After accompanying her grandmother a few times for these cheesemaking demonstrations, Cohen was hooked. “When I graduated from high school, I decided to start a cute business using this recipe. I called it ‘Grandma’s Cheese’ because it was my grandma’s recipes,” she recalled. “I began making it in my mom’s kitchen and I delivered it to my friends and neighbours. It was really a very hard process; it is not only time and energy but also heat involved and lots of burnt fingers! But people wanted it, so I kept going.”

Cohen’s business was an instant success. “I hit a point where very soon I was delivering to 50 houses a week. At that point, I hit a ceiling, I could not do it all by myself,” she said recalling the early days of her fledgling business. “My dad actually got me into a local store. He said: ‘hey look, my daughter sells cheese, these are her customers, can she sell it here?’ at that point I had all the requirements, but I needed someone to believe in me. So, at Ouri’s Fruit in Brooklyn, I had a little stand in a shelf with Grandma’s cheeses. Everything was handmade. Even the labels!”

From these humble beginnings, Grandma’s Cheese is now stocked in over 30 supermarkets in the tri-state area, several outlets in Texas and Florida, and is even shipped to Panama. With over 10 flavours of braided mozzarella including black caraway, za’atar and olive, a new line of kosher burrata cheeses, and even a kosher restaurant that is dedicated to showcasing the cheeses in all its dishes, Cohen’s business is booming and expanding.

And in a twist of fate, Cohen met her husband Max through her kosher cheese business.

“I met him through [cheesemaking], because I had built a name for myself in my community for being the ‘cheese girl’. I saw him at a party and used my cheese as a way to introduce myself to him. He didn’t know of me at all or my brand, until I reached out again later, asking him to try my product. Our relationship started when he came to my house and he tried it there,” she laughed, recalling the origins of their relationship.  He later joined her business, and these days, they both work full-time creating their lines.

Interestingly, Max and Florence Cohen are part of a brand-new wave of cheesemakers that are producing high-quality kosher cheeses that were never traditionally available to kosher consumers.

Kosher cheesemaking can be difficult, with added expenses for kosher supervision and difficulty obtaining cheesemaking supplies such a certified rennet or cheese cultures that comply with kosher requirements.

Factories are also sometimes reluctant to produce kosher cheeses, which are often small production runs and include extra requirements such as intensive cleaning which may interfere with larger orders. Small businesses may also find the costs of kosher cheesemaking prohibitively high, especially if there is mashgiach [kosher supervisor] present to supervise the milking to ensure compliance with the highest level of kosher requirements such as Chalav Yisrael.

All these additional challenges may present insurmountable hurdles to kosher cheesemaking, which is already a highly technical art.

While the Grandma’s Cheese does not use rennet, and achieving formal kosher certification was not overly difficult, it is still an expensive additional cost.

“For us, becoming kosher was not a challenging process. It was just expensive,” said Max Cohen. “Usually, it comes with getting a commercial kitchen. These days we have our own commercial kitchen, but that was a whole journey.” Despite the efforts involved, the Cohen’s are happy their product has resonated with so many people, noting, “we love it, we eat it all the time.”

As for Florence Cohen’s grandma, the nachas continues, “She’s still alive. She’s young. When she walks into supermarkets, she points to our cheese, and says: ‘I’m the grandma!’”

The Cohens are not the only ones making kosher cheeses accessible to the masses. In supermarkets across the country, including Wholefoods, one can find kosher certified cheeses from That Cheese Guy.

The man behind the brand is Brent Delman who owns a wholesale speciality food company. About 30 years ago, when he adopted an Orthodox Jewish lifestyle and started keeping kosher, he felt there was a lack of kosher cheeses.

“I created a brand and started going to trade shows and taking cheesemaking courses. I started to partner up with small producers who had never been kosher. I live in New York in Yonkers. So, I started to partner with Vermont and New York State farmers, and I started to get some of them to produce kosher. I found myself having to source bacterial cultures and rennet and buying cheesemaking equipment like brine tanks and cheese moulds” he said. 
 
While Delman makes kosher cheeses, he considers himself more of an affineur, someone who is an expert in ageing and maturing the cheese. These days, his brand produces more than 50 types of artisan kosher cheeses, including many organic, raw milk, grass fed cheddars and parmesan as well as burrata and goat cheese. 
 
“I do not own a farm. I go in and make cheese at creameries and farms. I bring in all the ingredients other than milk. I also bring the mashgiach [kosher supervisor] and then I take the cheese that is made, and I age it,” he said. 
 
As his business has grown, he has commanded a unique niche in the market where he produces the largest range of kosher high-end speciality cheeses, outside of Israel. As part of his work, he travels to farms around the world, sourcing the best materials and ingredients to make his high-end artisan kosher cheeses. 
 
One of his top sellers is an American made Parmesan cheese.  “We aged it over 4 years and the way we age it, it retains some creaminess and has a nuttiness and sharp flavor profile that’s almost sort of reminiscent of an aged cheddar. It is just an incredible umami flavour with cheese crystals. You bite into it and get these crunches which come from the amino acids that are crystallising in the cheese,” he said. “When I started this, about 18 years ago or so, there was no sharp cheddar or fresh mozzarella in the United States. We probably had 5 or 6 varieties in total of kosher cheeses in the market. So, my goal has really been to bring the finest cheeses in the world to the kosher pallet palate and do so within the framework of Jewish law,” he explained. 
 
Despite the challenges involved in kosher cheesemaking, Delman is happy to be able to be able to provide high-quality kosher cheeses that bring so much joy to so many people. 
 
“People send emails saying that it brings their families and friends together. One of the things I hear often about my products is that the quality is such that it’s acceptable to anyone, kosher or non-kosher as well as those with other dietary or ethical restrictions. Sometimes there are family members who find it difficult to come together and agree upon common foods, but my cheeses have done that. It is one of the best things.”

The post The Art of Kosher Cheesemaking appeared first on Jewcy.

The century-old practice is so widely observed that there are countless articles, parodies, and even an entire Wikipedia page on “Jewish American Chinese restaurant patronage.” Some restaurants in NYC have gone along with the joke and switched to Chinese cuisine for the day.

Jews began this tradition at the end of the 19th century on the Lower East Side, where Eastern European Jewish and Chinese immigrants lived side-by-side. The densely populated neighborhood was crowded with Chinese restaurants, where Jews felt accepted and safer than they did at the more “fashionable” Italian and German spots.

To be expected, few restaurants stayed open on Christmas. Chinese immigrants, however, saw no reason to close their restaurants and lose a day of sales for a holiday they did not celebrate. Thus, Jewish and Chinese communities were bonded not only by their shared immigrant and refugee experiences, but also by their  “otherness” on Christmas.

Plus, Chinese cooking is virtually dairy-free, which is helpful for Jews who observe Kosher laws and cannot mix dairy and meat.

This list of Chinese restaurants in NYC was crowd‑sourced from trusted friends and family. Of course, there are some famous ones, as well as vegan and celiac‑friendly options. 

Make sure you check in advance to see which spots are open on Christmas Eve vs. Day. And if you’re ordering delivery, please tip well, as we are still in a pandemic and delivery workers are risking their health to bring us food! 

Now let’s begin.

1. Jing Fong Restaurant (Upper West Side, Chinatown)

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2. Han Dynasty (East Village, Upper West Side, Brooklyn)

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3. Nom Wah (Nolita, Chinatown)

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4. Atlas Kitchen (Harlem)

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5. Birds of a Feather (Brooklyn)

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6. Little Alley (Midtown)

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7. Fat Choy (Chinatown)

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8. The Handpulled Noodle (Harlem)

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9. Shun Lee (Upper West Side, Midtown)

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10. Mr. Chow (Midtown East, Tribeca)

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11. AweSum DimSum (Flatiron)

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12. Golden Unicorn (Chinatown)

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13. Spicy Moon (Greenwich Village, Noho)

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14. Tri-Dim Shanghai (Upper East Side, Upper West Side)

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15. RedFarm (West Village, Upper West Side)

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16. Hao Noodle and Tea (Meatpacking)

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17. Café China (Midtown)

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18. La Salle Dumpling Room (Morningside Heights)

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Lastly, if you are healthy and up for a fun night out, check out the one-night-only return of legendary Moshe Peking for a 70’s-style Kosher Chinese prix-fixe dinner at Wall Street Grill, prepared by chefs Eric Huang and Joseph Paulino and hosted by Tablet Magazine!

The post A New York City Guide to Chinese Food on Christmas appeared first on Jewcy.

Some have created their own sufganiyah custom, wherein they’ll eat one on the first night, two on the second, and so on until they eat eight sufganiyot on the eighth and final night of Hanukkah. This brings us to maybe the coolest thing about them: you can probably eat all thirty-six of these donuts without repeating a single sufganiyah filling flavor (…though probably not without getting some fainting from sugar-overload).

From the classics to the new and exciting, we can probably guess your personality from which one you choose. Yalla, check it out.

Vanilla Cream: You’re a hopeless romantic. Perpetually looking for love. “WHERE IS MY BESHERT,” you constantly exclaim, though you know that Hashem has a plan. You also love chocolate-covered strawberries and identify with Elle Woods on a spiritual level.

Chocolate: While chocolate is always framed as the opposite of vanilla, there’s really no way to be more vanilla about your sufganiyah fillings than with chocolate. You’re afraid of taking risks. Order something besides chicken nuggets and French fries every time you go out. The safe choice is a safe choice for a reason; you can’t really go wrong with chocolate. But don’t you want to live a little? Stop limiting yourself to the safest choices.

Chocolate-Vanilla-Swirl: You’re scared of confrontation and intimidated by authority. You don’t always need to appeal to every single person or be diplomatic in every single argument.  It’s okay. Pick a side! Make a decision! You’ll be better off for it.

Nutella: Nutella sufganiyot have goldendoodle energy, and so do you. Everyone wants one, until they get one. Then you think to yourself, “this is good, but could I have tried something else?” Harsh, I know. But I gotta give it to you straight. Sufganiyot personality tests are serious business, after all.

Custard: You’re probably from the northeast region of the United States, am I right? You’re independent and a bit of a perfectionist, always expecting the best out of yourself. Chill out a little. Do something spontaneous; go on an introspective road trip and sit alone with your thoughts for a bit. Get to know yourself a bit better. Do you really know you?

Tahina-Honey: You’re feisty and rugged. You like your morning hikes early and your coffee black. Picking fights is not as much a hobby as it is the norm for you. Always for a good reason, though. And you’re never ever wrong–mainly because you’ll never admit it.

Strawberry Jelly: You’re a little basic, but also bubbly and smart. You’re always out doing something fun with your countless best friends, and you make sure everyone knows it by posting about it on your Insta stories. Can I get an invite next time?

Raspberry Jelly: You’re genuine and honest. You’re a hard person to befriend, either because you don’t want to let people in or because you don’t make enough of an effort to put yourself out there, but once the friendship has established, you’re the best friend anyone can have. And as loyal as they come.

Grape Jelly: I see you, you Manischewitz enthusiast. You’re always the funnest at parties, and the standout guest at shabbatot, keeping everyone entertained with your party tricks and natural comedic abilities. You were born knowing how to juggle, and what can we say… We’re all jealous.

Guava Jelly: Stop. Enough. Wanting to stand out isn’t worth filling your sufganiyot with guava. I get that you want to be quirky and different, but guava jelly? This isn’t worth it.

Apricot: Listen, you know what you like, and you aren’t ashamed to let the world know it. Apricot is a bold choice, but a good one. You are assertive and impulsive, which keeps you on track for your meticulous plans and ambitious goals. You got the “Most Likely to Succeed” superlative in your high school yearbook. Keep reaching for the stars!

No Filling: …Hello? Sorry, I literally fell asleep trying to write about your boring personality. Sufganiyot need filling, weirdo. You probably top your latkes with ketchup or something nasty like that, too.

Dulce de Leche: You’re likeable, adventurous, and most probably a Latino Yid. Your sweet tooth knows no bounds, and this isn’t your first sufganiyah this very sitting, either. You had like twelve, didn’t you? Anyways, please turn the reggaetón down; some of us are busy.

Ginger-Lime: With your eclectic style and undeniable charisma, people think you’re quite the hipster when in reality, you just have the soul of an eighty-year-old woman. Your mysterious aura does not stop you from being literally the most uninteresting person in the world. In the best, best way. Your ideal night is spent indoors, sipping on tea–something organic, of course–and curled up with a good mystery novel and some cat videos.

Creme Espresso: I just know you’re a workaholic. It’s Hanukkah, loosen up! That work or school assignment can wait until after a few dreidel rounds. Also, go get a massage. You deserve it.

Halva: You’re not Israeli, but you like to pretend you are. You bought Blundstones your first time going to Israel as an adult, be it on Birthright or on a post-high school gap year program, and even though you’re as American as they come, you make fun of people who speak Hebrew with American accents. You’re also going to be embarrassingly defensive when you read this, claiming this doesn’t apply to you because “My dad grew up in Israel!” or “But all Jews are from Israel.” Babes, it applies.

Maple Butter: Canadian.

Apple Butter: Wholesome and kind. A Pixar aficionado. No one has any negative things to say about you because you treat everyone with respect… though your inner circle knows you have your lashon hara moments. You were very into horses in the fourth grade, but you got over it, and we’re glad you did.

In the end, whatever filling you choose, we’ll respect it. And shoutout to those of you out there making sfenj and bimuelos. (What that says about you is that you’re probably Sephardic and cool and that you should feed me.)

Anyway, our legal team would like us to disclaim that this list is not 100% accurate, but remember that we are psychic and never wrong and one of our friends literally screamed and passed out because of how freakishly accurate her description was so take that as you will.

Chag sameach, kinderlach. Don’t get diabetes.

The post What Your Favorite Sufganiyah Filling Says About You appeared first on Jewcy.

Sour Cream: Just because it’s a classic doesn’t mean it’s the right decision. You’re probably pretentious AF and painfully stubborn about your opinions. You’re the Mom Friend, and you make sure everyone knows it.

Applesauce: Your sweet tooth is indicative of your childlike tendencies. You’re creative and fun, often called the funny one in your friend group. You love pop music, and you’re not afraid to show it. You like what everyone likes, and what’s wrong with that?

Plain: Why mess with perfection? Real recognizes real. Plain latke lovers don’t try to mask the taste of latke with extraneous, unnecessary toppings, and I love that for you. Either you aren’t American, or your parents weren’t, and you make a point to play the dreidel game annually. I just know.

Garlic Mayo: Ok, self-proclaimed ‘foodie,’ I see you. It’s a bold choice, but I can’t call you wrong. If you cook your own latkes, you have a secret ingredient you swear by, maybe caramelizing the onion before mixing it with the potato, or some elaborate potato-soaking process. You disregard others’ approval, either living life for yourself or actively trying to trigger them. Good.

Ketchup: This is what assimilation’s done to you?! Get help. Latkes are not hash browns. You’ve never made your own latkes, and you probably eat sufganiyot without filling.

BBQ Sauce: You’re definitely the Dad Friend of your friend group. You probably also do the Sufganiyah Challenge annually.

Chrein (Jewish horseradish-beet sauce): Topping latkes with chrein seems like it would be better than topping gefilte fish with it, but let’s not beat around the bush here; we know you eat gefilte fish. You probably also eat chopped liver. And cat food.

Vanilla Ice Cream: You pride yourself on being different. Quirky, one might say. It’s time to let go of the past, Vanilla. We get it, you were the weird kid on the playground and no one wanted to play with you and now you’re trying to reclaim your weirdness. Reassess, Vanilla. There are better (and less insane) ways to stand out.

Lox and Cream Cheese: Ok, grandpa, we get it. You’re very Ashkenazi, very New York, and very Old Jewish Man. It’s not Pesach, dude. You can just put that on a bagel.

Deli Meat: You’re just as Ashkenazi and as much of an old soul as Lox and Cream Cheese, but, like, quirkier. Not quirky in the try-hard, wannabe Vanilla Ice Cream way, though. You’re genuine as it comes, acting irrespective of others’ judgements.

Guac: You’re definitely a millennial, and painfully passionate about which Hogwarts house you’re in. (Hufflepuff, probably.) Get with the times. You do not need to put guac on everything… especially on a latke? Please stop. Enough.

Cheese: You’re hot. And probably lactose intolerant, so, um, maybe stop topping things with cheese.

All these factors considered, all the potential potato pancake toppings in mind, choosing a favorite should be a deeply personal decision. With that being said, though, I would argue that there’s only one correct latke topping:

The post What Your Favorite Latke Topping Says About You appeared first on Jewcy.

I schlepped over to Brooklyn and arrived just in time for the event’s second session. Just near the entrance I was greeted with crocheted bagel headbands and keychains from Treesley, which were unexpectedly cute and of course, Bantam bagels’ samples which were superb.

At another corner there was a photo-op station with a pool of bagels a la museum of ice cream’s sprinkles pit. At least I assume that’s what they were before I got there. By 1PM, all that was left was bagel puree, and some inflatables including bagels, palm trees, eggs, and… bacon? I don’t know how to feel about the treif vibes here. All I’ll say to the organizers is: next year I’d opt for a bagel wall. No bacon for me.

One of the highlights was a panel of “bagel experts” including Jake Cohen, Morgan Raum, and Hannah Albertine, in which Cohen provided a diplomatic response to the Montreal vs. New York bagel controversy. Common, Jake! We need answers. The panelists also discussed bagel orders and other very important bagel debacles in an overall lighthearted and fun half-hour, which hit the spot after rounds of bagel samples.

Kosha Dillz’s performance was energetic and drew a crowd, but so did his merch. My personal favorite being an “In God We Trust” T-shirt with a bagel smack in God’s O. The messaging! The symbolism! The relevance! And Kosha’s merch was not the only one on display. Oh, the merch. It was totes, and tees galore. Anna Sanders’ Lox of Love tote bag is a 10/10, Katie Brookoff’s prints were adorable, and BagelFest’s own t-shirt was really cute too.

All in all, Brooklyn BagelFest provided a space to schmooze with other Jews, and fill our delicate stomach with carbs and cream cheese. BagelFest is as much about the bagels as it is about the experience, and a showcase of how iconic the bagel has really become. I can’t wait for next year’s undoubtedly bigger and better BagelFest, and in the meantime, I will be obsessing over how I will become a “bagel expert” so I can serve on the next star-studded panel.

The post Celebrating the Art of the Bagel at Brooklyn BagelFest appeared first on Jewcy.

If you’re looking for a mouthful, try the title—or the contents of—The Two-Plate Solution: A Novel of Culinary Mayhem in the Middle East, by Jeff Oliver (Bancroft Press). Think of it as a thriller/satire/culinary guide/behind-the-scenes of reality TV.

The story begins simply enough— Sara Sinek is a showrunner at an American cooking competition program called National Dish-aster. They’re filming in Israel, and someone at the network thinks it would be a great plot-twist to bring in fake terrorists to up the stakes. The only problem is, a group of Palestinians, accused by Israeli authorities of a deadly terrorist attack, quickly crash the set, and hold everyone hostage for real.

If you think you know how the story will shake out, or the agenda of its author, you definitely, absolutely do not. The book moves at a breakneck pace, with so many plot threads and characters it’s more comparable of Game of Thrones than Cutthroat Kitchen, and there are zigs and zags all along the way. Nobody is who they seem, and the stakes (steaks? The book inspires food puns) change constantly.

The novel manages to be both cynical and naïve at the same time— on the one hand, it presents the Palestinian-Israeli conflict as a violent quagmire (it is), but then emphasizes that the things that bring us together may be stronger than that which divides us… like a good meal. Also, for all its archetypal reality-show contestant characters, it does want us to care about what happens to the cast of National Dish-aster (season 5).

Oliver, a Bravo TV executive, has worked on his share of reality shows, and know how they tick— particularly, where real-life ends, and producing begins. He has imbued this knowledge into the book with humor, highlighting the absurdity of manufacturing, while also tightly controlling, drama.

As for the cuisine described in the book, it’s as much of a character as the hapless network executive who picked the wrong time to visit the set. In fact, you might not want to read on an empty stomach. Oliver used to work at Food Network, and from coffee-braised brisket to mouthwatering halvas to tahini-infused charoset, he serves up descriptions of all sorts of sorts of mouthwatering, cross-cultural treats.

Admittedly, the final twist at the end of the book is a bit difficult to follow. With all the cards finally on the table, it’s not clear how who double-crossed whom, and when. But like a good meal, it’s about the journey, far more than the sweetness of dessert. And The Two-Plate Solution is full of tasty bites all along the way.

Image courtesy Bancroft Press

The post Jewcy Review: ‘The Two-Plate Solution’ appeared first on Jewcy.

Hummus & Pita Co., the small New York chain of Mediterranean food, introduced hummus-based milkshakes earlier this month. If you thought the humble chick pea hasn’t suffered enough indignities recently, with the hummus craze already spawning “dessert” hummuses (brownie batter? WTF?). But now, sweet hummus isn’t enough—you can drink it through a straw, and it’s vegan and gluten-free.

Is this cultural appropriation? Playing God? Straight-up gross?

Well, it seems that it’s not the latter.

It would be easy to dismiss the shake as disgusting and write it off in righteous indignation, but they’re not bad. Original, chocolate, butter pecan, strawberry— they’re all reasonably tasty (I didn’t sample the fifth flavor, pistachio). That said, none of them taste like hummus. In addition to chickpeas, the shake’s base contains tahini, frozen bananas, dates, almond milk, and a little bit of vanilla and cinnamon. In the “original” shake, the dates and bananas overpower the chickpeas. But between those three substantial ingredients, the shake is pretty thick, and you really need to go at the thing with a straw.

The drinks also very, very sweet— especially the flavored ones. The strawberry shake tastes like pink Nesquik, and the chocolate has little clumps of cocoa powder floating around. The butter pecan is like drinking a cookie—you get the idea. If you don’t have a sweet tooth, you might find these shakes an abomination after all.

But if you’re looking for a vegan milkshake, you could do worse, and pricier; the shake is a reasonable $5 for New York City. (If you keep strictly kosher, sorry— Hummus & Pita Co. doesn’t have a hechsher.)

In conclusion, the bad news is that nothing is sacred, but the good news is that nothing is sacred! If you love hummus, the good stuff lives on, and this isn’t likely to be a chick pea revolution, but a quirk of a city with a lot of hummus products to go around. (Pro-tip, do not order the “choomoos” shake. Just pretend you can’t pronounce it properly like everybody else, including store employees.)

I’ll still never accept the rainbow bagel or funfetti cream cheese, though. That’s a hill to die on.

Image via Twitter

The post Calm Down… Hummus ‘Milkshakes’ Are Fine appeared first on Jewcy.

Do you enjoy simultaneous piety, drunkenness and thrift? I am a connoisseur of cheap kosher vines and I’m here to guide you with options for any occasion. Here’s a list of certified kosher wines that’ll whet the whistle of any Jew, God-fearing or otherwise. Priced $18 and below. (Maybe leave the bottle open for a couple hours first.)

Official drink of the Jewish American Princess:

Bartenura Moscato D’Asti

This is the “blue bottle” and it trumps all other kosher wines. Asti is the white male privilege of kosher wines – it’s the default option. All other Moscatos are fine, really; some may even be sweeter or bubblier. Some may be name-checked by rappers. Nonetheless, all the others bow before Bartneura.

For your coworker’s Shabbos table:

Teperberg Vision Merlot

Make it look like you spent more than you did.

For getting a new job:

Tabor 562 Brut

Popping corks and taking names – after hours, of course.

For leaving an old job:

Chateneuf Semi Dry White Bordeaux

Paint a smile on your face and give ’em a gracious wave. Then put all the memories in your rearview mirror.

For the random family you’re sleeping by who you’ve never met before:

Chen(in) Chenin Blanc

When you don’t know which personality to go for.

For your religious cousins:

Alfasi Merlot

Let’s be honest, they for sure have a wine favorite specific to their family. If you ask the dad, he’ll say you can’t afford his and the mom will say Moscato. So go basic with Merlot.

For your 21st birthday party:

Rashi Joyvin Red

If it’s your first time getting white girl wasted, be kind to your palate (if nothing else) with the sweetest option in the smoothest bottle.

For your 25th birthday party:

Tishbi Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc

By now you can handle the real stuff. Wine’s not weird, it’s useful! So put it to good use.

For your 30th birthday party:

Tabor Mt. Tabor Chardonnay

We’re getting classy now. Did you know some people believe that the etymology of “Chardonnay” is Hebrew for “gate of God”? There, now you have a conversation starter as well.

For your birthday party the year you start lying about your age:

Ben Ami Cabernet Sauvignon

Cabs are the quickest way to get the job done and this red does just that.

For your engagement party:

Binyamina Shiraz

The fruitiest and the nicest on the purest day.

For your best friend’s engagement party:

Barkan Pinot Noir

You’re feeling dark and mysterious and also maybe a little territorial. The Pinot Noir is as finicky as you are when someone touches the tiered dessert platter you spent twenty minutes setting up.

For your younger sister’s engagement party:

Jeunesse Cabernet Sauvignon

You’re gonna be getting a lot of sympathy from everyone else, so best get that out of your system first. Indulge in some self-loathing with a purpose.

For coming out to your bubby:

Who are you kidding? That takes a whole bottle of Chivas Regal.

Image via Tablet Magazine

The post A Guide to Cheap Kosher Wines appeared first on Jewcy.

Does it look delicious? Admittedly no, but Passover is nigh and you don’t have the time to fret over presentation. Trust that it’ll get rid of whatever food you have lying around, and it is legitimately both tasty and nutritious. Mark Bittman says bread is good for you, after all— the one thing you’ve always wanted to hear.

As for process and ingredients, think of this recipe like the Pirate’s Code, more guidelines than actual rules.

Ingredients:

3 cups cubed bread

1 cup vegetable broth or milk (or water that’s had onion or garlic boiled in it, you get the idea)

2 cups vegetables

4-6 Eggs

1 Tbsp butter

Grated Cheese (optional)

Directions:

1. Pour your liquid of choice into a bowl with the bread, and let it soak for at least an hour, or as long as overnight

2. If your leftover veggies are particularly hard, like root vegetables, sauté them for about five minutes, until slightly softened

3. Beat together the eggs— if you have leftover milk or cheese, mix together.

4. Lay out the soggy bread in a pyrex or other bakeware, and mix in the vegetables. Pour the egg mixture over the top.

5. Melt the butter (in the microwave is fine), and pour it over the whole strata

5. Bake at 350 degrees for an hour, or until the eggs have set and the butter has completely been absorbed.

6. Enjoy! Then gaze around your kitchen and realize you still have cleaning to do before the holiday. Godspeed.

Photo by Gabriela Geselowitz

The post Get Rid of Chametz— Fast— With Leftover Strata appeared first on Jewcy.

You’d think Jeff Goldblum’s shtick would get old by now. But it hasn’t. So if you want to be further delighted by his excitable weirdness, Funny or Die has a new video that stars the Jewish actor: “Cooking With Jeff Goldblum.”

As Goldblum explains to us in the beginning of the video (sitting at a piano for no reason in particular), he doesn’t actually know how to cook, so he recruits another (Jewish) guest to show him the ropes: legendary food critic Jonathan Gold (subject of the documentary City of Gold).

Gold and Goldblum make a great pair as they embark on a journey to make soupe au pistou.

Highlights of the video include Goldblum grocery shopping at Ralph’s (parent company  Kroger co-sponsored the video), finding out what kind of cheese he would be (Swiss), and telling Gold an old Jewish joke.

“I’m not a joke critic,” Gold demures when Goldblum asks for feedback.

Also, is it just us, or is there a shot where the two icons are beating each other with leeks? Could this possibly be a Passover reference (in certain Jewish cultures, seder-goers playfully whip each other with the vegetable)?

Absolutely, this should be a regular series, and not a one-off gag (yes, there was a similar “Cooking with Christopher Walken” way back in 2012, but we demand all Goldblum. All the time.).

But don’t take our word for it. Check out the video for yourself:

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