Seasons Supermarket- New Ownership

There has been a lot of speculation about what would happen to the one of the largest kosher supermarket chains in America, Seasons. They had filed for bankruptcy with over $40 million in debt to be settled. The latest news is they have declared new ownership. Who is the new owners? They are the family of Joseph Bistritzky, CEO of the Maramont Corp., a food services company. Not all locations will re-open as the new owners are being cautious about how they proceed with this new endeavor.

Kosher Soul:TV Show About Judaism & Interfaith Marriage?

Just when you thought you have seen it all! A new reality television show is emerging which is seemingly very tongue in cheek concerning Judaism and interfaith-interracial marriage. I'm unsure as to how most orthodox Jews will appreciate the way Judaism is portrayed here. Overall it seems more of a comedy skit so I don't know if anyone would take any part of it all that seriously. Lifetime channel portrays the show as such: 

The adage says opposites attract…and in the case of Lifetime’s all-new docu-sitcom "Kosher Soul" (#KosherSoul), which follows the lives of Los Angeles stylist Miriam Sternoff, who is Jewish, and her fiancé, southern and African-American comedian O’Neal McKnight, they do. Premiering Wednesday, February 25, at 10p ET/PT, divergent worlds will clash as Miriam and O’Neal’s friends and family prepare for the couple’s nuptials, including O’Neal’s conversion to Judaism and their future as husband and wife. Despite doubts and concerns from their loved ones, recently engaged Miriam and O’Neal are preparing to marry and begin their lives in a Jewish home. Madly in love, O’Neal is ready to prove his dedication to Miriam by converting to Judaism in order to be accepted by her mother, Nancy, who wants her future grandchildren to be raised Jewish. At the same time, Miriam is trying to blend O’Neal’s southern upbringing and traditions into her life. What results is a hilarious and touching peek into the love and affection between two soul mates whose deep and emotional connection overcomes cultural barriers. "Kosher Soul" is produced by Ish Entertainment and the executive producers are Michael Hirschorn ("The Approval Matrix"), Melissa Cooper ("Styled By June"), Wendy Roth ("Wife Swap") and Rasheed J. Daniel ("Blood, Sweat and Heels"). Lifetime’s Eli Lehrer, Mary Donahue and Mariana Flynn are also executive producers. Twelve half-hour episodes of Kosher Soul have been ordered for this season.

NY Kosher Smokehouse Opening Delayed....

The first retail Kosher Smokehouse, Izzys BBQ is getting ready to open up in Crown Heights but has been delayed due to city inspection and contractor snafus. They are hoping to be up and running within 1-2 months.

Izzy Idelman pictured here says he was inspired by the "Wandering Que". A very popular mobile smokehouse establishment. There has been a growing number of mobile kosher smokehouses opening up including 2  in Texas: One in  Dallas that goes by Texas Kosher BBQ and one in Austin: Joe Bob's BBQ that will also be serving Houston as well.

Ate Too Much: My secret medicine!

Ever eat a meal and after said "I feel like I'm going to burst"? You may wonder what can you do about other then feel like there is a bowling ball in your stomach. This can happen at various situations, Purim, Shabbos etc.. Most people have no idea this medicine exists and today I will part with this little secret. It is called Underberg and it is Kosher (OU certified) and it works!

Here is a link to the best deal I could find online and you can see that the reviews speak for themselves. FYI this is a drink you take in one gulp!

You are welcome!

Cholov Yisroel Milk in the UK..It's Just Better?

Reading this article about Cholov Yisroel milk production in Manchester and it is quite interesting!
They want to say it tastes better than their non-supervised competition and it last long which is not something you hear about here in the USA. This part of the article was a bit unusual:


Kosher production has helped the farm survive the supermarket milk price wars which has damaged the general side of his business. Kosher milk has other advantages, he maintains. "When you buy from a supermarket, the milk is taken from different farms, mixed together and transported in one 28,000 litre tanker lorry. "It's a bit like the difference between a blended whisky and a single malt. With local kosher production you get a fuller flavour and it keeps for up to 10 days because the milk reaches customers more quickly. As modern customers, we should all demand the same standard we get with kosher food. With kosher you know exactly where your product came from. Even with FSA rules, if there is contamination in non-kosher milk it can take much longer to find the problem because the milk is being being mixed from all over the place.

Green Vegetarian Cuisine: Coming to Houston or Not?

A while back I mentioned that the word was Green Vegetarian Cuisine of San Antonio fame was to open a location in Houston. This got a lot of people excited about the prospect of a nice restaurant opening up in the Jewish community. Well unfortunately it seems that the issue of Kashrus will not be a simple matter. The HKA (Houston Kashrus Association) has been in talks with the owners and the restaurant would be dealing with quite a bit of produce many of which require checking for bugs. It may very well be that the owners may decide to open up elsewhere or just not have a restaurant that has kosher supervision. My hope is they will work something out but I'm not optimistic.

Polly O String Cheese and More, Kosher?

The word is out that the OU and Kraft  are working on converting the entire line of Polly O to go kosher as early as March!

As per Gil Student Twitter:

https://twitter.com/GilStudent/status/299705715562516481

This could be a huge deal especially for those living out of town and you can buy kosher cheese in almost any supermarket you go to.

Yougurtland is it Kosher?

There are many people in Houston who would frequent Yogurtland locations with the understanding that many flavors are under KSA supervision. They would simply find out which flavors were supervised and only buy those labeled kosher. After contacting the KSA directly it was discovered that unless one could actually see the boxes of the shipment for that week, the KSA was not sure that in fact what you were eating was kosher.Currently the Yogurtland locations will not accommodate in providing proof of those shipments as they throw those boxes out. Talks with the HKA have yet to bear fruit and local Rabbi's may end up sending notices to this effect.

Is Starbucks Kosher?

For those who are not familiar, the CRC has declared that drinking starbucks coffee has new issues with regards to kashrus (as seen below). You can listen to Rabbi Aryeh Lebowitz from YU discuss the issue in great detail here. Part of the kashrus issue seems to stem from the fact that many were under the impression  that Starbucks was using soap when cleaning various utensils. Once it was discovered that soap was not being used, the trouble ensued. According to other blogs the OU seems to have a difference of opinion. Bottom line: ask your local Rabbi.

Woman Plows Car Right Through Kosher Supermarket

The NY Post reports on a car crash involving a Kosher Supermarket in Queens, Mazur's Kosher Market on Horace Harding Boulevard in Little Neck. A driver said to be in her 80's plowed her Mercedes Benz right into the store and mowed down a customer.the injured customer was rushed to the hospital and is listed as critical but stable condition according to authorities.

Supersol Changing Ownership: Name Your Supermarket?

If you haven't heard, there is a new Gourmet supermarket rolling out where the current Supersol of Flushing, Queens is located. In an effort to promote this newly named grocery store, the new management is promoting a contest to name the newly minted supermarket at NameYourSupermarket.com. My idea: Kosherific. What's yours? Remember:If your entry is chosen, you will receive $100 of free groceries every week for a full year... more than $5,000 worth!

New Kosher Products: Kosher Beef Jerky

If you never tried beef jerky, now you can thanks to beef jerky by Holy Cow!

As Per Kosher Today: Holy Cow! Has made a statement with its new kosher beef jerky. Through the company’s revolutionary production process, they have mastered the art of Jerky making. The result is truly fantastic flavor with a lean, tender finish - never brittle and dry. Moreover at Holy Cow! Kosher, they never use artificial ingredients, any trans fats or MSG. The jerky is kosher certified under the Orthodox Union and Kehilla Kosher. The beef jerky is available in original and teriyaki flavors.

If you have tried this kosher beef jerky, let us know what you think.

Becoming Kosher: Tootsie Rolls, Gatorade and more?

The most recent word is that Tootsie Rolls and Gatorade are becoming kosher under the supervision of the OU. I'm curious as to when Wrigley's would bear kosher supervision since there was a rumor floating around that they would turn kosher but it's been over a year since that news started to circulate and yet Wrigley's still bears no kosher supervision label. Evidently there is a company called "Intesley Different" that has been putting a lot of new kosher snacks on the market. They create and purchase franchise names to use on their labels i.e. TGIF mozzarella sticks, Bob's Texas style potato chips (you must try the jalapeno!) and more.

My Favorite Toothpaste: Free Coupon

One of the things I try to accomplish on this blog is to give my readers the latest and greatest information on products and services I find mentionable. "News you can use", if you will. I now have a new favorite toothpaste. What makes this one special you ask? 1) It tastes pretty good 2) It seems to keep my breath fresh longer than others I have used 3) It comes in a pump form with gel-to-foam action which supposedly reaches more areas between your teeth for a cleaner mouth-this also means no squeezing to get the last drop and better control over how much is dispensed. What is this great toothpaste I speak of? Aquafresh ISO Active Whitening toothpaste. To receive a $1.00 coupon off this product click here. As with many toothpastes it does contain glycerin. To read up on the issues of kashrus concerning toothpaste click here.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Starbucks Ice Cream Coupons

It's the nine days and that means-no meat (except for shabbos and if you have a siyum etc.). One can still enjoy a nice scoop of ice cream on a hot summer day... I therefore present to you a $1.00 off a pint of Starbucks coffee ice cream coupon to make your day that much more enjoyable!