Tastey Thanksgiving Recipes From Manischewitz Ready To Server Broth. No MSG.

Made Like Homemade….Tastes Like Homemade

Manischewitz® the leading brand in specialty kosher foods for over 120 years, brings fresh and exciting news to the broth category with the introduction of their all-natural line of Ready To Serve Broth. Available in three flavors, Chicken, Reduced Sodium Chicken and Beef these delicious broths are debuting just in time for the Fall and Winter Holiday Season. Produced to meet the needs of consumers who are looking for all natural, high quality products, Manischewitz new line of broths are made from a cherished family recipe that includes real kosher chicken and beef, natural spices and vegetables; then slow cooked in small batches to deliver that homemade taste.

These delicious broths hit the supermarket shelves at the perfect time. With Thanksgiving just around the corner, consumers are planning for gatherings with family and friends. Whether they use Manischewitz ready to serve broth as a base for soups or as a key ingredient in holiday recipe favorites, home cooks will realize that NOT all broths are created equal. If you are preparing a kosher Thanksgiving menu I’d love to hear what you will be serving.

“With the soup category on the rise and the broth category up by 11.4%, Manischewitz is delighted to introduce a kosher broth line that is both healthy and delivers exceptional flavor,” says David Rossi, Vice President of Marketing, for The Manischewitz Company. Additionally, as kosher foods continue to gain momentum, the timing is perfect to introduce our broth nationwide.”

Available in both easy to open 14 ounce cans and easy to pour 32 ounce reusable cartons, these wholesome broths can be found in the kosher and soup section of supermarkets nationwide. Suggested retail price for the everyday can is $1.69 and $2.99 for the carton. You can also find them online at kosher.com, your “one click online shop” for everything kosher. Also, be sure to enter your favorite recipes for the 4th Annual Man-O-Manischewitz Cook-Off! Entries will be accepted from September 15, 2009 through January 31, 2010 for a chance to win an all expense paid trip to compete live in New York City on March 18, 2010 and $25,000 in prizes including a state of the art GE Appliances. For contest details log on to www.Manischewitz.com.

Try this new and delicious Moroccan Meatballs with Caramelized Honey Onions dish:

Moroccan Meatballs with Caramelized Honey Onions

 5 Extra Large White Onions, sliced into thin strips 3 tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil 2 tsp. cumin 1tsp. curry powder 1tsp. turmeric 1tsp. ground all spice Kosher Salt and ground black pepper to taste 1 tsp. Manischewitz Clover Honey For Meatballs 1 lb ground lamb 1 lb ground chicken or beef 1 egg 1/4 cup Manischewitz Italian Herb breadcrumbs 1tsp. cumin 1 tsp. allspice 2 tsp. dried chives 1 tsp. dried parsley 1 tsp. kosher salt Pinch Ground Black pepper 2 cups Manischewitz Beef Broth ¼ cup raisins

In a large Dutch oven or soup pot, over med-low flame heat the olive oil. Add the onions and all the spices to the oil and mix well. Sauté the onions for about 3-5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the honey and mix well. Adjust the flame to low and cover pot. Mix every minute or two to keep the onions from sticking to bottom of pot. In a large mixing bowl, add the 2 ground meats, egg, Manischewitz Italian Bread crumbs, and all the spices. Mix well. Remove cover from onions and using a slotted spoon take half of the onions and place into separate bowl. Start shaping meatballs that are about the size of small golf balls. Place them gently into pot nestling them into the onions. After placing all the meatballs take the remainder of the onions and cover the meat balls. Increase the flame to medium-low, add the Manischewitz Beef broth and raisins cover pot and cook for about 30 minutes. After 30 minutes remove cover, mix everything gently with a wooden spoon and cook for another 10 minutes or until the broth has reduced to less than a ½ a pot. Remove from flame and let cool slightly before serving meatballs.

Serve meatballs over Jasmine rice. For more recipe ideas from Manischewitz Broth such as Onion-Braised Beef Brisket with Roasted Tomato Gravy, Mushroom Risotto, Baked Turkey Meatloaf, etc. log onto www.manischewitzbroth.com.

About The Manischewitz Company: The Manischewitz Company is a leader in the Kosher Foods category providing delicious, premium specialty ethnic food products ranging from traditional Eastern European selections (Gefilte Fish, Noodles, Matzo Ball Soup, and Borscht) to the most comprehensive Kosher-For-Passover product line globally (Matzos, Cake Mixes, Macaroons, Baking Ingredients to a complete line of grocery products). The company markets well known brands such as, Manischewitz®, Season®, Rokeach®, Guiltless Gourmet®, Horowitz Margareten®, Mishpacha®, Goodman’s®, Mrs. Adler’s®, Mother’s®, Carmel®, Croydon House®, Jason® and Asian Harvest®.

Legendary Chef Jacques Pépin To Host The 4th Annual Manischewitz Cook-Off

Grand Prize Winner Receives $25,000 Prize Package

I was just at Kosherfest 2009 last week in Secaucus, NJ, and I have to start my diet all over again. That should be the worst news, but there really were so many new and healthy kosher food and beverage products; MimicCreme, a non-dairy and non-soy gluten-free blend of cashews and almonds cream substitute, Brain Toniq, which touts itself as the only non-caffeinated “think drink” designed to increase mental focus, function and clarity, Kosher Valley offers kosher turkeys and chickens raised without the use of antibiotics or animal by-products, and are free to roam in a humanely-raised, stress free environment. Then there were the classics that we grew up with, like Manischewitz which now has an -natural Ready-To-Serve Broth with no MSG. That’s progress. You can also test out your cooking creativity at the 4th Annual Man-O-Manischewitz Cook-Off. I’ve included more information about the all-natural Broth and cooking contest below. By the time I finished this article, I already had an idea, hopefully you will too!

SECAUCUS, NJ (October 2009)—Just in time for the holiday season, The Manischewitz Company announces the launch of the 4th Annual Man-O-Manischewitz Cook-Off, a cooking contest designed to encourage home cooks to challenge themselves in preparing a kosher meal using the new Manischewitz all-natural Broth, made with real chicken and beef. The contest encourages home chefs to experiment with different ethnic foods and to think of preparing a Kosher inspired meal as part of that experience, in the same way people enjoy preparing Japanese, Italian, Mexican, Chinese and other popular ethnic cuisine. Entrants will compete for a chance to be crowned the “King or Queen of Kosher” and win the $25,000 grand prize package including GE Profile kitchen appliances, cash and more. Five finalists will win an all-expense paid trip to NYC to compete live on March 18th at the Jewish Community Center of Manhattan. The contestants will be judged by an on-site cooking panel consisting of food media and other culinary experts. This year the cook-off will be bigger and better than ever with legendary acclaimed chef, Jacques Pépin as the celebrity guest of honor who will act as MC, head judge and award prizes. Pépin is one of America’s best-known chefs, widely recognized as the host of eleven acclaimed public television cooking series and the author and publisher of twenty-six cookbooks. He is also a founder of The American Institute of Wine and Food (WIWF) and has been the Dean of Special Programs at the French Culinary Institute (New York) since 1988. “I am thrilled to be a part of the 4th Annual Manischewitz Cook-Off!” said Chef Pépin. “I always encourage people to experiment with new types of ethnic cuisine and products.” Chef Jacques Pepin has created some exciting recipes using the new Manischewitz Broth which will be available in the recipe section of www.manischewitz.com.

“Over the past three years over 10,000 people across the country, spanning all ethnic backgrounds, have shared some amazing recipes.” says David Yale, President and CEO, of The Manischewitz Company. “As the leader in the kosher market, we pride ourselves on our wide range of specialty products that inspire cooks of all types to create exciting kosher inspired recipes.” Just-in-time for the Cook-Off, The Manischewitz Company has added a new line of ready-to-serve broths to its extensive portfolio of kosher products, giving you additional items to add to your creative recipe! New Manischewitz Broth starts with a recipe, not a formula, and is slow cooked in small batches. Filtered water is added to all natural ingredients and real kosher chicken and beef stock to deliver that homemade taste. Manischewitz Broth is packaged in a 14 ounce, easy open, pop-top can or a 32 ounce easy to pour reusable carton and is available in three flavors: Chicken, Reduced Sodium Chicken and Beef. Look for these wholesome broths in the kosher and soup section of supermarkets nationwide. Suggested retail price for the can is $1.69 and $2.99 for the carton.

As an added bonus, this year’s event will benefit Jewish American Heritage Month (JAHM), a national month of recognition of the more than 350-year history of Jewish contributions to American culture. Updates on JAHM will be available on www.Manischewitz.com shortly and will continue through the end of JAHM on May 31, 2010. The Manischewitz Company is the official corporate sponsor of JAHM, and will work with the JAHM steering committee to drive awareness of events and programs. How it works The Manischewitz Cook-Off invites U.S. residents 18 or older to submit an original, easy-to-prepare entrée. All recipes must be original, kosher, include a new Manischewitz Broth product, have no more than a total of eight ingredients and be prepared and cooked in one hour or less.

 For official contest details log onto www.manischewitz.com and complete the official entry form and submit your recipe online. You can also enter by mail by sending your recipe entry to: Manischewitz Cook-Off, c/o BHGPR, 546 Valley Road Upper Montclair, NJ 07043. All entries must be received by January 31, 2010 For more information, prize details, rules and regulations, log onto www.manischewitz.com.

To inspire you for Cook-Off try this delicious chicken dish: POT OF OLIVE OIL BROTH POACHED CHICKEN WITH ARTICHOKES AND TOMATOES Ingredients: 1 whole chicken, cut up 3 tablespoons olive oil 1 1/2 cups onions, diced 1 1/2 cups celery, diced 2 tablespoons garlic, chopped 42 oz Manischewitz® Chicken Broth (3 cans) 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, chopped 2 bay leaves 2 cans artichoke hearts, drained and halved 2 whole tomatoes, chopped 1/4 cup fresh basil, cut into thin strips Preparation: PREPARATION: 1. In a large stock pot sear chicken skin side down in olive oil; remove. 2. In same pot, sauté onions, celery and garlic. 3. Add Manischewitz® Chicken Broth, thyme and bay leaves; bring to a boil, then reduce heat 4. And chicken. 5. Simmer 30 to 45 minutes or until chicken is fully cooked and tender, skimming off any fat or broth that comes to the surface; add water if necessary to keep chicken covered. 6. Remove chicken and set aside on serving platter. 7. Skim off any remaining fat or froth; add artichokes, tomatoes and basil; simmer briefly. 8. Serve with chicken. Serving Suggestion: Strain 1 1/2 cups of stock and add to 1 1/2 cups of couscous for a quick side dish. NUTRITION INFORMATION • Servings per Recipe: 6 • AMOUNT PER SERVING: • Calories (kcal): 709 • Total Fat: 47g • Cholesterol: 226mg • Total Carbs: 24g • Dietary Fiber: 9g • Protein: 50g

What Can You Make With a 5 lb. Bag of Idaho Potatoes? Potato Kugel

Every week on Thursday my husband and have a very special kind of date night, we cook together. This is the only night of the week that we have a chance to actually have a conversation about us.  This is perfect for our schedule because on Thursday night we prepare all of our food for Shabbas. Why don’t we just cook on Shabbas or order a pizza?  The reason why we don’t cook on Shabbos is because G-d created the world in six days and on the seventh day he rested. In Exodus 20:11, after Fourth Commandment is first instituted, G-d explains, “because for six days, the L-rd made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, and on the seventh day, he rested; therefore, the L-rd blessed the Sabbath day and sanctified it.” That is why we make all of our food in advance and in order to prevent the last minute rush on Friday afternoon, this is our Thursday night activity.

Tonight we are going to try out a recipe I found at tastebook.com for Bobby’s Famous Potato Kugel. I think the people from Idaho Potato would really like this recipe because it requires a 5 lb. bag of Idaho Potatoes (see complete recipe below). Even if you don’t keep Shabbos, this is a great food item to make a lot of and save  the rest in the freezer, it goes great with everything. I love to mix my food all together, especially brisket and potato kugel.  Do you have a potato kugel recipe that requires more potatoes?

(source  tastebook.com)

Bobby’s Famous Potato Kugel

This recipe is for a full 5 lb. bag of Idaho Potatoes (good for about 15 minutes on a Friday afternoon) 5 Lb. bag of Idaho Potatoes  5 Eggs Oil (about ⅛ of a cup) Salt Garlic Powder Onion Powder Black Pepper Flour (a dash) ¼ Cup Hot water Peel Potatoes and let sit in water (enough to cover the top of the potatoes) in the fridge over night. You will need one large hand grater. Preheat the oven to 3 Heat the oil in the oven, and while the oil is heating up, start grating the potatoes. Once the potatoes are finished, test the oil if it’s hot enough (a drop of potato or water to see if it sizzles). If it’s hot, pour all the oil into the grated potatoes. Next, add the flour and Hot water, and mix. Then add the Salt, Garlic powder, Onion powder, and Pepper to taste. (If you want, instead of onion powder, you can grate a medium sized whole onion instead). Be cautious of how much salt you put in, or mommy will say: “Someone’s in love!!!!” Once, this is done, crack 5 eggs, and mix in, and mix until completely mixed in (about a minute of good mixing) Pour the mixture into the heated up bowl, and place in the oven for about 1.5-2 hours (until the top is browned)

Shopping At TJ Maxx With The Kids

I was approached by a PR firm to see if I was interested in how many kid friendly and back to school items I could find at TJMaxx and Marshall’s. The good news is that I was given $25.00 to spend in both stores.  The good news is I love shopping at TJ Maxx and Marshall’s, the bad news is that it is hard for me to just spend $25.00. I have never spent less than $100 at either store and I didn’t know what to expect. Not so easy a task with three kids in tow (four, two, and one). I had to plan for eve” shoesry possible situation, so I brought some juice boxes to tide them over so I could quickly search for their “back to school” sneakers since it was something that they really needed (you know how these kids grow out of a new pair of shoes in five seconds). 

We decided to go to the TJ Maxx on New Hyde Park Road near Lake Success and easily accessible from either the LIE or Union Turnpike. As soon as we arrived my kids were already clashing over who would push the stroller with their baby brother in. I knew instantly that this shopping trip would be a very fast one. Then, my four year old daughter said that she “had to make”.  Having been in this prediciment  before at this same store, I knew we had to go through the houseware section to get to the restrooms. I love this section and I always find unique bowels and picture frames.  I also found a turquoise body pillow that was soft and fluffy for $12.99. You should have seen my kids testing out these pillows (yes, they laid down on them right in the middle of the isle) and that is what they wanted.  I’d show you the picture but I had to return it because it was not good for my very allergic husband.

As we were on our way out of the store, my kids spotted the food section. I thought I had it easy because what food would TJ Maxx have that was kosher certified by a symbol (kosher authority) that I knew and trusted? I was pleasantly surprised when I found a couple of cookies (I initially noticed them because of their style of packaging) that I bought for the kids to snack on and as well as a flavored bottle of water drink that my daughter just had to have. The Late July Organic Mini Milk Chocolate Bite Size Sandwich Cookies (kosher OUD) were very good and chocolaty. Not only is the packaging very colorful, but it features endangered animals and Late July is donating 10% of the profits to the Jane Goodall Institute. The original price was $4 and TJ Maxx had them for $2.99 for a 5 oz box. This is more than I would want to spend on cookies which I don’t even buy anymore because it is easier to just make your own (my husband has an awesome oatmeal cookie recipe). Since %10 of profits donated to the Jane Goodall Institute, it was worth it to me. I could only find one package of these USDA certified organic cookies but they can be found at Whole Foods or latejuly.com. Not to worry, a few inches away I spotted a box of Market Squares Vanilla Circus Cookies. These cookies are all natural and do not contain Trans Fats. A 2 oz package sells for $2 and TJ Maxx sold them for $1.29. Again, these are kosher certified by the cRcD (Chicago Rabbinical Council Dairy). I was originally drawn to this box because of the cover with two lions roaring at each other. No wonder, the owner of the company and his partner have a background in advertising, design and photography. They produce each and every design themselves. These cookies are also very tasty. In fact, Market Square was founded in 1982 by James L. Lockhart and his son David. James L. Lockhart is also a well known wildlife artist and his work can be seen online at Walden Press Museum Editions.

I love shopping at TJ Maxx and even though I didn’t find the shoes that I wanted for my kids (this TJ Maxx did not have shoes for kids) we found some yummy organic kosher snacks that had never heard about before. I still have a $20.00 credit because I returned the pillow and I am going to use if for when the Halloween costumes arrive and shop ahead for Purim costumes (Jewish holiday commemorating how G-d performs hidden miracles and we are hidden behind costumes). This holiday is especially fun for kids because they wear costumes to synagogue and school. I will be

Big-name groceries cutting into mom-and-pop’s kosher turf – Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Big-name groceries cutting into mom-and-pop’s kosher turf – Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

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Sukkot Break Is Here, Do You Know What To Do With Your Kids?

At first, I looked at the calendar with eight days home with three kids, four and under as I downed my third cup of coffee. With a very limited entertainment budget to spare, I needed a way to keep my kids happy. I posted my concerns on facebook and the ideas came rolling in from friends also in the same predicament. Things started to look much better and our first activity of the week was a great success and it cost me only $14.                                                                                                                

When my friend suggested that we go to the Queens Zoo, I wasn’t sure what to expect. Would it be smelly and overcrowded? Would my kids be able to walk the entire route or would the get kvetchy and fight for the stroller? Everything worked out perfectly, and I have my very professional and mother of five to thank for this. When my two year old almost climbed over the fence to hug the goats, she was there. When my one year old put his bottle back in his mouth after it had dropped on the ground, she was there.

In order to keep this visit to the zoo affordable, bring your own food and drinks. She brought a bagel with cream cheese and red pepper, water bottles, animal cookies, and cucumbers. Those cookies really saved the day when my two year old would not part from the barnyard. I brought juice boxes, whole wheat crackers, and cheese. No matter what I bring, my kids always end up eating what the other kids have in their bags. A special thanks to the moms that have this in mind when they pack their food. Speaking of food, all of the kids loved feeding the sheep, llamas, and goats. You can buy a hand full of grain for fifty cents, just make sure you have quarters because the machine is not sophisticated enough to take nickels and dimes. If you don’t have any change whatsoever, the animals will eat leaves as well. There are some other fun activities to enjoy while at the zoo. Our kids ran round a bit at the Migration Playground. It was a bit too advanced for my one year old because it is high up and there are open areas where he could fall. He knows I get scared when he tries to go down that way, he already has a sense of humor. It was hard to pull the kids away from the playground, this is where the juice boxes and cookies also came in handy.

On our way out, we treated the kids to a ride on the carousel. Originally installed here for the 1964 World’s Fair, this turn-of-the-last-century wood merry-go-round with 64 “jumping” horses (some with flying manes and tails), seven standing horses, a lion and two stand-alone chariots had my kids in awe. This ride is a piece of Jewish history, who would have known? The beautiful wood carvings were created by Lithuanian-born Jewish carver Marcus Charles Illions. He not only created carvings for carousel figures during the early the late 1800s and early 1900s, but he also was known to have created four sets of Ark lions for Brooklyn synagogues. As I found out more information about the history of the carousel, more Jewish names came up; Solomon Stein, Harry Goldstein, and Charles Carmel. These Russian Jewish immigrants used their skills from carving Torah Arks and channeled them into a trade that would provide food for their families in America. To see more images from the exhibition or to purchase a copy of the exhibition catalog, Gilded Lions And Jeweled Horses: The Synagogue to the Carousel, is also available at the American Folk Art Museum. Or call 212-265-1040 or www.folkartmuseum.org. sflamm@folkartmuseaum.org

 

 

 

“America’s Most Wanted Recipes” Get Kosher

A couple of weeks ago, I sent my husband to a foodie event in Manhattan promoting “America’s Most Wanted Recipes,” a new book just put out by Simon and Schuster. The part that had me most interested in this event was that they had requested that people make a kosher version of the over 200 secret recipes from 57 of America’s most popular food chains. As a kosher mom blogger and advocate for kosher food, I just had to be there. Unfortunately, my babysitting budget had been depleted so that I could attend the OU Advanced Kashrut Seminar for Women, a week long seminar that discussed what kosher is and what kosher is not. I learned so much and met some incredible people (I was even quoted in both The Jewish Press and OU.org). So, I sent my husband and main chef in our home, to the event. I advised him to schmooze with the people from the media and get the scoop.

 My husband had fun at the event and even came home with an assignment for us. We were asked to cook one of the recipes and convert it to a kosher one. When I saw one of my favorite appetizers from Houston’s (I used to eat there before I started keeping kosher), I couldn’t wait to get started. I remember eating at Houston’s in Chicago with my friends and sharing Houston’s Spinach and Artichoke Dip. Now, I could make a kosher version of this appetizer in my own home and eat as much as I wanted (that is a really scary thought). Another recipe I wanted to kosherize was the Olive Garden’s Salad Dressing. I remember the days of all you can eat salad at Olive Garden topped off with a tangy, basil balanced salad dressing. I also saw this as an opportunity for my husband and me to get creative with date night as well as good content to post on my blogs, which would also be posted on Epicurious.com.

We agreed to take a shot at a kosher version of Chili’s Southwestern Egg Rolls. Right off the bat we saw something we needed to change with the recipe. The recipe had a combination of chicken and Monterey Jack Cheese. Not kosher! Milk and meat (meat and dairy) are never mixed together. So, we decided to make the dish dairy. We both felt that the cheese was a key component to the success of the recipe. My husband and I both love large amounts of melted cheese on eggs, potatoes, Challah, pizza, and bagels and there is no shortage of cheese in our house (thanks to Costco and their affordable and delicious Natural & Organic Kosher Cheese). Yes, I do get very excited when discussing cheese! We substituted the boneless, skinless chicken breast with Morningstar Farms Meal Starters Chik’n Strips, also kosher pareve. In order to get the grilled like sensation, we threw the pieces into a pan with a little canola oil for a few minutes. Yum. We also made our own avocado-ranch salad dressing with Hellman’s mayonnaise, avocado, and oil. All of the other ingredients were okay to use in our kosher version of the recipe. The final result, delicious and a new addition to our Shabbos and Yom Tov meals.

Something Old And Something New For Every Body At Kosherfest 2009

I was very excited when I read the following press release from Vicki Garfinkel from Andover Communications. I love kosher food, especially kosher food and beverage products that everybody can enjoy! Here is the press release sent from Andover Comunications describing what’s in store, and what will be in stores in the months to come!  If you are a kosher foodie, you will definitely want to attend this event.   I will be on site interviewing both exhibitors and attendees about their food and beverage products. Note to self: start diet after Kosherfest 2009.

From Andover Communications – New trends emerge at the #1 kosher food and beverage trade event serving the retail, foodservice, manufacturing and distribution industries.  Once again, Kosherfest will take place at the Meadowlands Exposition Center in Secaucus, NJ October 27 – 28, 2009 (www.kosherfest.com). The show will give visitors a taste of the latest & greatest in the kosher food & beverage industry from around the globe, with more than 13 countries represented.  According to research by the Mintel organization, kosher was the leading claim on new products in 2007 and 2009.

New Products Competition – Marriott, Glenpointe, NJ – Oct 15, 2009

Calling all new kosher product manufacturers!!  Exhibitors are invited to enter their new kosher products in the Kosherfest New Products Competition, which awards prizes in 17 categories.  The Competition will be held in New York City prior to the trade show on Oct 15th, where a panel of culinary experts will select the winners of these coveted awards. Winners will be announced and products will be showcased at the show. For product entry deadlines and more information visit www.kosherfest.com or contact Vianna DiGristina at vdigristina@divcom.com or 207-842-5583. Want to know who took home the awards last year?  Take a look at the 2008 New Products Competition Winners.

 2nd Annual Kosherfest Culinary Competition

Have a favorite pastrami or corned beef sandwich? Noted chefs will prepare their kosher deli sandwich and side of choice at the 2nd Annual Kosherfest Culinary Competition (last year the competition was for the best kosher sushi).  A panel of industry professionals will judge and decide who takes the title at the show.  For more information on entering the competition please contact Vianna DiGristina.

 Kosherfest Keynote Presentation – Tuesday Oct 27
State of the Kosher Industry: The Kosher Symbol: A License to Greater Profitability

Time: 9:00am – 9:45am

As the kosher food industry continues to grow, more than 100,000 products carry a kosher symbol. This can be an enormous marketing opportunity for those who wish to capitalize on it.  Over ten million Americans buy kosher food and U.S. supermarkets are seeing a greater growth in this market over non-kosher sales.   Menachem Lubinsky, founder of Kosherfest, will discuss how the industry can use its kosher status to make inroads with different segments of the food market, including retail and foodservice.

 Speaker: Menachem Lubinsky, President, LUBICOM Marketing/Consulting
Kosherfest Ribbon Cutting Ceremony

Time: 10:00am

Be there for the excitement of the official 2009 show floor opening and ribbon cutting ceremony of the #1 kosher food and beverage trade event.

 About Kosherfest
Kosherfest hopes to attract more than 6,000 professional attendees and more than 350 exhibitors from all over the world. For information visit www.kosherfest.com or contact Vianna DiGristina at vdigristina@divcom.com.

Free Press registration at: www.kosherfest.com

Kosherfest is produced by:
Diversified Business Communications
121 Free Street, P.O. Box 7437
Portland, ME 04112-7437 USA
Phone: (207) 842-5504
Fax: (207) 842-5505

E-Mail: info@kosherfest.com Website: www.divbusiness.com  

Diversified Business Communications (DBC) is a multi-national trade exhibition and publishing company based in Portland, Maine. DBC organizes dozens of trade shows around the world, including several trade shows under the Cultural Food brand, in the United States. DBC organizes All Things Organic, the International Boston Seafood Show, and Cultural Food Los Angeles including Expo Comida Latina and All Asia Food. They also produce trade-industry news media for the cultural food industry, including Kosher Today, Comida News and All Asia Food News.

Kosherfest is co-produced by: 

Lubicom Marketing and Consulting
1428 36th Street, Suite 219
Brooklyn, NY 11218
Phone: (718) 854-4450
Fax: (718) 854-4474

E-Mail: info@lubicom.com Website: www.lubicomkosher.com

LUBICOM Marketing and Consulting, founder and co-producer of Kosherfest, also produces Jewish Marketplace, the Great American Desserts Expo and a host of other special events. Menachem Lubinsky, founder and president of LUBICOM, is the world’s leading marketing authority on the kosher food industry. LUBICOM also provides comprehensive marketing services for an impressive list of clients.

The Rush of Rosh Hashanah

Even though Rosh Hashanah is just a few days away, families in Kew Gardens Hills, NY (Queens) have been preparing for the Jewish New Year for over a month or more. No matter how far in advance we plan, there is always something that comes up and we need to run out to the store and buy more eggs, apples, honey, challah, chicken, or pomegranates. On Main Street in Kew Gardens Hills, there is no shortage of these items whatsoever. The bakeries have been working overtime and the sweet smells of honey cake and challah are in the air! This is a really fun time to visit the local bakeries and take some of these sweet desserts home. We just love G & I Bakeries, located at 69-40 Main Street. We always purchase a few delicious round challahs for our meals on Rosh Hashanah.  What s challah? Challah is braided bread that we eat every Shabbat and holiday, except for Passover when we eat only Matzos for eight days. Challah is usually a braided loaf of bread, but for Rosh Hashanah we eat round challahs to symbolize the continuous cycle of life. Even though our grandparents are not with us physically, they are with us in spirit. I look at my children and I am in awe of how they represent the past, present, and future of our Jewish heritage. They have a piece of all of our family members that are no longer with us and those that still are in their young faces and that is pretty awesome.

 Rosh Hashanah is a time for focusing on good things for the year to come, so we add extra sweetness to our menu. How sweet it is! Honey, honey cake, and raisins are added to challah to bring on the extra sweetness. Chicken and side dishes are topped with honey, oranges, and raisins. We also say a special blessing before taking a slice of apple and dipping it in a cup of honey. This blessing is one that we say to request that the new year be full of good “sweet” things in our lives.

There are some more eclectic food items that add meaning to our Rosh Hashanah meal and most of them can be found in the stores on Main Street in Kew Gardens Hills. Not your typical, everyday side dishes, but definitely significant for the new year. On the first night of Rosh Hashanah, apples are eaten, but on the second night, the not so familiar fruits are eaten for the purpose of welcoming the new season. When we eat this new fruit, we say a special blessing, or shehechiyanu to thank G-d for providing us with these new fruits. Fruits like pomegranate, which have 613 seeds, is  the same number of mitzvot or  “good deeds” that we should provide for our friends and family. There is a great fruit store on Main Street between 76^th Road and 76^th Avenue and right before Shabbos and Jewish Holidays this place is packed. If you’ve been to open markets in ethnic neighborhoods, the scene at this fruit and vegetable store will  be quite familiar.  My husband always comes back home with bags full of exotic new fruits. Thank G-d he loves to shop.

Yes, that is a fish head on the table. Since, Rosh means “head” in Hebrew, we eat the head of a fish because we should always be the leaders of our people and perform acts of kindness to all people. Fish also symbolize fertility and abundance, something we should always aspire to achieve in our lives.  
Here are some other symbolic dishes and food items with a straight forward explanation from  about.com  http://judaism.about.com/od/roshhashana/a/shana_food.htm 

Head of Lamb, Sweet Chicken or Meat Dish
Head of lamb symbolizes our hope that the Jewish people will lead other nations through their righteousness. The sweet entree symbolizes our wish for a sweet year.

Tzimmes
Tzimmes is an eastern European recipe for honey baked carrots. The Yiddish word “meren” means carrots and to increase. Carrots symbolize our hope that we increase our good deeds in the coming year. Some tzimmes recipes add prunes, sweet potatoes or even meat to the sweet carrots.

Spinach
Spinach symbolizes a green year with plenty of produce.

Rice
Rice symbolizes abundance.

Honey Cake
“This day is holy to God, your God; do not mourn and do not weep…for the joy of God is your strength.” (Nechemiah 8:9-10). It is said that the Prophet Nechemiah introduced to the ancient Israelites the Persian custom of eating sweet foods to celebrate the New Year.

These last two were mentioned on holidays.net

Fenugreek
Less common than round challah, apples, honey or even fish heads, fenugreek is traditionally eaten on Rosh Hashanah by Jewish people of Middle Eastern descent. The tradition likely started since the Hebrew word for fenugreek sounds similar to the Hebrew word for “increase”. When eating the fenugreek, a special prayer is recited asking G-d to increase our merits.

 Leeks, Beets & Dates
There are a handful of foods traditionally eaten during Rosh Hashanah that are intended invoke G-d’s protection of the Jewish people from their enemies. Leeks, beets and dates all fit this category.

Another thing I love about my neighborhood is kosher pre-made meals for Shabbos and Holidays. You can get an entire Rosh Hashanah meal complete with all the side dishes and symbolic food items right on Main Street and they can eve deliver it to their home. Even if you did have time to prepare most of the items in advance, you can find what you need to make your meal complete at Mauzone 7230 Main St,  Meal Mart 72-10 Main Street, Supersol 6818 Main St,, or Wasserman’s, 7268 Main Street.

Customers Sample What’s In Store for Rosh Hashanah at Costco in Far Rockaway

One of my weekly activities is to take my toddlers to Costco in Far Rockaway and replenish some of the staples in our cabinet. You know the items, Kedem Grape Juice, Empire Kosher Chicken, Milk, Eggs, Seltzer, Cheerios, Quaker Oatmeal, and Canola Oil, just to name a few. While we cruise the isles, we are tempted to try the array of food samples in our reach. In the kosher consumer world, sampling food is more than just an all you can eat buffet. The box of the item must be checked for a hechsher, or kosher certification, before the food can be consumed. If I am not familiar with the kosher certification of an item, I always request the packaging in order to ensure that the proper kosher certification is on the product. This is where Costco differs from all other main stream retailers. The people that provide the samples at Costco in Far Rockaway are familiar with the word and the meaning of kosher. I was so impressed by this concept that I have since cancelled my BJ’s membership entirely.  Why is Costco so into the kosher consumer?

I found out that the person behind the kosher friendly staff at Costco is Adam Self, general manager of the Costco on Rockaway Turnpike for the past three years, and a veteran of half a dozen other Costco stores in New York and New Jersey. Adam has tuned into the requests of the kosher consumers and he isn’t even Jewish. He is very aware of the benefits of kosher food products whether the consumers are Muslim, Christian, Vegetarian, Lactose-Intolerant, or Gluten-Intolerant. As the kosher mommy blogger and advocate for kosher food, I just had to introduce myself to Mr. Self.

I actually found Mr. Self exactly where an excellent general manager of a store should stand and that was near the kosher food section. He was engaged in a conversation with a kosher consumer when I politely introduced myself to him. I had so much to say, but my two year old had decided that she wanted to climb out of the shopping cart and do some of her own shopping. In my brief schmooze with Mr. Self, he had invited me to today’s kosher sampling event with representatives from major kosher brands. The event, which will be going on until Thursday, September 17, features kosher brands such as Gabila’s, Natural & Kosher, Geshmak, David’s Cookies, and Schick’s. The samples were plentiful and the company representatives both informative and friendly. It wasn’t just the Jewish customers filling up their carts with food for the upcoming Rosh Hashanah meals. All types of customers were delighted with the samples and filled up their shopping carts with kosher organic cheeses, kosher potato salad, knishes, kugels, and desserts. You could see the appreciation in their faces. Keeping customers educated about healthy food options is exactly what Mr. Self had achieved today. You don’t have to be Jewish to love kosher food, you just have to be conscious about what you are eating. That is the best thing that retailers can do for their customers, after all, they don’t call it customer care for nothing!