I was asked to cook a few poached eggs a while back for an article written on the Joy of Kosher website by the JCC in Manhattan so they could get some nice poached egg shots. I even commented on the article on some good tips for poaching eggs, which I will share with you, but had I known a secret or two, I could have gotten perfect poached eggs each and every time. Here are a few tips:

1. Use the freshest eggs possible – farm to table if you shop at the farmer’s markets! The fresher the egg, the more consolidated it is and the less albumen run-off you’ll have when you drop it into the water. You can easily check if your eggs are fresh by placing the egg in a large measuring cup filled with water. If the egg sinks to the bottom on its side, it’s relatively fresh. If it floats to the top (or very near it) or sinks to the bottom but on its point, the egg is a little older and may not poach as well.
2. Poaching temperature is around the 140° F mark. The best way I’ve found to determine the proper temperature is that a film of tiny little bubbles will form on the surface of your pan or pot – that means the water is hot enough to cook the contents but not too hot that the water will begin to boil or simmer which will break the egg apart. Keep in mind, if you poach multiple eggs at a time, each egg you place in the water will lower the temperature of the entire pan so you may want to be slightly hotter as you add your eggs.
3. Don’t add salt to your poaching liquid for eggs. Salt in the water breaks eggs apart, especially the albumen (white). Acidulating (adding some acid) the water forces a reaction in the egg to “cook” it faster. Try it! Try adding some vinegar over a raw egg – it’ll begin to “cook” before your eyes. If you only add a few tablespoons of vinegar or lemon juice to your pan, it won’t impart too much of a flavor (if any) and can really help to solidify your egg. This is especially useful if you’re making a batch of eggs. You can easily get a second pot or wide pan hot with salted water after you’ve poached the egg to quickly dip it into in order to wash off the acid flavor and give it some salt. Great way to reheat poached eggs as well!
4. I love the swirling-the-water method! Using a spoon, swirl the water in the pot or pan around to create a vortex, then gently drop your egg into the center of the swirl. It helps to gather all the egg together onto itself. It really does work…but only for the first egg.
5. Two inches of water is generally a good starting point, but it really depends on the size and shape of the pan that you use. You really want to make sure that you have enough water to completely immerse your egg. Also, I found that a wider pan deep enough to submerse an egg is easier to work with when you use a slotted spoon.
   

According to an article on Serious Eats, a tip via renown British chef, Heston Blumenthal (how do you like that for provenance?), the one and only real foolproof tip to perfectly poached eggs is……a rounded fine mesh sieve. Yep, just a sieve. If you watch the video, you’ll see how such a simple tool actually makes a lot of sense and you can wonder at its efficacy. You see, even fresh eggs have some loose albumen (egg whites), and older eggs have much more. By breaking an egg into a rounded fine mesh sieve, you can strain all the loose albumen and the tight albumen that surrounds the yolk won’t drip through. Once all the loose liquid is strained off, you can gently immerse the raw egg directly into the hot water (which at this point, you probably don’t need to acidulate, but I would still hold off on salting the water, just in case) and the proceed to poach through gentle coaxing. This will eliminate virtually all the wisps of loose, gross egg whites that cloud the water and will result in a beautifully egg-shaped poached egg! You should give it a try!

When you’re sitting at the table of one of these fine dining establishments, and the plate is placed in front of you by the server, then rotated to face you properly – it’s because that’s how the chef intended for you to first view the dish and maybe even entices you to start eating it in a specific way. Of course, the minute that plate is in front of you and the server walks away, suddenly the other dinner guests (including the ones you’re dining with) disappear into the blurred background. All you can sense is the dish in front of you – the beauty of its composition, the play of negative space on the plate, the aromas of those delicate flavors slowly wafting up into your face. Your mouth is already salivating (of course, you’re too polite to let it show), but your eyes cannot hold back. The base, lustful desire to just tear into that dish – with dignity of course – is just splayed across your face.

Well, turns out, how a dish looks can actually influence the perceived flavors of the dish – it may even enhance some flavors over others! A recent study, conducted by Polytechnic University of Valencia and Oxford University published in the Journal of Sensory Studies, has determined that the color of the vessel or plate will actually change the perceived flavors. Their test with 57 participants indicated that hot chocolate served in an orange- or cream-colored mug made the beverage taste “better” – i.e., “tasted sweeter and was much more aromatic.”

Betina Piqueras-Fiszman, one of the authors of the study, is quoted as saying:

The color of the container where you serve food and drinks can enhance some of its attributes, like flavor and aroma. There’s no fixed rule to tell which color enhances what food. This varies depending on the type of food but the truth is that the effect is there. Companies should pay more attention to the container because it has a lot more potential than what you imagine.

Interesting….Additional experiments indicated, for example, that strawberry mousse tasted more intense or sweeter when served on a white plate as opposed to a black one. Interestingly, lemon-based beverages taste “more refreshing and lemony” in a blue vessel, whereas the same beverage in a pink vessel was perceived as being sweeter. Coffee too is a slave to this phenomenon: brown makes it taste stronger and more aromatic, red reduces it’s perceived strength, and yellow/blue make it taste smoother. This opens up a whole new bag of marketing strategies…..

1. Demerara Sugar – also known as “Sugar in the Raw”
2. Granulated – the good ol’ kind we use for almost everything
3. Superfine – slightly smaller crystals of sugar, but not quite a powder
4. Confectioner’s – a fine white powder, usually with some form of starch (usually corn) in it to prevent it from clumping

Ok, so now that we know the difference, do you need to go out and buy some of what the recipe calls for? Turns out, you don’t! Both Superfine and Confectioner’s sugar are just processed granulated sugar – something you can easily do at home with simple appliances like a food processor and a blender/spice grinder.

According to America’s Test Kitchen, making these yourself at home are exactly the same as the store-bought, commercially processed variety.

Recipe for Superfine Sugar

Yield: 1 cup

Ingredients & Equipment

• 1 cup + 2 tsp granulated sugar
• Food processor

Preparation:

1. Process on high for 30 seconds.

Recipe for Confectioner’s Sugar

Yield: 1 cup

Ingredients & Equipment

• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tsp corn starch
• Blender or Spice grinder

Preparation:

1. Combine both ingredients into a blender or spice grinder and pulverize for at least 1 whole minute, or until completely powdered. 
2. Sift through a fine-mesh sieve/strainer to eliminate large particles

Yes…it’s really that simple! Now go and process sugar to your heart’s content!

Of course, we think to ourselves, ‘Domestic oil? Nah! The imported stuff is much better! Besides, Europeans have a history of cultivating this product.’ But, just like how Chateau Montelena in California won a blind contest by a panel of Parisian judges in 1976, the U.S. is making an impact on the olive oil industry, and the results are surprisingly good. In fact, producers in California and Texas are now among the top sought-after in the market! You’d think with such high acclaim, they’d have a larger piece of the domestic pie – yet they don’t.

According to NPR host, Allison Aubrey, foreign importers aren’t being as forthcoming as we’ve been led to believe. In fact, a study by Consumer Reports indicates that some of the most recognizable brands (I’m sure you have it in your pantry now) just don’t make the cut when it comes to quality, even though their labeling indicates ‘Extra-Virgin Olive Oil.’ A startling 2/3 of olive oil sold as ‘Extra Virgin’ in the U.S. fail to meet the legal definitions of the grade - whoa! For kosher-keeping Jews who hold by purchasing olive oils that have the label ’100% Extra Virgin Olive Oil’ to be kosher, beware!

So, as consumers who have the power to shape the industry with the sword of our dollar, what do we do? The answer is simple and one you probably already know – read the label. But what to look for? Harvest dates on the bottle. Unlike wine, olive oils have essential flavonoids and nutrients (such as polyphenols) that break down as they age – so you want to get it as fresh as possible. Unsurprisingly, many foreign imported olive oils fail to supply that date on their labels….hhmm….

Of course, like everything else, the North American Olive Oil Association (NAOOA) – which represent the industry in the U.S., not just domestic producers – seem to think that mislabeled imported oils is a bit of an exaggeration. Of course they do. Ultimately, I don’t have the answer to whether they do or they don’t – but to me transparency (read: honesty) is the best policy. And if domestic producers are meeting the needs and challenges of creating high-quality extra-virgin olive oils and they’re supplying labeling to indicate harvest dates….well, then I may just be more inclined to buy that brand over, say, an imported one where I don’t know how long the bottle’s been sitting somewhere, or worse, the olives themselves.

The more you know….

Chef Shaya Klechevsky invited to participate on a panel of judges for the 92nd Street Y, Smokey Joe’s and Fairway Market’s Inaugural Kosher Grilling Challenge on Sunday, September 23rd as part of their annual streetfest. Booths set up all along Lexington Ave.

Interested in competing?

First Prize: A Fairway Market shopping gift certificate with a value of $500
Entrants will receive 30% off the ticket price of a selected 92Y food talk sponsored by Fairway.
Choose from:

On Julia Child at 100 (Judith Jones and Laura Shapiro with Alexandra Leaf), or
Three French Chefs (Jacques Pépin, André Soltner and Jean-Jacques Rachou with Alexandra Leaf), subject to availability.

Deadline for entries: Fri, Sep 14, 2012.
Grillers and BBQ’ers are invited to enroll in the challenge, click on this link: http://www.92y.org/streetfestgrill

Not a griller? Not a problem! You can still enter their sweepstakes by clicking on this link: http://www.92y.org/FWSweepstakes
Deadline for sweepstakes: Sun, Sep 23, 2012.

I had the pleasure of speaking with Marvin Rembo, one of the organizers of the first ever Long Island Kosher Barbecue Championship. We have all seen or heard about the various barbecue competitions throughout the American South, with each state or region touting their own methods, rubs and sauces on a wide selections of meats, each competitor viciously guarding their recipes and secret ingredients in the hopes that they be crowned the winner. Of course, these kinds of culinary festivities do not escape Jewish interest – especially when it involves brisket! And since we Jews clearly don’t have enough reason to eat, what with all our holidays and such, we now have to add to our calendars a new annual Jewish Secular Holiday – the Kosher BBQ Championship! (Don’t we usually have fast-days before major-eating holidays?)

The Championship will be held at Temple Beth Torah of Westbury on Sunday, June 10th, 2012 at 11:00 AM (243 Cantiague Rock Road, Westbury, NY 11590)

Here’s the interview:

At Your Palate: Hi Marvin, thank you for taking the time to meet with me. Tell me a little bit about the Long Island Kosher BBQ event. Who’s involved and what was the inspiration for this event?

Marvin Rembo: Hi Chef, thanks for giving me the opportunity to talk a little about this unique event. About a year ago I read in one of the Jewish papers about the World Kosher BBQ Championship in Memphis and it just blew me away. I always loved watching the TV BBQ shows and to know there was a kosher one available was a complete surprise. I promised myself right then and there that I was going to be in Memphis the following Sept 18th. The rest is history!

AYP: Wow that’s very cool. What was the Memphis competition like and how did that inspire you to bring this event to Long Island?

MR: What was crazy was that the shul in Memphis had been doing it for 22 years and this past year they had 45 teams competing. It was the largest Jewish gathering in Memphis each year, with the shul as the main beneficiary. I thought that if they could bring 3,000 Jews together in Memphis I am sure we could do a whole lot better in the NY area and the key for me was to address the growing hunger crisis on Long Island.

AYP: Tell me a little bit about the charities you’re looking to support and a little more about the hunger crisis on Long Island.

MR: Unfortunately there is almost no limit to the agencies that can use help. We focused on five of them: Long Island Cares (The Harry Chapin Charity), Hatilzu, The INN (Interfaith Nutritional Network), M’yad L’yad, and RockCanRoll. All working to alleviate hunger. The last estimate I read was that 300,000 people are considered ‘at risk for hunger’ on Long Island.

AYP: That is quite the staggering statistic! I had no idea that there were so many people that were in need. I think it’s really an amazing way to not only raise much needed funds for these agencies, but a great way to raise awareness about hunger through…well, food. How much of the LI competition is based on what you’ve seen and experienced when you were in Memphis?

MR: They were our inspiration and they were gracious in showing me all the ins-and-outs of what goes on behind the scenes. But what was crazy is that I met a group of people from Birmingham, Alabama who had been doing this for two years already, and another great bunch of people from Atlanta, Georgia who are like us, in the planning stage for their first event later in the year. We all loved the idea and dedicated ourselves to helping each other become successful and we developed the Kosher BBQ Circuit! Our Long Island event is now an officially sanctioned event of the World Kosher BBQ Championship.

AYP: Now THAT is cool – what a great way to bridge other Jewish communities together. But I have to ask, why BBQ? Don’t get me wrong, I love a good BBQ as much as the next guy…?

MR: Well, you never saw a person at any BBQ with a frown on. Standing around waiting for the meats to grill and smoke is a great way to meet and learn about other people. I found there are two types of people out there: Those that absolutely ‘get it’ when it comes to BBQ and the BBQ experience and those that have not yet had that experience. When I brought the idea back home the first guy I told thought I was nuts, the next five said: Hey let me help. And from that, we got our start.

AYP: Well, I’m definitely amongst the few who get it, but am very curious to see how all this is going to come together, especially since you’ve extended to me the honor of being on a panel of judges, I’m very much looking forward to the championship entries….which now brings me to my next question – how many teams do you already have registered for the championship?

MR: We are completely full. Eighteen teams are competing.

AYP: I didn’t realize there were so many people eager to compete for the title of the first LI Kosher BBQ Champion! I hope to see a lot of good natured competition between the teams. What kind of flavor diversity do you expect we’ll see at the event?

MR: We have teams coming from Miami, our friends from Atlanta, three from Brooklyn, one each from Manhattan, Yonkers and Monsey and the rest scattered from around Long Island. They range from first timers, the guys who have been told by their friends and family that they are really good cooks and they want to find out if they can cut it, and we have teams coming that do this many times a year and can be considered the ‘pros’. Two kosher caterers are going to be here and a graduate of the Kosher Culinary school in Brooklyn. A wide diverse group and who knows what flavor profiles you are going to be tasting as a judge.

AYP: You’ve gotten me very excited! I was just telling a few friends of mine today about the upcoming championship and they seemed very eager to come to the event. What are some of the other activities you have planned while the competitors are getting ready and grilling up?

MR: A-ha! that is the best part. This is a family event, not only a BBQ competition. We are very fortunate in that Fairway Market is our title sponsor. They have been instrumental in assisting us to put on an entire day of festivities. We are going to have a basketball skills competition for all ages, a Kiddie Corral with the inflatable bouncing games, a Velcro wall, and air brush tattooing for the children, a pickle and hot dog eating (speed not quantity) contest for both children and adults, live music, free health care screening and our own ‘Cowsher Café’ where our visitors can find a great kosher lunch that will include our own specialty: Pulled Brisket Sandwiches. Note: This is not the brisket your grandmother made….

AYP: Well, it’s clear you guys really thought this through and there’s something for everyone to enjoy. Now, as a personal chef myself, I often get questions about the kashruth of cooking for clients in my own kitchen. What are some of the challenges you’ve faced in having to institute a kosher BBQ competition?

MR: OY vay….that was a hurdle. We wanted to be inclusive to the widest possible number of Jews. That meant finding a mashgiach that would be acceptable to almost everyone. One who would work with us to ensure that everyone who came would feel comfortable eating with us. We are thrilled, I mean we are really really proud to have Rabbi Abraham Marmorstein of Mehadrin Kashrus Kehal Minchas Chinuh, NYC as our rabbinic supervision. He is an expert in the field and has written numerous books on kashruth. He has given us strict standards and we are committed to following his every instruction to create a kosher event that will go on for years. To insure kashruth we are providing everything. The only thing a team needs to bring is the match. We have new grills for them and all utensils, knives, pots and pans are brand new and will be put away after the competition for use next year.

AYP: Certainly sounds like you’ve covered your bases – and certainly great incentive for people to enter the competition. What were some of the other hurdles that you’ve come across? Especially ones you may not have anticipated?

MR: We knew going in that this was going to be difficult but we took the attitude that we want this to happen so we will make it happen. You know, ‘If you dream it, it will be!’ So, anything that got in the way we just dealt with. Although, now that you made me think about it…we have to assemble 36 grills. That is going to be a hurdle. Cut knuckles, lots of bad words…somehow that is a task that no one is looking forward to!

AYP: Well, it certainly sounds like you went into this with the right kind of attitude and I love your good nature about it!

MR: The official activity kicks off on the Thursday night before the event. All the teams come and select their meats. They trim them and prepare their secret rubs and marinades. When they are finished, everything gets put in our refrigerator and nothing leaves the synagogue. On Saturday night at about 10:00 PM our crew starts setting up the parking lot, putting the grills and charcoal in place and about 10:30 the teams can start lighting their grills. Some teams plan to get right to it, utilizing the ‘low and slow’ method of cooking and others will show up throughout the night. By 6:00 AM all the teams are cooking, getting ready for the first judging which begins at noon.

AYP: Gotcha, sounds like you guys certainly thought of everything! I have to say, this event sounds like it’s going to be a huge hit and a great fundraiser for the charities you’ll be supporting. I know I can’t wait to be there and I’m sure many others feel as excited as I do.

MR: Thank you. Sometimes I think Eisenhower invaded Europe with less preparation than we are doing! We look forward to presenting a wonderful, family, kosher-centric event and in the end we know that we will have helped some people with real needs.

AYP: There’s no doubt in my mind that this event will exceed everyone’s expectations! Thanks for taking the time to chat with me about this truly fantastic event.

MR: I can really say…it was my pleasure and thank you for this opportunity to share the news about the LI Kosher BBQ Championship. See you on June 10th. Come hungry.

AYP: Marvin, I’m already hungry….I need to find me some good kosher BBQ…. *fires up the grill*

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Budget Kitchen Upgrades for Every Kitchen that Will Change the Way You Cook (and Eat!)

Read more on lifehacker.com…

As originally posted on Huntington Patch:

Kosher Cooking Competition Finds its Champs

Huntington Jewish Center hosts cookoff, matzoh ball eating contest.

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10+ Dishes and Drinks Everyone Should Know How to Make At Home (Including You)

Alan Henry — Whether you have trouble boiling water or you know your way around an immersion circulator, there are some foods that everyone should know how to make, either because they’re delicious, they’re easy, or they require skills that will benefit you as you learn your way around the kitchen. We asked some professional chefs (and the Lifehacker team) what you should be able to make, no matter who you are, and how.

Chef Shaya Klechevsky – Basmati Rice

Chef Shaya Klechevsky, of At Your Palate and author of the At Your Palate Blog, knows his way around the professional and the home kitchen. He competed on an episode of Food Network’s competition cooking show Chopped, and is a personal chef in the New York metro area as well as a food writer. When I asked him what food he thinks everyone should be able to make, he reminded me of one of the most important gains on earth: rice.

Read more on lifehacker.com…

Originally posted on Lifehacker.com:

How to Cook Pasta Correctly

Jason Chen — Boiling pasta is supposed to be simple. It’s the perennial college student meal because it involves only about four steps, one of which is boiling water. But is it really that easy? Have you been doing something wrong all along?

How it’s done now

Seasoned eater of foods, Adam Pash, gives his quick guideline of how he cooks pasta right now.

1. Boil water
2. Put in a little salt for more flavor (I did not know about this)
3. Stir and check every now and then until it’s al dente
4. Strain

My method is about the same—probably a little simpler—so this is a decent place to start. It’s how most of us do it already, and it’s more or less “correct”, but there are also a lot of little considerations to keep in mind along the way that makes a big difference.

The right way

Selecting the type of pasta

Chef Chris Whitpan prefers fresh pasta, but if you have to use dried for practicality’s sake, he thinks Barilla is the winner. Chef Shaya Klechevsky agrees. If you’re into alternative pastas like Chef Millie Barnes, you can try rice pasta, soba noodles and yam noodles. His current favorites are De Cecco or Ener-G Foods Rice Pasta. But as with soda and beer, there is no wrong choice as long as you’re enjoying what you’re putting in your mouth.

Read more on lifehacker.com…

Digging In To Your Roots

This Passover, add a little color to the seder meal with a tuber or two.

by Amy Spiro

Most people already have one root vegetable — horseradish, to denote maror — on their seder table. But for kosher cooks looking for a little more excitement over the weeklong holiday, there should be a few more colorful tubers at the meal.

“[Root vegetables] are one of those things you often can do almost anything with,” says Shaya Klechevsky, a kosher personal chef and caterer in New York who has been featured on the Food Network. Whether you pick up a rutabaga, a yuca or a turnip, says Klechevsky, you can roast it, chop it up for a croquette or even fry it up as a latke.

A Jerusalem artichoke — which is neither an artichoke nor from Jerusalem — is also a tuber that can add unique flavor to your dishes. It can be eaten raw or cooked. “It goes great in salads, inside dishes where you would normally add a water chestnut,” says Klechevsky, who also teaches classes at the JCC in Manhattan.

Pick up a rutabaga for some more interesting, starchy flavors. “Cut it in to tiny chunks, add salt and pepper and a little turmeric and paprika and roast them,” said Klechevsky. He also recommends cooking them with parsnips, and mashing them together with a touch of grated ginger for “a sweet intense flavor.”

For a lighter touch, pick up a jicama, a white, fleshy vegetable that is popular in Mexican cuisine. “The texture is more like an apple,” says Klechevsky, “it has a delicious crunch to it.” It is generally served raw, and often paired with flavors like lime and chili.

For a colorful dish, seek out a variety of beets, says Tamar Genger, a dietician and the founder of joyofkosher.com, which relaunched this week in collaboration with kosher.com. “There are red ones, golden beets and peppermint beets, which are red and white,” says Genger. Beets, easily grated into salads or slaws, can be served cooked or raw.

“Also celery root has become very popular with gourmet chefs,” says Genger. “It actually looks like this knobby ugly root vegetable,” she said, “but it’s wonderful used in soups, or roasted or pureed.” Parsnips “look like carrots but white.” You can slice them thin and make parsnip chips.

So when you’re contemplating your Passover shopping, check out a farmers’ market and add some unique vegetables and tubers to your menu, from daikon (a member of the radish family) to turnips, yuca or yams. “As a dietitian I am always encouraging a variety of vegetables,” says Genger.

SWEETS AND BEETS
From Tamar Genger
2 large beets, peeled
and cut into chunks
1 ½ tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1 teaspoon fresh ground
black pepper
1 teaspoon brown sugar
2 medium sweet potatoes,
cut into chunks
1 large sweet onion, sliced
Preheat oven to 400°F.
In a bowl, toss the beets with 1/2 tablespoon oil to coat. Spread on a baking sheet in a singer layer.
Mix the remaining oil with the garlic powder, salt, pepper and brown sugar in a large plastic bag. Place sweet potatoes and onion in the bag, seal and shake to coat vegetables.
Bake beets for 15 minutes in the preheated oven. Mix sweet potatoes with the beets onto the baking sheet. Bake for 45 minutes, stirring halfway through. It is ready when all the vegetables are tender.

JICAMA APPLE SLAW
From Shaya Klechevsky

½ medium Jicama, peeled and julienned (slaw)
2 Granny smith apples (green), julienned
1 small red cabbage, cut into thin strips (slaw)
2 large carrots, peeled and julienned
1 medium red onion, thinly sliced half-moon
½ bunch fresh parsley, finely chopped
¼ cup dried apricots, chopped
¼ cup walnuts, toasted, chopped
1 lemon, juiced
½ tsp Cayenne pepper
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
kosher salt
black pepper
Combine the jicama, apples, cabbage, carrots, red onion and parsley and toss thoroughly to get an even mixture.
In a small bowl, combine the lemon juice, cayenne pepper, and olive oil and whisk. Adjust seasoning (salt and pepper). Set aside when ready to use.
Toast the walnuts in a skillet over medium-high heat until they begin to release their oil and the nutty aroma is released. Immediately transfer to a plate and allow to cool (about 10 minutes).
When ready to serve, add the chopped toasted walnuts and chopped dried apricots to the slaw and toss. Whisk the dressing and pour over the slaw and toss to evenly coat all the ingredients.

Join Chef Shaya Klechevsky of At Your Palate at Zabar’s on Broadway and West 80th St on the 2nd Floor Housewares Mezzanine on Sunday, April 10th at 2:00-3:45pm and 4:00-5:45pm for a free demonstration on how to prepare:

• Ginger-leek matzoh balls in a lemongrass broth,
• Lemon-mint artichoke heart braise,
• Horseradish-potato mash, and
• Almond & olive-oil tuile cookies

For more information, call 212.787.2000

Download recipes: Elegant Passover Dishes – Recipes

This is New York: Shaya Klechevsky, Chef and Owner of At Your Palate
By Gidon Belmaker

NEW YORK—Shaya Klechevsky is a food lover. He also keeps kosher. Sometimes those two may seem at odds; but instead of making do with lesser food, the 30-year-old native New Yorker went to study in the French Culinary Institute, where his training included butchering pigs and boiling lobsters. After perfecting his techniques he opened At Your Palate, a catering company that serves gourmet kosher meals for personal events. “Now people are coming to realize that there is such a thing as objectively tasty food, even though it is kosher,” says Klechevsky.

The Epoch Times: How did you find your love for cooking?
Mr. Shaya Klechevsky: I grew up in a family of eaters and cookers. Every Shabbat, every holiday there was always so much food. My grandmother and two aunts and my mother were always cooking. I developed a love of food and eating through them. I enjoy the process of cooking. It is a way to express your love for your guests. When I moved out of my parents’ house and I had my own kitchen I [further] developed my passion. I enrolled in the French Culinary Institute in July 2006, graduated in April 2007 and have been cooking professionally ever since.

Epoch Times: How was it to study in the French Culinary Institute?
Shaya Klechevsky: It was the best nine months of my adult life. I was able to immerse myself in something I really love to do. It was 15 hours a week of just cooking, and cooking amazing food and amazing dishes and learning new things in the food world.

Epoch Times: Did you have a clash between what was taught in the classes and your religion?
Shaya Klechevsky: I did not see it as a clash. They have a policy: you don’t have to eat anything, but you have to prepare it. You are always working with at least one more person, so they can taste what you are preparing. I loved having the experience: this is how you cook shrimp and lobster and pork. I remember doing these recipes and going through them and saying: ‘OK! How am I going to make this kosher? How am I going to convert this?’

There is something about having the knowledge that is useful. I now know; if I boil shrimp for more than is necessary, what happens to the protein. Even though you probably are never going to cook shrimp again, you have that as your knowledge. There is a certain value in having knowledge even though you are not going to use it. There is certain value to learning how to break down a rack of pork.

On February 24, 2011, the UJA-Federation of NY Russian Leadership Division hosted a Cook-Off competition at The JCC in Manhattan.

Six teams competed in the cook-off preparing recipes that all shared the secret ingredient of “garlic.”  The teams worked diligently to cook their dishes in time and present them to the judges for tasting.  The judges were impressed by all of the final dishes but in the end, there could only be one winner.  It was a wonderful evening full of fun, laughter, and great food.

A portion of the proceeds collected from the event will support the UJA-Federation of NY’s mission of “caring for those in need, rescuing those in harm’s way, and renewing and strengthening the Jewish people in New York, in Israel, and around the world.”

Host: UJA-Federation of NY Russian Leadership Division

Venue:  The JCC in Manhattan

Photographer: Ross Den Photography

Videographer NYC: Chris Fig Productions

Of all the citrus fruit, I’m truly drawn to the lemon. Something about it’s fresh scent and tart acidity makes a wonderful addition to all sorts of dishes. I find I’m not alone in my love of lemons – nearly my entire family loves it too! Often, you’ll find lemon soup with salad, instead of lemon-dressed salad on their plates.

It should come as no surprise, then, that my cousin has become the expert at salt-preserving lemons for the family and often at holiday gatherings would bring jars-full of various sizes filled with slices of preserved lemons. Her secret to the delicious condiment is in her use of salts and proportion of other spices (and sometimes addition of other ingredients). These lemons are always a treat and go so well with a whole slew of dishes – from dairy to meat (of course, not at the same time). I find it goes deliciously well on a tuna sandwich, as it does with sliced pastrami.

I recently had the good fortune of having the opportunity to buy some Meyer Lemons – typically smaller than regular lemons, but with noted characteristics of being a deeper and almost orangier yellow rind, as well as a floral aroma and a sweet-tart flavor. Of course, I couldn’t resist trying to make some preserved lemons! So, I got to work.

Prepping my ingredients.

First, I consulted with the expert. She shared some of her secrets and experiences with me, and so I decided on the following ratio of ingredients:

• 1 Tbs Kosher salt
• 1 Tbs Sel de Mer (I used La Baleine Fine Sea Salt Crystals)
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp sweet paprika
• 1/2 tsp hot paprika
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 3 meyer lemons, sliced 1/4-inch thick
• juice of 1 whole regular lemon and 1/2 meyer lemon
• First Cold Press Olive Oil, as needed
• 16oz jar

After combining the salt and spices together thoroughly in a ramekin, I gave the mixture a taste. The piquance of the paprika and cayenne was not overwhelming, nor was the smokiness. The rich red color lent a beautiful counter-balance to the lemon’s bright yellow.

Here’s the preparation:

1. Combine salt and spice mixture in a shallow bowl or ramekin so that it’s evenly mixed.
2. Wash meyer lemons thoroughly and slice the ends off, and save them.
3. Slice 1/4-inch rings from the lemons and press only one side into the salt mixture and place in the jar. Continue to stack the salted lemons on top of each other, salted side down until all the salted lemon-slices are in the jar.
4. Take the saved ends from the meyer lemons and slice thin julienned pieces, or even cut into brunoise.
5. Press the lemons down to condense them together and try to remove as much air as possible. Add the julienned or brunoised lemon peel slices to the jar.
6. Pour enough of the lemon juice over the lemon slices to nearly coat all the lemons.
7. Top with enough olive oil to seal the surface.
8. Cover with plastic wrap and seal the jar with the lid.
9. Allow to preserve for 5-7 days, turning over the jar once a day.
10. After 5-7 days of preservation, place in refrigerator for 12-24 hours before serving.

The completed process.

Tune in a week from now for the final review…

Shaya Klechevsky
Classic Culinary Arts 2007

Our students come from diverse backgrounds, and half the fun as a student is the cultural diversity of fellow classmates, and all you can learn from them. Often students are excited to share their food traditions with others by bringing dishes and desserts they have made at home to class or by arranging a club outing to a favorite restaurant, highlight a particular cuisine. Along with this, many students fit what they learn here (yes, all those fancy French techniques) into a personalized course that incorporates their individual background.

This has been the course for Shaya Klechevsky, whose path proves you can attend culinary school while observing kosher law and that what might seem as a limitation to some was actually what became a passionate driving force for his career. Shaya came into school, after working as an administrator at a private Jewish high school, with no more training than the love he had for food and cooking. Attending an evening culinary program, Shaya remembers how hard he worked and particularly, chef Candy grilling the students with questions as they prepped and cooked—that you had to be on your toes at all times. He felt he walked away with valuable “confidence to go out and embark on his profession” and the “classic techniques to build off of.” And through the process of working through each station and getting kitchen experience at L’Ecole, Shaya was able to refine what he wanted to do with his education.

champignon en croute

After the economy snagged on the rocks of the bursting housing bubble and subsequent Wall Street tremors and crumbles, Shaya found the party scene lackluster, necessitating a shift in business. But, as often comes with seemingly bad fortune, good things arose, leading Shaya into the world of teaching. Now his company has grown, and Shaya has a team of three chefs plus two interns. They still cater small parties and events, but now they also prepare cooking lessons for individuals and small groups—all with the personal touch. He “loves interacting with his clients and connecting people to food so they can really appreciate it.”

Shaya is doing what he likes best, and in a way that is integral to who he is as a person. And the bonus? He is able to share all this with others.

But you know, there are really all kinds of pickles! If it grows in the ground, chances are, you can pickle it: asparagus, garlic, cauliflower, lemons, etc. In fact, jams are a kind of pickle too! Sure, they’re sweet, but pickling is in fact a form of long-shelf-life preserving.

Below, I’d like to share with you a transcript of the fascinating conversation I had with Ron about pickles…

At Your Palate: Good evening, tonight, I have with me Ron Horman, of Horman’s Pickles where he and his cousin run a pickle company! Am I right?

Ron Horman: Good evening Chef Shaya! This is correct, my cousin Nick and I are third generation picklers!

AYP: You don’t see that very often on a resume…

RH: Haha can’t say I’ve ever seen it before so it is indeed quite unique.

AYP: First, I have to say, that cucumber pickles, in particular, are probably ubiquitous throughout the world…different cultures all have their way of making their favorite cucumber pickle….

RH: Absolutely. Pickling is obviously a form of preservation for fruits and vegetables, and dates back thousands of years ago to Asia

AYP: Really?! Asia? Tell me more! I had no idea that pickling hails from Asia….

RH: Well, the Chinese being an agrarian based society (thousands of years ago) would put some of their food in salty brine as a form of preserving their food. This is also true in Europe, and the Europeans actually believed that pickles helped prevent scurvy on long sea voyages

AYP: Wow…that’s pretty cool…although, is there any relationship between scurvy, a vitamin c deficiency, and pickling? Unless it made available to seamen foods that were high in vitamin c because they were pickled?

RH: Well it turned out to be a fallacy and eventually they realized that it actually did not help in the prevention of scurvy

AYP: Ha! Well, I guess if they made kimchi, scurvy wouldn’t be so much of an issue….

Quality Control on the Pickle Line

RH: Not too sure what that is but you’re probably right.

AYP: Kimchi is a korean dish, essentially pickled and fermented cabbage with a chili paste that’s quite pungent and spicy, and I think, tastes delicious! It’s a kind of pickle, in the grander sense of the definition, and not so much a Pickle pickle. Anyway, cabbage is a great source of vitamin C, so would probably be very good at preventing scurvy….

RH: Sounds tasty! I would imagine sauerkraut would then indeed be a good scurvy preventer.

AYP: Oh for sure! A good sauerkraut takes weeks to prepare properly!

RH: It does.

AYP: So, how’d your family get into pickles 3 generations ago?

RH: Well our Grandfather Joe, who’s parents both immigrated from Poland, began Pickling back in the 1950′s right in Glen Cove NY, where the company still resides today. Then both my father, and Nick’s father, took over the business in the 70′s, to continue the ‘Empire.’

AYP: Wow! That’s pretty cool. Where’d your grandfather learn pickling?

RH: His parents both being from Poland were big on Pickling, and again, this really emphasizes the deep historical, cultural roots that have been involved in Pickling. If you talk to a lot of Polish people today they will tell you they still do their own home Pickling

AYP: So did he only make cucumber pickles? Being half-polish myself, I know that they are quite fond of pickling anything that could be pickled….fish notwithstanding…..

RH: I am not exactly sure, but I would imagine so. This was in the 1920′s and into the Great Depression so preserving food was always beneficial.

AYP: In fact, I found that much of the savory pickling happened a lot in Eastern Europe and Russia….

RH: That is definitely true. I talk to people from a lot of different cultures actually and the statistics for the different types of Pickles that different cultures/religions prefer is amazing. For example most Jewish people I talk to swear by Sour, fermented Pickles.

AYP: I remember as a kid my grandmother would make her version of dill pickles. She would cram into these large jars these obscenely huge cucumbers with fresh dill, garlic, peppercorns, lots and LOTS of salt, vinegar and water….2-3 weeks later of constant monitoring, and we had some delicious half-sours…..Although, I should qualify that my grandmother was Egyptian….but apparently pickles know no geographic limitations.

RH: If you have the right ratios you can certainly make your own, but it is definitely not easy! They definitely do not have any geographic limitations, but they are more popular in some parts of the world than others. Part of the reason NY/Brooklyn is the Pickle capital of the US is because of that influx of Eastern European immigrants in the late 19th, early 20th century.

AYP: True…many people don’t really consider jams and jellies as pickles…but they sort of are….

RH: If it’s a type of Preserve, it’s a pickle!

AYP: Yeah! Do you guys participate in the NY pickle festival that happens every year?

RH: We do! We are preparing for the pickle festival on the Lower East Side on Sunday, October 17th in fact.

AYP: That’s so exciting!

RH: But this year will be the first year that our Supermarket brand will be attending.

AYP: So tell me a little bit about the kinds of pickles you guys make….

RH: We have 4 different varieties which include regular Kosher Dill’s, Spicy Kosher Dill’s, Mustard Kosher Dill’s, and Horseradish Kosher Dills. We make those, not all, in your choice of wholes, spears, or cut chips.

AYP: OOO! Tell me a little bit more about those mustard dill’s and horseradish dill’s…I’m a big fan of both those bold ingredients!

RH: Well, when we first really started thinking about breaking into the retail market we realized that you really just can’t get a good fresh pack, non-pasteurized Pickle in supermarkets anymore, and you can’t find Mustard, or Horseradish pickles, at all. So our idea was to develop a set of unique tasting pickles, in different varieties, and make them available to anyone at anytime. So our Mustard Pickle is made with Mustard Seeds, both yellow and brown, Crushed Brown Mustard, and Mustard Oil, and then we use fresh Horseradish in our Horseradish Pickle.

AYP: Oh! You’re making my mouth water with your descriptions! Both those mustard and horseradish pickles must have such distinct flavors! What would you recommend you eat them with?

RH: They really do pack the perfect zing to them. I personally have been eating the Horseradish Pickles with pastrami sandwiches recently, and it just makes the sandwich taste 10 times better. I actually offer those as 1/4” chips, so I put them right on the sandwich. The mustards go really well with a standard turkey sandwich, I find.

AYP: That sounds wonderful! Not unlike the French pairing of cornichon, little baby gherkin pickles, with their country patés and other charcuterie….

RH: Haha exactly. I actually made some tartar sauce and used our Kosher Dill’s in place of cornichons. Turned out really tasty.

AYP: You can’t go wrong…

RH: Part of the fun with pickles is mixing and matching with different foods. My cousin Nick really enjoys eating his pickles with hummus.

AYP: Huh! Hummus! Didn’t think of that, but it makes sense, as they’re often paired with the more Mediterranean ingredient, pickled olives….

RH: Exactly.

AYP: So how do you approach a pickle when you decide you want to try something different or new?

RH: Do you mean pairing with other foods? Or characteristics in reviewing pickles.

AYP: That too, but more about how you approach pickles when you want to make a new flavor of pickle…Also, what are some of the characteristics of the finished product you aim to achieve or look for when you realize they’re “done?” For example, I’ve often come across pickles that were not crunchy….personally not my preferred texture, but the flavor was good….

RH: Well we are always trying to blend new products and come up with new varieties to really please people. Sometimes they work and sometimes they don’t. Pickles by nature have to be crunchy.

AYP: You would think…

RH: The secret to a crunch pickle, is keeping the brine cold

AYP: Hmm…didn’t know that! You learn something new every day!

RH: Freshness / and our cold curing process ensure the perfect crunch every time.

AYP: Can you give me an example of a failed pickle flavor?

RH: A pickle that we made that failed…We tried a Lemon Zest Pickle.

AYP: That failed?! Sounds like it would be delicious!

RH: Haha well thats what we thought, but the combination of flavors was a little too crazy.

AYP: My cousin is notorious for her paprika pickled lemons, you’d think that would translate well into a cucumber Pickle….

RH: The paprika would, but there’s something about lemon and vinegar…Paprika is actually a great spice for pickles.

AYP: Yeah, I guess you’re right….too much competition of acidity and flavor….Yeah, and I love the color it gives the food!

RH: I agree! Makes food look really appealing

AYP: So you guys both run the Glen Cove pickle operation?

RH: We do, along with both our fathers and a few other employees. It’s really been very exciting since we launched the new products back in the spring.

AYP: So what prompted you to go more commercial?  I understand that’s the NY Deli Pickle line?

RH: It is. We were always a wholesale company servicing food distribution companies, and then my cousin Nick started selling retail at Farmer Markets during college to make some cash on the side, and people became totally obsessed with our pickles.

AYP: That’s cool! There’s a pickle stand every Friday on 6th Ave by West 4th St….they have some pretty interesting and delicious pickles….

RH: So then we realized that the pickles products available at most supermarkets today, have really hit the ceiling

AYP: That’s awesome!

RH: And we wanted to introduce a quality pack, gourmet pickle, at affordable prices.

AYP: So until the farmers markets, people couldn’t eat your pickles unless they were being sold at a deli that bought ‘em?

RH: That people can get whenever they want at supermarkets. Exactly.

AYP: Great move!! And for me, very exciting as a retail consumer!

RH: Thanks! Our philosophy is to give the customer a 100% pack and hopefully make them available in as many stores as possible. Really the best part about making pickles is the craze that they drive in people.

AYP: Do you only service the NYC area? Or do you ship your products out to the rest of the country?

RH: We mostly service the Northeast. We pack a lot of pickles though, which really conveys how many pickle freaks there are around here.

AYP: Hehehe….it’s always the quiet ones….

RH: Hahaha exactly!

Nick Horman Packing a Pickle Jar

AYP: So, any new flavors in the lab waiting to be released to the public that you can share with us?

RH: Well right now we just have the 4, but we are working on a Sour fermented pickle, and some sweet pickles…Honey Mustards and Bread and Butters. But the problem is the availability of shelf space in supermarkets

AYP: It’s my opinion that the Bread and Butter pickles have a much more selective following….

RH: I would love to have 8 different varieties on every shelf in supermarkets but that’s a lot of real estate!

AYP: That sure is!

RH: I’ve noticed that people who like bread and butters typically will only east mostly bread and butters, but the same goes with Sour Pickles.

AYP: I must concur….

RH: Some people think vinegar based Kosher Dills are not “true pickles.”

AYP: Why is that?

RH: People get very snobby about what a genuine pickle is.

AYP: Is there really a genuine pickle?

RH: Well it has to do with their background culture, and I suppose what they grew up with as kids. So, not really, it’s all preference really.

AYP: Yeah, that makes sense….I’m much more of an equal opportunity pickle person….

RH: I commend that!

AYP: I would hope so!

RH: It really is amazing how some people scoff at the Vinegar pickle. Some people love Sour fermented pickles (those pickles have a very, very unique taste) which many people will just pass over.

AYP: yeah, but that’s probably because they lack the appreciation for vinegar

RH: Exactly.

AYP: I think with the right combination of herbs and flavors with the vinegar, you can get a really delicious sour pickle!

RH: You have to keep an open mind when eating different varieties of pickles!

AYP: Exactly!

RH: You most certainly can. We do make some Sours, and Nick sell’s them at his stands, but when we started developing the new retail line, we went with the 4 varieties that sold the best.

AYP: Which farmers markets/stands do you guys currently sell at?

RH: Nick sells around 20 on Long Island, www.hormansbestpickles.com lists all of the locations.

AYP: Great! Do you think that your operation will one day expand to include other pickled products? Such as green tomatoes? Asparagus? Okra? I mean…the list goes on….

RH: Sure! Although right now we are not looking to get too crazy because we really want to appeal to the masses, as opposed to having a bunch of niche type pickles.

AYP: Hmm….well, know that you got a customer right here for any of those other niche pickled products!

RH: Haha thanks! When we start developing other vegetables of fruits you will certainly get plenty of samples.

AYP: Can’t wait! Well Ron, this was so awesome and very educational! Any last remarks you’d like to share with our readers?

RH: This was a lot of fun! I’d like to encourage everyone to go to our website www.newyorkdelipickle.com, and find the nearest location to try our pickles! Remember to always keep an open mind when trying different, or new varieties! Thank you for the opportunity to interview here!

AYP: I’m glad you thought so, I find these a lot of fun too. Thank you very much for this interview Ron! I’m certainly excited to try some of your acclaimed pickles!