Jamie Geller's Appearances

I feel I now have a second home in Skokie, Illinois. When I went to do an event there for the Skokie Kollel, last Monday, I was given the warmest welcome I’ve ever had. The women of the entire community packed into the beautiful kollel building. I totally enjoyed working with the rabbis who run the kollel as well as Tami & Barbra, the pair that chaired the event. They were fantastic and we have become fast friends. My assistants for food prep were Sharon Matten (a culinary celeb in her own right), Debbie and Rebbetzin Rosenberg. We worked so well together! All150 women who attended enjoyed a superb tasting, if I do say so myself and couldn’t stop thanking me. I was blown away by their intense appreciation. I’ve been in a lot of places, folks, but I have never experienced anything like this. Listen, when your day starts at 3:30 am to catch a flight, and you spend the whole day cooking, preparing and doing a program until 10:30 pm, you really relish a word of thanks.

So you want to know what I served that evoked such praise? You can check out the entire menu here, but one of the stars was one of my favorite recipes from my new book, Quick & Kosher Meals in Minutes– Asian Chicken Salad — which was developed around a bottled dressing that I particularly like. That’s a huge stretch for me because I don’t go for most bottled dressings. But Asian Carrot Ginger from Wafu is different.

Apparently, it’s the best-selling dressing in Canada. Who new Canadians had such good taste? (Just kidding, just kidding.) Unfortunately it’s not distributed widely in the US. So we called up Wafu and asked them to gift a case to one lucky winner. If you happen to be unlucky and don’t win this contest – you can use a recipe I created for homemade Asian Carrot Ginger Dressing. If you still want a shortcut (which I totally understand), you can pick up any other Asian style dressing, ginger or tamari, or peanut Thai in a bottle and it will still work wonderfully with this recipe. Believe me, I have tried them all.

So thanks Skokie, thanks Wafu and thanks to all my new friends – may we continue to enjoy Asian Chicken Salad and other wonderful goodies together!

***CONTEST DETAILS*** For your chance to win a case of assorted Wafu Dressings (Kosher Certification is the MK) please leave a comment below telling us your favorite Kosher Asian Dish. One winner will be chosen at random from qualified entries. Contest ends Friday June 10 2011 at 9 am EST. Contest is open to Canadian and US Residents only.

CONTEST EXTENDED UNTIL 9 AM EST MONDAY JUNE 13 2011

Come and experience A Taste of Shavuos with Jamie Geller in Lakewood this Sunday!

Jamie will dazzle you with her tale of how she went from award-winning multimedia producer to a frum wife, mother, author and chef. Jamie will demonstrate the following recipes for your enjoyment:

Mozzarella and Tomato stacks
Spinach Tidbits
Asian Cabbage Salad with Garlic Sesame Dressing
Creamy Spinach Fettucine
Orzo with Feta and Basil
Frozen Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Mousse pie

There will also be a fabuous Chinese Auction and a delicious dairy Buffet.

When: Sunday, May 29th -25th of Iyar at 7:30 PM. Program Begins at 8.30 sharp.
Where: Yeshiva Orchos Chaim Hall, Lakewood NJ
Admission: $18

We look forward to seeing you there!

On Monday May 23 2011 the N’shei of Skokie Community Kollel invite you to an evening with Jamie Geller.

Hear Jamie’s incredible journey from secular, award-winning TV producer to religious, internationally renowned Kosher cook.

Watch as Jamie prepares the following dishes – there will be samples to taste as well:

Mango Strawberry Soup
Baby Spinach & Portobello Mushroom Salad
Long Grain & Wild Rice Salad
Asian Chicken Salad
Stir Fry Tofu with Soba Noodles
Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Mousse Pie

Location: Skokie Kollel, 3732 Dempster.
Doors Open at 7.30, Program begins at 8.
Admission $20.00

For more information contact debbie@skokiekollel.org

Jamie was on NBC Philly – The 10 Show! on Monday May 16th 2011 demonstrating five new delicious pasta recipes. These recipes will be found in the new Joy of Kosher with Jamie Geller magazine, on news stands May 25th 2011 in time for Shavuot. (To get your subscription click here).

Major thanks to Bonne DiTomo – Jamie’s food stylist, pictured with Jamie below.

Ohr Naava Women’s Torah Center held their second Annual Auction on Wednesday May 11, 2011. It was a day of special events, including a cooking demonstration with Jamie! Much fun was had by all attendees at this lavish day-long Chinese Auction in Brooklyn. Jamie’s demonstration drew a large crowd – everyone was thrilled to watch her show how easy it is to prepare her recipes.

This is what Jamie prepared and demonstrated for the guests:

Mango Peach Soup (made the same way as Mango Strawberry Soup, just use peaches instead of strawberries)
Walnut Goat Cheese Salad
Mozzarella and Tomato Stacks
Creamy Spinach Fettuccini
Creamy Mock Crab Salad
Strawberry Shortcake Trifle

There are more pictures on our Facebook page.

Ohr Naava Women’s Torah Center is holding their second Annual Auction on May 11, 2011. It will be a day of special events, including a cooking demonstration with Jamie!

On the Menu:

Mango Peach Soup (made the same way as Mango Strawberry Soup, just use peaches instead of strawberries)
Walnut Goat Cheese Salad
Mozzarella and Tomato Stacks
Creamy Spinach Fettuccini
Creamy Mock Crab Salad
Strawberry Shortcake Trifle

For more information please call 718 853 6190 or visit OhrNaava.com

Jamie Geller was on Good Day NY this morning, demonstrating how to make her Pomegranate Braised Brisket Recipe in this month’s Joy of Kosher with Jamie Geller Magazine.

Watch and enjoy.

On Thursday April 7th 2011 Yeshiva University held its annual Cholent Cook Off where groups of students congregated to demonstrate their cholent-making prowess. Previously, on Wednesday April 6th, they had all convened in Belfer Hall to assemble their cholents, as these dishes need plenty of time to cook.

Walking into the building on Thursday afternoon the cholent aroma was almost overwhelming. But Jamie Geller, along with the other judges, came prepared to taste SIXTEEN different cholents. The teams had named themselves with much ingenuity – “the Maccabeans”, “the Cholent Pot Heads” and “The Golden Ladles” to name but a few.

There was a wonderful atmosphere in the room as the judges were given their instructions, and started the task of sampling the many variations of this traditional dish. After each taste test, the judges raised their score paddles and the scores were tallied. At the front of the hall was a huge scoreboard to help everyone keep track. When the first 10 was awarded a huge cheer broke out.

The judges – Jamie Geller, Dr Esther Joel, Elan Kornblum, Elana Newhouse, Alan Riesenburger, David Samuels and Chef Avram Wiseman – went from table to table, sampling and tasting and digesting all of the different cholents arrayed in front of them.

At the end of this epic cholent tasting all the results were tallied, with team “Mofongo” being the winners. They each won an iPod Touch for their efforts. Team members were: Jonathan Adler, Achihud Adamit, Nelson Gruszczynski, and Zach Mammon.

To see more photos from this fun event go to our Facebook Page.

Jamie Geller was one of the judges at the 5th Annual Man-O-Manischewitz Cook-off at which Stuart Davis, 45, from Cherry Hill, NJ with his Chicken and Egg Donburi (recipe can be found on the Manischewitz website) was crowned King of Kosher on Thursday March 31 2011. Davis received a grand prize worth $25,000 which includes: state of the art kitchen appliances, cash, over night stay in NYC, crystal trophy, and Manischewitz product.

Stuart was selected as a finalist through the “Online Voting” component that allowed consumers to have a say in the finalist selection process. The other four contestants were selected from thousands of entries.

Stuart is a father of three girls and one boy. Although cooking is his passion, this is the first contest he has ever entered! Stuart was a mortgage banker for 10 years and now teaches a class called “Digesting Hebrew” at Temple Beth Shalom in his hometown. Previously, he taught English in Japan (the inspiration for this dish) and speaks the language fluently. Entries were judged on appearance, taste, ease of preparation and originality & creativity.

The five contestants competed live in NYC at The JCC In Manhattan, in front of hundreds of guests and a prestigious panel of judges including Epicurious.com, FoodNetwork.com, Weight Watchers, Kosher Cookbook author Jamie Geller, the Culinary Arts Director at The JCC In Manhattan, spearheaded by legendary Chef Jacques Pepin.

The five finalists, selected from over thousands of entries, were challenged to prepare family-friendly recipes incorporating one of the Manischewitz All-Natural broth flavors including the new Vegetable Broth which joins the existing line of Beef, Chicken and Reduced-Sodium Chicken flavors. In addition, Mayor Bloomberg has proclaimed the date as “Man-O-Manischewitz” Cook-Off day!

“What a thrill and honor to be named the Manischewitz Cook-Off Champion.” said Stuart Davis, Grand Prize Winner. “I have loved Manischewitz products all my life and to think they have made me a “cooking champion” is a dream come true.”

The dishes prepared by the other contestants were: Moroccan Chicken Bowl by Naylet LaRochelle of Miami FL; Shallot Smothered Chicken by Dina Burcat, Baltimore MD; Simple Fisherman’s Stew by Suzanne Banfield, Basking Ridge NJ; and Golden Sweet Potato Tagine by Jeanette Nelson, Sophia WV.

To see more photos from the event, please go to our Facebook album.

Yeshiva University students will hold a “Cholent Cook-off” to determine who makes the tastiest and most original of the quintessential Shabbat dish on YU’s Wilf Campus in Weissberg Commons, 2495 Amsterdam Ave. (at 184th St.) on Thursday, April 7 at 2:45 PM. The event is sponsored by YU’s Office of University Housing.

In keeping with the tradition of slow-cooking the stew dish, 16 teams of four students will prepare their dishes the night before. The next afternoon, a panel of discriminating palates will crown the winner.

The judges are Dr. Esther Joel, wife of YU President Richard M. Joel; Josh Friedland, creator of The Food Section, a pioneering blog about food, wine and travel; Elan Kornblum, president and publisher of Great Kosher Restaurants Magazine; Chef Avram Wiseman, senior culinary instructor at the Center for Kosher Culinary Arts; our very own Jamie Geller, chief marketing officer of Kosher.com and author of Quick & Kosher: Recipes From The Bride Who Knew Nothing; Alan Riesenburger, catering director and executive chef of Fairway Market; Alana Newhouse, editor-in-chief of Tablet magazine; and David Samuels, a noted food writer/critic.

Come cook with the “Bride who Knew Nothing” – Jamie Geller

When: Wednesday March 23, 2011 6:30 pm

Where: At the home of Malki & Gary Gartenberg
8 Villa Lane
Wesley Hills, NY 10952

Couvert: $ 50.00

What will Jamie be cooking?

• Avocado and Seared Tuna Steak Salad
• Italian Wedding Soup
• Cold Poached Chicken with Pesto
• Long Grain Wild Rice Salad
• Spinach Salad with Pomegranate Dressing
• Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Mousse Pie

For more information, please call Sheylah Ortiz at 845-354-2121, ext. 523

Jamie will be the featured speaker at the “Nechamah Awareness Evening”, Tuesday evening, March 15, 2011 at 7:45 PM, in the Marian Social Hall, Holy Name Medical Center, Teaneck NJ.

Jamie Geller, Cookbook Author and Speaker, will tell the gathered guests about her interesting life journey as well as demonstrate delicious comfort food recipes.

There will be a presentation by Reva Judas, Founder of Nechamah, on the important work Nechamah is doing to help all family members who have experienced infant/pregnancy loss at any time in their lives.

There will be a dessert reception including delicious samples from Jamie.

Raffle prizes: $18, $36, $54 donations.

$72 includes an autographed cookbook.

RSVP: Reva Judas – springf824@aol.com

On Tuesday Februray 22, 2011 our very own Jamie Geller joined other Jewish Cookbook authors, food celebritites and winemakers at the 5th Annual Kosher Food and & Wine Experience at Pier 60 in New York.  300 wines from all over the world were available for tasting from wineries including Herzog, Yatir, Castel, Capcanes, Elvi, and Goose Bay.  Royal Wine also debuted their Herzog Special Edition Chalk Hill Warnecke Vineyard 2008 and Oak Knoll Single Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, a new line of Gamla Reserves and wines from the Alexander Winery in Israel.  With Purim and Passover just a few weeks away, kosher consumers were able to taste some of the outstanding kosher wines available for their holiday celebrations.

Jamie Geller, Hadassah Sabo-Milner and Alan Broner of Jack’s Gourmet Sausages

Jamie Geller hung out with Chef Jeff Nathan of Abigael’s, Chef David Kolotkin of Prime Grill, Alan Broner from Jack’s Gourmet,  Brigitte Mizrahi from Anderson Cheese, Susie Fishbein author of the Kosher by Design cookbooks and Chef and Cookbook author Levana Kirschenbaum.

Jamie with Chef Daivd Kolotkin of Prime Grill

Over 1300 people attended the event.  Jamie showed off the hebrew translation of her best selling cookbook, Quick & Kosher: Recipes From the Bride Who Knew Nothing.  Jamie was excited to discuss food and wine pairings that are included in over 100 menus in her newest book, Quick & Kosher: Meals in Minutes.  Jamie’s book also features Jay Buchsbaum of Royal Wine Corp explaining the the 5 S’s (Sight, Swirl, Smell, Savor, Spit (or Swallow)) in wine tasting.

Jamie Geller met with Arielle, the winner of  two tickets to this event. Arielle bravely shared her “worst kitchen disaster with us” and was chosen out of 50 entrants.

Another highlight of the evening was the chance to taste delicious food from some of the top rated kosher restaurants and caterers in the Tri-State area.   Foodies lined up to sample food from favorites like the  Polenta with Porcini Mushrooms and Truffle Oil from Abigael’s, Porcini Mushroom Soup from Prime Grill, Short Ribs from Solo, Grilled Jerusalem Artichoke form Tevere, Chorizo Tacos from Jack’s Gourmet and the pareve Blue Cheese dip from Pomegranate.  With inviting table decorations and lavish presentations,  the array of food looked as good as it tasted.

For more photos of this great event check out the album on Facebook. (LIKE us there first!!)

On Sunday February 13th, Chabad of Philadelphia held its annual women’s day in commemoration of the yahrzeit of the Lubavitcher Rebbetzin Chaya Mushka Schneerson. Jamie Geller was invited back to her hometown of Philadelphia to present a cooking demonstration for over 180 community members.

The event was held at the Lubavitch Center in Philadelphia. Hosted by Rebbetzin Shemtov and organized by Sima Sherman Jamie was honored to commemorate this occasion and share her love for Judaism and cooking with the Philadelphia community.

The elaborate display of food ranged from salads and pasta to a fancy dessert buffet, including a chocolate fountain and hot Belgian-style waffles.

The highlight of the afternoon was when Jamie spoke about how she went from the Bride Who Knew Nothing to a bestselling cookbook author. Everyone laughed, learned a little and even got to see Jamie’s proud mother beam with nachas in the crowd. Jamie demonstrated some of her favorite Quick & Kosher recipes: Chilled Salmon with a Duet of Dipping Sauces, Asian Cabbage Salad with Garlic Sesame Dressing and Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Mousse Pie. And everyone got to enjoy a taste!

Everyone was excited to meet Jamie and have her sign copies of her latest cookbook Quick & Kosher: Meals in Minutes. The crowd also scrambled to join her mailing list and follow Jamie online at blog.Kosher.com. As a souvenir, attendees were able to take home a collection of free Quick & Kosher recipe cards.

For more photos of this great event check out the album on Facebook. (LIKE us there first!!)

On Sunday January 23rd the Talmudical Academy held its bi-annual tea in Baltimore. Our very own Jamie Geller was invited to speak and to give a cooking demonstration. She spoke beautifully and had the audience laughing really hard – and she made cooking look so easy – quick and kosher, for sure!!

Over five hundred women turned out for this event, that was spectacularly organized and beautifully presented by Nusy Lefkowitz and Chumi Spero – a dynamic mother-daughter duo. Jamie and I were blown away by the wonderful hospitality shown to us by the women of the Baltimore community. Such lovely generous ladies.

The décor at the hotel where the tea was held was stunning – the tables were set with lilac and mauve tablecloths, there was colored glassware to enhance the jewel-toned vibe. It was the perfect backdrop to the array of delectable delicacies that were spread out before all. There were salads of all types, fresh sushi, lots of different types of pastries and cakes, and a key lime pie that was out of this world! There was a table just for salmon – with the pièce de résistance being a beautiful braided salmon. Out of this world! The Baltimore ladies had spent hours cooking and baking, chopping and stirring, pouring their energy into preparing such yummy treats for our taste buds!

We were treated to demonstrations of challah braiding and cupcake decorating, sushi rolling and babka making.

The ladies were all thrilled to meet Jamie and have her sign their copies of Quick and Kosher Recipes From The Bride Who Knew Nothing and Quick and Kosher Meals in Minutes.

Everyone had a chance to eat and schmooze, and then everyone took their seats to listen to Jamie’s inspirational story. There was a wonderful introduction by Nusy Lefkowitz, some Tehillim were recited by Rebbetzin Bracha Goldberger– and then it was over to Jamie. Jamie served up a speech about her journey to observance, sprinkled in plenty of amusing anecdotes, with some sides of one-line zingers that had the audience laughing repeatedly. She had us feeling like we had been on that odyssey with her.

Jamie called up some volunteers to cook with her on the stage – and they had so much fun following her instructions. Jamie showed the audience how to make her Creamy Spinach Fettuccine, Avocado Seared Tuna Steak Salad, Mexican Quesadillas and Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Mousse Pie – and everyone had the opportunity to taste a little of every dish that was cooked up.

This was such a beautiful evening – we were so thrilled to have been a part of it. If you would like to see more photographs from this spectacular event, please go check out the pictures on our Facebook page. Click HERE to watch the video from the event.