MegilLA Chanukah Night Two
Friday, December 11, 2020
Folks,
Happy Challukah! The second night of Chanukah is also Shabbat, and a delicious and creative way to observe both is by baking a menorah-shaped challah. My sister, Wendy Roselinsky baked this one, and it fills the double role wonderfully. “I just get pleasure from doing it,” she said. This issue, devoted to food, I hope brings you pleasure as well.
I also hope you can help to keep MegilLA in business by subscribing. This has been a trying year for small businesses, yet I have managed to bring an issue to the LA Jewish community every month. Please help me to keep providing this service. Press the subscribe button below.
Shabbat shalom and Chanukah samech.
Edmon J. Rodman
A MIRACLE?
TJ's Kosher non-dairy chocolate chips return
Edmon J. Rodman
Just in time for Chanukah baking, Trader Joe’s long-gone non-dairy parve chocolate chips are back. The chips had been discontinued from the chain in May of 2012, much to the dismay of many Jewish bakers who valued the product’s non-dairy kosher status and high quality.
Kosher consumers cannot mix meat and dairy products, and a non-dairy chocolate allows them to create desserts that can be served with a meat meal.
When Trader Joe’s made an announcement that they would no longer be carrying the non-dairy kosher chips––the manufacturer had changed packaging equipment lines causing the chips designation to change to just kosher and not non-dairy kosher–-bakers who were kosher, or vegan, or lactose intolerant, flooded Trader Joe’s with calls and e-mails.
“Trader Joe’s locations reported that consumers were buying 20, 80, even 170 bags at a time,” reported Julie Gruenbaum Fax for the LA Jewish Journal.
Even the Wall Street Journal reported on the kosher kerfuffle.
“I remember it was a big deal,” said a current employee at Trader Joe’s La Brea location.
Apparently, the new product, though released for the holidays, may be available into the new year. Perhaps expecting a run on new product, “stores have been limited to the number of bags they can order,” said the employee.
Since 2012, various kosher-oriented food business have tried to fill kosher pareve chip gap, but few have matched the quality of the Trader Joe’s distributed product, or matched the price point.
In terms of price, Pasquesz Candy Company in Brooklyn markets a competing 10 ounce bag of kosher pareve chocolate chips which sells online for around $4.00 Lieber’s parve chocolate chips sell for around $3.00 for a nine ounce bag. Trader Joe’s 10 ounce bag retails for $2.49.
How does the new product taste? Several consumers have reported to MegilLA that that the TJ chips “looked like good rich, dark chocolate," and “were not waxy, like some chocolate gelt.”
During Chanukah, when our spirits are rising and tummies full, there are too many in the Jewish community, and in Los Angeles, who are experiencing outright hunger. After lighting the candles, or before, take a moment to check out these organizations whose goal is to reduce food insecurity in our area.
Jewish Family Service
TomcheiLA
Mazon
BIMUELOS RECIPE
These small fry have big flavor
While sufganiyot (jelly donuts) and latkes rule many Chanukah tables, in many Sephardic households tasty fritters called bimuelos (a Ladino derivation of the Spanish buneolos, meaning fritters) are on the menu of the day.
While Brenda, whose father was Sephardic, was frying bimuelos in our kitchen, the air filled with a wonderful smell. Served hot, and drizzled with honey, they leave a wonderful taste of the holiday.
Recipe:
Makes 30 bimuelos
Ingredients:
3 tsp dry active yeast
1 tsp sugar
2 cups of warm water
1 pinch of salt
3 cups of flour
Oil for deep frying
Syrup
3 tbsp honey
½ cup sugar
½ cup water
Directions:
Mix the yeast with sugar, salt and 1 cup of warm water and allow to foam for about 15 minutes. Mix this into the flour and remaining water to a make a smooth and sticky dough. Allow this to rise in a warm place so it can double in volume.
Prepare the syrup by boiling the ingredients together until they are sticky.
Heat the oil for deep frying to 350℉ (180℃). Wet your fingers and pick up a piece of dough and shape roughly into a ball. Use both thumbs to press a hole in the center and stretch the dough to from a rough doughnut. (More simply, you can just form a ball.) Drop carefully into the hot oil, so you do not get splashed. Dough will float.Turn it over when the underside is a golden brown. It is ready when the sizzling stops. Be careful not to let them burn.
Drizzle with syrup and eat immediately.
Seen on the Way/ Country Club Park
Inspired by Chanukah lights issue of MegilLA (see 12/10 issue), I reached to add my light to the celebration.