In our never-ending search for the perfect shwarma, My Most Favorite Lunch Companion and I visited a restaurant called Kasbah on Manhattan’s Upper East Side. With a name like that we expected Middle Eastern food. We got it. What we didn’t expect was a side order of “the Rebbe is Moshiach.”

We knew this place was different when we saw the banner flying over the entrance. I don’t remember the exact wording – it was in French – but someone at the restaurant translated it as “get an advance taste of the meal of the redemption.” And on the awning was the verse from Psalms 51:21, “bulls will be offered.” Uh-huh… Inside, we were treated to pictures of the Rebbe, a video of a farbrengen, and Hasidic music (OK, some of that wasn’t too bad). As if that weren’t enough, inside the menu is a number to call for more information: 718-MOSHIACH. (The takeout menu has this number, but not the actual phone number of the restaurant – talk about priorities!) And when I got the bill, the cash register tape (!) declared WE WANT MOSHIACH NOW!

Oh yes, we did have food too. I don’t know if it was the meal of the redemption, but my Haifa mixed grill (chicken shish, thin-cut steak, and kufta) was excellent. (There are several different types of mixed grill here, so you have a wide variety of choices.) MMFLC was a bit disappointed with the shwarma, though – he said he has had better, and for the price ($12.95) the portion was rather small. So we’ll have to keep searching… We also ordered a vegetable knish – when we finally got one that wasn’t completely charred, it turned out to be quite tasty. The desserts looked good, but we had neither the time nor the appetite for them – another time, maybe.

Don’t try to order rice if you’re there for lunch – for some as-yet-unknown reason, they don’t serve rice before 5 pm.

Kasbah is located at 251 West 85th Street, between Broadway and West End Avenue. The phone number is 212-496-1500. Supervision is by the OK. It’s worth a trip, if you don’t mind the propagandizing.

Kraft recently sent its mayo jar for some major plastic surgery. The new jar is plastic. The new jar is oval shaped. The new jar fits on your ‘fridge door.

The new jar has a large mouth, making it very convenient to use, especially with a spoon. In addition, inside the flip lid, there is a flat edge for wiping the knife off when you are done so you don’t waste mayo.

So, what could be bad? It fits on the door, it has a big mouth (so convenient when making slaw, potato salad, etc), and it has a swipe edge. Now if they could only make it taste as good as home-made!
(RJR)

This dish is a mix between an enchilada and a burrito. It’s a fabulous dish and can be made ahead of time and frozen. Try it, I promise you will like it!

First Step — Make the Enchilada Sauce. It’s actually pretty easy and quick.

Enchilada Sauce:

1 tsp dried minced garlic (or 4 cloves, minced)
6 T pareve margarine
9 T Chilli Powder (I use a mixture of different types, including chipolte chili powder)
2 Reg sized cans stewed tomatoes-including liquid (mashed fine)
6 Oz. Tomato paste
2 Cup Vegetable Stock (I use the osem cubes)
2 Cup Water
salt and pepper to taste

Saute garlic in margarine. Add chili powder, stirring well to make a paste. Don’t let this burn — keep stirring! (Have the rest of your ingredients ready to go at this point, right next to you!)

Gradually add the remaining ingredients which have been mixed together prior to this step Add this liquid slowly, and stir well. Rather like making a white sauce.

Cook over a medium heat, stirring until desired consistency. Adjust seasonings.

Store in refrigerator

Makes approx 3 cups.

NEXT STEP:

Refried beans — you can do one of three things here:

1. Make your own using pinto beans (recipe follows at the bottom of the this page.)

2. Use canned refried beans. (If you can find kosher ones that is!!)

3. Or do like me, buy canned pintos, season with cumin and garlic and mash well using a Braun mixer!

You will need about 6 to 7 cups of refried beans for this recipe.

ANDREA’S ENCHIRITOS (K-D)

12 large flour tortillas
Refried Beans
Shredded Cheese
Sliced Olives
Sliced Green Onions
Enchillada Sauce

1. Dip tortilla in enchilada sauce. Then lay in a foil or glass pan (13 x 9). Spread with about 1/2 cup beans, spinkle a liberal amount of cheese,
olives, onions, whatever else you would like.

3. Roll up and scoot to one side of the pan.

4. Continue until 6 tortillas have been used, and you have a full baking dish! Repeat for second pan of Enchiritos. (This recipe makes 2 pans)

5. Pour Enchilada Sauce over the top, covering completely. Garnish with chopped olives, onions and cheese. (At this point the pans can be frozen, cover well with aluminum foil.)

6. Bake in a 325 degree oven for 45 mins or so, until it is bubbly and very hot!

7. Serve with sour cream.

******************************************
Refried Beans

2lb of raw pinto beans
1 Chopped Onion
1 stick margarine
minced garlic
chili powder
cumin
salt
pepper

Soak beans overnight. Cook in a large pot – covering beans all the way, until beans are soft and tender. Add more water if necessary.

To make the refried beans –

Drain the cooked beans well.

In a large fry pan, melt margarine and add onion and garlic. Saute for two or three minutes.

Add drained beans and start to mash. (use a potato masher, or the back of a wooden spoon.) Continue mashing beans are mostly mashed.

Add more margarine if the beans appear too dry.

Add chili powder, cumin, salt, pepper, or your other favorite seasonings. Taste and make adjustments.

This recipe sounds a bit complicated, but honestly, you can do the whole thing in about 90 mins. and it’s so worth it! You’ll have to ask Rabbi Rappoport, he’ll vouch for it!!

Enjoy,
–Andrea

Yeah baby! Peanut butter sticks- heaven on earth in the grocery section of your local market!

Baking with peanut butter or even cooking with it can be messy and imprecise. But the good folks at JIF have corrected that messy situation.

Announcing new JIF peanut butter sticks. Each stick is one cup and is clearly marked for your convenience. Hashgacha is by the OU. The corn is as high as an elephant’s eye, and so is the price, but you can’t beat the convenience.

(RJR)

We used to think that travel was exciting. We were wrong! Airplane seats are made for Protestant back sides and not Mediterranean tushes. Leg room is non existent. The air in the plane is stale. And the airports are sterile, boring, and uncomfortable.

But worst of all, try to find anything of substance that is kosher in most airports! Sure, you can buy the packaged nuts, the candy bars or the small cookie bags. Just try to find a kosher bagel, a kosher ice cream, a sandwich, etc. It ain’t there!!

This week, we spent three hours in the airport in Nashville. It felt like three days! In each of the airport’s wings, there were the same three food places, and none of them carried kosher stuff. The airport in Austin is lovely in a post modern, sterile sort of way. Once again, try to find anything kosher there. You won’t.

We do not expect to find kosher stores in far flung airports, but by the same token, something other than the usual fresh apples, oranges and bananas that all airports sell should be possible. In Nashville we couldn’t even find kosher chips or pretzels!

We spotted a young couple in an airport store. He wore a baseball cap. She wore a denim skirt that swept the floor. Bells and sirens went off in my head! Gosh, he probably thought the hat allowed him to sort of fade into the crowd. WRONGO! We approached and asked if they had found anything at all to eat in the airport. The lady grinned and said, “The big cookies and the brownies here are kosher.”

We tried them- yuck! We were better off not eating.

Hey folks, how hard is it to find something decent to offer your kosher travelers?
(RJR)