Kosher food recipes cookbook reviews on Kosher products by Koshereye

Souper Warm-ups!

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

SOUPER SOUPS -- 10 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

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Gourmia Air Fryer - The Fryista

Gourmia Fryista model post Gourmia fries final Gourmia Fryista Air Fryer

Who knew? At the 2018 International Housewares Show, we had spotted air fryers from several exhibitors,but were not really anxious to try a new countertop appliance. Besides, we’re from the south, and in our language “frying” means deep fry in several inches of oil. After viewing at least 10 different companies introducing various models of air fryers, we decided that on behalf of our readers, we had to stay on top of trends and educate ourselves as to what this gadget can (and we thought, cannot) do. So, we requested 2 test units…a very compact one from DASH, and a family sized air fryer from Gourmia. And, now, all we can say is Double WOW!

The Gourmia 5 quart air fryer is family sized, simple to use, affordably priced and results in crispy, fast cooked results. It uses a system called RadiVection 360-degree technology which provides radiant and convection heat for fast, even, crispy texture.

Makes crispy French fries, vegetables, fried chicken and more with just a spray of oil
It can roast, grills, bake and defrost
RadiVection technology combines radiant & convection heat
Takes less than 1/2 of the time of a regular oven
Simple controls: 60-minute timer with auto shut-off;
Temperature control up to 400° F
5-quart fryer basket accommodates family sized quantities of food
Removable, non-stick fry basket for easy for easy clean-up
Includes recipe book
1-year manufacturer's warranty

We highly recommend this unit, (GAF560) for pricing, ease of use, size and functionality. It is family friendly. Buy it here: Gourmia GAF560
Try our recipe for Fried Chicken in the Air Fryer

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RSVP-INT. Kitchen Tools-Sift & Shake, Shake, Shake

Sift and Shake, Shake, Shake with RSVP
Yes, sometimes the right kitchen tool can make a difference in prep time, along with the way foods look and taste. Two examples of our favorites are our OXO apple slicer/corer which we often use – particularly when baking pies and cakes, and our Microplane citrus zester, which adds so much flavor to many dishes. We have recently tested some new sifting gadgets, and are sharing news of our favorites. Each is priced at $20 or less, and saves time.

The Endurance - 11 ounce 18/8 stainless all purpose shaker by RSVP-INT
This all-purpose shaker is perfect for sprinkling flour, herbs, sprinkles, salt, pepper while baking and cooking. The holes are substantially larger than those in the fine mesh shaker. The dishwasher-safe shaker comes with an airtight cover for storage. - BUY by CLICKING HERE

The Endurance - 11 ounce 18/8 stainless fine mesh shaker by RSVP-INT
This is a handy tool to decorate foods such as cakes, pies, desserts, waffles, pancakes, and to garnish and flavor drinks. We particularly like using the shaker for garnishing cakes with powdered sugar. The dishwasher safe shaker comes with an airtight cover for storage. Approximately $10
- BUY this Fine Mesh Shaker by CLICKING HERE.

The Chef’s Duster by Everyday Gourmet
This is a handy scoop for dry ingredients. Scoop directly from a canister, like a flour canister, snap on the cap, and gently squeeze the spring handle to dust, sift or blend. It is made from dishwasher safe 18/8 stainless steel, Approximately $20 - BUY The Chef's Duster by CLICKING HERE!

rsvp fine mesh shaker RSVP all purpose shaker chefs duster rsvp

Recipe: We mixed our favorite poultry spice rub and stored it in the all purpose shaker, ready for seasoning a poultry prior to roasting.

5 Tablespoons onion powder
5 Tablespoons garlic powder
5 Tablespoons paprika
2 teaspoons sea salt or kosher salt
1-teaspoon pepper

For more RSVP International brand kitchen tools visit:
https://www.rsvp-intl.com

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J U S T for All!

JUST product lineup
Just For All! - Made with Plants

According to J U S T, there are 300,000+ species of plants all around the world that have never been explored for how they can make our food better. To address this challenge, J U S T has assembled a group including computational biologists, food engineers, and chefs to work on the issue. The team is impressive; bringing with them experience from some of the biggest and most innovative companies in the world. The mission, which started 5 years ago, is to develop a “fair, honest, and just food system in every community… healthier, sustainable, affordable and delicious.

The company, which was formerly known as Hampton Creek, started with J U S T mayo, and it now produces flavored mayo, spreads, dressings, cookie dough and a new product called Just Egg. It is made with mung bean and it cooks like an egg. Joshua Tetrick, the visionary founder and chief executive officer, said that he started his food business without knowing much about food nor about business.

KosherEye was “nudged” by readers to try J U S T products, and we are so glad we did. We sampled several flavors of mayo and salad dressings. We used the products in salads, on bread, as pizza topping, in dips and sauces. All we can say is WOW! And, It all started with simple mayonnaise. In our opinion J U S T is just fabulous. It is delicious, convenient, and kosher certified OU parve. Need we say more?.

just egg 12oz tag updatedcap Custom No, we haven’t yet sampled the new J U S T Egg, a scrambled egg substitute, but as soon as we find it, we’ll try it and share our thoughts.

Below is our JUST Faves list. if you try these products, tell us what you think - or send us a photo of your creation!

Chipotle Mayo This is both smoky and spicy, with a chili kick. Brings guacamole and chicken salad up a notch. Also, delicious as a spread on tacos.

Garlic Mayo
Tangy, mellow garlic mayo with a hint of lemon. Love this on our faux seafood salad and our new recipe- pastrami pizza!)

Truffle Mayo
Earthy and fragrant. Mayo made with real white truffles. Use it as a dip for roasted or fried potatoes. Yumm!

Awesome Sauce
Just like tartar sauce, but with a deeper flavor.made with lots of it capers and dill pickle relish. Terrific as a topping with sautéed or baked fish.

Ranch Dressing
Creamy and tangy, with a hint of onion. We tried it in our back at the ranch pasta salad and as a dip for our fried pickles. or try Chipotle Ranch –Ranch dressing with a smoky kick.

Thousand Island Dressing
Tangy and sweet as a sauce with beef burgers, veggie burgers and of course with salads

Caesar Dressing– Tastes just like a homemade Caesar dressing when we toss it with romaine and croutons.

Sweet Mustard Dressing— This makes a perfect pretzel dip; or for a yummy roasted salmon combine some sweet mustard dressing with honey, and slather it on a ready to roast salmon filet. Top it with some packaged fried onions and roast.

For more information, visit justforall.com.
Among other locations, Just products can be found at Whole Foods, Publix, Kroger and on Amazon.com.

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Toasting the New Year - Part 2

Golan Heights Winery logo cr

Toasting the New Year Part 2

We consider Yarden and its Golan Height Winery to be the "royal family" of Israel’s wine production. This globally respected company has grown over the years, and paved the way for so many smaller Israeli vintners to produce and ship wine all over the world. We were pleased to taste the following selections, and highly recommend them. These are lovely wines for your yom tov sipping. We know that everyone is familiar with the Bordeaux region of France and the Tuscany region of Italy, The Golan Heights, known for its volcanic basaltic soil, suitable topography and cool high-altitude climate is Israel’s “wine country.” The Golan Heights Winery markets its wines under four leading brands – Yarden, Gamla, Mount Hermon and Golan. It is considered one of Israel’s leading wineries. Since its founding in 1983, Golan Heights has altered the way Israeli wines are perceived worldwide, and has firmly placed Israel on the world wine map.

We tasted these wines and have provided a description from the winemaker. We requested both affordable and splurge-worthy vintages for our samplings, and here are our favorites along with the vintners notes:

Mount Herman 2016- a refreshing fruity white medium dry white- fresh, vital and drinkable now. Pair with appetizers, poultry or fish.
Mount Herman Red $12.99- A wonderful medium body everyday table wine. Exhibits berries, cherries and nuances of Mediterranean herbs. Drink now, or enjoy witching 3 years. Pair with grilled meats, cheeses or vegetarian specialties.
Gilgal Syrah 2014 $16.99 Varietal in character with berry and plum notes and nuances of earth smoke and spice. Lovely with hearty meat meals. Should remain in excellent drinking condition for 5-7 years
Yarden Cabernet Sauvignon 2014 $34.99 A congratulations is due the winery for producing this exceptional red wine which just earned 91 points from Wine Enthusiast Magazine. Dry, Full bodied; Ready to drink now or can be aged for 10-15 years (Wow!) Pair it with beef, lamb or hearty meats.

Click HERE to meet Golan Heights Winery winemaker Victor Schoenfeld.

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Toast 5779 - Wines for the New Year – Part One

covenant wine for posting
Toast 5779 - Wines for the New Year

As we head toward the Jewish holiday season, we will be sharing suggestions for wines to pair and enjoy with Yom Tov meals. We start our series with Covenant.
Jeff Morgan of Covenant Winery provided us with a few of his favorite wines for tasting. The company offers wines in the splurge category of $150 + along with more affordable vintages from $20-$40. We requested wines in the latter price range, and think that they are exceptional wines to consider for your holiday table.

After an 8 year writing stint at Wine Spectator magazine, which included an assignment to write about kosher wines, Jeff Morgan went on to found the much acclaimed Covenant Winery,
When writing for the magazine, Jeff often wrote about kosher wines and learned that they can be made just like non-kosher wine—no boiling or sweetness required. Both he and vintner Leslie Rudd decided that “with top-notch Napa Valley Cabernet, they could produce the greatest kosher wine in 5,000 years.” The two colleagues decided to give it a try.
Jeff and Leslie are both Jewish, but neither was Sabbath-observant. To keep Covenant kosher, the partners needed a fully Sabbath-observant crew in their cellar. Jeff believed that Herzog Wine Cellars, in southern California, was the only California winery with a kosher cellar crew able to follow his winemaking protocols. Nathan Herzog agreed to help, and in doing so, changed Leslie’s and Jeff’s lives profoundly. Not only did they begin to make kosher wine, but they were also drawn closer to their Jewish heritage—in spirit and in practice.

From the very beginning, Covenant was critically acclaimed by such reviewers as Robert Parker and Wine Spectator. In 2014, Jeff and his wife Jodie decided it was time to build a new urban winery in Berkeley, California, close to their vineyards. The 7,000-square foot winery is now situated in a neighborhood that is also home to other urban wineries and breweries. Across the street is an organic farm and Jewish cultural center called Urban Adamah. In Yiddish, this would be described as “beshert”—meant to happen.
In 2013, Jeff expanded the company, and teamed up with Israeli/American winemaker Ari Erle—to create Covenant Israel. Today Covenant is the only American winery making wine in both California and Israel.
We have included our personal thoughts about these wines, as well as some professional tasting notes from Covenant. Enjoy!

Covenant Israel
We tasted Covenant Israel BLUE C Viognier.. “a vintage created from one of the premiere white grapes from France’s Rhone Valley, Viognier, and now from the hills of the northern Galilee” We found it fruity and refreshing and think that it makes a lovely pairing with appetizers or poultry. C Viognier ($28)

Covenant Israel BLUE C Adom ($40) is modeled after the RED C wines made at Covenant California, “A blend of Syrah and Cabernet, the wine offers easy-drinking enjoyment in its youth; but can also age well.” We found this wine exceptional—served alongside a grilled rib steak. ($40)

Covenant - California
The Tribe® wines are made with a flash-détente technique which allows flash-heating grapes straight out of the vineyard. The wine itself is never heated.. The Tribe® Proprietary Red 2016 is sourced from a single vineyard in Sonoma’s Dry Creek Valley. This is a velvety blend of Syrah, Petite Syrah and Zinfandel all picked together and co-fermented, showing elegant, ripe red fruit flavors highlighted in silky tannins. Rated 93 points by Wine Enthusiast ($38)

The Covenant Mensch Roussanne 16 (Don’t you love the name?) is a crisp, light white wine – with hints of fruit, citrus and jasmine, sourced in Lodi California. The 2016 is said to be its best year yet, at a very affordable price ($20).
Congrats to Covenant winemaker Jonathan Hajdu for just being selected one of Wine Enthusiasts 40 under 40 tastemakers of the year!

To purchase Covenant Wines, and explore the entire line, visit Covenantwines.com. To purchase Covenant wines along with many other fine kosher wines, CLICK HERE

For more information, see our previous article about Covenant wines HERE: THE COVENANT KITCHEN

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Yom Tov Recipe Collection 5779

KosherEye is delighted to share more than 200 new and classic recipes and design suggestions for your Yom Tov table.
May your family be blessed with a sweet, peaceful, delicious, inspirational
and kosher New Year 5779

Helpful Information:

Apple Guide: A very useful guide to apples that will help you make your choice of variety easier and help you gauge exactly how many apples you’ll need to create your culinary masterpieces.

Centerpieces and Place Cards:

Rosh Hashana Decor from MiChicas
Rosh Hashanah Holiday Centerpieces
Rosh Hashanah Place Cards - DIY
Yummy Earth Lollipop Centerpieces

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Recipes and Grilling Tips

Photo credit: ABC News

Recipes and Grilling Tips from KosherEye.com

Grilling Chicken
We prefer to grill chicken thighs and legs, but often times we add a breast or two for guests who prefer white meat. The dark meat always stays moister. We preheat the grill (be sure it’s clean) and brush on olive oil. Place the chicken on the preheated grates, and cook for about 15 minutes before turning. Turn, and allow to cook about 15 more minutes. Now it’s time for the BBQ sauce of your choice. If you like a mustard based sauce, we recommend Johnny Harris. If you like a traditional tomato based sauce, our favorite is Bone “Suckin original. Brush the sauce on both sides and allow to grill about 10 minutes more per side. Finished temperature should be about 165. This chicken can be fully prepared on the grill, or finished in an oven.

Grilling Corn or Vegetables
Shuck, wash and dry corn; choose vegetable such as summer squash, onions, scallions, asparagus. Brush the vegetables with oil - place vegetables directly on a disposable grill pan…and flip often with tongs. Add spices toward the end of cooking. Vegetables are ready when tender.

Grilling S’mores
Squares of Graham crackers
Squares of parve or milk chocolate
Marshmallows

Place a graham cracker square on a square of foil; layer with a square of chocolate, 2 marshmallows and another square of graham cracker – close all 4 sides so ingredients are completely wrapped. Place on grates of preheated hot grill. Leave for 2-3 minutes, flip, and allow to stay on grill for about 2 minutes more. Remove with tongs and check that all ingredients are melted. Recipe is Kosher parve or dairy

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Affordable Stand Mixers

hamilton blue mixer crop

Mix it up! Two Affordable Stand Mixers
Did you know that the #1 small appliance gift for newlyweds is a stand mixer? However, not all gifters or bridal couples can afford the ultra deluxe models, and not all cooks have the need for a luxury stand mixer. So we went on a search for affordable models that we think can step in. As we know, ideally, kosher homes actually need 2 appliances for everyday usage – one for dairy and one for meat. (And, possibly even a third one for Passover). Basic economics make it even more essential to find alternate budget priced mixers. We found 2 very appealing candidates.

Hamilton Beach Stand Mixer

Hamilton Beach Stand Mixer cropped

The new powerful Hamilton Beach 63392 stand mixer is a versatile appliance, effortlessly mixing and kneading dough, cake batters and whipping eggs. meringues and cream. The powerful 300-watt motor can handle the thickest of ingredients, including our homemade oatmeal raisin, pecan, chocolate chip cookies. We didn’t even have to scrape the bowl at the end. The unique planetary mixing action rotates the single oversized beater around the entire bowl, for even and complete mixing.
Seven speeds lets you go from a slow stir to a fast whirr, with simple and easy control of each one. Nonslip feet keep the mixer still while in use, and the detachable splatter shield prevents drops and spills and helps prevent “flying flour”. Attachments include a flat beater, dough hook and whisk. All attachments, as well as the stainless steel 4-quart mixing bowl, are dishwasher safe.

We are impressed! We found the Hamilton Beach stand mixer just as efficient, easy to use and stylish as our classic luxury artisan mixer. Even a seasoned baker will like this model. Since many kosher homes need two mixers, this would be a great choice. And yes, we love the price. We found it online for $99 — including free shipping. A second bowl can be ordered for $44. This is an affordable winner! This Hamilton Beach stand mixer can be purchased at stores such as Target, Wal-Mart, and online at Amazon.

Features:
• Superior mixing comparable to more expensive stand mixers
• Complete bowl coverage
• Powerful 300 watt motor
• Includes flat beater, whisk, and dough hook
• 4 quart capacity stainless steel bowl with handle
• Includes splatter shield
• 7 speeds, • 14.5 lbs.

Dash Stand Mixer
On our search for affordable mixers, we came across the potable, lightweight Dash Everyday Stand Mixer which we found online for $39.99.

The Dash Mixer offers six preset speeds ranging from gentle mixing to high-speed whipping, and also includes dough hooks and a 3-quart stainless steel mixing bowl. The retro design, compact size and wide color range make this appliance quite stylish. It is easily portable, due to its lightweight. As one consumer wrote, “it is functional and cute” and a good buy. We recommend the Dash for small kitchens, college apartments, vacation homes, beginner cooks, and of course for Passover. The company does not yet offer an extra bowl for purchase.
Click HERE to see a Video of the Dash Stand Mixer in action!

Features & Benefits
• 3-quart capacity stainless steel mixing bowl
• 6 preset speeds range from low to high
• All non-electric parts are dishwasher safe.
• Portable-weighs less than 5 lbs. and fits neatly under cabinets
• 250 Watts
• 1 year manufacturer warranty
• Compact footprint – contemporary color range includes white, yellow red, fuchsia, pink, mint green, copper, black, and aqua

The Dash may be purchased online and at retailers such as Target.
To buy at Amazon, click on the photo below and select your favorite color:

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Lékué Microwave Corn Cooker

Lekue microwavecorn cooker
Lékué Microwave Corn Cooker (uncovered)

The Lékué microwave corn popper and the Lékué microwave rice cooker have become time saving, easy care, and indispensible kitchen helpers. We use both at least once weekly. So, when we had the opportunity to try the new Lékué Corn cooker, we were interested!

Lekue corn cooker covered This little tool is another winner. We simply shucked and cleaned our corn on the cob, put 2 in the cooker, and placed the gadget in the microwave for 5 minutes. So simple, so delicious. The corn steamed itself. The built in corn holders made it quite easy to pick up the steamy hot corn, and allowed us to shake on the seasoning and butter while the corn was still too hot to touch.
Although summer is a perfect time for grilling corn, this microwave set from Lékué provides an even easier, faster way to enjoy corn on the cob. It cooks two ears of corn in just five minutes!