If you haven't listened to today's new episode of the Judaism Unbound podcast, I highly recommend it. It is an interview with Jordan Rosenblum, the author of the book "Forbidden: A 3,000 year History of Jews and the Pig," which delves into the cultural issues behind pigs and Judaism, but especially why pigs are seen as super-treyf, in ways that other non-kosher foods (i.e. shellfish, squid, camels, eagles, etc.) are not.

Listening to this episode reminded me of the time my son and I went to Jewboy Burgers in Austin, which features food informed by Jewish and borderlands culture --- and that is unkosher.

Their burgers include the "Oy Vay Guey" (pepperjack cheese, hatch chiles, grilled onions), the "Goyim" (2 patties, pastrami, bacon and more), and the "A$$hole from El Paso" (2 kinds of cheese, crispy fried jalapeños strings, + a creamy and spicy serrano/chile de arbol salsa). And while they do have fries, burritos, flautas, and other stuff, probably their favorite sides are the latkes (original and green chile/cheddar).

Obviously, this menu is very unkosher by halachic standards (pork products and mixing meat and cheese are the obvious issues, there are other concerns for the more observant), but I would argue it is also still very Jewish, in part because of its Jewish cultural references but also for its contrariness.

To illustrate the contrariness, in the restaurant there is a F.A.Q. sign, which I'm going to quote some excerpts from:

"Q. Are you kosher?
A: Nope, we are a Reform Jewish Institution.

Q. Are you Jewish?
A: The owner is. Bar Mitzvah'd in March 1985

Q. What's with the unsettling theme? A: You got a problem with that?!"

I know some of my more traditionally observant Jewish friends will find this objectionable, but I do not. I see this kind of intentional knowing defiance of the kashrut rules to be actually a very Jewish thing... or maybe better to say a Hebrew thing (riffing on the idea of Hebrew, Ivri, as being boundary crossers).

Anyway those are my random thoughts this morning.

Tagging: @lexaphus

#Judaism #Mazeldon #Kosher #Kashrut #Austin #JewBoyBurgers

:tefillin: 👨‍🍳

"#Jewish #barbecue brings all the smoky goodness you expect from classic barbecue, especially brisket, which is a fixture in both Jewish and Southern kitchens, but it does so within the boundaries of #Kashrut, or #kosher dietary restrictions."

https://www.thetakeout.com/1878635/ewish-bbq-kosher-meat/

What would a minimal kitchen setup with an Instant Pot look like?

#kosher #vegan #vegetarian #cooking #minimalism #kitchen #Jewish #Mazeldon #AskFedi

This is cute.

"Don’t relish your morning commute? #Pittsburgh Regional #Transit hopes to make #bus and #subway rides a little less sour, with a new #pickle-themed #campaign reminding riders to steer clear of jarring behavior.

“Keep it #kosher,” one sign reads, “Littering. Salty language. Messy food. That stuff spoils the ride for everyone.”

The text is accompanied by an image of anthropomorphic pickle and hot dog passengers."

https://forward.com/culture/726013/pickle-pittsburgh-regional-transit/

I wish our local union grocery stores had even a fraction of the kosher food at TJs.

"Let me tell you about the probably state of #Jewish #food in your typical chain #grocery store. Most likely, there’s 10 percent of an aisle dedicated to #kosher items, and nine times out of 10, it is last year’s box of Passover matzo, chicken soup mix, and concord grape juice lining the shelves. So, you’ll understand if, as a #Jew, I often feel underrepresented and underwhelmed at the grocery store. That’s until I moved to the U.S and became fast friends with a little place called #TraderJoe’s.

Trader Joe’s gets it."

https://www.aol.com/best-jewish-foods-trader-joe-110000112.html

@DelilahTech

Fins and scales you say?

KOSHER!

#Kosher #Mazeldon

"#Jewish #fastfood fans in the #British city of #Manchester are in for a treat.

#Kosher chicken and fries, under the #kashrut supervision of Machzikei HaDas, are being served to the public via vending machines."

I live in a kosher desert. Can't get a kosher bagel here, and these MFers got vending machines for hot kosher chicken?

This is amazing.

https://www.jewishpress.com/news/global/uk/like-fast-food-manchester-vending-machine-dispenses-kosher-chicken-fries/2025/05/27/

"Against the backdrop of major attacks and a tense atmosphere in #Ukraine, the country’s #Jewish communities are preparing to celebrate #Shavuos with a festive selection of #kosher dairy products—ranging from family-sized ice creams to sour cream, flavored yogurts, and cream cheese—all produced in specially certified local factories.

Recently, these dairy goods have been distributed to Jewish communities across Ukraine, alongside thousands of individual ice creams that will be handed out to children during the holiday."

Typically I avoid posting Chabad stuff because I dont want to fucking hear it, but who can complain about ice cream? Waits...

https://collive.com/locally-produced-dairy-brings-shavuot-joy-to-ukrainian-jews/

The thing is, you don't have to make latkes out of these. That's a lot of time and hassle. You can oil your baking dish well and spread out the mixture to bake at a crisp 400F or 425F and treat it like a casserole. Same great taste, way less trouble.

Link: https://www.myjewishlearning.com/the-nosher/summer-corn-and-zucchini-latkes-recipe/

#Kosher #Mazeldon #Jewish #Judaism #JewishFood

"Question: The owner of a #kosher restaurant my husband and I frequent has been increasingly vocal about his financial support for #political causes that we fiercely oppose. I hate the thought that the money we spend in his establishment could be used for this purpose, but we love the restaurant. Is it #ethical for us to eat there anyway?"

https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/ask-the-ethicist-restaurant-politics/

"Lab-grown #meat — also known as cultivated meat, or cultured meat — is an alternative meat product grown from cultured animal cells that are propagated in a laboratory, creating a #food that is molecularly identical to normal meat but didn’t grow inside an animal. Advocates believe it provides a viable alternative to natural meat that is more environmentally friendly and ethically sound, since it obviates the need to raise and slaughter an animal.

From the perspective of #Jewish law, lab-grown meat poses several novel questions, most obviously if it’s #kosher. The short answer is yes, but the details are a bit more complex."

https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/is-lab-grown-meat-kosher/?utm_campaign=feed&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=later-linkinbio

Seeing yet another push for folks to churn their own butter at home, instead of "buying it" --- and I have 2 main issues with that for my homestead/home:

1. As most people commented - premade butter is far cheaper than "homemade" & it takes a great deal of time to do so.

2. I almost never use nor buy actual butter, rather because it's easier in Kosher cooking/eating practices (because of meat & dairy mixing prohibitions), I buy & use margarine
....

So I went looking for a margarine recipe - finding this in the "vegetable oil free" category:

1/3 cup melted coconut oil

1/4 cup + 2 tbsp. olive oil

1/2 tsp sea salt

1 tsp cider vinegar

2 tsp cornstarch or other starch powder

How to make Easy and Homemade Dairy Free Butter
Melt the coconut oil by spooning it into a glass or cup and then placing it in a warm water bath. The coconut oil should melt into a liquid within a couple minutes. The coconut oil should not be hot.

While the coconut oil is melting, add the olive oil, sea salt, vinegar, and cornstarch to a blender and blend until frothy and opaque.

Add the melted coconut oil and blend again for one minute, or until frothy and pale looking.

Pour the mixture into a reusable container or jar with a lid and refrigerate overnight (8 hours min). --- from this website https://www.everydayallergenfree.com/home/2021/2/17/plant-based-dairy-free-buttery-spread-recipe-vegan

Now granted the notion that I'm ever going to grow my own coconut trees for said oil on my homestead is beyond ridiculous but olive an olive tree or 2 is not... I'm still sort of thinking this through though as by no means do I have a decent set of recipe cards yet, which I'll need once I get my oven working & back to cooking & baking sizably.

For now though, I'm just going to keep buying a large tub of earth balance or similar, every 4-6 months... and a large container of coconut oil every year or 2, as a wound treater & winter skin moisturizer.

#Margarine #Butter #Kosher #Homesteading #MinimalUse #Food

A #halacha question to ponder: Is the flower of the oat plant kosher for Passover, if, for example, brewed as a tisane and drunk?

(I have my own answer, but I'm very curious to hear other opinions!)

#Passover #Pesach #kosher #BoostsWelcome

He looked at me and he said "Kosher food.... What exactly are you looking for?"

me: "Kosher food?"

him: "Exactly What is Kosher food."

me: (a little stunned and unsure how to answer) "Food for Jews?"

him: Well we go these crackers in.... (pointing to a display of matzoh I hadn't seen). Is there anything you're looking for specifically?

me: Well that's good (I hadn't seen the matzoh). What about gefilte fish, or borcht, or bamba, or....?

him: *looks blankly* I'm sorry I'm not very.... I don't have a very... broad... experience with....

me: (really uncomfortable at this point) "It's okay. It's okay really. It's fine" and I walked away (out of the store).

I believe the guy when he says he doesn't know what kosher food is, but he was head (?) of grocery, and even though he didn't do anything wrong, it was a lesson in how important understanding can be in making someone feel welcome/unwelcome.

2/2

#kosher #multiculturalism #diversity #Vancouver

I had this experience Saturday and I'm only now processing it.

I want to be clear that I don't think anyone in this story is antisemitic, but one doesn't need to be hateful to make someone uncomfortable, and that should hopefully be universally applicable.

I was doing very last minute shopping for Passover supplies, and we went to a supermarket in West Vancouver, the City Market in Park Royal. I went to the International foods section, there was no Jewish/Israeli section. No broths/soups/matzoh ball mix, borcht, bamba, etc.

I went to the Customer Service desk and asked, and the woman suggested I go to "Fresh Foods". I asked why fresh foods, and it turned out she had no idea what kosher food was, so she was guessing. She mentioned they had hallal food (which was good to hear but not what I needed). She called over (head of?) grocery and explained I was looking for "kosher or Greek food", and I explained no Greek, just kosher food.

1/

#kosher #multiculturalism #diversity #Vancouver

Let's get Chai: Cannabis, now kosher for Passover #EconTwitter #kosher #marijuana
http://marketdesigner.blogspot.com/2025/04/lets-get-chai-cannabis-now-kosher-for.html

I have many friends who keep kosher. But everyone seems to have their own rules, limits, and versions.

I have not, to date, kept kosher.

I told a friend that I was considering it, their response was interesting. Rather than the stereotypical "oh, are you going to separate meat and dairy?", their response was "oh, are you going to get your meat from a kosher butcher?"

I found that interesting. The importance and significance of how the animal was killed seems, at least in this person's mind, to be more important than some of the more well-known rules.

**What is your version of kosher? What do you feel is the most important part, or the most significant thing I should consider?**

Is it separating milk and meat? Is it separating plates and silverware? Is it going tot a kosher butcher? Is it something else?

Note this is not specificallt about Passover, that is its own discussion.

#mazeldon #jewish #kosher #judaism

From JIMENA:
These traditions—while beautifully varied—are also deeply interconnected, much like the Jewish people themselves. Our shared stories of resilience, liberation, and celebration unite us across geography, language, and time.

The guide features:
Traditional and contemporary Passover recipes from across the MENA region
Rituals and customs from countries like Morocco, Iraq, Iran, Yemen, Egypt, Libya, and beyond
Links to stories, videos, and cultural content to deepen your holiday experience

PDF Link: https://www.jimena.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Mimouna.pdf

#Mazeldon #Jewniverse #Jewdiverse #Judaism #Jewish #Pesach #Passover #Seder #Sephardi #Mizrahi #MENA #Kosher

This recipe substitutes potato starch and egg whites for the traditional wheat flour to keep within the Passover kosher rules. They give the cake a light texture, with the wonderfully fresh syrup keeping it moist and giving a unique flavor. You can use almond flour for a gluten-free cake, which can be served all year around.

Recipe: https://www.myjewishlearning.com/the-nosher/this-moroccan-passover-apricot-cake-is-lighter-than-air/

From My Jewish Learning.

#Mazeldon #Jewniverse #Jewdiverse #Judaism #Jewish #Pesach #Passover #Seder #Mimouna #Kosher