, wine cookware etc.

As a Jewish woman, I am proud of the trailblazing efforts of such luminaries as Sara Schenirer  and Vichna Kaplan to fight for Torah education for girls.  It is an honor and privilege to remember their faith when preparing recipes from this delightful cookbook.

Shiitake, Beef and Barley Soup

Roasted Vegetables and Pastrami Salad

Apple buns

Crème Filled Cannoli

A few weeks ago, I discovered Zachlawi Fig Arak on Facebook.  I thought it sounded interesting and wondered what Arak was.  The next day I saw it in a friend’s house. Isn’t it weird how you discover something new and then you see it everywhere?  I sampled this sweet, strong fig Arak.  It was absolutely delicious and I had to learn more.

Arak is a Middle Eastern aniseed flavored liqueur with a long history.   It is made by fermenting grapes, dates, sugar, plums or figs with water, aniseed and sometimes more sugar.  It is usually served ice cold: 1/3 Arak to 2/3 water and ice.  As water is added, the Arak becomes milky in color which is why it is sometimes referred to as “Milk of Lions”.  It can also be mixed with fruit juice or tea.  Since fig Arak is a little sweeter than clear Arak, it can be enjoyed straight up.  It is best served alongside Mezze — middle eastern appetizers like Stuffed Grape Leaves or Hummus and Pita.

In 2005, Marty Kairey, a New Jersey resident with a Syrian-Sephardi background, decided to commercially distill his own Arak in an artisanal Jersey shore distillery under the brand name Zachlawi.

I asked Marty, what drove him to make Arak and he told me “When I was first married my wife and I lived in Flatbush, Brooklyn.  My landlord was an old sage from Aleppo, Syria.  Mr. Srour would buy cases of raisins and ferment them.  He would then cook the mash with Aniseed in a stove top ‘Kirke’ or pot still.  I remember Mr. Srour controlling the flames that would shoot out from the gas burners with a couple of bricks. Thinking back, it was a wonder it never exploded.”

“Anyway,” Kairey continued, “my desire to reach back to my heritage sparked my curiosity and I picked up the ancient craft of making Arak.  My education went from moonshining to industry training and finally when I opened my own distillery, I hired Roy Emerson of Seagram’s Canada to work with me and train me in my apprenticeship as a master distiller.”

Most commercially available Arak is distilled with molasses, as a less expensive alternative for mass production.  Marty decided quality was the most important thing and he makes his product with fresh natural ingredients.  He makes a traditional Arak, a Fig Arak and a very small production of single cask Arak.  All Zachlawi products are certified Kosher for Passover by the OU.

At 80-proof, Arak is not for the light hearted, but the fruit does shine through and it is the perfect complement to any Purim seudah.

It’s has been a pretty mild winter, so when the folks over at Jolly Llama offered to share their new ice pops, I thought why not.  After all, they are made from real whole fruit just like my own popsicles.  They come in six different flavors: Raspberry, Mango, Blueberry, Strawberry, Peach, and Banana Coconut. Instead of the dripping mess my popsicles leave behind, these squeeze up pops only dirty my kids faces.  I can handle that.

Jolly Llama starts with the belief that frozen treats should be made with only the healthiest, highest quality ingredients.  The founder, Scott Jacobson is a French Culinary Institute trained chef who created a different fruit sorbet flavor every day at his restaurant, more than 400 flavors.  He wanted to bring those creations outside of his restaurant and Jolly Llama was born.  And if you are wondering about the name, Scott heard on the news that the Dalai Lama was in town and it reminded him of the gentle farm llamas he’d watched as a child.  He was struck by the play on words:  Jolly Llama, the Peaceful Treat.

These pops are good, they are not too sweet and really taste like real fruit.  My kids loved them at least as much as I did and when I asked them if they would choose one of those blue ice pops they get at camp or one of these natural pops they all chose Jolly Llama.  If I only I could get the camp to make the change.

These pops are similar to The Power of Fruit frozen fruit bars I discovered last year, both use real fruit and little to no sugar.   The main difference is these are sorbet pops and the consistency is smoother.  Both are excellent choices for taste and health.

 Jolly Llama – The Peaceful Treat Real Fruit Sorbet Squeezeups are Dairy Free, Fat Free, Gluten Free, average of 80 calories each, 50% of Vitamin A & C.  They are certified kosher by the Orthodox Union (OU) and are available in many health food stores.

As a kosher observant Jew, the doors to the best restaurants in the world remain a fantasy, however I love to discover recipes and menu ideas from the world’s top chefs that I can try and recreate at home.  You can only imagine my excitement when I learned Ferran Adria was publishing a cookbook devoted to home cooking.  Ferran Adria was the chef and creative genius behind the number one restaurant in the world, El Bulli.

In 1984, at the age of 22, Adria joined the kitchen staff of El Bulli and only 18 months later he became Head Chef.  Shortly afterward, he began a culinary exploration that put him and the restaurant at the top of the culinary world.  El Bulli had 3 Michelin stars and won the title of World’s Best Restaurant five times. Ferran Adria’s legendary talent, creativity and gastronomic innovations have inspired chefs and food-lovers for years.   El Bulli closed its doors on July 30, 2011, and will re-open in 2014 as the El Bulli Foundation, a creative center and think tank for creative cuisine and gastronomy.

While Adria is known for innovative and “modernist” cuisine, the recipes in The Family Meal are easy to prepare and meant for family dining.  Adria wrote this book based on the dishes eaten every day by the staff of El Bulli.  The book features nearly 100 recipes and menus that anyone can prepare.  It was also created to ensure that the dishes are affordable and that most of the ingredients are widely available at local supermarkets.

The Family Meal is organized into three-course menus, with an appetizer, a main and a dessert, so you can prepare a well-balanced meal at home – without fuss.  It is like no other cookbook in the way it presents each recipe.  The instructions are shown with numerous step-by-step full color photographs and include conversions to prepare the meal for 2, 6, 20 or up to 75 people.

Over the past few years at El Bulli, Adria reinvented the staff meal.  Most restaurants don’t put much thought into their staff’s food, but Adria wanted his staff to eat well.   He needed these meals to be nutritious and affordable for the 75 plus staff at the restaurant and he wanted a three course meal that could be prepared in less than an hour.  The result of his effort not only fed his staff, but can feed you and your family.  This cookbook showcases 31 kitchen-tested menus.

When I picked up this book I loved the idea of menus that could be prepared in less than hour.  Adria gives recipes for the basics.  All you have to do is stock your fridge with several basic sauces and your meals will come together tastefully in a snap.  He gives a recipe for picada, tomato sauce, sofrito, romesco, pesto, barbecue sauce, teriyaki, chimichurri, and more.  Some of these you can buy in a store, but they are not hard to make from scratch and will stay well in the freezer.

Out of 31 menus only 5 are kosher as is, but many of the recipes can be interchanged and many recipes can be slightly modified to make them work.

I am excited to share meal number 29 form The Family Meal, which includes Soffrito and Picada sauces that you can use in so many other dishes the rest of the week or freeze for another time.   Start with this simple Roasted Vegetables with Olive Oil, onto Salmon Stewed with Lentils, and end with this White Chocolate Cream.

After learning about the connection between chocolate and health, I decided to work to make sure all the chocolate I use for eating and baking has 70% or more cocoa content.  I took a trip to Whole Foods and found a great selection of kosher certified, non-dairy chocolate bars and a 365 brand private label bag of chocolate chunks that will replace chocolate chips in my recipes from now on.

I picked up a bunch of kosher dark chocolate bars and decided to try them all and report my findings.  Tough life, huh?

Scharffen Berger – America’s first contemporary artisan chocolate manufacturer was bought by Hershey in 2005.  They set out to craft the richest, most flavorful chocolate by sourcing the best cacao in the world, blending it in small batches, and gently processing to maintain the subtle flavors.  Well, my kids say, “mission accomplished” — this was their favorite!  I find their chocolate to have a nice flavor and texture for baking, but it doesn’t quite melt in your mouth.

Theo Chocolates is the first Organic and Fair Trade bean to bar chocolate factory in the United States.  The chocolates are made in Seattle where you can go for a factory tour and is certified by Square K.  The vanilla flavors in this bar come through strongly and there is a really nice mouth feel.

Equal Exchange is a chocolate you should all become aware of not just for their quality chocolate, but also for their commitment to supporting worthwhile global causes.  Equal Exchange, is Organic and Fair Trade.  The chocolate is certified kosher in Switzerland, where the chocolate is made.  They are the sole food partner of American Jewish World Service, which is encouraging the Jewish community to buy Equal Exchange chocolate and coffee to support small growers and community-owned cooperatives in the developing world.  In addition, a portion of every pound of coffee or chocolate purchased through their Better Beans label will go to support AJWS’s Reverse Hunger campaign.   They have also given grants to the non-profit Fair Trade Judaica to support their work to promote greater public awareness of social justice issues involved with the global cocoa/chocolate trade.

Schmerling’s is available in most kosher markets, at least those I frequent in New York City.  It is made in Switzerland, certified by the OU and is kosher for Passover.  I tried their 72% dark chocolate and was pleasantly surprised with the texture and lack of bitterness.  It is a quality chocolate I will be happy to have around this Passover.

Taza Chocolate was founded in 2006 in Massachusetts and produces 100% stone ground, organic chocolate using only the best ingredients while compensating growers fairly for their work.  Their products are showing up in more and more stores nationwide and it is a must try.  The stone ground process results in a pleasant, grainy texture that I have not found elsewhere.  The 80% cocoa bar had a deeply satisfying sweetness and red wine notes that accompany each taste were incredible!

I know there are so many more chocolate companies out there, but today I focused on the ones with 70% or more cocoa and were kosher certified parve and I could easily find.  I am sure I will have many more chocolate reviews to come.  What is your favorite chocolate?