Purim
Joyful Feasting with Chef Laura Frankel

Laura Frankel is the Executive Chef at Wolfgang Puck Kosher Catering at the Spertus Institute for Jewish studies in Chicago. She is the author of Jewish Cooking for All Seasons (Wiley) and Jewish Slow Cooker Recipes (Wiley). Chef Laura is an avid farmer's market supporter, giving demos and teaching classes all over the country featuring market produce.

Chef Laura is the former chef and founder of the Shallots restaurants. She has training and extensive experience in both savory and pastry kitchens She opened her first restaurant in 1999, offering kosher fine dining with a produce-driven menu. Frankel opened Shallots NY in 2000 in midtown Manhattan. In 2004, she moved her Chicago restaurant to Skokie, (a suburb with a large Jewish population outside of Chicago) and created Shallots Bistro.

This amazing chef has cooked for dignitaries, including: Presidential Candidate Barack Obama, Mayor Rahm Emanuel, Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Senator Joseph and Hadassah Lieberman, Presidential Candidate Al Gore, Mikhail Gorbachev, President George Bush, Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Steven Spielberg, Senator Hillary Clinton, Ivanka Trump, and many others.

In the fall of 2013,  Chef Laura was honored at the KosherFeast media event, as an innovator and pioneer in Modern Kosher Cuisine.  And in February 2014, Laura was the cameo guest jokester/performer in the hilarious Chicago production of Old Jews Telling Jokes. We would say that Chef Laura is quite a talented multi-tasker!  And, now for you lucky New York area foodies, Chef Laura will be the guest executive chef at the Center for Kosher Culinary Arts first ever Chef's Table.

The fabulous, fun and funny Chef Laura has created these recipes for KosherEye readers. They are creative, delicious and festive, perfect for your Purim Seudah or any time of year that you wish to make your guests feel like royalty.

• Advieh* (Persian Spice Mix)
• Sweet and Sour Carrot Koresh
• Jeweled Rice Pilaf
  
• Pistachio-Pomegranate Glazed Meatballs
• My Persian Kitchen Chicken and Pomegranate Koresh
• Sumac Dusted Beef Kabobs
• Elegant Rice Pudding

Wonderbag - The amazing non-electric slow cooker
Boil it - Bag it - Slow Cook it - Serve it  and. . .
Learn how to use it for Shabbos

The Wonderbag is a simple, revolutionary non-electric, heat-retention cooker that allows food that has been brought to a boil, to continue cooking after removing the food from the fuel source. No plugs, no batteries, no connection,no fuss...totally non-electric. Heat-retention cooking is an age-old technique and Wonderbag's fun and unique design is 21st century. It continues to cook food that has already been brought to the boil by conventional methods. Sealing the pot in the Wonderbag creates a slow cooking process.

The Wonderbag was initially designed for developing countries where energy is precious. The company was founded by Sarah Collins of South Africa, and was entirely family-funded. Since its inception, she has hired over 2,000 women in Rwanda to sew Wonderbags. When a Wonderbag is purchased, another is donated to a family in rural Africa, where more than a half-million have been distributed. International buyers include busy moms and foodies use their bags Wonderbags to cook dinner while they work or to bring warm food to dinner parties, picnics, tailgate parties and camping trips. In the U.S., the Wonderbag is available through Amazon and costs $50.

With a Wonderbag you can cook nearly any slow-cooked recipe such as stew, chili, rice, grains, soup, steel cut oatmeal and more. And it's easy! To kick-start the cooking process, food is heated in a pot on the range or cooktop, brought to a full boil, and then the entire lidded pot is simply placed in the Wonderbag, which is tied  tightly by simply pulling the fabric together. The food will slow cook for up to 6 hours and stay warm for up to 12 hours. It follows the cooking principal low and slow, and will not burn. It is portable. Perfect for sharing with neighbors, great for potlucks or outdoor parties, and best of all Shabbos!

We took the Wonderbag to Rabbi Yechezkel Freundlich of Congregation Beth Jacob, Atlanta, to clearly understand how we could utilize it for Shabbos, and here are the results:
Prior to the onset of Shabbos, still boiling hot foods such as soups and stews can be placed in the insulated Wonderbag and used just as the instructions specify. The foods can be kept in the fully insulated Wonderbag until ready to serve. Since the heat in the Wonderbag is retained for up to 6 hours, this allowed us to have very hot soup on Friday night, without leaving any fire source on.

There are 2 ways that the Wonderbag can be used on Shabbos:
1. During Shabbos, pots may be placed in the Wonderbag with the top and lid of the pot peeking out higher than the walls of the Wonderbag, and without the Wonderbag lid covering the pot. This would work well for dishes such as Cholent (stew) pots, which are started prior to Shabbos.
2. If a fully cooked and hot cholent or stew is poured into another serving pot (perhaps a soup urn) during Shabbos, the insulated Wonderbag can be utilized in its entirety- with the lid. And, then, the hot food can be transported in the Wonderbag, even on Shabbos.

Yom Tov: Since cooking is allowed on Yom Tov, the Wonderbag can be used as it is fully intended with lid and tie, providing an excellent new tool for slow cooking and maintaining heat.

Another nifty use? One reviewer says she used a Wonderbag to keep an ice cream cake frozen for three hours.

Yes, we think that this is a "Wonder-ful" new kitchen tool!

"We're not just about Wonderbags sold, 
we're about Wonderbags used."
Sarah Collins, Wonderbag founder

Buy a Wonderbag here: Wonderbag Portable Slow Cooker

Watch the Wonderbag in action:

Each year, we look forward to munching on our thin mints while we wonder about the origin of Girl Scout cookies and why they became kosher? Judging by the enterprising spirit of the Girl Scout troops we know, we assume the kosher certification was to expand sales. Quite a success story isn't it? You Go Girls!

Girl Scout Cookies began in the ovens of members with the help of their moms. The sale of cookies was a way to finance troop activities started in 1917 in Muskogee, Oklahoma. American Girl magazine, published by Girl Scout national headquarters, featured an article by Florence E. Neil, a local director in Chicago, Illinois. Miss Neil provided a cookie recipe for the council's 2,000 Girl Scouts. She estimated the approximate cost of ingredients for six- to seven-dozen cookies to be 26 to 36 cents. The cookies, she suggested, could be sold by troops for 25 or 30 cents per dozen. In the 1920s and 1930s, Girl Scouts in different parts of the country continued to bake their own simple sugar cookies with their mothers. These cookies were packaged in wax paper bags, sealed with a sticker, and sold door to door for 25 to 35 cents per dozen.

Girl Scout Cookies are now sold by the millions and are manufactured in kosher certified bakeries. Currently two commercial bakers are licensed by Girl Scouts of the USA to produce Girl Scout Cookies: ABC Bakers and Little Brownie Bakers. The cookies are for sale annually, from January through April.

On behalf of the kosher community worldwide, we thank the Girl Scouts for this decision as we enjoy our OU-Dairy kosher Girl Scout cookies. By the way ALL flavors of Girl Scout cookies sold in the U.S. are kosher. Now, if we could only convince the Girl Scouts to deliver a bit earlier so that we didn't have to gobble these up before Pesach!

To learn more about the history and flavors of Girl Scout Cookies visit: Girlscouts.org

Meet the Cookies
The current cookie flavors are: Thin Mints, (our favorite) , Samoas, Tagalongs, Trefoils, Do-si-dos, Lemonades, Savannah Smiles, Thanks-A-Lot, Dulce de Leche, Cranberry Citrus Crisps, Chocolate Chip Shortbread, and Thank U Berry Munch.

And the best sellers are:

• #1 Thin Mints
• #2 Samoas/Caramel deLites
• #3 Peanut Butter Patties/Tagalongs
• #4 Peanut Butter Sandwich/Do-si-dos
• #5 Shortbread/Trefoils

Which is your favorite flavor? Wanna make your own? Just in case you do, we present the original recipe:  The Original Girl Scout Cookie Recipe Circa 1933

Open Sesame!

Soom Foods is a family business, developed and operated by three entrepreneurial sisters —Shelby, Jackie and Amy Zitelman. All three, originally from Rockville Maryland and graduates of the Charles E. Smith Day School, have a passion for business, food and a healthful lifestyle. Their company is dedicated to introducing their treasured tehina to the American market and educating Americans to its nutritional benefits and many uses! Ask the sisters and they will reply "tehina goes great in everything from traditional middle-eastern dips (hummus), to sauces, marinades, sweet spreads, and even baked goods!".

How did they learn about tehina? The answer is all in the family. Jackie moved to Israel, eventually marrying a tehina expert (Omri) who introduced the three to tehina made from Ethiopian sesame seeds. They loved it, and decided that the "tahini" found in the states was far misrepresenting such a delicious ingredient.

Soom Foods tehina is imported from a factory in Northern Israel and is made from white Humera sesame. It is a pure sesame butter with a wonderful flavor, and it makes for a very versatile ingredient in both savory and sweet recipes. (Think of it as peanut butter made from sesame seeds!). We think that this tehina is truly delicious and is good enough to just lick off a spoon. (Yup, we have!)

Soom Foods believes that health, honesty, sustainability and philanthropy are essential elements for living a quality life and running a quality business. To support their philanthropic mission, they have joined the organization One Percent for the Planet.

• Gluten Free, Peanut-Free, Vegan, Non-GMO, All Natural
• Manufactured in Israel
• Certified kosher, parve by the OK
• Provides protein, fiber, essential vitamins and minerals

Try these sample recipes using Soom Foods Tehina:
Black Olive Hummus
Zucchini Baba Ganoush
Sesame Noodles, a KosherEye Signature Recipe

Jerusalem, The Movie
Professor Jodi Magness
You'll Dig It!

We recently had the opportunity to view the film, Jerusalem, screened at the Imax Theater located at the Fernbank Museum of Natural History in Atlanta. The experience was captivating, breathtaking and meaningful. This extraordinary film presented the multi-cultural and cherished sites of the city of Jerusalem, its history and its people. The film captures the intersection of science, history and religion in Jerusalem: a city sacred to half the people on earth; fought over more than any other place in history; conquered and destroyed, rebuilt and reinvented repeatedly for over 5,000 years. This is a family friendly film, a dazzling visual journey for older children and adults.

Comfort Desserts

Guest Columnist - Alex 'The Kosherologist' Idov

We are delighted to introduce a fellow Atlantan, with a new blog. Meet Alex 'the Kosherologist' Idov who is the man behind the blog 'Kosherology' and a regular contributing food columnist to The Five Towns Jewish Home.

Kosherology is a fun new kosher blog, which shares great recipes, cool kosher products & places, restaurant reviews, kosher/Jewish food nostalgia, and an inside look into the college classes of the Kosherologist's culinary degree. Alex is currently studying for his bachelor's degree in Culinary Sustainability (a cutting-edge culinary degree).

Visit the 'Kosherology' blog at exploretheworldofkosher.com and like the Kosherology Facebook page as well.

Cake Boss Bakeware

It's early 2014, and while we are inside staying warm. It's time to cook, bake, clean up and clean out. We have been spending a lot of time in our kitchens. To us, especially this year, the winter frost says "time to crank up those ovens." Hot ovens mean comfort in the kitchen - steamy casseroles, warm breads, homemade pastries, cookies and cakes. In our homes, winter is definitely baking season.

So, let's take a look at a baking guru, Buddy, the Cake Boss. For those of you that are not regular TLC cable fans, you might not know about Carlo's Bakery (Hoboken, New Jersey) and it's owner, Buddy Valastro...but he is the role model for bakeries, bakery owners and budding bakers across America. His business expertise, his talents, and his stunning, creative cake designs have become a phenomena.

Is an excellent kosher restaurant an oxymoron? As we travel the country, we happily encounter more and more choices for good kosher dining. We savor these experiences--when service, ambience and food quality meet or exceed our expectations. How exciting it was to walk up 41st street in Miami Beach and find so many good kosher options in such a central location.

Photo courtesy of RARE Steakhouse

What a pleasure it was to dine in RARE Steakhouse, where we enjoyed a memorable meal along with wonderful service from an experienced and accommodating staff. Of course, we ate too much, but, heck, we were on vacation.

When the weather outside is frightful. . .
SOUP is so delightful!


SOUPER SOUPS -- 10 of Our Cold Weather Favorites

Tomato Pea Bisque with Faux Kosher Crab
The Easiest Soup Ever
(Thank you Imagine Brand for doing all the work!)

Hearty Lentil Soup by Liz Rueven, Kosherlikeme.com

Mushroom Barley Soup by Russ & Daughters

Smoked Salmon Chowder by Eileen Goltz

Creamy Butternut Squash Soup by Mark Bittman

Slow Cooker Pea Soup - A KosherEye Signature Recipe

Slow Cooker Chicken Soup - A KosherEye Signature Recipe

Pennsylvania Dutch Chicken Corn Soup, Adapted from Le Creuset

Carrot Dill Soup

Split Pea, Potato and Barley Soup

We present our annual KosherEye culinary wish list gathered from the wishes of our staff, readers and food blogging friends.. Several "unfulfilled wishes" return from past years. But, several wishes have been filled. Although some of the items on the wish list may be available in large, metro areas, our readers across the country and Internationally hope to see them more accessible locally and on the Internet.

• Clean kosher restaurants with sanitation grade A, smiling capable trained wait staff, caring management, quality food and fair pricing. Let us know when you find kosher restaurants with these attributes. We would like to write about them. We also wish that kosher restaurants would be so excellent that many of their patrons come because it is good, not just because it is kosher.
• Food trucks and pop-up restaurants rolling across the U.S.
• Fish sauce, Oyster sauce, Korean gochujang, Kimchi
• Squeezable anchovy paste in a tube, tomato paste in a tube
• More flavored bitters
• Pillsbury products – crescent rolls
• Kosher version of Eataly
• Indian food in the freezer section of all supermarkets
• Velveeta and more Kraft cheeses
• Healthful and ready to heat meals in family sized portions
• More and better kosher airline food
• More fine kosher cheeses
• More fresh–frozen fish
• Bailey's Irish Crème liqueur
• More kosher sherry, brandies and fine kosher liqueurs
• Vinegars such as Sherry vinegar, Champagne vinegar, Truffle vinegar
• Vinegar Pearls
• Bread and AP Flour in cup measurement units within 5 lb. packages
• More kosher certified store brands
• Hormone Free, cleaner Poultry without residual hair, shafts and feathers
• Online vendors listing specific kosher certification, rather than just term "kosher"
• A more unified and complete kashrut listing in a central online location.

YAY! From last year's list we now have locally grown, OU certified leafy lettuce from Podponics, Kosher duck breasts – from Kol Foods, and OU kosher Lingonberry preserves from D'Arbo.

We invite you to share your kosher finds and wish list with us at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or on our Twitter or Facebook pages. We look forward to a year of exciting and innovative kosher introductions.