Busting the Myths about Kosher Food

“I could never keep kosher; it is so restrictive. There is such limited selection of food available.” I guess you don’t realize that between 40% and 50% of all the items in a regular chain grocery store are kosher. Not only that, but the products with kosher certification are even awarded better shelf space, making it easier for you to find them! “That may be true for your standard items – cereals, pastas, condiments – but I would still miss my gourmet delicacies.” While you are certainly correct that not every specialty item is available in your local food mar, most big cities have kosher markets where the possibilities are almost endless. From seaweed and sushi rice to Thai chili sauce and rice noodles to curry sauce and garam marsala, most exotic food items can be found in a kosher incarnation. “Okay, so I’ll try some of those but the chicken is still too dry and the meat is still too salty.” I’m sorry to say this and I hope I’m not insulting any of your family members but that has nothing to do with the meat or the chicken and everything to do with the cook. In the right hands, kosher chicken can be turned into a moist, mouth-watering dish. Under the guidance of a skilled chef, kosher meat can be succulent and flavorful. “But kosher food is always fatty and laden with grease.” Once again, I must question who’s in charge of your kitchen. Perhaps in the past we relied on certain unhealthy ingredients like chicken fat to boost the flavor in our kugels and other dishes but that is not true today. We have healthier substitutes. “Well even if I accept that (a point I haven’t yet conceded), I’m still sick of kugels.” Your problem is not with kosher food. It’s with your limited exposure to creative kosher recipes. You will find there kosher recipes with a difference, fresh and innovative. Some are healthy; some are less so but worth it! Some are complicated, some are easy. Some are child-friendly; some require a more sophisticated palate. All ensure that you will never look at kosher food the same way again. “But there are very few kosher recipes to choose from.” See previous paragraph! At one time that was true but now the market has been flooded with gourmet kosher cookbooks. Home chefs complete for the most attractive presentation, the most unusual creation. New kosher recipes are passed from cook to cook across cyberspace. These are not your mother’s (or grandmother’s) kosher recipes. “I want to eat healthy. It’s impossible to do that and keep kosher.” Once again, my friend, you are living in the past. Many of the low-fat or low-calorie products in the market today are kosher. And, of course, healthy kosher recipes are all the rage. Gourmetkoshercooking.com even has a special section devoted solely to healthy eating, created in response to reader demand. I think you’ve run out of excuses. Kosher food is varied and plentiful. Kosher recipes have gone gourmet. The myth of dry, flavorless, greasy kosher food can finally be laid to rest