Kosher food is often termed a Jewish food. Jewish followers are the most common kosher food consumers, but they are not the only ones. There are individuals who eat kosher food simply because the food is often considered better than traditional food. Jewish law is used to determine exactly what food is kosher and what is not.
When I first ventured into more of a vegetarian lifestyle (although now I am more of a pescatarian) one of my friends (incidently a non-jew) asked how it was different from a kosher diet as it seems to be based on similar principles of respect from where the food comes from. Having grown up more of a "holiday jew" from New York, I was embarrassed by my inability to answer this in a fully informed way, so when I read about the recent rise of the eco-kosher movement on Grist, Evidently an entire movement is gathering steam According to Grist:
Its followers seek nourishment that not only adheres to traditional Jewish dietary laws, but is also local, organic, sustainable, and humane. Eager to make eco-kosher eating as easy as possible, a group of Conservative Jews is drawing up a label for packaged kosher foods to let consumers know when they are supporting a processor with a transparent business model, respect for animals and the earth, and fair treatment for employees. While only about 15 percent of the 5.2 million Jews in the U.S. keep strict kosher, surveys show that less than a quarter of shoppers who choose kosher items are observant Jews. The $225 billion segment encompasses about 100,000 items, so the new label could have a big impact.
Whether driven by ethics, religion or physical aesthetics it is good to see the two movements coming together and mingling complementary philosophies. And at the end of the day it is about the basic core values of understanding the relationship of the food we eat to our environment and cultivating that relationship to further enhance a respect that extends to our personal, environmental, and spiritual health. In a word.. yeehaa hmm.. how 'bout an amen?!
Keepin' it kosher ...drumroll - sampling of what's cookin' here
Banana Waffles with Pecan Maple Syrup (dairy or pareve)
1/2 cup pure maple syrup (not the fake stuff)1/4 cup pecans, toasted lightly and chopped coarse
2 teaspoons orange juice or fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup flour
1/3 cup yellow cornmeal
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 ripe medium banana
1/3 cup water
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted and cooled
vegetable oil for brushing waffle iron Instructions:
Preheat oven to 200. In a small saucepan bring maple syrup and pecans to a boil and stir in juice. Remove syrup from heat and keep warm, covered. In a bowl whisk together flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Quarter banana and in a blender pur’ee with water. Transfer pur’ee to another bowl and whisk in eggs and melted butter. Add flour mixture and stir until combined well.
Heat a well-seasoned or non-stick waffle iron until hot and brush lightly with oil. Pour half of batter into iron and cook waffle according to manufacturer’s instructions. Transfer waffle to a baking sheet and keep warm, uncovered, in oven. Make another waffle with remaining batter in same manner. Serve waffles with syrup.
Corn Pancakes (dairy or paree)
