Kosher Cooking in Season: The 1 Ingredient for a Perfect Passover

Extra Virgin Olive Oil is kosher and delicious for Passover and every other day of the year

By: LAURA FRANKEL

One sure sign that spring has sprung is the plethora of Passover products that start appearing on grocery store shelves. Each year I look forward to checking out what new foodstuffs have been invented. Usually these products are meant to counterfeit their non-Passover counterparts. Each year I hold my own personal contest to see what the strangest and most Passover-y thing will be. Last year I was thrilled and simultaneously disgusted by Passover soy sauce. I saved the bottle and put it in my cabinet just to remind myself of how scary things sometimes are in the world of food.

Well, that soy sauce is so last year. I found something that trumps all the ersatz foods out there. The new crop of Passover substitutes includes a product called Mac & Cheez. There is neither Mac (pasta) even of the Passover kind nor is there any cheese or Cheez. The product is pareve and the pasta is made from tapioca. It is nutritionally empty; there is not one vitamin in it. I bought a box and put it right next to my soy sauce and there it shall stay as a reminder of how bad faux food can get.

On the other hand, there is something really great that we can use for Passover. It is delicious, all natural, minimally processed available at just about every supermarket in the country. I’m talking about extra virgin olive oil. According to the OU (Orthodox Union), all extra virgin olive oil is kosher all year round and that includes Passover. So, the savvy Passover shopper is buying great olive oil this year.

Olive oil is the fruit oil obtained from the olive. Commonly used in cooking, cosmetics, soaps and fuel for lamps, olive oil is grown and used throughout the world but especially in the Mediterranean.

Olive oil is produced by grinding or crushing and extracting the oil. A green olive produces bitter oil and an overripe olive produces rancid oil. For great extra virgin olive oil it is essential to have olives that are perfectly ripened.

Purchasing olive oil and knowing how to use it can be confusing. Add to that, the kashrut factor and it is no wonder that consumers and home cooks are bewildered by the array of products on supermarket and specialty market shelves.

Using Olive Oil

Here is a summary of olive oils and their uses:

Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)

This oil comes from virgin oil production only and contains no more than 0.8% acidity. Extra virgin olive oil accounts for less than 10% of oil in many oil producing countries. The superior fruity flavor makes this oil best used for vinaigrettes, drizzling on soups and pastas for added richness and a fruity taste for dipping breads and vegetables. Extra virgin olive oil does not require hashgacha or supervision from a kosher authority (even for Pesach) as it is cold pressed.

Virgin Olive Oil

This only comes from virgin oil production only and has an acidity less than 2%. This oil is best used for sautéing and for making vinaigrettes. It is generally not as expensive as the extra virgin olive oil but has a good taste. Virgin olive oil requires kosher supervision to be considered kosher.

Pure Olive Oil

Oils labeled as Pure olive oil or Olive oil are usually a blend of refined and virgin production oil. This oil is perfect for sautéing. It does not have a strong flavor and can be used for making aiolis and cooking. Pure olive oil requires kosher supervision to be considered kosher.

Extra virgin olive oil is the highest quality olive oil. It is typically more expensive than other olive oils. Extra virgin olive oil is not typically recommended for high heat cooking. Every oil has its smoke point. A smoke point refers to the heat temperature at which the oil begins to break down and degrade. An oil that is above its smoke point not only has nutritional and flavor degradation but can also reach a flash point where combustion can occur. You can observe this when you have a very hot pan and hot oil and food are added to the pan and they produce a bluish and acrid smelling smoke or worse yet, catch fire.

Extra virgin olive oil has a very low smoke point of 375. I use my best extra virgin olive oil for making vinaigrettes, adding luxurious fruity flavor to pasta dishes, garnishing foods and dipping breads. When I am high heat sautéing or frying, I tend to reach for pure olive oil or a different type of oil.

Buying Olive Oil

Extra virgin olive oil has a long list of health benefits from reducing coronary artery disease, cholesterol regulation and possibly reducing risk of certain cancers. This makes the decision for using extra virgin olive oil a no-brainer.

The bigger decision is which oil to buy. Most of the world’s extra virgin olive oil comes from the southern Mediterranean countries. I favor an organic, unfiltered Spanish oil. I also like estate grown products as I know that a farmer fretted over the olives and the weather. Many mass produced oils are made not from a single source or farm and the flavor can be uneven and harsh.

When cooking for Passover and for every meal, I recommend whole, natural ingredients. I never go to the dark side of cooking with products that are loaded with laboratory made ingredients and faux flavors or colors. For this holiday and everyday—let’s keep it real.

Recipes:

Poached Halibut in Olive Oil

Parsley sauce with Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Chocolate Mousse with Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Go to the Kosher.com Ultimate Passover Guide

Go to Kosher.com for all your Passover Shopping

Author Bio:

- LAURA FRANKEL is the former chef and founder of the Shallots restaurants. Frankel has training and extensive experience in both savory and pastry kitchens. After Frankel had a family and began maintaining a kosher home she found that there was nowhere in Chicago serving the quality of food that she knew she could offer. 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. – Read more…

Why is This Night Different from All Other Nights?

10 ways Thanksgiving dinner might be a little different in a kosher home:

1. No planning 3 months or even 1 month ahead of time.  Compared to 8 days of Passover, Turkey Day’s a snap!
2. People “wash” for the meal.
3. Have to figure out creamy mashed potatoes, creamed spinach and pie and ice cream without any dairy.
4. Guests are confused when dinner starts before sundown.
5. “What, no challah!?!”
6. Your company may stay through Shabbat.
7. Grace is sung in Hebrew after the meal.
8. Host and hostess go to bed dreaming  of ways to turn leftovers into Shabbat dinner.
9. Don’t need an excuse to skip Black Friday shopping—gotta’ get ready for Shabbat.
10. “Those are pilgrims, honey, not rabbis.”

We want to know how your Thanksgiving is different. Leave us your comments below.

Win a $250 shopping spree in the Kosher.com video contest.  Enter now >>>

10 Tips for Your First Thanksgiving & 3 Foolproof Recipes

1. Lists, lists and more lists: menu, shopping list, invites, RSVPs and emergency cooking guru numbers
2. Invest in good equipment—a sturdy roasting pan for even cooking, rack with handles for easy turkey removal, meat thermometer, carving knife , etc. Even an oven thermometer can help make sure your turkey is ready on time.
3. If you’re using a frozen turkey you must allow adequate time to defrost it—you cannot cook a frozen turkey through on Thanksgiving Day!
4. Make sure your turkey fits in its pan and the pan fits in the your oven. People sometimes by a big bird and a big pan for a big crowd only to realize that their city apartment oven or older model oven is too small to hold their turkey.
5. Everything doesn’t have to be homemade-buy some pre-made products to round out your meal—and take guests up on offers to bring something, whether it’s a pie or sodas.
6. Stuffing doesn’t have to be stuffed into the cavity of your turkey. A lot of cooks make “dressing” baked in the oven.  That way your turkey cooks faster and you don’t have to worry about undercooked stuffing. If you have vegetarians coming, make a vegetarian dressing you can serve to all your Thanksgiving guests.
7. Timing is everything—­so that all food is hot and ready at the same time, plan recipes accordingly and have lots of covered ovenproof serving dishes available to keep foods warm.
8. Have plenty of creative hors d’oeuvres on hand to keep guests happy until turkey time. They don’t have to be Thanksgiving themed or even autumnal—try guac/salsa and chips, hummus and pita crisps, sausage bites, etc.
9. Keep drinks cold—if your fridge is full of food, consider a cooler with ice or keeping drinks in a cold garage or, depending where you live, even outside.
10. Keep the day for essentials like cooking and celebrating with your guests—clean the house, etc. on the day before.

Bonus: 3 Foolproof Beginner Recipes for Thanksgiving

	Roasted Turkey
	Cranberry Relish
	Roasted Sweet Vegetables in Spicy Cinnamon Cider

Kosherfest 2009 Social Media Highlights

Flickr – 43 photos

Twitter – Hundreds of Tweets!

Yeshiva World News- PHOTOS: Thousands Attend KosherFest 2009 (including a number of shots of Kosher.com and our monster size kosher shopping cart!)

The Jewish Week - JInsider: 21st Century Kosher (Part 2)

Vos Iz Neias –

• Photos Highlighting The Best and Brightest
• 4000 at Opening Day of Kosherfest
• Pic of Kosher.com booth

JTA covers the event live (YouTube) - Breaking down the buzz over kosher food

The Cool Jew (includes videos) - TheCoolJew.com at Kosher Fest

Chowhound – 2009 Kosherfest Winners

The Gourmet Retailer – Kosherfest to Showcase Upscale Kosher Products

Slashfood - Innovative Nosh at Kosher Fest 2009

KosherToday – Kosher News from Around the World

The Jewish Journal - U.S. appetite for Israeli food grows

The Paramus Post - 21st Annual Kosherfest 2009

And a few great articles by Jamie Geller:

• Kosherfest: I came, I saw, I ate!
• Kosherfest: 5 New Finds
• Kosherfest: The Best of the Best

Have you seen other articles about Kosherfest that you enjoyed reading? We would love for you to add to the list below!

It’s Official: Kosher Best Thing Since Sliced Bread

Well, better than sliced challah, anyway Recent information gathered from Mintel’s Global New Products Database for the year indicated that kosher foods are the leading the pack for new product launches!

What’s really interesting is that the growth isn’t entirely from the religious market.

From the study:

“Kosher is the most frequently used claim on food and drink products launched this year, according to Mintel, which suggests that the growing interest may be more to do with food safety than religion…not so much because of religion, but because consumers of various backgrounds trust kosher foods to be safer and clearly marked as to ingredient content”.

Other groups that are finding kosher appealing are vegetarians, lactose intolerant, and those that fear mad cow disease (from beef). This is the second straight year that Mintel has kosher ranked #1, and estimates the 2007 kosher market at $12.5 billion. All products in the US market that “happen to be kosher” stand at an astounding $500 billion.

Source

Free Shipping on Kosher Meat and Poultry for the Holidays

Kosher.com is offering free shipping on all meat orders through Oct 31. This is a great way to feed your family for the High Holidays. Order from our growing selection of exciting new cuts and types of kosher meat, including dry-aged beef, bison, and more traditional roasts and briskets.

Please note:
We can supply many different supervisions by request.  We carry meats and poultry from a range of sources with a variety of supervisions. If you have a particular supervision request or wish to avoid a particular source indicate your preference in the “Special Instructions” field during checkout.

You can see a list of our many possible supervisions and sources here: http://usa.kosher.com/help/faq.html#25

Have a happy New Year!

–
Brian Cooper
Dir of Ecommerce
Kosher.com

Top 7 Videos Celebrating Kosher Food!

(Last chance to eat challah for a while )
With the Passover season rapidly approaching, the kosher world is thinking about food and preparation. Have a look at some of our favorite kosher videos online!

His first visit to a kosher McDonald’s

This kid just wants you to eat your kosher!

MATZA FACTORY!

Crank that Kosher Boy!

Feed Me Bubbe!

This guy insists that his food be kosher, no exceptions!

And one more just for fun: Whasssup? SHALOM!

Click here for a bonus cartoon straight from kosher.com!

Oy! to the world

America’s cultural and ethnic confusion is continuing – and it behooves the kosher consumer to be careful.

A popular restaurant and musical night spot in Virginia Beach, more than 30 years old, is called The Jewish Mother. Performers over the years have included Richie Havens, Dave Mason, Leon Russell, Dave Mathews, Hootie & The Blow Fish, and Bruce Hornsby.  It serves a Jewish-style (but decidedly unkosher) menu. A local southern Virgina jazz combo, Big Wide Grin, has just held a CD release performance at The Jewish Mother for its new Christmas album, Big Wide Holiday Grin.

Balducci’s, the gourmet delicatessen and grocery store in Greenwich Village, New York, was recently caught red-faced by a blogger who photographed a sign in the store advertising “Delicious for Chanukah” Boneless Spiral Ham. The tempest in a trafe pan spread through the mainstream media, and Balducci’s was caught quite unprepared to explain its hamhanded treatment of the holidays.

For truly kosher meat, better stick with Kosher.com.

Zabar’s maven Klein helped push Jewish food to gourmet heights

It may not offer only kosher fare, but Zabar’s delicatessen in New York City’s Upper West Side played a significant role in recent decades in lifting the image of traditional Jewish food from the ordinary to the gourmet.

The reason we’re thinking about this now is because of the recent death of Murray Klein (z”l), a part-owner of Zabar’s, and the man most visible to the public in that store, now a New York institution.

In the days following his December 6 death at 84, the praise for Klein came pouring in from foodies worldwide.

Zabar’s was in part responsible for creating the notion that Jewish foods can also be gourmet, the trade newsletter Kosher Today said.

“That one little Yiddishe store had an effect on the way people ate all over America, and it was really because of him,” Steven Fass, an importer, told the New York Times.

Klein was born in a Jewish town in the Soviet Union near the Romanian border. His parents and five siblings all died in Nazi concentration camps, and he ended up in a Soviet labor camp. Klein spent time in a displaced persons camp in Italy before making it to the United States. He even worked in Europe for the Irgun, a Jewish guerrilla movement that helped smuggle arms to pre-state Palestine.

He joined Zabar’s as a stockman and worked with – and occasionally against – the Zabar family for the next 40 years, winding up as a co-owner of the store when he retired in 1994.

So, now, when you see upper-scale gourmet kosher restaurants such as Levana in New York or A Cow Jumped Over The Moon in Beverly Hills, as well as the gourmet kosher items here on Kosher.com, you can thank Murray Klein and the mavens at Zabar’s.

Kosher in Annapolis? We hope so

Annapolis may be known, at some future date, as the City of Peace – if the international conference currently under way there results in any significant progress in the Israeli-Palestinian problem. But it is never going to be known as the City of Kosher. In fact, a recent article by the Associated Press makes the point that Annapolis is better known as the City of Crab Cakes and Oysters than any kind of a source of kosher food.

“I have no idea what they’re going to eat,” Rabbi Ari J. Goldstein of Temple Beth Shalom, a Reform synagogue in Arnold, Md., told the AP. “They can either buy their stuff at Trader Joe’s and borrow someone’s kitchen … or they can just go vegetarian, which is what they’re probably going to do.” The proprietors of Chick and Ruth’s Delly (they can’t even seem to spell it correctly) concede they are “kosher-style” only (We note, of course, that “kosher style” is not a term generally permitted in advertising or promotional material, as it can be misleading.).

The story, surprisingly, offers no answer as to how the various delegations – both Israeli and Arab – are going to satisfy culinary and dietary needs. It quotes a White House chef talking about kashrut at the White House, but that famous residence is more than an hour from Annapolis.

The US Naval Academy has a lovely Jewish chapel for its small cadre of Jewish midshipmen (about 120 out of more than 4,000), faculty members, and community members who attend services at the Commodore Uriah P. Levy Center and Jewish Chapel. The Academy’s Jewish chaplain, Cmdr. Irv Elson, once told me that the Jewish middies who want to keep kosher at the Academy’s dining rooms, usually eat vegetarian food .

So, other than calling Kosher.com, what will the delegates do?