When the idea for myKosher.com started to take shape, it was clear what we wanted; a place where everyone could share their crazy food ideas, where you could find that someone has the exact same adventurous palate as you, where you could eat with your eyes, but also save the recipe for later! We are living in a foodie world!
It was an ambitious idea. Anyone, anywhere could submit any number of recipes! And we wanted to see them all. The traditional, the unusual—there’s room for everything at the great table of the internet! And that’s what makes myKosher.com so exciting! We love sharing food with people, even virtually, and part of what makes the Kosher.com community so vibrant is that we are sharing with people who love food as much as we do!
Close to 900 recipes were sent in as a part of the myKosher.com contest, proving what we already knew: People are passionate about food! First the recipes were narrowed down to the top 10, and from there, it was tasting time!
I’ve never been to a tasting party, but I was happy to be guided by experts like Esty Wolbe and Rivky Kleiman. The tasters certainly knew their food. I don’t quite consider myself the expert, but am certainly an eater, and always in search of my next great shabbos recipe, so with that in mind I got to tasting.
The top ten dishes were prepared by a professionally trained chef who was instructed not to change anything about the recipes. It was important that we make them the way the recipe called for, so that we could accurately judge the recipe.
We also had the uniquely Kosher.com problem of having to try both meat and dairy dishes. While I would’ve been on board for a tasting sleepover party, instead, we started with dairy and made our way to meat. This meant swapping out plates and forks when we went from dairy to fish and from fish to meat. We had plenty of water (and a special limonana made by the chef) to rinse our mouths between courses. It also meant dessert first, which I was certainly not mad about.
The recipes were surprisingly diverse, sampling a variety of flavors, cuisines, cooking methods, and diets. Dishes were also prepared yoshon when necessary so that everyone could participate regardless of minhag. There was much discussion throughout—it was exciting to have all these different foodie minds in the same place to point out things that you might not necessarily think about at first glance. For instance, did the salt brand used affect the salt level of the dish? Did we agree with the choice to add a unique ingredient to a more common flavor profile? Would you make this again after making it the first time?
These discussions influenced our thought processes, but ultimately, everyone rated each dish on a scale of 1-10. At the end, scores were added up to determine the winners. So the winning recipes were really the favorites of everyone there!
I was super excited to learn the winners with everyone else when they were announced on Instagram! And here they are!
1st Prize, Maestro Chef: Estelle Chait — Pulled Chicken Adobo on Sweet Moroccan Couscous and Almond Praline
I mean, this dish had me at couscous, if I’m being honest. But adding in those warm Moroccan spices and the sweet raisins, the spiced chicken, and the crunchy almond praline made it really speak to me. I didn’t try this with a laffa, but I’m excited to make this again and turn the bread up to 100.
2nd Prize, Executive Chef: Esther Mendelevich — Thai Meatballs in Ginger Sauce
I’m always up for bringing less-frequently used flavors and ingredients into dishes I already know and love. I’m not a huge spicy person, but this recipe really intrigued me and was super packed with flavor! I’d recommend giving it a shot.
3rd Prize, Sous Chef: Anna Mann — Turkey Farro Salad with Sweet Potato, Cherry Tomato, Baby Arugula, Barberries, and Walnuts in a Lemon Vinaigrette
Farro happens to be one of my favorite grains. If you’ve never tried it, it’s like a nuttier barley? Give it a shot! It’s a great way to add bulk and texture to your salads or veggie sides, and this salad really went all in on different flavors, textures, and colors—always the mark of a good salad in my book. And the turkey and light vinaigrette make it my idea of a perfect lunch.
Make sure you try these out and tell us what you think. These are definitely going in my recipe box!