Shabbos Recipies: Wonton and Spicy Peanut Butter

Now that I have moved to Houston I've been forced to become a better cook. We don't have quite as many kosher food options ( although there are some) so you try to diversify and find things you can make on your own. At the local Wholefoods I found kosher eggroll and wonton wraps at a very reasonable price. The brand in question is Nasoya and they make a great product. I will share with you my recipe for kosher fried wonton and spicy peanut butter sauce:

Kosher Spicy Peanut Butter Sauce:

2 table spoons of chunky peanut butter ( use a bit more if you like).

2 teaspoons of soy sauce

1-3 teaspoons of rice vinegar (to taste-decide what works for you)

1-3 teaspoons of lime (again to taste)

1-5 shots of hot sauce ( depending on how hot the sauce is and what you like)

1-2 teaspoons of crushed garlic

2-3 cups of water ( depending on how thick you want it)-this goes last

Directions:

Add all ingredients into a bowl and mix and then add water. If it seems to thick add more water
or to thin add more peanut butter. Enjoy!

Kosher Fried Won Tons:

1 lb. ground beef
1 sm. onion (finely chopped)
1/8 tsp. five spice powder
1/2 tsp. sesame oil
1/4 tsp. onion soup mix or msg
1/4 to 1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. sugar
1 egg yolk
1 tsp. corn or potato starch or flour
Dash of pepper, optional

Directions:
Mix all ingredients for filling together. Put about one teaspoon filling in the center of wonton skin. Fold in half diagonally then seal edge with egg white. Deep fry at 350 degrees until light brown.

The Kennedy Curse : Ted Kennedy Dies at 77

Hearing about the passing of Ted Kennedy, one can't help but think of the Kennedy curse. Some might be inclined to say he escaped the curse, being that he died of natural causes but I would disagree. Dealing with brain cancer is a curse in it's own rite. Ted was known as the Liberal Lion and had the ability to work both sides of the aisle. His chance at presidency was blown during the incident at the island of Chappaquiddick on Martha's Vineyard in 1969. Will the Democrats use his death for their own agenda to shove universal healthcare down our throats? Do I hear a "Yes"?! I do.

New Kosher Product: Frito Lay's Stax Potato Chips

At a friend's house for shabbos I saw some Frito Lay's Stax potato chips. My first thought was "hey those aren't kosher"! Ah, but they are! Frito Lay has many products that are being supervised by the orthodox union. Only the original flavor of Stax bears the OU symbol and is certified kosher. All other flavors are not as of yet. These chips are a rival to the pringles brand, all of which are kosher but many flavors are dairy. Stax are thicker than pringles so they have a different feel to them.You can pick Stax up at walmart for around $1.

MBD New Release Cover: Kulam Ahuvim

Here is the cover for Mordechai Ben David's new release: Kulam Ahuvim, coming to stores next week. From the cover it would seem as if Yeedle is producing his father's album. This album cover is certainly a break with tradition for MBD. I heard the sample for this upcoming release and I'm looking forward to reviewing this one for you.

Free MP3 Sampler From MBD New Release

MBD has a new release available next week here is the sampler

Job Security: Who is in charge?

In today's economy I think it's hard not to feel a bit paranoid. I'm hearing about so many people losing their jobs, I fear I might be losing mine next. What's the difference between a recession and a depression? A recession is when your friend losses his/her job a depression is when YOU lose yours or so the joke goes. I just have to put my faith in G-d that he will continue to provide for me and my family and to do the best that I can on my end. Another way to pray for sustenance is to pray for someone else so that G-d will answer you first. As per the Talmud:
.כל המתפלל בעד חברו והוא צריך לאותו דבר הוא נענה תחילה

The Five Towns Jewish Times: Shimon Cramer

The 5 towns Jewish times has an interesting article on Shimon Cramer one of the many vocal performers for Neshoma Orchestra. Although Shimon's debut album was not a resounding success ( few make it in the Jewish Solo artist world) he's certainly a recognized name in the business as well as being cantor for RJC. The article would have been a lot more credible however if it was written by someone other than his employer, namely Eli zomick one of the Neshoma Orchestra owners.

Houston We Have A Problem: Kosher Food in Houston

Moving from NY to Houston has been an interesting experience. Attempting to find the same items I have come to love in NY has been a chore to say the least. Certain kosher items are more expensive but the regular items (i.e. eggs, milk) are less expensive. You can also find deals here and there on kosher items: for example I have found kosher Salmon on sale for as little as $3.99 lb . It can be difficult trying to figure out who has what items and they are not all available at the same store. Kroger for example has their own brand of kosher barley but does not sell kosher pareve whip cream or large jars of kosher garlic. You have to go elsewhere for different things and that can make things really annoying. Having kosher bakeries inside 2 of the larger supermakets is a nice plus though. We recently frequented the Whole Foods store here in Houston. I really miss Trader Joe's: they had more kosher items and lower prices. The Whole Foods store had something I had never seen before: babysitting! My child went and had a blast as my wife and I looked around for kosher items (lots of kosher soy products) and found kosher eggroll and wonton wraps.

Back to School: Healthy Lunch Video! Chef Nathan

Chef Nathan of Abigaels on Broadway, discusses healthy lunches for your kids on the morning news.Please pass this information along as it is vital for parents to make sure their kids eat healthy. The obesity rates for children are on the rise and it is the biggest health problem for children. If you have some healthy choices for your kids feel free to comment and share them.

Live Jewish Music Video: Pruz "Shtieg"

Featuring a Live Performance by Michoel Pruzansky at Chaim Day Camp singing "Shteig".
Betzalel "Bitz" Bree - Drums, Yehoshua "Shea" Solomon - Keyboard, Ari Boiangiu - Guitar.

Chabad House Opens in St. Martin/St. Maarten

You can imagine the difficulties in opening up a Chabad house in Camodia, which is considered 3rd most corrupt nation in the South-East Asia as well as dealing with potential terrorism. Then there are those who get to open up a Chabad House in a much more peaceful and sublime area of the world:

(lubavitch.com) Chabad-Lubavitch Headquarters officially appointed new Chabad representatives to St. Martin/St. Maarten in the Caribbean Islands.

With the arrival Monday, August 17, of Rabbi Moshe and Sara Chanowitz, and their baby boy, this tiny island becomes the fourth location in the region, following Puerto Rico, St. Thomas and the Dominican Republic, to benefit from the placement of permanent Chabad representatives.

“This is a tremendous development,” says Rabbi Mendel Zarchi, representative to Puerto Rico, who directs Chabad activities in the Caribbean. After being active in St. Maarten for the last eight years through periodic visits, especially around holiday times, Rabbi Zarchi says that the need for a full time Chabad representative on St. Maarten has “taken on a new urgency.”

“There has been a real void here, and there have been requests for a full time Rabbi and Jewish religious and community services,” he says, noting that several local families who wanted to see this happen have been very involved.

The island, all of 37 square miles, part Dutch, part French is the smallest inhabited sea island to be divided between two nations. Rabbi Chanowitz is considered an ideal candidate for this post, explains Rabbi Zarchi, because in addition to his dynamic energy, he is also multi-lingual, and is comfortable communicating in French and Hebrew, as well as in English.

The Chanowitzes, who led Purim celebrations on the island in March, say they anticipate more than 100 to join them for Rosh Hashana services, and hope that their Shabbat dinners and adult educational classes will draw growing numbers.

They will begin working out of a rented apartment where they will live while they work to create a Jewish infrastructure in a community that, explains Rabbi Chanowitz, has none to date.

A magnetic oasis for tourists, St. Maarten also has a residential Jewish community

with roughly some 200 Jews, as well as many Jewish students studying in the area’s medical schools.

“This is an exciting opportunity because of the diverse character of the community,” says Sara Chanowitz, who plans to implement educational programs for students, families within the community, and among the tourists.

Moshe and Sara are on familiar terrain. The children of Chabad representatives respectively in New York and New Haven, both are eager to embark on their own mission: offering the people of this sun-drenched island a different kind of warmth.

Free Dunkin Donuts Coffee Samples

Living as a religious Jew in Houston originally from NY you learn to live with less. One thing you may find yourself craving is Dunkin Donuts coffee, arguably some of the best coffee out there. Houston, one of the largest cities in the US, has only about 4 or 5 DD locations. None of these DD locations are all that close to me. My wife decided to purchase a Digital 5 cup GE coffee maker for just $15 at walmart!The coffee maker even came with a a metal cleanable coffee filter and chlorine water filter. Now we just buy the ground Dunkin Donuts coffee instead and we save a couple of dollars and can smell the incredible armoa at home. You can get a free sample of thier coffee just click here.

Jet Blue Offers All You Can Jet! $599

Jet Blue has a new exciting offer on a Travel Pass:

Enjoy unlimited travel and last seat availability with our All-You-Can-Jet Pass! For just $599* you can take JetBlue anywhere you like, as often as you like, from September 8 to October 8, 2009. Use your All-You-Can-Jet Pass for business, for pleasure, to visit your favorite cities or to meet with a client. You might as well just do it all! With more than 50 cities to choose from, and for just $599, it’s a deal you can’t pass up.

I wonder who they are targeting with this kind of deal? Most likely singles because the average family could hardly afford spending $2-4k on travel but then who knows? This deal of course has plenty of terms and conditions. Which cities would you travel to?

Shocking News: Tragic Car Accident In Catskills!

Matzav.com is reporting on a horrible tragedy that is really personal to me. 5 yr old Dovi Levitan A"H was on Old Falls Road outside of Camp Morris in Woodridge, NY when he was struck and killed by a truck last night.

Dovi was a son of R’ Shmuli and Mrs. Chumie Levitan of Lakewood, NJ. R’ Shmuli is a son of Rav Chaim Zev and Mrs. Rochel Levitan of Monsey, NY, rov of Khal Bais Yosef Meir on Olympia Lane in Monsey. Mrs. Chumie Levitan is a daughter of Rav Moshe and Mrs. Miriam Scheinerman, rov of Kehillas V’Kollel Bnei Hayeshivos of Flatbush.

This is a truly devastating loss and I'm deeply saddened by this story. I actually had the zechus of having Rabbi Zev Levitan as a Rebbe ( the grandfather). The bizzare twist for me is that I also had learned with Rabbi Scheinerman as well. This was a real tragic way to learn that these great talmidai chachamim had become family. My heart goes out to the families : Hamokom Yenachem eschem besoch shaar avalei tziyon veyerushalayim. I'm at a loss for words here...

Song to Gilad: Video- Do not fear!

"Al Tidag Gilad" – artists sing to gilad shalit.

"Al Tidag Gilad", a song produced by "dos music" and zachi bar-chen, is dedicated with lots of love to the abducted soldier gilad shalit, who has been in captivity for over three years.

"dos music" in cooperation with singer zachi bar-chen succeeded to recruit the finest of Israeli artists, both religious and non – religious to come together in song and express the deep feelings all Israelis have and stress the fact that gilad has been in captivity for "more than a thousand days", witch is the first line of the song they all sing together.

"don't fear gilad you are not alone" , so sing avi sinvani, udi habri, itzik orlev, eliran tavori, beni brada , hezi fanian, haim moshe, yuval tayeb, tzedi or, zachi bar-chen, "pirchey yerushalaim", ruben "the angel", shahar sela and shimi tavori.

David bend avid, one of the projects founders: "in this song and project we are all hope for gilad to return to his home and loving family".

Bach Video: Piano Full Life Size Version

For those of you who have seen the movie "big" ( a yeshivish movie as frum satire would call it). You'll appreciate this version of piano.

Free Kosher Chocolate Coupons!

It seems that marketing is following that of the President's economic plans. There is a bailout here and a bailout there- economic stimulus bill here ( you get the point): Now Mars Chocolate ,a family owned business, is unleashing the creation of the Mars Real Chocolate Relief Act, a nationwide effort to bring sweet smiles to millions of Americans via free, full-sized samples of Mars real chocolate, product discounts and coupons along with the proclamation of Free Chocolate Fridays™. Now through September, Mars will give away as many as seven million full-size packages of its M&M’S®, SNICKERS®, MILKY WAY®, TWIX®, DOVE®, and 3 MUSKETEERS® brand chocolate in the United States.To get in on the action click here.Mars is also promoting the fact that even in this rough economy it is committed to quality and assures that it will continue to use only 100% real cocoa in all it's chocolate products.

Chabad: Now Opening In Cambodia!

One can always count on Chabad to be available for assistance especially in the far flung corners of the world. Going to a region with few Jews? Call Chabad and they can set you up with kosher food or a Mikvah perhaps. This new development brings new meaning to "going where no man has gone before":

Chabad Center To Open in Phnom Penh, Cambodia

(lubavitch.com) Merkos L’Inyonei Chinuch, the educational division of Chabad-Lubavitch, has appointed Chabad representatives to Cambodia, a first for this South East Asian country.

Rabbi Bentzion and Mashie Butman, respectively 26 and 23, will be leaving for Phnom Penh in the near future, along with their 18-month old son and newborn baby.

“We’ve established a need for Chabad in Cambodia where the number of Jews continues to grow,” said Rabbi Yosef Chaim Kantor, Chabad representative of Thailand who directs Chabad centers in the region.

According to Rabbi Butman, who together with his wife led the seders last Passover in Phnom Penh, there are 100-150 Jews living in Cambodia’s capital city. That’s a marked spike in numbers since two years ago when there were only 30.

Typically, it is business that brings Jews to Cambodia, though some are working with NGOs. But to date, there is no meeting place where Jews can find each other.

“That’s one of our objectives in opening a Chabad center there,” says Rabbi Butman. “We want the Chabad House to be the address where Jews can meet other Jews, where they can speak in the same language and feel at home.”

The Butmans, who live in New York now, appreciate the value of this service for westerners who live in this third-world country. Both Bentzion and Mashie say they expect that loneliness will be the biggest challenge for them.

“It’s far, everything about Cambodia is strange to us; the language, the climate—which is very humid and uncomfortable—the mentality and the way of life are very different from ours, ” says Rabbi Butman, whose nearest colleagues will be the Chabad representatives in Vietnam.

With very few Jewish women in Phnom Penh, and even fewer Jewish children there, Mashie admits that she will have to be patient as she learns to make a life there. Despite the difficulties she anticipates, especially in raising children so far from family, she sees it as a chance to put all her training to work. “This is what I was trained for,” she says cheerfully.

It may well be one of the more daunting destinations that a young couple can choose for their lifelong mission, but, says Rabbi Butman, “It is our choice.”

The possibilities to reach Jewish people and make a meaningful difference in their lives there are tremendous, says Butman, precisely because no one else is there to do that.

“That’s why we are going there. We were taught that it is our purpose to be lamplighters. There are Jews in Cambodia who need us, and it’s our responsibility to reach them.”

The Butmans say they expect about 15-20 people to join them for Shabbat dinners from the get-go, and have confirmed 4-6 individuals eager to join all of their educational and social activities. “They want to start studying with us immediately,” says Rabbi Butman.

That’s good enough reason, says Rabbi Kantor, for installing Chabad representatives to this post. “We go where there are Jews who need us.”

Rabbi Moshe Kotlarsky, Vice Chairman of Merkos, says that he, together with Rabbi Kantor and regional Chabad emissaries will do their utmost to extend every form of support to the couple as they embark on their new appointment. The decision to establish a Chabad center in Phnom Penh, and in recruiting the Butmans to fill the position was, he says, carefully considered.

“We’ve had many meetings about this. I feel confident that the Butmans have the energy and stamina to succeed at this enormous mission,” he said.

Sabbath Mode: Refrigerator Shopping

Since I'm in the market for a new fridge, I've started making my way around the net in search of a good deal. It seems that every good fridge will have some bad reviews, so the trick is to do your due diligence and pick one that will be the least problematic and still have the features you would like. This is a lot harder than it sounds! For example, you may decide that you'll just follow the advice of Consumer Reports, only to find that the "amazon reviews "of that model have many people crying at how bad the customer service and repair issues are. Being a religious Jew throws yet another wrench into this pool of problems. Is there a sabbath mode? Sabbath mode would shut off the electric displays as well as the lights so as not to have any issues of building, creating (completing a circuit) or igniting a fire (depending on the view you follow). The fridge I liked was a Samsung unit Model# RF266ABPN but I'm worried about how to keep the lights off (may have to take them out) as well as the electric display and if there are any issues with the compressor coming on.I read that magnets might take care of the problem as it is magnets that tell the unit that the door is open. Needles to say a sabbath mode fridge makes life a lot easier but they can be costly and there are few to choose from. If anyone has any reccomendations escpecially for a french door bottom freezer model, please let me know. On many models that use a regular switch to turn the lights on or off ,the solution is easy: you can purchase Shabbat switch covers. The Samsung model however, does not work on this premise .

Kosher Facebook Savings: Abigael's 10% OFF!

Facebook is a new way for companies to advertise to potential customers and just get the word out about their services and products. This is a first for me though: Chef Jeff Nathan of Abigael's, one of the most prominent kosher restaurants in NY, is offering 10% off the bill if you are a facebook friend of his! You simply call and reserve and mention you are a facebook friend (they will check). Here is a screen shot:

If you have facebook make sure to become freinds with him and take advatage of this amazing offer. If you do take advantage of it please let me know how it worked out! Bon Apetite

Video: Israelis losing fatih in Obama?

This video depicts the issues Israelis have with Obama in regards to his wanting to dismantle settlements. Check out all the antisemitic comments it's receiving.

Surprise! Agriporcessor Executive Pleads Guilty to Fraud

Agriprocessor is a company that has had more bad press than any I can think of in a long time. This company has been brought up on charges from every angle! It started with allegations of animal cruelty then certification issues and labor violations then eventually bankruptcy. One would think with Agriprocessors recent sale this would be the end of the saga but there's more! A former executive of Agriprocessor:Yomtov “Toby” Bensasson, 56, has plead guilty to fraud. He admitted that he conspired from September 2007 to October 2008 to lie to a bank to receive advances on a loan. Bensasson told authorities that he “overstated the value of collateral as part of his employer’s request for an advance on a loan,” the U.S. attorney’s office said in a statement.
With all the recent bad press Jews have been getting in the business world this only adds fuel to the fire.

Guss' Pickles: Lawsuit has owner in a pickle?

Rising rent and slow sales have forced out the owners of the famous Guss' Pickles of the Lower East Side to pack up and move to Brooklyn ( Boro Park to be exact). The problem is a lawsuit filed by the the Fairhurst( Manhattan store) and the counter suit by Leibowitz (owners of the Cedarhurst store) . In the settlement Pat Fairhurst was told she could keep the name as long as she stayed at her Orchard St. location but now that she's moving she must change the famous name. Needles to say the outcome of the suit left a sour taste in Pat Fairhurst's mouth but she's not worried."We have a following, they don't," she says simply.

Music Review: Avodas Tzedaka for A TIME

Now that the 3 weeks are over we take you to our regular programming schedule of music and music reviews. Shloime Kaufman has produced an album, Avodas Tzedakah composed exclusively for A TIME. A TIME is the premier, internationally acclaimed organization that offers advocacy, education, guidance, research and support through our many programs to Jewish men, women, and couples struggling with reproductive health and infertility. The album features vocals by Shloime Kaufman and features many guest appearances by Abie rotenberg, Dovid Gabbay, Baruch Levine, Michoel Pruzansky, A.K.A. Pella. Songs.

1) Avodos Tzedaka composed by Yitzy Waldner

The title song is the first song on this release featuring vocals by Shloime Kaufman. The idea seems to be to grab your attention as soon as you hit play. This is a very heavy hitting song with a lot of brass ( arranged by Danny Flam of NYBrass.com) is very pleasant and they back it off a bit in the middle with some nice harmonies with Shloime singing harmonies with himself. It's not ground breaking but a very solid song.

7.5 out of 10

2) Yigdal composed and arranged and performed Boruch Levine

A ballad that would make a nice chupah song escpecially as an instrumental. Not quite on the level of V'zakeini but enjoyable.

8 out of 10

3) Kol Yisroel composed by Yitzy Waldner performed by Pruzanskay

This song was a bit surprising to hear to me. It's a sampled type of arrangement that might remind you of the ace of base with a newer hip hop/r&b vibe. It's certainly not a typical song the beat can grab you and the vocals are cute with Shloime and Pruz bending notes with electric tinges added to their vocals for effect. It just seems to be missing a third part perhaps but a cool concept.

7 out of 10

4) Min Hamaitzar composed by Yitzy Waldner performed Dovid Gabay

A Ballad sung by Dovid Gabay I think the song is pretty good but I think the arrangement is a bit bland. Gabay's vocals sound clean and he belts it out on the high part which is great.

7 out of 10

5) Ivdu composed by Shloime Kaufman guest performance by Shalom Jacobs

A retro song in a straight up frielach style very simple arrangement. If you like songs that are easy to sing like carlebach this is your tune.

6.5 out of 10

6) Aishes Chayil Composed by Yitzy Waldner

Shloime sings this ballad by Waldner very well. It has some nice arrangments but probably won't make your top 10 since it's missing a great hook but that's just me.

6 out of 10

7) V'yizku composed Baruch Levine

A (Yeshivish) rock tune starts of with a nice choir and moves into vocals by Shloime belting out
the title of the song. I enjoyed the electric guitar soloing here and in the intro the second time around.

8 out of 10

8) Habita composed by Yossi Muller featuring AKA Pella

Hudi Greenber and Avi Stewart both solo and Shloime I believe joins in too on this ballad.
This is a great kumzitz tune and I think that perhaps that's what they were aiming for here.
Nice harmonies and an arragement that's not overdone here.

8.5 out of 10

9) Sunshine In The Rain composed by Yitzy Waldener Lyrics by Bella Levitan
Perfomed by Abie Rotenberg and cast

This contemporary ballad was written for the organization A TIME and talks about the pain people with issues of infertality go through, not a typical topic for an english song. The arrangement and vocals are truly excepetional and could rival the contemporary song you hear anywhere. If you understand what this song is about, you can't help but be moved by it.

11 out of 10 (no not a typo)

10) Sameach composed by Yitzy Waldner
I enjoyed this hip hop/funk/hora style song. It certainly has a nice groove and the harmonies are fun. They were going for a very contemporary hip hop/ r&b style and I think they nailed it.

9 out of 10

11) Yevarachicha composed by Yitzy Waldner
Another ballad featuring Shloime Kaufman. A pleasant tune but again not earth shattering.

6 out of 10

12) Sunshine In The Rain Bonus Track featuring AKA Pella and Shloime Kaufman
A great song and a great job by Shloime and AKA Pella fantastic!

11 out of 10

All in all this was a very enjoyable album (listen to the free sampler here) that should give you plenty of new enjoyable material to listen to, so go out and buy it!