Kosher News

This week saw the start of the Chinese New Year 4710. Each year in a 12 year cycle is assigned to a different animal. This year is the year of the Dragon.  According to legend a person takes on the traits of the year in which s/he was born. I was born in the Year of the Ox – and I can be extremely bull-headed, so there may be some truth to this legend. People born in the year of the Dragon are said to be innovative, brave and full of passion!

At Chinese New Year celebrations people wear red clothes, decorate with poems on red paper, and give children “lucky money” in red envelopes. Red symbolizes fire, which according to legend, can drive away bad luck. The fireworks that shower the festivities are rooted in a similar ancient custom. Long ago, people in China lit bamboo stalks, believing that the crackling flames would frighten evil spirits.

Here are some suggestions for a meal to celebrate the Chinese New Year.

Start off with some delicious appetizers:

Avocado Egg Rolls with Spicy Dipping Sauce
Five Spice Turkey Egg Rolls
Fast and Easy Egg Rolls 
Dim Sum Baskets

Some Main Course Suggestions:

Stir Fried Chicken and Rice with Vegetables
Beef and Vegetable Fried Rice
Vegetable Lo Mein
Mushroom Fried Rice

Dessert:

Fortune Cookies
Almond Cookies

Click for more Chinese Recipes.

Mondays through Thursdays at 5:00 PM EST, we will showcase the best food / kitchen deals of the day. We hope you find them useful. We present to you today’s round up of deals from across the web – including pyrex dishes, a slow cooker and a knife set.

Barnes and Noble: Inside Out Hearts Tea Cup & Saucer Gift Set, 5 oz. Was $49.95 now $39.96! The Inside Out Heart Collection is a whirlwind of femininity and fun. A perfect gift for a bridal or baby shower or to enjoy a wonderful High Tea with the ladies. The cups and saucers are heart shaped which offers a whimsical twist to the collection. Oprah O’s List Winner. Comes in its own satin-lined hatbox with elegant artwork. 5 oz Capacity. 6 Tea cups & 6 saucers. Assorted colors. Fine porcelain

Jewpon: Only $29 for a 1-Year Membership to Kosher Advantage ($60 Value)!! Save Big When You Shop Kosher! Imagine being part of an exclusive club for kosher consumers. Every time you enter your favorite grocery stores, butchers, and restaurants, you just show your membership card to save up to 15% on your food purchases! That’s what shopping is like for members of Kosher Advantage! Get ready to shave up to 15% off your bill at tons of kosher markets and restaurants around the country, including markets like Seasons (formerly Supersol), Park East, Food Showcase, New Roc Glatt, Shaul’s, Best Glatt and many more! You’ll also save when you eat at restaurants like Mike’s Bistro, Mr. Broadway, ETC Steakhouse, China Glatt, and many more. Participating markets and eateries include more than 250 merchants across the U.S. – places like New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Arizona, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Nevada, California and more! A full list is available at www.KosherAdvantage.com/participants.

Amazon: Pyrex Storage 10-Piece Set, Clear with Blue Lids. Reduced from $19.99 to $14.99. Pyrex Storage 10-piece set with lids includes 1-each 3-cup rectangular dish with dark blue plastic cover, 1-each 6-cup rectangular dish with dark blue plastic cover, 1-each 4-cup round dish with dark blue plastic cover, and 2-each 2-cup round dishes with dark blue plastic covers. Pyrex Storage products come with seal tight plastic lids for secure food storage. They are designed for reheating leftovers and convenient refrigerator storage. The durability of Pyrex Storage allows stacking for efficient space utilization. There’s no substitute for Pyrex, the original glass bakeware. Introduced 90 years ago and made of a durable, high temperature material, Pyrex remains the ideal medium for safe, dependable food preparation.

Walmart: Hamilton Beach Stay or Go 6-Quart Slow Cooker. Reduced from $23.00 to $19.98. Designed with portability in mind, the Hamilton Beach Stay or Go 6-Quart Slow Cooker features a gasket lid with new and improved canister-style clips to ensure there will be no spills. With full-grip handles for easy carrying and dishwasher-safe stoneware for quick cleanup, it’s perfect for use at a friend’s home or your own. 6-quart capacity. Accommodates a 6 lb chicken or 4 lb roast. Removable stoneware crock. Sealed lid locks for spill resistance. Dishwasher safe stoneware and lid. High, low and keep warm settings.

HSN: Ingrid Hoffmann by Furi 10-piece Knife Block Set. Reduced from $69.90 to $20.97! Let your inner chef cut loose in the kitchen. Outfit your kitchen for cutting jobs of all kinds with this functional knife set. They all feature Ingrid’s unique, full-tang, stainless steel blade design and comfortable, reverse-wedge handles for sure slicing and a no-slip grip. A matching block keeps them at the ready on your countertop anytime you need to make life Simply Delicioso. What You Get: 7″ cook’s knife; 7″ bread knife; 6″ santoku; 5″ serrated utility knife; (4) 4″ paring knives (one each in blue, green, yellow and burgundy); Kitchen shears; Wooden block; Use and care sheet; Manufacturer’s lifetime limited warranty.

A few weeks ago, I traveled to Atlanta to attend my nephew’s bris.  It was a short trip, but I packed a lot in (and on).  One of the best casual kosher restaurants I’ve been to in a while is Fuego Mundo located in Atlanta, Georgia.

I first heard about Fuego Mundo when someone nominated it for a Best of Kosher Award.  I looked it up and saw that its advertisement as: “A healthy taste of South America”.  With grass fed beef and a wood fire grill I knew it wasn’t going to be hard to convince the rest of our family to give it a try. On Saturday night, you can even catch live music!

My first thought when I arrived was: is this place really kosher?  It is in a shopping plaza and if I wasn’t looking for a kosher restaurant, I would have passed right by.  Owners Masha Hleap-Hershkovitz and her husband Udi Hershkovitz opened the restaurant about two years ago as a non-kosher restaurant offering quality food with a Latin American twist.   A few years later they converted it to a kosher restaurant.  The owner, Masha, said “from the start most of the menu was dairy and gluten free.  In terms of nutrition, one of the worse combinations for your digestive system is combining dairy with meat, so I was happy to find a fusion of Nutrition with Kosher eating, as both are important to me.”  After they opened they immediately gained a nice following especially for lunch, but found that based on their location dinner, was slow.  The area they are in has a growing Orthodox community and not many glatt kosher restaurants to serve them.  They determined that going kosher would benefit them an the local community and so far everyone is happy.

My friends Jay and Dori just came back from visiting family in Georgia and have been raving about Fuego Mundo.  Dori said, “I had one of the best steaks of my life there.”  Jay said, “the wings are the best.”

My family and I shared the Wild Colombian Hotdog – a hot dog with chicken breast, homemade potato straws and pineapple glaze. I never would normally order a hot dog, but this one was about as far from Coney Island as you can get.   We tried the Tres Tapas Specials, a way to mix and match three small plates of your choice, we went with Plantain Chips and Salsa, Baked Beef Pastelito and Spicy Beef and Veal Sausages.  It was all excellent and you can really taste the wood fired flavor.

Our favorite dish was the Churasco Steak Salad, an amazing way to get a carnivore to try a salad. Finally, for dessert we needed just a touch of sweet and had to try Plantain Smore’s, a fried plantain with toasted marshmallow fluff and chocolate chips on top.

We had an awesome time at Fuego Mundo!  If you want S’More, see you in Atlanta! For now, but Masha says, “We are hoping to grow the concept to more cities and make it appealing to Kosher and Non-Kosher consumers alike, we welcome a multi-cultural following.  We are very unique and even before we went Kosher we were the first of its kind restaurant in the USA.  We continue to strive to be the best authentic South American restaurant in American, that is also Healthy & Kosher, and with great service in a casual & friendly world-class environment… a place to enjoy good food and good times.

Photo Credit: Fuego Mundo

In recent years Greek yogurt has become very popular. In Chobani’s New York plant, they produce 1.5 million cases of yogurt each week! In fact, Chobani’s Greek yogurt has become so popular that they are expanding so that they can kick their production up a few notches. Chobani is expanding their current plant, and building a new plant in Twin Falls, Idaho. (Most of Chobani’s flavors are Certified Kosher)

So, let’s examine the difference between regular yogurt and Greek yogurt. Greek yogurt is much thicker than regular yogurt, higher in protein, lower in sugar, it contains more probiotics than regular yogurt (probiotics are dietary supplements containing possibly healthful bacteria or yeasts), it is lower in sodium, has less lactose, and it’s lower in carbohydrates. However, Greek yogurt does contain less calcium than regular yogurt.

Let’s break it down for you:

Greek Yogurt (6 ounces low fat, fruit flavor)
Calories: 160
Total fat: 3 g
Cholesterol: 5 mg
Sodium: 100 mg
Sugar: 19 g
Protein: 14 g
Calcium: 15 percent on a 2,000-calorie diet

Regular Yogurt (6 ounces, low fat, fruit flavor)
Calories: 168
Total fat: 2 g
Cholesterol : 8 mg
Sodium: 90 mg
Sugar: 32 g
Protein: 7 g
Calcium: 30 percent on a 2,000-calorie diet.

How is Greek Yogurt Made?

You know how sometimes you open regular yogurts and there is some liquid on top? Greek yogurt doesn’t have that. Regular yogurt is strained only twice during the production process, whereas Greek yogurt has the excess liquid (whey) strained out of it three times, leaving a much creamier yogurt in its wake and no liquid on top. It is this extra process that is probably what makes Greek yogurt pricier than its regular counterpart.

Greek yogurt is perfect for making tzatziki or dips – it gives a much creamier texture than regular yogurt.

What do you prefer – the creamy Greek yogurt, or the regular one?

Try these recipes:
Grilled Plums with Yogurt Dip
Greek Style Mahi Mahi
Yogurt Cake with Honey Syrup

Sources:

Fox
Sacramento Bee
Chobani
Stonyfield
The Greek Yogurt  
US NEWS

Mondays through Thursdays at 5:00 PM EST, we will showcase the best food / kitchen deals of the day. We hope you find them useful. We present to you today’s round up of deals from across the web – including measuring cups, steak knives and cookware.

Chefs Catalog: MIU Steak Knives Set. Set of 8 reduced from $40 to $19.95. Value-priced knives penetrate thick cuts of meat. The extra-sharp, precision-ground serrated blades on these steak knives are constructed of high-carbon stainless-steel to pierce cleanly and precisely. Glide through veal cuts to T-bone steaks, retaining the juicy moist flavor within the meat. Full tang triple-riveted to the handle adds the strength and balance preferred in a steak knife. Rust- and stain-resistant blade for long-life durability. Dishwasher-safe.

Groupon: Hot-Dog Steamer or Egg Cooker. $15 for a Hero Hot-Dog Steamer or a Henrietta Hen Egg Cooker from Groupon Goods ($34.99 Value). Both the Hero hot-dog steamer and the Henrietta hen egg cooker harness the power of steam to perfectly cook their respective eats in a matter of minutes. The hound-shaped steamer opens to accommodate up to six hot dogs at once and steams them in nine minutes or less. The device barks to alert chefs when the wieners are ready, and then promptly shuts itself off to dream about steaming the mailman to perfection. The decisive cluck of the egg cooker heralds the readiness of up to seven eggs, prepared soft-, medium-, or hard-boiled. Both adorable appliances signal ready-to-eat foods with an indicator light and have dishwasher safe components. 

West Elm: Teacup Measuring Cups. Reduced from $24.00 to $14.99. This set of four red stoneware teacups are actually hardworking measuring cups. Their comfortable handles make doling out dry ingredients a piece of cake. Set of four: 1 cup, 1/2 cup, 1/3 cup, 1/4 cup; each labeled inside the cup. Dishwasher Safe.

Mikasa: Avalon 20 Piece Flatware Set. Reduced from $39.99 to $24.99 (MSRP $60.00) This Mikasa Avalon 20 Piece Flatware Set is crafted from premium 18/0 stainless steel to deliver outstanding beauty and performance. This sleek and contemporary pattern features an elegant wave design that flows through the center of each handle. It will go with any table setting, whether casual, a weekend brunch, or a formal setting. 20 piece set, service for 4, includes 4 each of: dinner fork, salad fork, dinner knife, soup spoon, and teaspoon. Dishwasher safe.

BuySpys: Imperial Home 7pc Carbon Steel Cookware. MSRP $59.95 You pay $17.95! Deal Ends Midnight Tonight EST! The Imperial Home Cookware set in the tasteful burgundy finish adds richness to an essential set of cookware. Each piece in the set is of a carbon steel construction with a non-stick surface and heat resistant Bakelite handles and knobs. What’s included: 3qt Dutch Oven; 1.7qt Sauce pan with tempered glass lid; 1.2qt Sauce pan with tempered glass lid; and an 8.5″ Fry Pan.

Have you ever taken a moment to stop and think about your eating environment, your plates, tablecloths, serving bowls and utensils? If you eat out often, have you ever noticed the color scheme at your favorite restaurant? Color may possibly influence your eating habits.

While it’s obvious that the size of the plate has a correlation to the amount of food that can fit on it, the color of the food and of the plate has a similar effect. Before we bite into anything, we have already assessed the food, and its presentation, with our eyes. Food that looks well-presented will be far more appetizing that an unattractive plate. It is at this time, when we are eating first with our eyes, that food’s color will have an effect.

The color blue is well known as an appetite suppressant (most likely because very few blue foods are found in nature), while white occupies the far end of this spectrum – white apparently encourages mindless eating! Reds, yellows and oranges entice the palate, and green foods makes us think we are eating healthy – no matter what the food actually is!

A recent study shows that if the color of your food matches the color of your plate then one is inclined to eat more, and if they are contrasting colors one will eat less.

To test out this theory sixty adults were randomly tested by Eating Behavior Expert Brian Wansink. At a buffet lunch, they were assigned either to a line for pasta with Alfredo sauce (white sauce) or one for pasta with marinara sauce (red sauce). At random they were handed either a red plate or a white one. Dr Wansink found that those that had matching plates to the pasta in front of them took bigger servings than those who did not.

So next time you sit down to eat, take notice of the colors around you and see whether or not different colors and different foods have an impact on your appetite!

Sources:

Huffington Post
ColorMatters.com
The Kitchn.Com
Scientific American
Van Ittersum, Koert, and Brian Wansink (forthcoming), “Plate Size and Color Suggestibility:The Delboeuf Illusion’s Bias on Serving and Eating Behavior,” Journal of Consumer Research 

Mondays through Thursdays at 5:00 PM EST, we will showcase the best food / kitchen deals of the day. We hope you find them useful. We present to you today’s round up of deals from across the web – including kosher dining, pressure cookers, and a Mikasa dinnerware set!

Jewpon: Fantastic Fleishigs! Only $12 for $20 Worth of Delicious Food to Dine In at Deli Kasbah BBQ & Grill!! Are you a meat and potatoes person? If you prefer a sizzling steak to a piece of pizza and a 100% beef burger to a slice of quiche, then Deli Kasbah BBQ & Grill is the place for you! Your mouth will begin watering as soon as you open the menu. Perhaps you’ll start the meal with our homemade Moroccan beef cigars or our signature Rumaki (pastrami-rolled chicken breast and scallions grilled in our homemade BBQ sauce). Follow it up with Brazilian Butcher’s cut steak, duck sauce grilled chicken steak, the Mount Sinai Burger, Samson’s BBQ Ribs, or the New York City mixed grill! Snatch this Jewpon to get 40% off your next meal at Deli Kasbah! Bring all your favorite fleishigs fans for a real meaty treat!

Groupon: $25 for Sunbeam Chef Pronto 6-Quart Aluminum Pressure Cooker ($49.99 Value). The Chef Pronto 6-quart aluminum pressure cooker by Sunbeam creates an ideal climate for fall-off-the-bone tender meats, hearty soups, and stews. A squeeze of the welded handle breaks the lid’s airtight seal, which traps the screams of vegetables as well as steam rising from boiling liquids to minimize cooking times. A handsome mirror finish aids in spotting would-be bite-stealers sneaking up from behind and is safe to be made shiny again in the dishwasher.

Mikasa: Avalon Dinnerware Set, 16 Piece, Service for 4. MSRP is $120.00- buy now for $79.99! This Mikasa Avalon 16 Piece Dinnerware Set features a reactive glaze finish that gives each piece a handcrafted feel. This stoneware has a warm, inviting look, with a gentle brushed pattern of circling waves that creates depth and movement. 16 piece set, service for 4, includes 4 each: 10-1/2 inch dinner plate, 8 inch salad plate, 24 ounce soup bowl, and 12 ounce mug. Microwave and dishwasher safe.

1saleaday: Lock & Lock Fine Ceramic Bake and Serve 8 Piece Set-Microwave, Oven, Freezer & Dishwasher Safe! Ends Midnight EST tonight! Reduced from $47.00 to $12.99! If you have been a fan of the innovation from Lock & Lock, there is another surprise for you: you can use your Lock & Lock container for baking! With this eight-piece porcelain Bake & Serve Storage Set, you can now bake and serve in the same container without hassle. Ceramic construction of the container makes them ideal for cooking in oven or microwave. Decorated in designs of floral and white, these containers come with easy-to-close matching lids so that you can lock on the lids your leftovers after serving. These containers will be perfect not only for baking but for other cooking and serving needs. You can use them for side dishes, casseroles, stews and more. You can even take your lunch in this stylish and functional container to impress your colleagues!

BuySpys.com: Vinery 1 Harmonious Wine Decanter by Luminarc. Retail: $39.95 You Pay: $14.95 plus shipping. Deal Ends Midnight tonight EST. The voluptuous yet crisp design of this carafe is ideally suited to more mature wines. The wine is aired through the length of the neck, and the carafe’s round design helps ensure perfect service. VINERY is a brand new collection of stemware and wine accessories from Luminarc, developed originally for the food service and restaurant trade. The collection’s composition, a very high quality glass, is a patented formula that combines elegant design and the clarity of fine crystal, but with the strength and break-resistant durability of restaurant quality stemware. For elegance and durability, Vinery is the best value in the market.  Click to learn more about wine.

Can a Starbucks a day keep the doctor away?  Past clinical research has suggested that people who drink 4 or more cups of coffee per day have a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes.  A new study by Chinese researchers share the science behind this finding.

Studies have shown that those who drink four or more cups of coffee per day have a 50 percent lower risk of Type 2 diabetes.  Every additional cup provides another 7 percent decrease in risk. New data by Chinese researchers have cited the protective benefits of three major compounds (Caffeic acid, chlorogenic acid and caffeine) in coffee that inhibit a substance called human islet amyloid polypeptide (hIAPP), which has been linked to diabetes.  They found that decaffeinated coffee contains higher levels of caffeic acid and chlorogenic acid (the compounds with the greatest effect) so benefits may be even better with decaffeinated coffee.

The researchers noted that the study was conducted with cell cultures, so there is no definitive proof yet until further testing in animals and people.  Also, the study was conducted to prove an association between coffee and diabetes, but not a cause and effect.

In the meantime as we away further testing, moderation is the key.  Too much coffee can lead to insomnia, anxiety and upset stomach.  For several tips to reduce your risk of diabetes without a coffeemaker, check out our recent post: 5 ways to lower your risk for diabetes.

Sources: Archives of Internal Medicine

It’s been a busy week, a week full of delicious food, great recipes, news, tips and a whole lot more besides. In case you didn’t manage to check the site every day this week, here is a mini-round up of some of our posts, followed by some fun stuff we found elsewhere on the web that we thought may interest you.

Jamie talked about Brisket. How to prepare it, how to cook and it and how to slice it.

We had a lesson from Jennifer Goren at the JCC on how to make perfect hard cooked eggs.

Jamie shows us the easy and quick way to cut a mango.

Tamar continues her series of posts on eating kosher in Italy – this time she tells us about Jewish Venice.

We went into the kitchen with Judy Bart Kancigor to hear all about her new book.

Sharon Lurie brings South African comfort food into our own kitchens!

Around the web:

Pot Pies don’t have to have meat in them – this is a perfect vegetarian dish.

Or how about a mushroom barley pie – looks so delicious!!

  Still in line with the vegetarian theme, we bring you the beautiful Sesame Roasted Beets and Greens. So colorful – definitely one to try.

Need to add something to your dish that gives it “umami” or extra zing? Add some preserved lemons.

The Naptime Chef brings us this delicious cake – cooked in the slow cooker!! It does call for nutella, so if you are like me and only have a meat slow cooker, make your own non-dairy nutella and use margarine instead of butter.

Mondays through Thursdays at 5:00 PM EST, we will showcase the best food / kitchen deals of the day. We hope you find them useful. We present to you today’s round up of deals from across the web – including fine kosher dining, a tabletop grill and a pizza stone.

Deal Genius: Kitchen Art Elite Dual Spice Shaker - Swivel Top. Reduced from $13.99 to $2.99 plus FREE SHIPPING!! Offer good till midnight EST tonight! This sweet shaker holds two spices in one convenient container. This super-useful Dual Shaker features two inner chambers and a special swivel top. Simply fill each compartment with one ingredient, then flip the swivel top one way or the other to release the tasty toppings. The sleek and stylish triangular design looks great on any table, and the large capacity compartments hold tons of shakable spices! The Dual Shaker is perfect for parmesan & crushed red pepper, basil & oregano, salt & pepper, even sugar & cream! So go ahead, shake your favorite flavors like they’ve never been shaken before! Get your Dual Shaker today!

Great Kosher Deals: Get $30 for $15 at Sushein. Visit Sushein for excellent sushi in our tastefully accented and traditionally-inspired dining room. Serving lunch and dinner, we are Lower Manhattan’s spot for Kaiten-style kosher sushi, creative rolls and maki, à la carte sushi, sashimi and other Japanese delicacies. Round out your visit with us with our great selection of delicious desserts, and don’t forget to treat yourself to sake and other imported drinks at our full bar.

Groupon: Cuisinart CGG-180T Portable Tabletop Gas Grill or Cuisinart CEG-980T Outdoor Electric Tabletop Grill. Cuisinart’s duo of space-saving tabletop grills transforms picnic-friendly parks into respectable barbecue destinations thanks to collapsible legs and sturdy carrying handles. Porcelain enamel-coated grill grates brand 6 to 10 chicken breasts with precise grill marks, and a spill-resistant drip tray keeps juices safely corralled for swift disposal and sanitization. In transit, a trusty lid latch helps chefs make sure that lingering aromas remain contained and away from the sensitive nostrils of infants who go goo-goo gah-gah for barbecue ribs.

ShopGetOrganized.Com: Heart Egg Cooker. Only $7.98! Let breakfast do the talking Say “I Love You” with heart-shaped fried eggs using this convenient egg shaper. Perfect for breakfast in bed or anytime you’d like to make an “eggcellent” impression. Wooden handle folds flat for easy storage. Teflon®coated metal, 4 3/4 x 4″.

Daily Memories: Pizza Stone. Only $19.99 until midnight tonight EST! For the pizza-loving household, a 15″ diameter pizza stone for easy pizza slicing and serving! Comes complete with stainless steel rack and pizza wheel. Click for the perfect pizza recipes.

The rumors have been flying for a long time that Paula Deen, 64, is diabetic. These rumors were finally addressed this week with Paula’s admission on the Today show that she does indeed have diabetes. She was diagnosed three years ago, has been taking diabetes medication, but has kept this diagnosis from her fans – something that has upset many of them as she continued to cook her high calorie and fat laden dishes, and write her cookbooks with similar recipes.

In fact, not only is Deen now a Type 2 diabetic, she has teamed up with a drug company (the one that manufactures the drug that she takes) and is part of an ad campaign promoting them and their ways in which to help people manage their diabetes. Some wonder why she waited to announce her condition until she was representing a drug company – would she have kept it quiet if the drug company had not come calling with their large paycheck? Is her publicity machine working overtime so she can bring some attention to her son’s new cooking show “Not My Mama’s Meals”? Or is it all purely coincidental?

Paula is well known for using a lot of butter in her cooking, and for deep frying almost everything. In her show on The Food Network you watch her taste every single dish she makes, and not small bites either! Now that she has announced her illness, will her show be more health conscious or will she continue to cook as she is used to?

So will Paula be giving up butter and replacing it with margarine, a much healthier alternative? ”I will never use a substitute for butter. Margarine is one molecule away from eating plastic.” She will take steps, she says, to reduce the amount of butter that she uses, but cut it out completely? It’s not on the cards. One thing she has been able to cut out was her favorite beverage – sweet tea. She exercises now and talks about enjoying food “in moderation”.

We want to know what YOU think. Does a TV Chef have a responsibility to safeguard the health of his/her viewers? Should they be demonstrating good eating habits for their audience? Please leave us a comment below with your thoughts.

Read our article: Five ways to lower your risk of diabetes.

Five Diabetic Friendly Recipes:

1. Broiled Fish with Orange Almond and Cilantro Salsa
2. Spring Chicken Barley Soup
3. Spiced Lentils with Black Rice and Chicken
4. Tuscan White Bean Salad
5. Strawberry Banana Muffins 

Sources:

Reuters.
Huffington Post.
MSNBC.

Image from PaulaDeen.com

Mondays through Thursdays at 5:00 PM EST, we will showcase the best food / kitchen deals of the day. We hope you find them useful. We present to you today’s round up of deals from across the web – including brownie pans, cutting board, superbowl party food and more.

Deal Genius: 3-Section Non-Stick Brownie Pan – Crust Piece Every Time! Reduced from $16 to $7.99 plus Free Shipping. Deal ends at midnight EST. This pan is made for lovers of the slightly crunchy, slightly chewy miracle that is the crust of a brownie. This non-stick pan is broken into three separate sections that are perfectly sized to bake 1 standard box of brownie mix. By separating the sections, the pan is able to cook portion sized pieces that feature a crust. Nothing’s changed about making brownies except that cooking times will likely be a tad shorter (Yes!) and that there’s no middle pieces that are all taste and no texture.

Jewpon: Super Bowl Special! Only $139 for an All-Inclusive Meal from My Events for Parties of 10-12 ($180 Value)!!! Plus FREE Delivery!! Super Bowl Sunday will be here before you know it. Having a crowd over for the game is lots of fun, but who has time to cook for all those people? This year, leave the work to My Events so you can truly enjoy your guests! My Events will deliver a delicious, crowd-pleasing spread right to your door! This Jewpon deal takes the edge off your bill, making it more affordable to entertain the easy way! Your discounted party meal for 10-12 people includes: 3-foot hero with pastrami, turkey, salami, lettuce, red onions; tomato & our special sauce; 100 sweet & spicy chicken wings; One 9×13″ pan of curly fries; coleslaw; potato salad; pickles; rich, scrumptious chocolate cake; and paper goods for easy cleaning!

Sur La Table: All-Purpose Wine Glasses, Set of 12. Reduced from $39.99 to $29.99. A tremendous value for holiday entertaining and a great gift, this set of 12 wine glasses serves a crowd. Designed exclusively for Sur La Table, with a classic shape that’s perfect for enjoying both red and white wines. Each crystal clear lead-free glass features a generous 12-oz. capacity, pulled stem, smooth polished rim, and measures 9″ tall. Conveniently gift boxed and ready to go. Dishwasher safe for easy cleanup.

New Davincis: Koku Cutting Board. Reduced from $34.95 to $24.95. Innovative, sleek and stylish, Koku combines a cutting board, measuring cups and a cheese grater into one easy-to-use kitchen implement. Cut down on clutter and save time on food preparation with specially-designed measuring drawers that let you quickly and easily determine portions while separating scraps.

1saleaday.com: Rachael Ray by Furi 8″ CrMov Stainless Steel Chef’s Rocker Knife With Sharp & Store Scabbard! Reduced from $89.99 to $19.99!! Deal ends at midnight tonight EST. Working in the kitchen doesn’t have to be a hassle. Transform the culinary experience into a pleasant one with the Furi Rachael Ray Gusto-Grip 8-Inch Forged Cook’s Rocker Knife, sporting an ergonomic grip and a blade that wraps under the handle to reduce wrist fatigue. Featuring a solid forged bolster and tang constructed from one piece of CrMov stainless steel alloy, this knife offers the precision you need to ensure you don’t accidentally wind up with stitches instead of dinner. Perfectly balanced for precision and reliability, the knife is housed in a unique hard plastic storage case containing Furi 6-finger sharpeners that self-sharpen and secure the blade.

Michel Cluizel is a world renowned luxury chocolate maker.  For Hanukkah, Chocolat Michel Cluizel, on 5th Avenue in New York City, launched its first line of OU certified kosher truffles, pastries and macaroons.  This is the first time the 63 year old French company is producing chocolate in the US.  The chocolate is produced in a brand new state of the art facility built especially for this Kosher Non-Dairy line.

With this first line they are producing 5 flavors of truffles.  My personal favorite is Joy, with almond and hazelnut praline and cocoa nibs coated in dark chocolate.  Now, all of us can experience the Joy of Kosher through chocolate.  I was privileged to receive a sampling of these chocolates and  can’t get enough!  Enjoying these chocolates on a Friday night with a glass of red wine after a nice Shabbat dinner is just pure heaven.

Now that I’ve got you excited, how do you get your own?

You can visit the NYC store, 584 5th Avenue and select the chocolates you want at $2 a piece or pick up a pre-packaged box of 14, 16 or 25 pieces.  While you are there, you can even try their macaroons for $2.50 a piece and a variety of pastries including a Crunchy Praline Napoleon, Vanilla and Chocolate Eclairs and a Chocolate Opera Cake.  For a special occasion, you can order pre-packaged boxes of pastries or even the “Shabbat Box” which includes four gourmet kosher pastries for $20.  They will also Fed Ex your order if you can’t make it in person, just call (646) 415-9126 to place your order.  You can bring that over to my house any time (or every time)!

In November 1999 Joey Allaham opened the doors to The Prime Grill. He had one goal in mind – to elevate the kosher dining experience. He wanted to create a sophisticated ambiance with superior food for each diner. He is a fourth generation butcher and he used his knowledge of meat and taste to design his restaurants. They each represent a distinct passion of his. The Prime Grill highlights Joey’s passion for meat, Solo encompasses the American flavors he enjoys, and Prime KO shares his love of fresh fish and Japanese cuisine.

There is now a fourth “Prime” location, Prime Butcher Baker. “BB Prime” is located on Manhattan’s Upper East Side at 1572 Second Avenue. The design is fresh and modern, but most importantly warm and inviting.  The Prime Hospitality Groups restaurants can now be brought straight to your door. This is the new generation of gourmet shopping; you will be able to shop among the finest cuts of meat, fish, delicious home-style foods, and freshly baked pastries and breads.

Allaham has carefully selected three very talented chefs with whom he works closely. They have worked tirelessly to develop an excellent menu that will excite each and every shopper. Their staff will work directly with each customer to serve their individuals needs, for their home, office, or an eloquent banquet event. They will prepare gorgeous gift arrangements for your friends, family or business colleagues.

You will be able to choose from a variety of prepared foods with authentic Middle Eastern flavors as well as traditional Eastern European foods. The pastry chef will work with you to design gorgeous cakes for every occasion. You will have access to the freshest varieties of fish from both the U.S and Mediterranean waters. Most importantly you will have the most exceptional one-on-one service to fulfill your every request at the store or via the new website www.primebutcherbaker.com.

BB Prime will be opening in February.

Mr Allaham says “As a token of my appreciation I have developed a distinct loyalty program that I would like to personally invite you to be a part of. The “BB Prime Promotion” will allow customers to build points for every dollar spent at our restaurant locations and points can then be redeemed at our new store. To sign up and learn more about our loyalty programs please visit our website www.primehospitalityny.com and register for your card.”

Mondays through Thursdays at 5:00 PM EST, we will showcase the best food / kitchen deals of the day. We hope you like them. We present to you today’s round up of deals from across the web – including kitchen utensils, delicious sausage, storage containers and more!

Jewpon: The Ideal Kosher Kitchen!! Only $100 for a 96-Piece Kitchen Set for Meat, Dairy & Pareve from The Israeli Source ($285 Value)!!! Plus FREE Shipping!! Imagine the ideal kosher kitchen: A place where cooking utensils, measuring cups, and cutting boards are easily identifiable as meat, dairy, or pareve. A place where cooking and baking are made easy – after all, no one has to second-guess the dairy (or maybe those were pareve??) knives. When you need an oven mitt now, you know just which one to grab. Everything is color-coordinated. And it makes life so much simpler! This kitchen is within your reach! Just use today’s Jewpon to score incredible savings on a 96-piece kitchen set that includes everything you need in red, blue, and green! Some stores carry utensils in blue, some might carry them in red.

DealGenius: NordicWare Crème-Filled Cupcake Baking Pan – USA. “Wait, so do they grow that way, or is it some kind of secret baker’s magic?” Crème-filled centers have mystified dessert lovers for decades. Now, the delicious mystery is solved! The NordicWare Crème-Filled Cupcake Baking Pan makes it easy to bake secret centers into all of your favorite cupcake recipes! This pro-quality pan is forged from heavy cast aluminum, with a heat-reflecting exterior, and non-stick surface. This durable material offers superior baking performance, for more even and uniform cooking. The pan features 6 cupcake bottom molds, plus 6 highly-detailed cupcake tops. The bottoms are indented for filling. Simply pour batter into the molds, bake, then put your favorite filling into the indent area, assemble the cupcake top and bottom, add frosting, and enjoy!

Kosher Kouponz: BBQ Package for only $29.95 from Smokey Joe’s. In this deal, get: 2 packages of smoked sausages – choose from Chicken with Basil and Sun Dried Tomato, Spicy Beef Chorizo, Healthy Turkey with Apples and Sage, Lamb Merguez; 2 lbs of Beef chili (Did we mention that Joe grinds his own beef from brisket to make one of the tastiest and moist burgers in town? And it’s the same beef that Joe uses in his secret chili recipe.); 1 lb of BBQ meatloaf. Beyond your average meatloaf – it’s smoked and then glazed with Joe’s bbq sauce. Normally, this package would be $50. Kosher Kouponz brings you Smokey Joe’s Championship package for the unheard of price of $29.99.

Amazon: Rubbermaid Easy Find Lid Food Storage Set Reduced from $36.00 to $21.99. This Rubbermaid 40 Piece Easy Find Lid (EFL) Food Storage Set contains 5 – 0.5 cup, 5 – 1.25 cup, 4 – 2.0 cup, 2 – 3.0 cup, 2 – 5.0 cup and 2 – 7.0 cup containers with lids. The EFL containers feature thick, durable container walls for everyday use. With the Easy Find Lid System, organizing your kitchen just got easier. Featuring lids that snap together and snap to the bottom of the container it fits, this food storage system ensures that the right lid is always at your fingertips. Graduated sized containers nest to take up less room in your cupboard, and its square shape takes up less room in your refrigerator. The Super-Clarified base allows you to easily see contents.

HSN.com: Wolfgang Puck 6qt 1350-Watt Stainless Steel VersaCooker Price: $119.90 reduced from $149.90. Free Shipping! Enjoy the flexibility of three cookers in one. Savor the benefits of a versatile slow cooker, a roasting oven and a skillet for searing and poaching. Convenient, easy-to-set cooking modes with temperature control up to 400 degrees simplify cooking to a few presses of a button. When done, it automatically switches to Warm mode so your food stays hot until you’re ready to serve. You also receive more than a dozen of Wolfgang’s favorite recipes to get you started and inspire your own cooking adventures.