by Guest Columnist Renee Chernin

Do a Google search for Tu b’Shvat and you’ll read that it is a “minor holiday” on the Jewish calendar. It’s true that there are no required observances on the 15^th of Shvat; no extra shul time is required and there’s little preparation or learning in advance. To mark the day, we may buy some dried fruit or if we’re feeling adventurous, visit the garden center and plant a tree. However, it’s actually quite a notable holiday here in Israel.

There are many ways Israelis mark the 15^th of Shvat. And much to my pleasure, most have to do with creative ways to serve food. Some of my neighbors host an elaborate seder complete with four cups of wine and as many as 30 varieties of fruit.   Markets overflow with enticing displays of fruits and nuts weeks before the holiday. Then the recipe swapping begins as we figure out how to take advantage of our newfound attraction to exotic fruits.

No matter how one decides to celebrate Tu b’Shvat, everyone agrees that inextricably linked to the holiday are the Sheva Minim, the seven kinds of produce the Torah uses to praise the Land of Israel:
“wheat and barley, of grape and fig and pomegranate; a land of oil-rich olive and sweet date." (Devarim 8:7-8)

These seven items of produce are all native to Israel, yet they also grow in other places as well. What makes them the so exceptional is that each of the species tells us something about who we are and what we can be.

For instance, Pomegranates are filled with luscious seeds representing our abundant desire for mitzvos. With wine from grapes we sanctify time, with wheat we observe the mitzvah of taking challah. In the heart of every Jew is a “pintele yid,” burning like the Menorah fueled with pure olive oil. Figs, because they continually produce throughout their growing season, show us we find sweetness in the continual review of our Torah learning throughout our lives. All seven serve to express attributes unique to the Jewish people.

There is even a special blessing we say after eating any of the Seven Species. Interestingly, the entire body of this blessing centers on our yearning for Israel, Jerusalem and the Temple. Eretz Yisrael is the place where the qualities of both the produce of Israel and the Jewish People can be realized in their full potential.  On Tu b’Shvat, Jews all over the world connect to the unique attributes of the Land of Israel by eating her produce. Here are twp recipes that celebrate that eternal relationship:

Two Olive Dip Recipes and Tree Hugger Tart. Enjoy! 

About the Author
Renee Chernin resides in Jerusalem, Israel and is a writer, accomplished cook and the founder of the online website, The Kosher Channel. Renee shares her fabulous recipes and well researched Torah insights into food and eating.  

February 5, 2012

The Ultimate Meat and Poultry Cookbook

by June Hersh

Meat, meat and more meat – and a little poultry and side dishes too. Everything you wanted to know about kosher cuts, how to grill, roast, braise stew, sear—how to  cook meats, buy them, use them, and freeze them. It’s all in this comprehensive book for carnivores, or those cooking for carnivores. We learned so much that in addition to trying many of the recipes, we are adding it as a reference book to our culinary library. We had the pleasure of meeting June Hersh last fall and found her as lovely in person as she is talented in her writing.

The Kosher Carnivore,  a publication of St. Martin’s Press, is an ode to kosher meat and poultry; even for those not religiously compelled to keep kosher. For many consumers, Jewish and not, kosher meat is regarded as a higher quality choice. It is meat from animals that are raised and butchered in a well–supervised environment; one that has an extra layer of inspection. We found the recipes in this book simply presented and paired with both contemporary and traditional ingredients. We certainly like the fact that June turned to “Behind the Counter” meat experts and butchers to share information on meat cuts. These expert tips about preparation and cooking accompany almost every recipe. The side dishes and soups complement the meat and we can’t wait to make every one of them.

Some “Behind the Counter” Tips:

• Silver tip roast makes the best roast beef
• Any solid roast, cut from the chuck, works well as a pot roast
• 2^nd cut brisket works well with a classic brisket recipe
• The best burgers are made by grinding your own meat
• Veal chops are available in 3 choices: 1^st cut, most expensive; Center cut most popular; 2^nd cut cost efficient, best when breaded
• Buy a whole chicken and break it down or buy only your favorite parts

Enjoy the following three recipes from The Kosher Carnivore: Chicken Fried Steak, Creamy Mashed Potatoes and Creamed Spinach – what a great menu!

The Kosher Carnivore, The Ultimate Meat and Poultry Cookbook is available on Amazon.com.

February 2, 2012

By June Hersh

It is not often that we read a cookbook, with tears in our eyes, or actually streaming down our cheeks, or that evokes an unexpected smile. But that is how this cookbook affected us. It is a collection of cherished heirloom recipes which reflect our Jewish heritage – journeying through the kosher kitchens of Poland, Austria, Germany, Belgium, France Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Romania, Russia, the Ukraine, and Greece. Even more so however, the recipes mirror the lives of survivors and the families that lived to share them. The stories are poignant, horrific, heartwarming recollections of life in Europe before, during, and after the Holocaust.

We suggest that Recipes Remembered is just as much a memorial to a time gone by, as it is a heritage cookbook. It is a storybook filled with delicious, meaningful recipes – some taken directly from stained index cards, from memory, and some lost but interpreted by 24 contemporary chefs. Your entire purchase of the book helps to safeguard this precious culinary history, share the legacy, and to benefit the Museum of Jewish Heritage.

Susie Fishbein’s eloquent book jacket quote says it all:
“June Hersh offers us a rare gift in this cookbook.  It is a testament to the Jewish human condition and its ability to transcend the past and move forward without forgetting. The survivor's stories of deep love and great loss moved me.  The understanding that for many, these recipes are all that remains of large, close, precious families takes my breath away. The juxtaposition of their brave stories with recipes only makes what they endured even more unimaginable.  May the food of their memories nourish our spirits.

With June’s permission, we have included 2 excerpts (story and recipe) from Recipes Remembered.

Mike and Frania Faywlowicz, Poland
As told by their daughter Toby Schafer (Sadly Frania passed away prior to the book’s publication):

"Both my parents were from the same town of Piotrkó Trybunalski, Poland. My father was the youngest of ten children and two years older than my mother. My father worked as an apprentice tailor for my mother's father. When the Germans forced them into the ghetto, my father, who worked outside the ghetto as a tradesman, was able to sneak in food. He always had a soft spot for my mother, so he would sneak food to her as well. He worked in a glass factory near the train station, where he watched the train carrying his parents and siblings, fatefully pull away.

When my parents were liberated, they both went back to their hometown where they found nothing was left and anti-Semitism was prevalent. They went to the DP camp in Foehrenwald, and there they planned to be married."

Frania Faywlowicz' Meat and Potato Cholent recipe.

Dr. Ruth Westheimer, Germany
While you know that Dr. Ruth is an expert in her field, what you might not know is that she survived a traumatic childhood and fought in the Israeli Hagganah!  In her own words, an abridged excerpt from Recipes Remembered:

"I was born in Frankfurt, Germany. In November of 1938, when I was ten years old, the SS came to take away my father. Because of that, I met the qualifications to be sent with 100 other children from Frankfurt to safety in Switzerland. In early January, 1939, my mother and grandmother put me on a train, and the last time I would see them was as they were running alongside the train waving goodbye.

We were sent to a Swiss school for Orthodox children. We German Jewish children spent hours cleaning everything from top to bottom. During the first few years, we were given a rudimentary education, but when we were old enough to go to high school, only the boys were sent. We girls continued with our cleaning and so, as a result, when I left that school it was with a Swiss diploma in housekeeping! Needless to say, it’s not a diploma that I ever hung up on my wall. I have a friend, Marga, who is a wonderful cook, especially when it comes to desserts. This is her recipe. for Celebration Cake."

Recipes Remembered: A Celebration of Survival is available on Amazon.com.

February 1,2012

Score with a Super Menu

by Guest Columnist & KosherEye Friend, June Hersh 

You might not know (or care) who is playing in this year’s Super Bowl. You might think that a tight end is what you get as a result of a good workout or a vigorous run. You might not watch the high priced commercials or lip sync to the half time show − but I can bet you will want to impress the extra mouths you might be feeding this coming Super Bowl Sunday.  I can’t explain the rules of football to you in this column, but I can help you get through the menu planning, supermarket shopping and execution of some terrific half time dishes.

Here are a few simple rules to follow when hosting a Super Bowl party:
•  Avoid any food that needs utensils. Your guests will most likely eat their meal glued to the TV and, to save your carpet and their laps, pick-up food is best.

•  Make your menu “everyone friendly”;  kid food is a favorite at sporting events, so keep it simple and accessible.

•  Prepare in advance.  If it can be made a day or two before, you will simplify your day of prep and most foods taste even better when they have a good night’s sleep.

•  Have plenty of munchies on hand for those mindless eaters who prefer to reach blindly into a bowl and graze all day long. You can keep it healthful with cut up veggies and hummus or fruit garnished with yogurt dip, but a continuous stream of food will lessen your trips back and forth to the kitchen.

•  I like a menu that includes a creative and filling appetizer that can take the place of a meal if your guest only stays for part of the game; they won’t leave hungry.

•  Have a fun beer on hand; if you have a local brewery making their homemade libation, go for it. You can also make sweet Arnold Palmers with an equal mix of lemonade and ice tea spiked or not.  No need for fancy signature drinks −  this is the Super Bowl and you basically want to turn your living room into a tailgate.

Menu

Pretzel Wrapped Hotdogs
Homemade Hummus
Veal Meatball Wedges
Turkey Bean Chili

About the Author

June Hersh is a former teacher, passionate home cook and cookbook author. Her first book Recipes Remembered: A Celebration of Survival, Ruder Finn Press, May 2011, was written in association with the Museum of Jewish Heritage. The museum benefits from ALL proceeds. Entering its fourth printing, the book features the remarkable stories and cherished recipes of Holocaust survivors. Her second book, The Kosher Carnivore, St. Martin’s press, September, 2011 is the ultimate meat and poultry cookbook for the “kosher clueless to the kosher committed”.  Proceeds from this book benefit MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger. June earned a B.S. in Elementary Education from The University of Pennsylvania and holds a Master’s Degree in Gifted and Talented Education. She currently lives in New York City with her husband of over 35 years. To learn more visit her website her Facebook page,or follow her on Twitter for daily food bites and a slice of life

Let’s Get to the Meat of the Matter!

Announcing a new column coming soon to KosherEye. We welcome June Hersh, Ask The Kosher Carnivore.

We at KosherEye have received numerous questions from our readers about poultry and meat; how to buy it, prepare it, freeze it, serve it and more. Now KosherEye is delighted to have its own resident expert − none other than author, chef extraordinaire and cooking instructor, The Kosher Carnivore, June Hersh.

Bring those questions on! June will answer them in her new monthly column on Koshereye.com, Ask The Kosher Carnivore.  And each month, she has generously offered to give away one of her books, The Kosher Carnivore, to the reader who submits her favorite question. Submit your questions to: ContactUs.

Janury 30, 2012