Pomegranate Supermarket
This morning, at 10AM was the grand-opening of Pomegranate Supermarket, in Brooklyn, NY. Certainly the largest Kosher Supermarket in Flatbush, Pomegranate describes itself as “everything. BETTER.” I was impressed with their selection and store-design. I can’t report on prices until I go back with my wife - our Chief-Economist. Olive bar. Sushi bar. Aged steaks. Organic meats. Parking lot (which wasn’t finished). It seems to have it all. Any product I’ve ever seen at a Kosher supermarket was present. Will they stick around? Only time will tell. Cleanliness is definitely a weak-point for many Kosher supermarkets. We’ll revisit the question after the Yomim Tovim. Hopefully, I ‘ll get some pictures when I go back.
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Newton butcher launches new wine site
Gordon & Alperin of Newton — the Boston area’s only full-service glatt kosher butcher shop — has just launched BostonKosherWine.com, a new website to showcase its growing selection of kosher wines. Some quick back-of-the-envelope calculations show that several wines listed are competitive with KosherWine.com’s case prices with shipping factored in. Online ordering is not available — call or visit to purchase your wine.
543-545 Commonwealth Avenue
Newton, MA 02459
617-332-4170
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History repeats itself: Israeli “diner” planned for Brookline
Courtesy of Paul, from the Brookline Tab:
You may think North Brookline is already rife with options for the kosher foodie, but Rada Roda said that’s not the case.
“Eating kosher myself, I don’t have many options to go to,” she said.
The Russian native plans to open a new kosher diner called Jerusalem Pita at 10 Pleasant St., near Beacon Street, this fall. She said the menu likely will include shuvarma, falafel and other traditional Israeli food.
Let’s explore this logic.
- Brookline has few kosher restaurant options.
- Brookline has a kosher Israeli place.
- Therefore, someone in Brookline should open another kosher Israeli place.
Maybe if someone had tried this before, wannabe restaurateurs might not pursue such ventures.
Give me a break. And pass the Rami’s.
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Ristorante Maestro
The dining room at Ristorante Maestro is a welcome departure from the humdrum Montreal neighborhood in which it resides. After passing an audaciously illuminated TCBY to enter, Maestro’s dramatic light fixtures, warm wood details, and shimmering fabrics whisked us into a lively assemblage of family events, intimate dinners, and casual nights out. We were spotted and seated quickly, and our waiter greeted us with warm bread and olive oil for dipping. It took him a while to return, as he was stretched a bit thin by the packed house, no doubt enjoying Maestro for its dairy menu during the Nine Days. The delay gave us a chance to consider the bread more circumspectly, and we decided the dough could benefit from a careful sprinkling of kosher or sea salt.
The impact of Montreal’s francophone community was apparent in Maestro’s menu, manifest in the two popular antipasti we tried. Their Zuppa Di Cipolla, onion soup, was served in the traditional French style, gratinéed with croutons and melted cheese. The Brie Spostato featured warm brie wrapped in crispy phyllo and drizzled with strawberry, papaya, and balsamic sauces. (I’m a sucker for warm brie, so when told that my first choice, the Arancini di Riso, was unavailable, I rebelled with this very tasty French “misfit.”)
We continued with the Tuscano pizza and the Tagliatelle Primavera. Both were acceptable, but not exceptional. I prefer more character in my pizza crust — Maestro’s was thin and crisp, but the cornicione was flat and lifeless, a clear suggestion of rolling-pin rather than hand-tossed preparation. Our tagliatelle was enjoyable, served hot and al dente, but in the middle of the summer, I’d appreciate seeing some more recognizable examples of the lovely farm-fresh vegetables we passed on our drive through rural Quebec. Instead, our pasta had properly cooked but unassuming cubes of eggplant and carrot. The spicy oil we were offered to drizzle on the pizza was a welcome touch.
(In Maestro’s defense, the flavors and preparations may have lacked daring as a result of the local clientele. We overheard one diner ask for his tuna steak to be cooked through, and another ask for a primavera sauce served atop a pesto dish.)
Dessert was a fine capstone on the meal — their “chocolate bomb” showcased delicious dark chocolate in a decadent, but balanced petite cake, and the tiramisu was a perfect portion of coffee-soaked lady fingers enrobed in custard.
While Maestro has its foibles, it is a restaurant to which we would be happy returning on a regular basis for the chic decor, enthusiastic (if over-stretched) waitstaff, lively atmosphere, and satisfying food.
Ristorante Maestro
6136 Cote St. Luc Road · Montreal, QC
(514) 488-6226
Montreal Kosher supervision
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New: Shmiras Halashon Voting
This morning, my Google Alert picked up a news article posted on a purportedly Orthodox website about the Conservative Movement’s purportedly ethical Heksher Tzedek. Turns out the article was just a repost from the Forward, but the comments beneath it were homegrown, and ranged from embarrassing to atrocious.
Without a doubt, there have been a couple shameful comments posted on this blog. Rather than censor comments any more than I have to — I do draw the line somewhere — I’ve decided to trust the wisdom of crowds. Now, each comment features two buttons: a green “Lashon HaTov” button, and a red “Lashon HaRa” button. Use the prior to give kudos to the commenter for something helpful or insightful, and use the latter to gently scold someone for name calling, generalization, or useless bickering about the legitimacy of a hechsher. The numeric tally next to the buttons should indicate how much or how little our readers appreciate any particular comment.
Next step: a picture of the Chofetz Chaim next to the comment form!
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First batch of upgrades complete
After a week of work, our database has been fixed, our site has been migrated to a new server, and the new design has been tweaked, tested, and published.
E-mail is still in transition, so please do not use any @kosherblog.net addresses directly. Use the contact form available from the menu above.
Expect additional improvements as the month progresses — thanks for putting up with the interruptions!
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Upgrades coming
Jabbett here — I’ve come out of hiding to announce that, ideally within the week, I’ll be migrating the Kosher Blog to new, more reliable servers, upgrading our blogging software, and debuting a new look that will be cleaner, easier to read, and faster to load. Shortly thereafter, I plan to open a new forum that integrates tightly with the blog, so that it’s simpler for people to start discussions of their own.
Our e-mail system will get an upgrade, too. I sincerely apologize for neglecting my Kosher Blog inbox the last several months; the planned switch to Google Apps will take better control of spam so that all of us Kosher Bloggers can find and respond to your messages promptly.
These changes will require some downtime, since I don’t have a dedicated IT staff to perform the migration seamlessly. I’ll try to keep them to a minimum.
UPDATE, Thursday Night: A database migration hiccup has caused some data corruption, so bear with the missing categories until I get access to our latest database backup. I’ve also disabled comments for the time being.
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Silk Soy Creamer
I first learned about soy creamer from a blog called A Vegan Ice Cream Paradise. My local supermarkets don’t carry it, but I recently stopped by a store in a different neighborhood and found that it carries Silk brand creamer, which is marked “100% vegan.” Alas, it is also marked OU-D. Those who follow such matters know that the OU http://outest.org/index.php/faqs/no longer uses the “DE” (dairy equipment) designation, instead marking all dairy equipment products “D,” and this was clearly one such case. Normally, when I encounter an OU-D on a product that I suspect isn’t actually dairy, I just grumble and go on my way, but this time I was so sure that the creamer was really parve that I bought it anyway. When I got home, I went to the Silk Website and found the following in the FAQ:
Are Silk products dairy-free?
All Silk products including Silk Creamer and Silk Live!™ Soy Yogurt are completely dairy-free and safe for people with dairy allergies. None of our ingredients are made from animal products, by-products or derivatives. Our natural flavors do not contain any dairy or other animal products.
And then there was this:
Are Silk products kosher?
All Silk brand products in all flavors are certified Kosher OU-D. Kosher OU-D certifies that a dairy-free product was heated on equipment also used for dairy, and designates that dairy-free products heated on equipment also used for dairy may not be eaten together with a meat product. It may be eaten immediately after a meat product, but not together [my emphasis].
Finally:
Since Silk products are dairy-free, why is the Kosher certification OU-D?
All Silk products including Silk Creamer and Silk Live!™ Soy Yogurt are completely dairy-free and safe for people with dairy allergies. While Silk soy products do not contain dairy ingredients, they may be produced on equipment that also produces dairy products. Silk follows strict allergen cleanup procedures to ensure products made on shared equipment are dairy-free.
Silk is certified Kosher OU-D, meaning they are dairy-free products made on dairy equipment.
In case you didn’t get it:
The D designates that the dairy-free product was heated on equipment also used for dairy and may not be eaten together with a meat product. It may be eaten immediately after a meat product, but not together [emphasis mine].
So there you have it. You can eat it immediately after a meat product, but not together.
I e-mailed the OU just to be 200% sure, and they confirmed that all Silk products are parve but made on dairy equipment. The e-mailer added the following:
You will not find the DE designation on a product certified by the OU. The OU designates dairy-free products made on dairy equipment with the ‘OU-D’ symbol and not ‘DE’ (Dairy Equipment). This due to the fact that the OU has seen that in industrial applications, very rarely is a proper cleanup performed after a dairy run before the Pareve run. As a result there is a problem of dairy residue entering the so-called Pareve product.
This seems reasonable to me, but I would not worry about it in the case of Silk products, since the company is adamant about its products being safe for those with dairy allergies, which requires an extremely high level of cleanliness. And of course, the OU says that you can have them after meat. So you can have them after meat.
According to R. Eidlitz, D.E. products are considered nat bar nat, so hot creamer should not come into contact with meat equipment. Therefore, you should not pour silk creamer into steaming hot coffee in a meat cup, but you can pour it into steaming hot coffee in a dairy cup and drink it after a meat meal (but not together). You can also make this ice cream* and eat it after a meat meal. Just be sure to do the cooking in a dairy saucepan and let the mixture cool before pouring it into your ice cream maker (which the manufacturers recommend, anyway).**
*I’m sure that some people find the very idea of vegan cheesecake ice cream disgusting, and I have to admit that it’s not for everyone, but I think it’s delicious. I’m excited to try more recipes from the site.
**I suspect that there are varying opinions on this subject, so consult a trusted halakhic advisor if you are inclined to investigate it further. There may also be a difference between Sephardi and Ashkenazi practice. (I am no expert on this subject. This is just guesswork based on what I’ve read. Ask someone who knows.)
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Strawberry Shortcake, Cream On Top
“I think next week will be the last week for strawberries.”
That’s what the guy at the farmer’s market told me today as I bagged my half gallon of berries. So, all you fellow New Englanders, get them now! Local strawberries are different from the ones from California or Florida: smaller, more delicate, and red all the way through. Of course, all you need to enjoy them is a bowl — no, I take that back, you don’t need a bowl, but you do need a napkin. At any rate, you certainly don’t need extra sugar or cream. But having made and eaten my first strawberry shortcake last Friday, I don’t think I’ll go another summer without one. There’s just nothing like strawberries and cream, let alone bright red, juicy native strawberries and freshly whipped cream with real vanilla. And, of course, shortcake. I used this buttermilk shortcake recipe, which was lovely. (I use SACO cultured buttermilk blend.) Sadly, when I went to take a picture of my last, carefully guarded shortcake, I discovered that the batteries in my camera were dead. I guess I could have run out and bought new ones, but I didn’t. I just grabbed a spoon and enjoyed.
Here’s my version of the recipe:
For the Shortcake:
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup butter, chilled and cut into pieces
3/4 cup buttermilk (or 3 tbs powdered buttermilk and 3/4 cup water)
1 tsp vanilla extract
For the Whipped Cream:
1 pint whipping cream
4 tbs sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 pint strawberries, washed, hulled, and sliced
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Make the shortcake: Combine the dry ingredients (including powdered buttermilk, if using) in a food processor and pulse a few times to blend. Add the butter and continue to pulse until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add the liquid ingredients and pulse until the dough comes together.
Use a 1/4 cup measuring cup or an ice cream scoop to drop dollops of dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. (They won’t be neat.) Bake 15 minutes, or until golden.
Make the whipped cream: Combine cream, sugar, and vanilla in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. (It will not be as stiff as commercial whipped cream.)
Just before serving, slice the shortcakes in half and top with whipped cream and strawberries. (I just put the components on the table and let my guests assemble their own.)
Yield: 10 shortcakes
Also recommended: David Lebovitz’s Strawberry Frozen Yogurt (I commented on the recipe here) and strawberry cheesecake ice cream.
(Cross-posted to Apikorsus. Icon courtesy of A Veggie Venture)
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20th Annual ASBEE/Kroger BBQ
I can’t think of a more appropriate press release for the July 4th weekend:
On September 7, 2008, Anshei Sphard-Beth El Emeth Congregation (ASBEE), a Memphis, TN Orthodox congregation, will host the 20th annual ASBEE-Kroger Kosher BBQ Cooking Contest and Festival. The festival will take place from 11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. on the grounds of the synagogue, and features teams from Memphis and around the country vying for top honors in the world’s largest kosher BBQ contest. Prizes are awarded for the best beef ribs, beef brisket, beans, team name and team booth. It’s a major family event which includes children’s rides and games, food for sale by the ASBEE Sisterhood gourmet cookers, the ASBEE-Grizzlies 3-on-3 basketball tournament and the 6th annual pickle eating contest. Last year, the festival hosted 40 teams and more than 2,000 attendees. For details on team and event registration, sponsorship opportunities and general information, go to www.asbeekosherbbq.org, or contact the synagogue at 901-682-1611.
As you know, I competed in the ASBEE BBQ last year, and I’m going back this year. It’s all about thousands of people coming together for fun and Kosher BBQ. This year is a special one for the ASBEE BBQ and I encourage all the BBQ enthusiasts out there to come out and compete. Teams should be in Memphis starting September 4th, for orientation and meat selection. Shabbos accommodations will be available for any Shomer-Shabbos contestants. I’ll answer any questions posted in the comments, or you can contact ASBEE directly at the website or phone number above. Let’s make the world’s largest kosher BBQ contest even bigger!
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