Kosher Fermented Foods: Ready-Made and DIY
Fermentation breaks down foods to yield new tastes and flavors. Bacteria-based starter cultures serve as the medium to effectuate this change. Fermented foods are packed with probiotics, which are bacterial microorganisms, that replenish the bacteria-filled gut. A healthy gut is crucial for good digestion and can help with mood, anxiety and sleep. Convenience tends to […]
Gluten-Free Chickpea Pasta
The gluten-free market is growing. A primary driver of this expansion is the rising number of people adopting a protein-rich plant-based diet. Flour substitutes that are plant-based and protein-rich, like chickpea flour, are being used to make pasta. This is just another wonderful development for gluten-free consumers who also have the option to benefit from […]
Yemenite Breads
Not so long ago, we traversed the area of cholent. One could say that a “close sister” to cholent is Yemenite breads, especially kubaneh and jachnun, as they are heated from Friday night until the next day. I had the privilege to speak with Doreet Jehassi, owner of The Ma’lawah Bar in Northern California, who […]
Vegetarian Casings
In an exciting development, certain vegetarian casings from Europe are now OU kosher-certified. This will allow kosher-producing hot dog companies and consumers to avoid casings that are usually made of collagen, which are proteins extracted from cow hides that weren’t slaughtered properly. If slaughtered properly, then the collagen from the cow hides would be kosher, […]
Nutritious and Savory Kosher Honey
As Rosh Hashanah approaches, honey takes center stage. Incredibly, kosher honey comes from the bee, a non-kosher animal. The Talmud’s explanation for why it is permissible to eat reveals a deeper message relevant to the Jewish New Year. The journey into the world of honey is vast and involved, but important, as it brings to […]
The Enduring Cholent
As a child, I remember being invited with my class to our rebbe’s house for Shabbos. What stood out to me about that Shabbos was the hot dogs in the cholent. It was my first introduction to this staple Jewish dish. In high school, I would eat the cholent my mother made which had all […]
The World of Chocolate
Did you know white chocolate is not really chocolate, chocolate was once used as a currency, and Benjamin Franklin sold chocolate in his print shop? These are just some of the quirky facts surrounding chocolate. Today, we are focusing on the chic OU kosher-certified company that produces kosher chocolate bars, “HU,” short for human, that […]
David Elliot Poultry: A Multigenerational Company with Innovative Kosher Products and A Dedication to the Community
David Elliot Poultry is an OU kosher-certified company that spans three generations. They take pride in serving the customer, as well as partnering with established kosher distributors and caterers. Their plant is equipped with state-of-the-art equipment, which allows them to streamline their operation without sacrificing on quality or safety. Kashrut is not just a requirement […]
A Mother and Son Team Bring New OU Products to the Market
It’s not every day that you find a mother-son team bring a new product line to the market. But that’s exactly what happened with OU kosher-certified Simply Gourmet Spices. I had the pleasure to speak to Rabbi Moshe Yehuda Kleiman, the marketing guru for Simply Gourmet. He is a rosh kollel of a Halacha chabura in Monsey […]
Congratulations to 11 OU Kosher Certified Companies for Being Named Responsible Companies
For the second year, Newsweek magazine has announced its list of “America’s Most Responsible Companies.” Using data and a survey of consumers, these 399 businesses were chosen because they care about environmental impact, ethical governance and giving back to their communities. Of the 14 food and beverage companies on the 2021 list, 11 are certified […]