Kosher food at its best

KYLE BERGER

It caught me a little off guard when, at the cooking class my wife and I attended last week, we discovered what could possibly be the best oriental soup in the city. Not that I shouldn't expect a teaching chef to cook delicious udon. But, I certainly wasn't expecting it to come from the same teacher who serves up weekly sermons at Schara Tzedeck Synagogue every Shabbat.

The theme of the most recent edition of Rabbi Andrew Rosenblatt's kosher gourmet class was soup. With the assistance of his wife, Cirelle, the rabbi took the class down a spiritual path that met up with shiitake mushrooms, garlic, onions, leeks and many other vegetarian and fleishig (meat-based) friends on our way to creating two soups: chicken-based udon and turkey gumbo.

Displaying his unique culinary passion all the way through, Rosenblatt also took the time to teach little-known facts about kashrut as they applied to the meal at hand. He explained how an unclean vegetable could be considered more non-kosher than pork, as he washed, rinsed and inspected the leeks four times before progressing. Dried fruits or veggies not stored with preservatives, he explained, could also be considered kosher even without a hechsher (kosher certification).

The udon was prepped for several hours to set the base. A combination of bok choy, garlic, shiitake mushrooms, noodles, soy sauce and sesame oil were mixed together to create a simple, yet delicious taste of the Orient.

The turkey gumbo held some of Rosenblatt's deepest secrets. Using turkey bones to create the base, the rabbi added a roux – made up of onions, oil and flour – to thicken the gumbo. Chopped peppers, carrots and squeaky-clean leeks were added as well. Then it was time for the two ingredients that really gave the delicious mumbo to the gumbo. A handful of cajun seasoning and cut up chunks of salami highlighted the meal.

I left the class with a happy palate, an eagerness I shared with my wife to test our newfound knowledge and a feeling of pure jealousy towards whoever would be invited to the Rosenblatts' for dinner the next day for leftover turkey gumbo.

The kosher gourmet classes take place on the first Wednesday of every month. An upcoming class worth noting is scheduled for March 1, when the theme will be foods you can cook all year round that are also kosher for Passover.

More information can be found by calling 604-736-7607.

Kyle Berger is a freelance journalist and graphic designer living in Richmond.

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