Name This Kosher Product- Win Money!

If you can name this product, mail in this form and be entered to win some prizes!

Download the Form

Releasing Pollard and more news....

Here is a quick rundown of happenings in the Jewish world:

Yale researchers may have discovered a more effective and less costly treatment for Gaucher disease — a rare disorder most common in the Ashkenazi Jewish populace.

Members of the Israeli Knesset parliament are requesting that President Obama release Jonathan Pollard.

The Debate in Israel over the Kollel Stipend continues.

Jews in the UK are dealing with a kosher meat shortage.

Esquire features a story:  A Terrorist Almost Bombed My Synagogue.

NYC Jewish museum is featuring "Houdini: Art and Magic," which opens Friday at The Jewish Museum, tells the story of an impoverished son of Jewish immigrants who harnessed the power of the mass media, and the emerging technologies of film and photography, to become one of the 20th century's most famous performers.

Looking for Kosher products? There is an app for that! CRC releases Kosher 1.0.

New to NYC: Sanitary Grades on Restaurants

People are starting to see the new implementation of sanitary grades listed on the outside of food establishments in New York. It will certainly take a while until the inspectors can cover all of  28,000 signs they have already produced. The idea behind the grading system is it will exert pressure on restaurants to pay more attention to food safety. It of course should come as no surprise that the New York State Restaurant Assosication has been fighting this system and is raising funds to challenge it. This picture (to the right) is an example of  Bagel Hole at the Av J location. In NYC you can also get restaurant inspection information online as well.

Kosher Product Review: Cream Cheese

Moving from NY to Houston takes a little getting used to. It's great living here but the amenities in the kosher department are not as great as the big apple. We have no kosher Chinese restaurant and the pizza could be better. I however try to find the diamond in the rough and I think I stumbled upon something . That something is cream cheese by Lucerne. Lucerne is a food manufacturer for private labeling and they do a lot of business with Safeway stores. Randall's carries these lines and you can't get this stuff on the east coast. Lucerne has a whole line of cream cheeses as well as limited editions such as pumpkin spice. My favorite are their vegetable which comes in regular and whipped versions. I got an 8 oz. package on sale for just 99 cents. This product taste just as good if not better than the high end cream cheese they sell in bagel stores for $4-$5 a pound. I also tried a mix berry flavor whipped and it is out of this world. There were some other flavors that were interesting such as cranberry orange. Move over philidalphia make way for Lucerene!

New Kosher Product Review: Kikkoman Bread Crumbs

One of my favorite relatively new kosher products is Kikkoman Bread crumbs. It is certified Kosher by the OU. Kikkoman is known for it's top quality Asian food products and these bread crumbs are no different:
These are the bread crumbs that the restaurants use. Big, crispy flakes that hold their crunch. Kikkoman’s Restaurant Series Panko are made from specially baked bread, processed to exact specifications and lightly toasted for delicate flavor and the ideal crunch. Use them to coat seafood, vegetables, risotto cakes or croquettes. Also, excellent for crumb toppings on savory or sweet casseroles. I have tried them and they are truly excellent. They are fairly inexpensive as well.

Kosher Summer: Starbucks Frappuccino®

Well now that summer is here it's out with the iced drinks. It's important when purchasing drinks to make sure they are kosher and not just drink what you may have seen some dude with a yarmulka drinking. Many people are under the impression that Starbucks Frappuccinos are kosher, which they are if purchased in a bottle. Buy one from a store and it's another story entirely. I found a great site that goes through a lot of information:kosherstarbucks.com. For some other information be sure to check out this pdf from the CRC. Kosherstabucks maintains the following:

Frappuccino® is made with the following: base, flavoring, ice. There are two kind of bases, crème base and coffee base. Coffee base is not kosher and Crème base is kosher. Some flavors are made with coffee base by default, and some with creme base by default. We formulated our list based on how the drink is made by default. Therefore, if you request a kosher syrup(see Syrups) and you specificly ask for a creme based Frappuccino® it will be kosher. For example, a creme based Cinnamon Dolce Frappuccino® is kosher even though it's on the "not recommended list" because by default it's made with coffee base. The site goes on to explain it further and is very informative and as always be sure to check with your local Rabbi for confirmation.

Favorite Listings: Shops, Grocery, Restaurants etc..

I think to some extent everyone has their favorite places to go purchase anything. I'd like to share some of my favorite locations and I hope you can do the same in the comments.

Favorite Stores:

Trader Joe's has fantastic kosher foods at fabulous prices. They certainly have unique kosher items that you would have trouble finding anywhere else. Specifically low calorie snacks. I just purchased woven wheat wafers for example: They are much tastier than triscuits and have only 2.5 grams of fat per serving ( 8 crackers) with 3 grams of fiber. Any kind of soy based kosher product will most likely be less costly at this store.


Walmart:Where else can you find so many things i.e. clothing, car care products, grocery, baby products etc. under one roof and not have to worry about being ripped off?


Bass and Bass Outlet:Go during one of their sales and get fantastic prices on shirts, shoes and other accessories. You can get Rockport type comfort and style at a fraction of the cost.

Daffy's:I have only frequented their location in Manhasset. I managed to find suits for $130 which were super 150's and made in Italy. I have owned more expensive suits but these got me the most compliments. They also have a nice selection of shirts and sports wear. Depending on the time of year and demand the stock will vary, so it's probably best to try back in a week or 2 if you don't see what you are looking for.

Old Navy: They have a great assortment of children's clothing at a great value. Get on their email list to be notified about upcoming sales as well as coupon savings.

The Children's Place: Really cute clothes at great prices during their sales. Never buy anything at full price since everything is usually discounted within a couple of weeks or use a coupon from their email list which can be combined during a sale for even greater savings.

Michael's:If you live in Brooklyn you may never have even heard of it. Michael's is an Arts and Crafts store and it's big! You could probably get lost in some of the locations. Anything to do with art or craft is in this store. My wife purchased these stencils with paint and decorated the entire basement into a children's playroom and it looks fantastic. Many of thier stores offer birthday party rooms where a child and their friends can participate in creating something they can decorate their room with.

Bagel Store:Bagel Boss: Besides making a great bagel,the Bagel Boss Plate is a deal you can't beat: Bagel, 2 eggs, coffee, juice and home fries: $3.99.

Chinese: Wok Tov has great lunch specials that taste quite good and offer value. ChoSen Village has the best Chinese in NY and has nice ambiance as well. My wifes boss who isn't even religious eats there on business lunches, he loves it so.

Steakhouse:Abigail's is my favorite steakhouse in NY. They offer a great steak and they get it right every time. The service is quite good as is the ambiance.

Pizza: This is a hard one since there are so many of them. For a while David's was a favorite and then I move to Shula's which I also enjoyed. Hunki's still makes the best garlic knots. Ej's Too is one of the nicer pizzeria establishments in Long Island.

Ice Cream: Coldstone Creamery. If you think that Carvel is great, you have been missing out.
Coldstone Creamery although a bit pricier offers a whole other level of an ice cream experience. For starters whereas toppings are usually pre made i.e. cookie crumbs. At Coldstone they take the cookie and crush it for you right there. Want peanut butter in your ice cream: they'll take it fresh and mix it in! Not all locations are kosher so check with your local rabbi. If you are looking for another ice cream parlor that offers great ice cream with a different style try Max & Minas.
They have some of the funkiest flavors you will find anywhere and a truly fun experience.

Kosher : Not Synonymous With Clean...

An article in the Jewish Chronicle points out that there has been a significant increase in kosher restaurants in the UK. The problem is that evidently kosher does not mean a clean environment.The JC conducted an investigation and found that half of kosher restaurants, delis and bakeries inspected by local authorities are rated “very poor” or “poor” — including some of our most trendy hang-outs. And only two restaurants — out of 59 — are given top marks.

Introducing Kosher GPS

Ever wish you could find the nearest pizza shop or steakhouse but didn't know where to find it? Well now you can download a file onto your GPS that has over 1000 Restaurants for all over the USA and Canada. For only $18 you should have little problem finding kosher food or a minyan wherever you travel across the USA and Canada. The file can be purchased here.

Best of Kosher Food: New Soda Award!

It's been a while since I've added an item to my Best of Kosher Food (drop down on the left side of my blog). Today I would like to give an award to Sierra Mist Cranberry Splash, for it's outstanding crisp taste and excellent flavor. The trick here is that none of the flavors overpower the other and the diet version is one of the better diet soft drinks on the market. Give it try.

Kosher Dunkin Donuts: Now in Staten Island!

The Jewish Week has an in-depth article on the opening of the first kosher Dunkin Donuts on Long Island. For a Borough that is short on kosher options this is a warm welcome. Rabbi Mehlman aka the "Donut Rabbi" was instrumental in making this kosher addition a realty. The article explains what kind of fines would be given out for those who did not adhere to it's strict kashrus standards:The company employs a zero-tolerance stance for those who break rules and bring in outside (potentially non-kosher) products to lower costs. “One of the stores I know of had to pay a $10,000 fine for using a [non-Dunkin’ Donuts-approved] toilet bowl cleaner,” Rabbi Mehlman said. “You’d have to be out of your mind to mess with a key product — you’d lose your store.” Interestingly the article discussed how the Dunkin Donuts in the 5 towns was sued for being closed on shabbos. After corporate figured out that they were making more money by being kosher they changed their tune. I'm not certain however if they are still closed on shabbos since the owners are not Jewish they may be allowed to stay open.

Kosher Red Bull: Dominating Israel's Ultra Orthodox

Being an ultra-orthodox Jew takes a lot of energy! You have a lot of kids, you study the torah from dawn to dusk so you will need a drink to keep you going. Enter "EXIT" the first kosher energy drink for ultra-Orthodox Jews. Exit is an orange beverage that was modeled after the famous Red Bull and is strictly kosher. The manufacturer boasts 58 different extracts all of which have been carefully checked by rabbinical experts for high kashrus standards. The label does have a warning for children under 12 not to consume it although it hardly seems to deter them, as the article describes: David, an 11-year-old yeshiva student, said that his religious school had forbidden the drink on its premises – the label recommends children under the age of 12 do not consume it – but that he and his friends drank at least a can a day each to help them concentrate on memorising the sacred texts. “It tastes pure and clean because we know the ingredients are pure,” he said. “All my friends drink it; we study 14 hours a day.” Needless to say it seems to be a big hit.

Hechsher Wars in the UK

There is a very interesting article in the JC regarding hechshairim (supervision companies) in the UK. Among some of the most well known hechshairim is that of the Manchester Beth Din. The story is that a dayan from the Beth Din, Rabbi Osher Westheim broke off from the Beth Din to start his own hechsher (you may have seen it on those Wrigley wrappers manufactured in Poland).The drop in revenue that the Beth Din has seen has been devastating and it has been attempted to broker a deal between it's old employee of 28 yrs. as recently as last week. Talks however did not seem to go well as the Dayan told the Beth Din that any “drop in revenue” was largely the responsibility of the Manchester Beth Din itself. The article claims that Rabbi Westheim has brought Manchester international fame for excellence in Kashrus that is had never had before.

Socialize: del.icio.us | digg | Furl | Technorati | Yahoo My Web

Kosher Cat Food: NO JOKE

It's so unusually strange you'd think it's a joke. There are many items out there that perhaps don't need kosher certification but have it but cat food? Evanger's Super Premium Gold Dinners is certifid kosher by the CRC so if you're hungry and all you have is cat food feel free to dig in...um ok..

TGI Friday's Goes Kosher?

More and more products being sold by TGI Friday's are going the kosher route. My most recent discovery is Mozzarella Sticks. These crunchy snacks looked real interesting so I thought to give it a try. The idea was to try to recreate the taste of real mozzarella sticks in a bag. Although they were pretty good they are basically cheese curls with some extra flavor. No need to get too excited but they are kosher. Stay tuned for more kosher food.

5 Towns Restaurant Update: Goodbye Dougies?

There is a rumor floating around that Dougies of the 5 Towns will be shutting down. The first Dougies originated in Manhattan and it is closed, will this be the second? There certainly is enough new competition to give Dougies a problem. 2 new restaurants are opening up nearby. I'm referring to the recently opened Burger's Bar and the soon to be opened Subway. Speaking of Subway there is one currently opened in Brooklyn and I've heard nothing but terrible reviews and it's expensive to boot. With restaurants in Brooklyn like Subsational offering 50 sandwiches at reasonable prices and quality, I'm not sure that the Subway in Brooklyn will be open much longer. All this talk is making me hungry so I'll go grab a bite and talk to you later....

Do You Eat Pork? Not Anymore...

Here is an article about a boy of 11 yrs. old who killed his own monster hog. You will only eat kosher after these pics.

Best in Kosher Food : Dietetic III

When your on a diet as my family is you look for foods low in calorie intake but that taste good and fill you up. One of the tricks to getting that full feeling is having a soup. One of my favorite low calorie soups is the soup line by Tabatchnick. The flavors I enjoy most are the chili, cream spinach and minestroni. These soups taste great and our low calorie and high in fiber. Most major supermarkets carry them in the frozen isle. Check them out.

Best in Kosher Food : Dietetic!

Welcome to my new segment on the Best in Kosher Food: Diet Foods. I hope you find this information helpful in your quest to shed a few pounds this summer. As I mentioned earlier my wife and I have started on the weight watchers diet. This diet is all about the point system and how many points you can consume depends on your body weight. The key of course is to find great foods that are filling but low in points and for parents, something that's quick and easy. I think we really hit the jackpot on Guiltless Gourmet wraps! They come in 4 flavors: Mediterranean Spinach,California Veggie, Four Bean Chili & Black Bean Chipolte. These wraps have none or little cholesterol, low fat, high fiber and are organic and are about 5 points each. To make matters even better we got 2 for $3 on sale. These wraps may be hard to find and you may want to ask your supermarket to carry them. I've tried the spinach and California and they are really good. Stay tuned for more great dietetic foods.

Best of Kosher Food Series Continues: Trader Joe's

It's been a little while since I wrote my last post on my Best of Kosher Food series. Today I would like to treat you to a great spread that I stumbled upon. Trader Joe's Red Pepper spread features eggplant and garlic. Once you try it it will become a staple in your household. I use it on my turkey sandwiches and it is fantastic, it has a spicy flavor but I would consider it mild. At 15 calories and only a 0.5 grams of fat per serving (1 tblsp) it's even better! Enjoy...