January 2009


Processed foods (e.g. dry cereals, baked goods, canned fruits and vegetables, frozen vegetables, and [dried fruit such as raisins) may also include small amounts of non-kosher ingredients. This is because these items are mostly cooked and processed in factories using equipment which is also used for non-kosher foods, can involve containers used for processing which have been greased with animal fats. Sometimes additives are introduced, and fruits or vegetables might have been coked with milk products or with ingredients such as non-kosher meat broths.

For these reasons, Orthodox rabbis advise against eating such products without a hechsher (mark of rabbinical certification of kashrut) being on the product. By contrast, some Conservative rabbis regard a careful reading of the ingredients to be a sufficient precaution. However, certain processed foods are usually regarded (by most Jews) as being an exception: plain tea, salt, 100% cocoa, carbonated water, some frozen fruits, including berries, and coffee, have only very basic processing from their natural state; these fruits are often frozen in their natural form and then bagged, while carbonated water is generally the addition of carbon dioxide to natural water.

Iran has good agriculture, producing variety of fruits and vegetables, especially what a lot of nations consider “exotic” are easier to come by. A bowl full of fruit is common on most Persian tables and recipes of vegetables and herbs are standard sides to most meals.

Iran is one of the top date producers in the world; some of the most succulent dates come from there.

For centuries, Persians have been eating various fruits, vegetables, and herbs for their health benefits that have only recently been discovered in other parts of the world. For instance, onions and garlic, pomegranate, and sabzijat (various green herbs) are regular ingredients in many Persian dishes.

While the climate of the Middle East is suitable for growing fruits, the orchards and vineyards of Iran produce fruits of legendary flavor and size. These are not only enjoyed fresh and ripe as desserts but are also imaginatively combined with meats and form unusual accompaniments to main dishes. When fresh fruits are not available, a large variety of good dried fruits like dates, figs, apricots and peaches are used instead. The list of fruits includes fresh dates and fresh figs. Many citrus fruits, apricots, peaches, sweet and sour cherries, apples, plums, pears, pomegranates and many varieties of grapes and melons.

Kosher diet is any diet made as per the Jewish dietary laws. Jewish Dietary Laws are derived from Biblical laws and rabbinical extensions.

 

Jewish Food is the product of Jewish dietary laws, Jewish Sabbath laws, Jewish holiday rituals, and the local diet and cooking customs of the many lands in which Jews have lived over the centuries.

 

So Jewish food has been influenced by the laws of kashrut, but Jewish cuisine goes beyond these laws. While only about 15% of American Jews today keep kosher, many more Jews (and non-Jews) enjoy Jewish food such as bagels and lox breakfasts, blintz lunches, brisket dinners as well as challah for the Sabbath, latkas for Hanukkah, hamantashen for Purim, matzo ball soup for Passover, cheesecake for Shavuot and more.

A kosher diet which is processed or cooked together with a non-kosher diet, or any derivative of a non-kosher food, becomes non-kosher. For instance, food coloring derived from a shellfish and used in a cake makes the cake non-kosher.

Likewise, definitions of kosher have evolved in response to changes in the food industry, the Jewish People, and world culture.

While Jewish Dietary Laws originated in the Bible (Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 17), they have been codified and interpreted over the centuries by rabbinical authorities.

Due to the growing complexity of foodstuffs, the need arose for kosher certifying agencies to determine the kosher status of prepared diet. Today kosher certification labels are printed on the packages of kosher food.

As Jews lived in and adopted food traditions from different countries around the world and as different denominations of Judaism developed, Jewish definitions of kosher have become more varied over time. There are different Jewish ethnic cultures, different branches within Judaism, and various Jewish kosher certifying authorities in the United States that certify “kosher” based on rules that vary from liberal to conservative.

Kosher food laws are very wide. Some are taken directly from the bible and others through rabbinic interpretations over the years. What are some of the laws governing kosher diet?

* As per the Torah (also called as the five books of Moses, the Old Testament, or the Pentateuch) cloven hoofed, cud-chewing mammals are kosher. Deer, sheep and goats, for instance are all kosher, while pig and rabbit, for example, are not.
* Only some birds are used kosher in the US. This includes chicken, duck, goose, and turkey.
* Lobster lovers may be dismayed to find that for seafood or fish to be kosher, it should have fins and easily removable scales. Shellfish normally, and lobsters, shrimp, and clams, specifically are not kosher. Fish, on the other hand, such as tuna, carp, and herring, are kosher, but only if they are cooked by a kosher fish monger with kosher cutting implements and machines. There’s more. In most cases, scales should be present on the fish in order to be purchased by the consumer.
* Fish and meat cannot be served together.

One of the main biblical food laws is the restriction of consuming blood on account of the life [being] in the blood; this ban and reason are listed in the Noahide Laws, and twice in leviticus, as well as by Deuteronomy The Priestly Code also prohibits the consumption of fat, if it came from sacrificial land animals (cattle, sheep, and goats), since the fat is the portion of the meat exclusively allocated to Yahweh (by burning it on the altar).

 

The classical rabbis argued that, in a number of cases, the prohibition against consuming blood was impractical, and there should be exceptions; they claimed that eating the blood that remained on the inside of meat (as opposed to the blood on the surface of it, dripping from it, or housed within the veins), would be permitted, and that the blood of fish and locusts may also be eaten.

 

A number of preparation techniques became practiced within traditional Judaism to comply with this prohibition. The main technique, known as melihah, involves the meat being soaked in water for about half an hour, that opens pores; after this, the meat is placed on a slanted board or in a wicker basket, and is thickly covered with salt on each side, and left for between twenty minutes and one hour. The salt covering draws blood from the meat by osmosis, and so the salt has to be subsequently removed from the meat (usually by trying to shake most of it off, and then washing the meat twice ) in order to complete the extraction of the blood.

 

Melihah is not enough to remove blood from the liver, lungs, heart, and certain other internal organs, as they naturally contain a high density of blood, and hence these organs are generally removed before the rest of the meat is salted; roasting on the other hand will normally lead to blood to be discharged, and it is therefore the usual treatment given to these organs (if they are to be eaten at all), and it is also an alternative cooking method for the rest of the flesh.

Products prepared from the traditional five species of grain, that may have been inadvertently moistened after harvest, and hence begun to ferment (an aspect of the leavening process), are regarded by Orthodox Jews as restricted during Passover; the five species are conventionally viewed to be wheat, rye, barley, emmer (sometimes confused with spelt, which did not historically grow in the Middle East), and either two-rowed barley orse

 

During Passover, there are additional food restrictions in Orthodox Judaism; in this branch of Judaism, leavened products are restricted during the festival. Jews who are concerned about accidentally eating leavened food, during passover, mostly maintain an entirely separate set of crockery and cutlery for Passover; it is also common for those concerned about such things to rigorously clean their homes, to ensure that even the tiniest of remains of leavened products are removed. Some Jews even have a separate kitchen exclusively for use during Passover.

 

There is an additional customary practice of avoiding the consumption of kitniyot (literally meaning little things) among the Ashkenazi Jews during passover; the list of items regarded as kitniyot varies between communities, and may include things like rice, legumes (including peas, peanuts, and beans), and corn. Due to the prevalence of corn syrup in certain well known processed foods, such as Coca-Cola, many items common in western countries are regarded as impermissible by Ashkenazic Jews, during Passover; to take account of this cultural issue, Coca-Cola produces and distributes kosher for Passover Coke, made without corn syrup, in the U.S. during Passover.

Kosher recipe laws are rather wide. Some are taken directly from the bible and others through rabbinic interpretations over the years.

 

Any food can be called kosher food if it is in compliance to Jewish law, or halacha. Conversely, foods normally named as “Jewish” are not necessarily kosher. Kosher food is food which meets Jewish dietary laws, or kashrut, that comes from the Hebrew word for “fit” or “proper.” Jewish diet is generally that food that is traditionally Jewish. Kreplach, cholent, kugel, latke, and kishka are all traditionally Jewish diet, but if they are not made in accordance with kashrut, they will not be kosher food.

 

The word “kosher” is not only used for dishes, however. Kosher generally means that something meets all the Jewish legal guidelines. The word has even gained a place in American slang to mean appropriate, legitimate, or proper. Instead of saying “that’s not right,” one might say “that’s not kosher.”

At Got Kosher they serve international kosher cuisine of the highs caliber for lunch, dinner, Shabbat, holidays, and all special occasions such as Weddings, Bar/Bat Mitzvahs, Bris, Baby Showers, etc. They are located under the RCC with Mashguiah on premises at all times.

They are focused on raising the bar on kosher food—in taste, variety, quality, nutrition and healthfulness. They use only fresh, natural ingredients in ll of their recipes. Preservatives, MSG, or fillers are not used. They make your events beautiful and memorable and let you take the credit.

They have an exceptional variety of recipes and options for all your catering requirements small or large, and everything in-between.

Check out their wide menus and offers. You can order on-line daily, and for Shabbat and holidays. They offer creative cuisine from around the world besides traditional dishes from both the Ashkenazi and Sephardic communities.

On wholesale basis they supply fresh sandwiches, salads and meals to institutions, schools, airports, snack shops, etc. Contact 310-858-3123 for more information.

Retail Store is situated one block west of Robertson Blvd., on Pico Blvd They sell provisions, fresh-daily sandwiches, salads, sushi, grill items, entrees and sweets. So visit them sit awhile, eat, and enjoy with your friends & family.

With a prime location in the heart of Beverly Hills, La Gondola, one of the best Italian restaurants on the West Coast. It has moved a few miles west on Wilshire Boulevard and is now located just a few minutes from Rodeo Drive, within walking distance of many of the finest hotels in the area. You are greeted with a warm, welcoming decor on entering La Gondola. Their fine menu consists of wonderful Italian dishes like linguini aglio olio (linguine with olives and olive oil) and veal marsala (veal scaloppini, wild mushrooms and Marsala wine sauce) You will love their wide wine list and full bar and their dishes are made from only the freshest ingredients. They also arrange for flowers, music, photographers, limo service and more for your events. They also have a full catering service featuring gourmet dishes, ice and fruit carvings, decorations and sweets.

They have been honored for serving events at some of the best hotels in the region, including the Four Seasons, the Regent Biltmore, and the Beverly Hills Hotel. They have a high degree of personal attention to every detail to give you maximum satisfaction. Their aim is to not only fulfill the needs of their guests with good food and service but to give them much more.

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