Renegade Kosher Cooking

I’ve been pondering all week on what to write about. First off, we can NOT be a kosher blog without talking about the new Kosher Ham Soda from Jones Soda. While I have not tried it myself, but they also came out with a Seahawks Collectors Pack. And, as much as I -love- to watch stupidity in action, I found you a video of it!

So, we’ve discussed wierd kosher soda, but what of kosher food? Well, a week from today is Turkey Day for the US, so we should likely come up with some turkey stuff. Mainly, what to DO with leftover turkey. Now then, this first recipe is for a tasty & healthy sandwich that works great for company potlucks, school & work lunches, and more. AND, it’s kosher!

Caeser Salad Sandwiches

Serve with a side of lemon wedges for squeezing fresh lemon juice over the sandwiches.

Not a bad little sandwich, really! Also, if you want, you can also use chicken or even a vegan alternative to chicken for the sandwich. As for the anchovies… It just doesn’t taste the same without them, sorry. I hope that helps, and I PROMISE to have more side dishes before turkey day. Until next time, Shalom and Good Cooking!

Well, here’s some pics & videos the wife & I took to give an idea of the damage afterwards. These pictures are around Scripps Poway Parkway in Poway, CA:



And here’s a video!

As you can see, it’s cleaning up, but its still… Yeah. It’s been a ‘fun’ week. I’m baking some cinnamon rolls for a snack, and to take my mind off all this. First cooking I’ve really wanted to do for a while. So, yeah. I’ll return to food recipes after the sabbath. Until next time, Shalom and Good Cooking!

As you can see, I’m safe still, if a bit smoky & ashy. This is a video from this morning down here in Chula Vista. I’ll try to post tomorrow. Less than 4 hours to my birthday. Woo! Shalom and Good Cooking!

Well, a week from tomorrow (October 24th) is my birthday! So, its time to give the usual info. If you want to drop our favorite Renegade cook an e-mail or e-greeting for his birthday, send it to renegadekosher-at-gmail-dot-com. You can also visit my Amazon Wish List to peruse the items there, if you’re feeling really nice. Cooking stuff, Jewish stuff, and anime stuff is what you’ll find there.

Anyhow, people often ask what a Kosher blogger DOES for their birthday! Well, if I can afford it, I hope to get some friends together and mabye go have some sushi. Be served good food for once rather than to cook it up. I wouldn’t mind going to The Place, which is a nice Kosher restaurant that serves up good food (Much Love tio them for Kosher sushi!). Might also check out Shmoozer’s if I could afford it (What’s with all these Kosher places on El Cajon!? I thought most of the Jewish population was in North County!)

While not Kosher, per say, there are a lot of Delis around San Diego, too! If you can find parking, City Deli in Hillcrest is a wonderful place. Also, D.Z. Akin’s is a great deli, and they’re always packed! (And if i ever get a Kosher show on Food Network, they could have my picture up, too!) There’s also Hershel’s Restaurant & Delicatessen (1486 Encinitas Blvd, Encinitas, CA 92024 760-942-9655) in North County, but there have been mixed receptions on that place. The best day to go is Sundays, hands down.

So, yeah! Next week is my birthday article, so look forward to cake recipes! Until next time, Shalom and Good Cooking!

So, it’s almost Passover Time! So, to start off with, it seems something that’s recreational for some & medical for others is NOT Kosher for Passover. No, I’m not talking about Viagra… Pot is NOT Kosher for Passover! *shock!* Okay… Who knew? Now, for them to state it’s NOT Kosher for Passover, does that mean it IS Kosher for the rest of the year? Nifty toponder such things…

So, tonight the wife & I were out & about with Kosher Shopping 2007! Last year we went to Aaron’s Glatt Market (4488 Convoy St. San Diego, CA), and regretted that choice. We bought EIGHT ITEMS there, and paid $100. What the heck!? So, this year, since they wern’t doing their Passover Warehouse, we instead took a trip to The Place. A really nice Kosher market, we got things there that we couldn’t get anywhere else. Things like K4P coffee, Gefilte fish loafs, buffalo meat, and the like. It’s a store I -highly- recommend, but the only down side is they really don’t put prices on things.

We then went from there to look into Von’s. They… Were a dissapointment. No K4P, and not even any Kosher wines! What a waste of time. We were in and out in 5 minutes, tops. From there we went to Ralph’s by SDSU. Now, this amazed me. Kosher meat, a LARGE Kosher section, and like 4 displays all filled with K4P food. And they carry Kosher turkeys! We filled a cart & only dropped $70 here, and were VERY happy!

From there, we hit Albertson’s, another good find. Here we picked up some pasta sauce & were surprised to see they even had brisket! Who knew? Then came the annoyance again. We went to Henry’s, and found out something shocking. While the Henry’s near us is owned by a member of the temple, they don’t carry K4P products, according to their grocery manager. But, strangely enough, the corprate-owned store in Poway does. Now, don’t get me wrong, they had Kosher products there, just no K4P. So, we just got veggies for salads there, & headed home.

All together, food for during Passover only cost us $150 this year. MUCH better than previous years! But then, it’s just for the two of us, so… Yeah! Anyhow, that was my shopping recap of finding Kosher for Passover food in San Diego County for 2007! Until next time, Shalom and Good Cooking!

So, let’s start with an apology to my readers. I was misinformed, and thus misinformed you, my readers. In a recent article, I had stated that White Rose Corned Beef was Kosher. Jabbett from kosherblog.net contacted me about it after they contacted the company, and it turns out the hash is NOT Kosher.

I was misinformed as Amazon lists it as a Kosher product. I hope this explains my misunderstanding, and I wish to apologize to ALL my readers for accidentally misinforming them. Please note this problem WILL be rectified as quickly as possible. And once again, my apologies.

So, we need a KOSHER corned beef hash! Yes, yes we do! Well, let’s make some the only way we can trust, from SCRATCH! If you remember my Corned Beef Recipe, make up a batch. We need 3 Cups Leftover Corned Beef, 1 Bag Frozen Potatoes O’Brien, Thawed, A pinch Kosher Salt, and 1 cup Beef Broth mixed together in a cast iron skillet. Now, cover the pan in foil, and bake in a 375°F oven for 45 minutes. Pull out, and uncover the foil. Moving the skillet to a burner, stir slightly before frying to your liking. This will be nice, crispy, and JUST like how delis make it!

So, I hope this retraction is received well, and I do apologize once again! Until next time, Shalom and Good Cooking!

Well, there’s been a lot in the news Kosher-wise, as of late. First off, it seems that Rabbis want to use DNA testing to help assure that meat sold as Kosher -IS- Kosher! Also, our favorite brand Manischewitz is getting a face-lift so as to appeal to non-Jews. Also, ‘The Food Maven was interviewed this week for Zeek. Also, the Reform Movement is looking into Kashrut laws, and may ‘loosen’ them slightly. Oy, if there wasn’t enough inter-branch fighting BEFORE… *sighs sadly*

With the Super Bowl this weekend, I wanted to share a few more of my favorite dips this week. And, since it’s almost Tu B’Shevat, ALL the recipes are Dairy (Since it’s traditional to eat dairy on this holiday!) First off, let’s look at a hearty protien-rich dip, Black Bean Dip! Begin with 1 15 oz. Can Black Beans, Rinsed and Drained. Pouting them into a bowl, use a fork or a potato masher to mash the beans into a paste. Once mashed, we want to fold in the following: 1/2 Cup Mayo; 1/2 Cup Sour Cream; 4 oz. Chili Peppers, Diced; 2 Tablespoons Cilantro, Diced; and 1 Teaspoon Chili Powder. Let it rest at least an hour in the fridge before serving with tortilla chips.

Let’s change things up from the bean dip to a Cucumber Dill Dip. First we need 1 Large Cucumber, Peeled, Seeded, and Diced Finely. Pat the cucumber dry with a paper towel, then set it inside a bowl. To this, we need to combine the following: 1 1/4 Cups Sour Cream; 2 Tablespoons White Wine Vinegar; 1 Scallion, Finely Chopped; 2 Teaspoons fresh Dill, Finely Chopped (Or use 1 Teaspoon Dried Dill); 1 Teaspoon Dijon-Style Mustard; A Dash of Hot Sauce; and Salt & Ground Pepper to taste. Let it set in the fridge for 30 minutes (But no more than 2 hours) before serving. As an added touch, top with diced scallions before serving with ridged chips.

Finally, I want to look at a classic dip, Spinach Dip! In a large bowl, we mix together: 2 Boxes Frozen Chopped Spinach, Thawed & Drained; 1 Jar Bacos (Since the OU made them Kosher!); 1/2 Cup Unflavored Yogurt; and 1/2 Cup Mayo. Toss into the fridge and let set for 3-4 hours before serving with crackers and fresh veggies.

So, I hope these dips give you ideas for the coming Super Bowl. I hope everyone has a good Tu B’Shevat, plants a lot of trees, and that US readers enjoy the commercials during the Super Bowl. Until next time, Shalom and Good Cooking!

So, it seems that The Jewish & Israel Blog Awards were announced, and I came in second in Kosher Blog of the Year. I am sad that GF By the Bay and Me-Ander wern’t in the voting! Give the good underdogs a shot! Also, why did LGF get the most votes, yet still not win? They are all awesome blogs, so I award them the RKC Thumbs Up For being Awesome Bloggers Award! ^^

So I have been trying to get in touch with Lang’s here in S. Diego County to try and get a cake for a Torah dedication party I’m catering this weekend. Good food, good times, and good new Torah! ^^ It’s a rare meat menu for me, so I’m going all out with roasted lamb, smoked beef roast, lemon chicken, couscous, salad, and more. The client wants me to get some cakes & desserts (Thus trying to contact Lang’s.), as well, so I’ll be busy with that -all- weekend.

I have to admit, this article on Cuban Jews really made me smile. It’s nice to see that finally, they can live a full Jewish life. In the theme of Hispanic cooking, I wanted to look at a special soup popular in Mexico that tastes rather good: Menudo.

To make this, We’re going to start with 5 lbs. Stew Beef (Basically random cuts of beef chopped up into 1 to 1 1/2 in. cubes.). Now, this we’re going to boil this in a stock pot of water for 2 hours, skimming off the fat that collects on the top each hour. After skimming off the fat the third time, we need to add in 2 lbs. Hominy (Goya, Giant, Super G, and Uncle Williams all make Certified Kosher Hominy in canned form. ^^) and stir it up good before letting it cook over Medium heat for another hour. 15-20 into that hour, scorch 8 oz. Chili Powder lightly in a skillet before pouring it into the soup. To this add 4 Onions, Chopped Roughly and 3 Bunches Cilantro, Shredded. Let it all simmer for the last 15 minutes before serving in bowls with Tortillas, minced onions, lemon & lime wedges, fresh cilantro, and your favorite salsa.

Now, let’s just say that this doesn’t have enough kick for you! Well, let’s CUSTOMIZE!!! Rather than scorching the chili powder, you can scorch 4-5 of your favorite hot peppers before dicing them up and adding them to the sauce. Also, I like to add 3-4 cloves of garlic minced up when I add in the spices, just to give it a bit of extra flavor. Now, this recipe serves about 10-12 easily, and leaves enough for leftovers. I recommend making it for BIG dinner events, or mabye a ‘Mexican Night’ at your temple. Until next time, Shalom and Good Cooking!

I start this articl in memory of Nakinja (Kiki) Culbreath. She worked at a Jamba Juice (#795 in Merrillville, Indiana), and passed away in December 22nd. In March she was diagnosed with breast cancer, and and after months of Chemotherapy & radiation, was finally announced to be ‘Cancer Free’. Dispite this, on the evening of December 21st she was rushed to the ER due to a swelling of her brain that led to hr death. Her two children, Jade and Marvin, are now completly parentless due to her husband passing away, as well, in 2002. Due to this, Jamba Juice set up a memorial account to help with final expenses, as well as for the benefit of her two children. Donations can be made to the following:

Nakinja Culbreath Memorial Fund
First Midwest bank
16700 South 80th Avenue
Tinley Park, Il 60477
ATTN: Jackie Krizmanich
(70 444-3403

In addition to this, many Jamba Juice locations across America are donating ALL their tips to go towards this fund. I honestly don’t know what this poor lady’s faith was. I also don’t care. Something bad happened, and it’s the best I can do to pass the word so mabye others can help, if they can. Wheather it be a tip when getting a smoothie, or just a few dollars donation from those who can afford it, that’s enough in my opinion…

In honor of her memory, I’m going to offer up my version of a Kosher Jamba Juice drink, Spring Fresh Punch. It’s no smoothie, but it’s good none the less. We begin by stirring 3 Boxes Kosher Lemon Gelatin into 9 Cups Boiling Water until dissolved. Once dissolved, remove it from the heat and let the liquid cool. Once cool, mix in 4 Cups Sugar and 4 MORE Cups Boiling Water, stirring until the sugar is fully mixed in before allowing to cool again. Finally, we mix in 6 oz. Lemon Juice and 2 (46 oz.) Cans of Pineapple Juice before freezing the whole mixture in 1/2 Gallon containers. Now comes the final part! An hour before serving, Mix one of the 1/2 gallon containers with 2 2 Lither Bottles of Ginger Ale in a large punch bowl. The mix should be slushy when served, and goes over quite well at most any party as a good non-alcoholic punch drink.

In closing, I ask my readers that -IF- they can help with the Memorial Fund in any way, to please do so. Here’s hoping the next article brings better news and recipes. Until then, Shalom and Good Cooking.

Well, sad to say we have a double-whammy Kashrut alert today, and both for the same reason! Nature’s Finest Apricot, Plum and Peach Compote is being withdrawn due to infestation concerns, first off. Also, Bodek 10 oz boxes Broccoli Spears bearing the code #3193-ZK9 under OU, CRC, and Rav Shlomo Gissinger’s certification is being reviewed for possible levels of insect infestation. Anyone in possession of this product code number is asked to contact the OU. (NOTE: This product was packed in 2002 and has not been distributed to stores within two years.)

In happier news, Capcanes Wineries in Spain announced the release of their Kosher wines in Israel! Ooooh, lucky Israel! There’s also some discussion about a ‘Kosher’ Bed & Breakfast in Rhode Island. In fact, the ONLY one! Already I have seen some bloggers pondering if it can REALLY be Kosher, since the owner’s Catholic. I guess it’s perfectly fine for Asian Americans to cook you Kosher Chinese or Thai, but a Catholic can’t do similar… Ugh. I’m sure, in order to call her B&B Kosher, she has to have rabbi come in to light her stoves once a month or so… So relax and chill, all right?

Since beets are in season right now, beets have been my passion for cooking right now. I always get asked what to do to make beets ‘taste good’, and usually gasp in shock at this! Beets are good! Enjoy your beets! And I’ll help you with a fun recipe I love to make: Beet Pickles!

Taking 7 Medium Uncooked Beets, trip the tops off before washing off any dirt & the like. (Make sure there are no bug marks or bites! Come on, you know this…). Place the beets in a sauce pan and fill the pan with cold water until it JUST covers the beets. Bring it to a boil, and cook until the beets are tender before draining. Now, when you drain the cooking liquid, save aside 1 1/4 cups of the liquid. When the beets are cooled, snip off the tops & bottoms of the root before popping the beet out of it’s skin. Now slice it up and set the beets aside for now.

Taking your remaining ‘cooking liquid’ and pour it back into the saucepan with 1 1/2 cups Red Wine Vinegar and bring it to a boil. Once boiling, stir in the following: 1 1/4 Tablespoons Dry Mustard; 1/2 Teaspoon Salt; and 1 Cup Granulated Sugar. Stir constantly as you return the liquid to burning, then remove from heat. Setting aside clean sterilized jars, place your beet slices into the jars with 2 Medium Onions, Chopped Roughly and 2 1/2 Teaspoons Dill Seeds split among the jars. Now, pour the hot liquid over the beet slices. Before we continue, you have a choice here! The first is to seal the jars as you normally would for canning, and let them rest on a shelf until you need them. The SECOND option is something I do with one jar to be nice to myself. I cover THAT jar’s opening with wax paper before screwing the ring on as I would when normally canning a jar. Then I set THIS jar in the fridge for 2-3 days before getting a ’sneak peek’ of my beet pickles to munch on. The other jars need to sit on a shelf in a cool, dark place for about a week or two minimum to turn out right (I know, quick pickling)!

Anyhow, I hope you enjoy this Beet snack! These pickles go great on sandwiches, chopped up into salads, and you can even toss a few pickles in with some horseradish bits to make a VERY unique-tasting Charoset! Anyhow, I hope everyone’s having a good day today! Until next time, Shalom and Good Cooking!