Kosher Foods & Kosher Recipes

Usually, when people think of Jewish cuisine, they think of the foods not allowed in the Jewish diet. Or, people think of chicken soup with matzo balls, and latkes during the winter holidays. Jewish cuisine of today is more than chicken soup and latkes - it is so much more.

Jewish cooking is so varied, in fact, that you will find many ingredients and influences of the local area where the cook lives. You might find squab, veal, and venison on the menu, as well as chicken and turkey. While you won't find pork or shell fish, you might find a salmon cheesecake. And, if you're not interested in the meat dishes, there is much more to enjoy than a potato latke.

Jewish cuisine is known for its restrictions, the things that are not allowed to be consumed. These items are specified in the Torah (the first five books of the Bible), specifically in the book of Leviticus, chapters 11 and 17. The dietary laws include, but are not limited to:

** Clean and unclean meats are specified. Pork in any form is forbidden, as are shellfish and scavenger fish like catfish.

** All animals slaughtered for food must be killed in a humane way. All blood must be removed from the animal by soaking the meat in salt and rinsing carefully.

** Meat cannot be mixed with milk. The Bible actually says that you should not boil a kid in its mother's milk.

** Any processed food can be produced in such a way that it can earn kosher certification. All meats must have all traces of blood removed by soaking it in salted water and then rinsing it to remove the salt.

While these laws were written specifically for the Jewish people, they would be healthy for everyone to follow. In fact, medical professionals are now beginning to see the wisdom behind restricting some of these foods from our diets.

Besides being a cuisine governed by rules of what can and cannot be eaten, the Jewish cuisine is heavily associated with different holidays and rituals throughout the year. These rules are as important to the Jewish people as the dietary laws telling them what to eat.

Most people would not consider a weekly day of rest, or Shabbat, as a holiday, but it is extremely important to Jewish people. In fact, Shabbat is so important that they feel it is the center of their daily lives.

The Bible states in Genesis 1 that God created the heavens, the earth, and all living beings (both human and animal) during six days. On the seventh day, God rested from His labor. Because God blessed the day and declared it as being holy, Jewish people believe that they are to keep this day special, as the Lord commanded in Exodus 20:8: "Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy." This is the only ritual that God expressly spelled out in the Ten Commandments, Jewish people believe, therefore, that it should be kept as God prescribed.

Shabbat, the Jewish Sabbath or day of rest, begins at sunset on Friday evening and lasts until one hour after sunset on Saturday. It is during this day that Jewish people believe they are following most closely in God's footsteps by resting as God did after He finished creating the world. Going along with the idea of rest is the idea set forth by the rabbis that forbids certain activities considered to be work. These would include baking, sewing, tearing, building, or putting out a fire. Therefore, if an item (such as a crock pot) was being heated prior to Shabbat, it would have to be left on the entire time.

These two rules apply to eating during Shabbat:

1. You are not allowed to remove the unwanted parts (such as bones from a fish) from a whole. Therefore, gefilte fish were used for Sabbath meals. Gefilte fish supposedly have no bones, or the bones cook so thoroughly that they can safely be eaten.
2. You are not allowed to begin cooking on Shabbat, therefore everything that you plan on eating during Shabbat either has to be started on Friday morning, or they have to be completely cooked and ready to eat. Many Jewish women have developed recipes for stews or soups that can be started the day before, but kept warm in a crock pot or on the stove and will be ready to serve.

During the year, there are 21 holidays that are celebrated by those following the Jewish faith. Some of these are actually days in which everyone is supposed to fast such as Ta'anit (the fast of Esther) and Tisha B'Av (the fast of the 9th of Av). Festivals with eating include: Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year), Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement), Sukkot (Festival of Shelters), Hanukkah (Festival of Lights), Purim (Festival of Lots), Pesach (Passover), and Shavuot (Festival of Weeks). Each of these festivals is celebrated with different menus and foods to enjoy.

I actually like sardines and this is very tasty!

Toast lightly diamond-shaped slices of stale bread and spread with a sardine mixture made as follows:

Skin and bone six sardines, put them in a bowl and run to a paste with a silver spoon. Add two tablespoons of lemon juice, a few drops of Worcestershire sauce, a dash of Watkins pepper, two
teaspoons of chopped parsley and four tablespoons of creamed butter.

Garnish with a border of whites of hard-boiled eggs, finely chopped, and on top scatter shredded olives.

Just like grandma used to make!

Take one large chicken, cook with four quarts of water for two or three hours. Skim carefully, when it begins to boil add parsley root, an onion, some asparagus, cut into bits. Season with salt, strain and beat up the yolk of an egg with one tablespoon of cold water, add to soup just before serving.

This soup should not be too thin. Rice, barley,
noodles or dumplings may be added. Make use of the chicken, either for salad or stew.

Fist Watkins Inc., the manufacturer must supply the certifying agency with a complete, detailed list of every ingredient in the product, including preservatives, release agents, stabilizers or other inert ingredients. Every step in the manufacturing process, every cleansing agent used on the equipment and all other products produced on the same premises require close investigation and supervision. The certifying agency then must track down each ingredient to its ultimate source. The process by which ingredients are produced must also be carefully checked to verify that the strictest hygienic standards are met.

Once all is acceptable, the rabbinic authority will determine the amount of on-plant supervision necessary. This information is written into a contract and then sent to Watkins. The contract also specifies that Watkins agrees to make no changes of ingredients or suppliers without prior written consent of the agency. The actual on-site inspector (mashgiach) will verify that the company is complying with the contract.

According to the symbol used on our products they have been certified by:

United Mehadrin Kosher
1001 Prior Ave. South,
St. Paul, MN 55116
Phone: (651) 690-2137; Fax: (651) 690-1144
Rabbinic Administrator: Rabbi Asher Zellingold

Source: Kosher symbols and certification

Jewish cuisine of today doesn't have to be dull, boring, or what you've always eaten by tradition. With the amounts of food being processed in accordance with kosher laws, you can find kosher foods throughout the local grocery store. You can also choose to change recipes you've grown up with to suit the tastes that you have developed.

There's no reason why you can't have other foods than traditional ones during the various holidays each year. Take your basic menu and don't be afraid to change it up just a little bit. Instead of having chicken soup with matzo balls, try a nice vegetable soup. If you're used to having leg of lamb for Passover, why not fix a nice beef roast with vegetables instead? There's nothing that says you have to lose all of the traditions, but there are so many foods available, it's a shame to let them pass by.

Choosing to follow Jewish dietary laws isn't hard to do. Take some time, read cookbooks, or search for modern Jewish recipes on any search engine. You'll be surprised at the number of people that still maintain their Jewish diets, but enjoy a new way to prepare the food. Take a chance, you might find that you can truly enjoy your traditions and a new cuisine, as well.

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You can shop for Watkins Kosher foods here.

The statements made and opinions expressed in this lens are those of the Independent Watkins Associate who is the publisher of this document, and are not to be construed as the statements or opinions of Watkins Incorporated.