Monday, July 29, 2013

Two Hungry Jews Create ‘MrFoodPorn’ Site to Chronicle Eating Adventures

New foodie forum takes the trend of obsessive meal documentation to the next level

By Romy Zipken for Jewcy

MrFoodPornLike Justice Potter Stewart, I cannot definitively say what constitutes food porn, but I know it when I see it. Food porn isn’t erotic in a traditional romantic sense (Although South Park aired a 2010 episode about it in which Randy gets a little too involved with the Food Network). Rather, it’s the glamorization of food with images—and thanks to Instagram and other social networking platforms, it’s become a colloquial phrase. Capitalizing on that trend are two 24-year-old University of Colorado grads with their new website, MrFoodPorn.

Mixing photos and prose, Noah Rinsky and Josh Seigel use their site as a Manhattan-based forum for detailing their experiences with high-end food. Writing about expensive dining can quickly turn people off, so they opted for a silly name and quirky logo—a messy man all suited up, with a turkey leg in hand and stains dribbled on his lapel—to garner a wider audience. And to keep Mr FoodPorn from being too indulgent (the site’s ‘About Us’ section reads, “We’re devourers of all things fleshy, bready, and over indulgent; eaters to the first degree, scaling the highest meringue-mountains of wanton culinary delight!”), Rinsky and Seigel devoted a page to two hunger-fighting charities, Food Bank for New York City, and City Harvest. Giving back is important to them, and I’m sure it helps the conscience when you’re sinking your teeth into those sugar-cured bacon strips, which Rinsky won’t eat because he’s kosher. Instead, Seigel gives him play-by-plays of the bacon-wrapped matzo balls at Traif in Brooklyn.

They seek to add substance and creativity to the language around food porn. Instead of simply photographing your deep-fried dinner and adding a #nomnom hashtag, Rinsky and Seigel describe exceptional meals for their audience, who can read leisurely while salivating freely. They both work in the food industry, so they write about the culinary world beyond just the dining experience. In this excerpt, Mr FoodPorn describes his high-stress experience as a trainee waiter at the upscale Manhattan restaurant Eleven Madison Park.

 Continue reading. 

Monday, July 22, 2013

Two Tone Ice Cream Roll

I saw this recipe in the Family First and I knew I had to try it. I made some adjustments and it came out delicious. The perfect ice cream dessert.

Ingredients
Ice Cream RollCrunch Topping:
1 box of Oreo Cookies
1/2 package white chocolate chips
8 oz nut crunch topping

Chocolate Ice Cream:
8 oz Richs Whip
3 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1 Tbsp coffee dissolved in 1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 Tbsp. Vanilla Sugar
1 Tbsp. cocoa
2 Tbsp. chocolate syrup

Vanilla Ice Cream:
8 oz Rich's Whip
3 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1 Tbsp. Vanilla Sugar

Chocolate Glaze:
8 oz Rich's whip
2 bars pareve chocolate

Continue reading.

Monday, July 15, 2013

Chickpea Salad with Sun-Dried Tomatoes

A great recipe for the third meal on Shabbat.

By

If you find yourself sitting down to eat at synagogue late Saturday afternoon, don't expect much from the menu. Where you're treated to nice meals on Friday night and Saturday for lunch, seudah shelishit, the third meal on Shabbat, is likely to be a sad conglomeration of mayonnaise-heavy salads, greasy kugels, and dry cakes.

According to the Talmud (Shabbat 117b), one is required to eat three meals over the course of Shabbat: One on Friday night, and two on Saturday. Unlike the first two meals, seudah shelishit normally is not too elaborate. Because seudah shlishit is eaten when Shabbat is winding down, it tends to be a sedate affair. When the meal is over, it is customary to sing slow songs, or zemirot to show how sad we are to see Shabbat go.

According to the Shulhan Arukh it is preferable to eat bread at seudah shelishit, but if you are too full from lunch it is permissible to eat a slice of cake or a piece of fruit instead (OH 291:7). Most people do not say kiddush at seudah shlishit, but some do have the custom of saying just the blessing over wine, without any of the preamble found in the special kiddush liturgy for Friday night and Saturday afternoon.

So what can you do to make this obligatory meal something to look forward to? Step 1: Put away the mayonnaise. Just because the meal is typically heavy on the salads doesn't mean that is has to be incredibly unhealthy. Here you'll find three recipes that are perfect for any seudah shelishit. They call for little to no prep work before Shabbat, and they yield delicious results without ever summoning a jar of Miracle Whip.

Continue for recipe.

Monday, July 8, 2013

A Babka You Can Really Make

The Jewish coffee cake.

By

Ingredients 


Babka5-6 cups flour
1/2 oz dried yeast (2 packets)
1 1/2 cups plus 2 Tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup water
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup butter or margarine, melted
1 cup milk
1/4 cup canola oil
3 large eggs, slightly beaten
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup chocolate chips (optional)
1 large egg yolk mixed with 1 Tablespoon water (egg wash)*


Continue reading for directions.

 

Monday, July 1, 2013

Plum Crisp

PlumsThis fruit dessert is a wonderful alternative to apple crisp. Made with fresh plums it is sure to wow your guests.

By Bookie727 from Cookkosher.com


Ingredients

2 lb plums
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 egg
1/4 cup melted butter or margarine

Directions


Quarter plums and put in a 10 inch pan.

Sprinkle brown sugar onto plums. Mix flour, sugar, cinamon, and egg - then sprinkle over the plums.

Drizzle the plums with butter or margarine.

Bake at 375 for 45 minutes.