Master Class in Sephardic Cuisine

Explore the rich and varied food heritage of the Jews from the Middle East, North Africa, and Central Asia in this truly unique class. Standing in sharp contrast to the meat and potatoes tradition of the Ashkenazic Jewish communities, Sephardi cuisine reflects the fertility and warmth of these regions and is often characterized by the use of fragrant herbs and spices, fresh and dried fruits and nuts, ground meat, rice, lentils, ...chickpeas and other interesting grains.

Over the course of 5 days, CKCA Dean of Students Chef Avram Wiseman will explore the traditions and tastes of the Jewish people from several countries including Syria, Morocco, Persia/Iran, Yemen, and more. Chef Wiseman has been a professional chef for over thirty years during which time he has cooked in many of the traditional Sephardic communities around New York. We're looking forward to having him as our tour guide for this exploration of the flavors and fragrances of one of the richest culinary traditions in the world.

$600 -- CALL TO REGISTER – 718.758.1339
March 28-April 4th, 9am to 1pm

Master Class in Garde Manger (Smoking, Curing, Sausage Making and more)

Smoked salmon & whitefish, pastrami & corned beef, sausage, pickles...

What do these items have in common (besides from being foods that we love to eat)? All of them are made using techniques of preservation that go back centuries but that unfortunately very few of us are familiar with today.

However, the last few years have seen an incredible resurgence of interest in the art and science of these special techniques. People are brining their own pickles, curing their own meats, stuffing their own sausages, and making all kinds of garnishes and condiments from scratch to accompany them. And it's not only well-trained chefs in fancy restaurants. Many people are doing it themselves, from the home kitchen.

Our goal of this intensive workshop is to teach the career cook or culinary enthusiast how to use the classic preservation techniques of the professional kitchen to create outstanding, contemporary items that will impress even the most discerning guests. Chef Avram Wiseman, Dean of Students at CKCA, will teach the class to cure, smoke, grind, and brine different types of fish, vegetables and meats in order to craft a variety of high quality, hand made items.

The menu for the week will include a variety of different fresh sausages, house-made pastrami, house-made salmon gravlox, a selection of terrines, galantines, and pates, house made pickles, and more.

On the 5th and final day of the course, students will invite guests to attend a graduation banquet featuring the fruits of their labors. Those who successfully finish the course will receive a Certificate of Completion from CKCA.

$600 -- CALL TO REGISTER – 718.758.1339
March 21-24, 9am to 1pm

CKCA and Emunah Presents Cooking Class for Men

Emunah and CKCA have teamed up to do a series of cooking demonstrations for men, with Chef Avram Wiseman teaching how to prepare a special beef dish from beginning to end. The proceeds earned from the event will go to support the children and programs of Emunah, and men who take the course will learn valuable kitchen skills for the future as well as an easy way to prepare an entire meal.

In February, the demonstration was given in Teaneck, and it will be given at CKCA on March 27th. The event will also be given in the Five Towns then moving on to other cities across the United States.


Cooking Class for Men: Preparing a Special Beef Dinner
Sunday, March 27th, 3:00pm-5:00pm
Center for Kosher Culinary Arts (1407 Coney Island Avenue, Brooklyn)
Cost: $75 per person, $180 to sponsor event
Proceeds to support the children and programs of Emunah.
To sign up, please contact Matthew Herenstein at 201-317-2000 or by emailing emunahmenscookingevent@gmail.com.

Chef Avram Makes the New York Post and the Jewish Week!

We all love Chef Avram Wiseman, and the New York Post does too! Check out this awesome article from last week's paper! Chef Avram's so famous now!

We also love the coverage in the New York Jewish Week!

ServSafe Food Safety Certification Workshop

Open new professional doors by learning how to manage a commercial kitchen in accordance with the National Restaurant Association's Servsafe -- A nationally recognized and accredited food safety manager certification.

The class will also include a review for the NYC Department of Health Food Protection Certification. Both certifications are a valuable resume-builder as restaurants must have at least one ServSafe-certified employee.

Wednesday to Friday, March 16th-18th, 9am-1pm

All coursework will be completed on days 1 and 2. A brief review followed by the ServSafe exam will be given on day 3.

The cost of class includes all materials and the Servsafe training manual.

**The ServSafe certification is no longer offered as part of the CKCA Pro Culinary Arts program, but the workshop is offered free of charge to current students who wish to earn it.

$175 – CALL TO REGISTER – 718.758.1339

Next Great Kosher Chef's Mustard Grilled Chicken with Mango Mint Salsa

Coordinated with the release of the trailer of The Next Great Kosher Chef, we are happy to share a recipe from the winner of the contest, Next Great Kosher Chef Jasmine Einalhori. She is now known all over the internet as a "Jewess with Attitude!"

By winning the contest Jasmine secured herself a spot in the Professional Culinary Arts Program at Center for Kosher Culinary Arts. She is currently a student here. Learn more about the program by visiting us here.




Mustard Grilled Chicken

4 large chicken breasts, scalloped or butterflied
¼ cup Dijon mustard
¼ cup dry sherry wine
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 large garlic clove, pressed
Olive oil
1 Tablespoon of dried thyme (oregano, basil, or dill can also be used)
Ground peppercorns and salt, to taste

Drizzle olive oil on chicken to lightly coat. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and marinate the chicken for one hour to overnight. The longer the chicken marinates, the better results you will get, though it can be grilled immediately. Use a grill pan or bbq and grill the chicken on a high heat. For a nice grill-marked chicken breast lay your chicken breasts on the grill and then after about 2 minutes without flipping the breast turn the chicken 90 degrees to the right for the classic cross-hatch look. Top with mango mint salsa and serve hot.

Mango Mint Salsa

2 ripe mangos, peeled, pitted and diced
¼ cup chopped(1/4 inch) red onion
1 cup red, orange, and yellow baby peppers (regular bell peppers are also ok)
1 teaspoon finely minced garlic
2 teaspoon finely minced jalapeño pepper, seeds removed (for spicier salsa leave seeds)
1 ½ tablespoon fresh lime juice
2 tablespoon chopped fresh mint
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 ¼ teaspoon cumin
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Over your stove top or oven, roast the whole peppers, just enough to give it a grilled marks and a slight roasted flavor. Set aside to cool, then chop and add them to all the other ingredients.

Serve salsa either with the chicken or as a side dish with a nice bowl of tortilla chips.

Chicken Alla Olive

Ingredients:

1 medium size chicken

1 large blond onion, sliced

2 cloves garlic, crushed

2 tsp. fennel seeds and/or fennel herb

1/2 lemon grated and/or pieces of the rind

2 tbsp. fresh Mediterranean herbs (sprigs of rosemary, leaves of sage, thyme, marjoram)

1/2 cup dry white wine vinegar

1/2 cup green olives pitted and crushed

4 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

freshly ground black pepper


Heat the oil in the pan, add the onion and gently cook for 10 minutes. Meanwhile wash and clean the chicken and then cut into quarters, then into eighths without breaking the bones.

Add the garlic and fennel seeds to the soffritto. Add the chicken and sear it. Pour the vinegar. Add the herbs and the rind of the lemon. Allow the flavors to seep constantly stirring. Add the pepper. Add the olives then cook, covered, on low heat for about 40 minutes. When it is ready, let it rest for a few minutes and then serve. Serves 4.

The Next Great Kosher Chef Movie Trailer

Here's the long-awaited trailer for upcoming film The Next Great Kosher Chef! This is the televised version of the contest that was written up in The New York Times, The Forward, The New York Jewish Week, The Jewish Press and elsewhere!



The Next Great Kosher Chef, coming soon! Are you ready??!

CKCA Pro Program Alumni Competition!

Calling all CKCA pro class alumni -- Now's your chance to show us how far your skills have come! Alumni competition night will pit six teams of two alumni each against each other in an "Iron Chef" style market basket challenge. You and your alumni teammate will have one hour to cook an entree and two sides from a basket of surprise ingredients. Judges Chef Avram Wiseman and school director Jesse Blonder will score each team on taste, presentation, creativity and most important, teamwork!

Which team will win? The Class of Spring '09? Summer '10? Winter '11? We'll find out soon enough. The winning team will receive $150 towards classes at CKCA and the title of Reigning Alumni Champs!

The event will be Motzei Shabbos, March 12th, from 8:30pm to 10:30pm. The cost to participate is $140 per team.

For more info, visit the event here.


Call Jesse at 718-758-1339 to register your two-person team in the competition!

Ok, You Asked For It: More Culinary Date Nights!

Due to the runaway success and our community's increasing demands for Culinary Date Nights, we've scheduled several more evenings for this sell-out class for the months ahead. We're glad to be able to provide such enjoyable classes to all our CKCA couples!

Call early to secure your reservation, at 718-758-1339. The cost is $140 per couple.

Upcoming Culinary Date Night Events:

January 29th
February 12th and 26th
March 5th and 12th

Culinary Date Night includes a short class followed by each couple working together to create a delicious four course, upscale dinner. Special attention will be paid to teaching how to plate and present each course so that the foods appeal to the eye as well as to the palate. The evening will finish with a white tablecloth dining experience complete with wine, flowers, candles and all the other trimmings of a meal to remember.

Hungarian Cabbage and Apple Soup

For these cold winter evenings, our own Chef Avram Wiseman once again shares one of his comfort classics, a sweet and spicy cabbage and apple soup that is sure to warm you down to your toes.

Ingredients:

3 oz. Clarified margarine
1 medium head Cabbage, finely shredded
1 large Onion, peeled and thinly sliced
2 Apples peeled cored, grated
10 cups Chicken stock
6 cloves Garlic, minced
3 tbsp. Brown sugar
1 cup Fine noodles, cooked
1/2 tsp. Caraway seed
1-2 tbsp. Hungarian sweet paprika
1 tbsp. White vinegar
1/4 tsp. Sour salt
Salt and pepper to taste
sour cream or pareve sour cream for garnish

Procedure:

In a large heavy bottomed sauce pot melt the margarine. Add the cabbage, onions and grated apple and cook for 10 minutes, mixing frequently .Add the garlic, sugar, caraway and paprika and continue to cook. Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Simmer for 30 minutes.

Season with salt and white pepper. Add vinegar and sour salt. Add the cooked noodles. Boil and serve very hot. May be garnished with a dollop of sour cream.

Wonderful Article About the Next Great Kosher Chef by Jewish Week's Amy Spiro

Amy Spiro, a former intern and occasional writer for the NY Jewish Week and also an expert baker in her own right (she blogs over at Baking and Mistaking, one of our favorite blogs!) covered CKCA's Next Great Kosher Chef All-Kosher Culinary Competition that took place in Long Island City this past Sunday.

Amy's article really provides an amazing play-by-play of the events that took place, so we are happy to pass it along to you here. The article is called "Out of the Kosher Frying Pan, Into the Fire." And congrats again to all the participants! Happy reading!

Congrats to our Next Great Kosher Chef Winner and Participants!!

We wish a hearty congratulations and Yasher Koach to all the participants today's NEXT GREAT KOSHER CHEF competition at the Entrepreneur Space in Long Island City. Thank you for everyone's support of CKCA! Special congrats to our NEXT GREAT KOSHER CHEF JASMINE EINALHORI!

We will report on the event as soon as we have all the details, but for now, we invite you to enjoy our coverage in today's NEW YORK TIMES! Click here for the article!

Korean Short Ribs

Here is another delicious appetizer from Chef Avram Wiseman. Bulgalbi, or Korean barbequed short ribs, are easily made by roasting in the oven, even in the dead of winter. These flavorful savory ribs are a sure winner and perfect for eating both winter and summer.


Ingredients:

4 Lbs. beef short ribs
½ cup soy sauce
½ cup water
4 Tablespoons finely chopped scallion
2 Tablespoons finely chopped garlic
1 teaspoon grated ginger root
1 tablespoon sugar
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
½ tablespoon garlic chili paste
2 tablespoons toasted, crushed sesame seeds


Procedure:

Cut the beef short ribs into 1 ½ inch cubes. Wash and drain well. Pat dry. Score the beef along the bottom of the bone as to allow marinade to penetrate.
Mix all ingredients in a large bowl and allow to marinade at least 4 hours.

Oven roast the Bulgalbi in a moderate oven 325* for 1 and ½ hours. Turn the ribs frequently. Then, pour the remaining marinade over the ribs and continue roasting another 20 minutes.

Place on serving platter and sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds before serving. Yields 8 to 10 appetizer portions.

Sweet Potato and Leek Latkes

During this year's Festival of Lights, we invite you to try CKCA Culinary Arts Alum (Spring '09) Liz Kratz's recipe for Sweet Potato and Leek Latkes. This savory pancake is fantastically delicious and is sure to brighten up your Chanukah table this year and every year to follow. Sweet potatoes are a nice departure from regular white potatoes, so after you have made classic latkes for a few nights, you might enjoy this gourmet twist on a well-loved favorite.

Ingredients:

6-7 large sweet potatoes, peeled and grated, or chopped fine in food processor
6 leeks, white and very light green parts only, washed carefully and chopped fine in food processor
3 eggs
1 and 1/2 to 2 tsp kosher salt (or to taste, 2 tsp makes a very savory latke)
1 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 cup flour
vegetable oil for frying (I recommend Mazola Corn Plus!)

Preparation:

Let grated or chopped sweet potatoes drain in a colander or squeeze dry with a clean towel. Combine with other ingredients. If mixture is too moist, add slightly more flour. Heat 1/4 inch of oil in a wide bottomed pan until very hot, and fry latkes approximately 3 minutes on each side until brown and crisp. Drain on paper towels and transfer to a 300 degree oven to keep warm until ready to serve. It's best not to keep latkes in oven longer than half an hour, otherwise they will get soggy. To make in advance, cool latkes immediately after frying and then heat in oven a half hour prior to service.

Serve latkes hot, with applesauce, smoked salmon or sour cream. Yields 12 large or 24 small latkes.

Happy Thanksgiving! Root Vegetable Gratin

Ingredients:

3 pounds carrots and/or parsnips
1/2 cup pineapple, minced small or crushed (if using canned crushed pineappple, drain very well)
3 eggs
1/4 cup Coffee Rich or milk substitute
1/2 cup flour or matzoh meal
3-4 tbsp honey
1/2 to 1 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1 tbsp grated or 1/2 tsp ground ginger
salt and pepper to taste
fresh, sliced pineapple for garnish


Procedure:

Peel and boil carrots and/or parsnips until tender. Shock the vegetables in ice water to stop the cooking and to retain the bright color. Drain them very well. Puree in a food processor, and reserve in a large colander. Drain the vegetables well again.

Whip the eggs in a clean mixing bowl. Add all the other ingredients and season well. Divide the mixture into well greased molds or one large baking dish and place onto sheet pans into a preheated 325 degree oven. Pour hot water onto the sheet pans to provide steam while baking and bake for 35-40 minutes.

Test for doneness by inserting a skewer and internal temperature should reach 160 degrees and be firm on top. Garnish with sliced pineapple.

Thai Turkey Meatballs with Ginger Sauce

If you make one exotic new recipe this year, make it this one! Everything about this fantastic Chef Avram recipe -- the flavors, the aromas, and the combination of sweet and spicy ingredients -- will transport you to Southeast Asia, and give you a warm and exotic feeling even if when it's shiveringly cold outside. This makes a unique appetizer and an exciting main course if served atop rice or buckwheat noodles.

Ingredients:

2 pounds ground turkey
1 onion, chopped
8 cloves garlic, finely chopped
4 tsp chili paste
3 tbsp canola oil
2 tbsp brown sugar
12 oz. water chestnuts
1 cup cilantro sprigs
1/2 cup breadcrumbs

Ginger sauce ingredients:

1 tsp. sesame oil
1 tbsp. peeled fresh ginger slivered
2 tsp. scallion whites sliced finely
1 tsp. chopped garlic
3/4 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup plus 1 tbsp. honey
1 and 3/4 cup pineapple juice
2 tbsp. cornstarch
2 tbps. water
Cilantro sprigs for garnish

Procedure:

Dice onion into small dice. Heat oil in a medium sauté pan and sweat onion until transparent. Add garlic and continue to cook. Add chili paste and brown sugar. When mix is dissolved, remove from heat and set aside.

Drain and mince water chestnuts. Leave pieces about ¼ inch and no finer as to add crunch to the meat balls. Place onion mixture into bowl of food processor and pulse briefly. Add all other ingredients except water chestnuts and pulse a few times until blended.

Remove from processor and place in mixing bowl Fold in water chestnuts and blend well. Form in to little meatballs and bake at 350 for 10- 15 minutes.

Serve with ginger sauce.

Ginger sauce procedure:

In a medium saucepan over high heat place the pineapple juice, sesame oil, soy sauce, honey, ginger and garlic. Bring to a boil.

Dissolve cornstarch in water. While mixing well, pour into boiling sauce, slowly, until thickened consistency is reached. Remove from heat.

Finish with chopped scallions and cilantro sprigs.

Winter Culinary Boot Camps!

The Center for Kosher Culinary Arts is pleased to present our ever-popular Culinary Boot Camp, in two convenient day or evening schedules, this winter.

An intensive culinary experience designed for everyone from the frustrated home cook who finally wants to learn to “really cook” to the budding chef looking to take his or her kitchen prowess to the next level. Learn some of the same basic culinary fundamental skills taught to chefs in the finest cooking schools. Topics covered include: Knife skills, principles and application of all the major cooking methods, how to cook poultry, meat & fish, plating & presentation, and more. This program is a must for anyone who is tired of ruining dinner or conversely, dares to call themselves a good cook!

The classes are open to all enthusiastic and committed students age 16 and over.

$375 -- CALL TO REGISTER -- 718.758.1339

The Day Program will be an intense four-day experience beginning December 20th and continuing through December 24th, from 9am to 12 noon.

The Evening Program will occur on 5 consecutive Tuesday evenings, beginning November 30th, and ending December 28th, from 6:30pm to 9:30pm.

CKCA Cooks for Joan Nathan's Cookbook Signing in NYC!

Famed kosher cookbook author and NY Times writer Joan Nathan has hired CKCA to cook for her book signing and cooking demonstration at the Degustibus Cooking School at Macy's Herald Square on November 11th! Nathan's newest book is "Quiches, Kugels and Couscous: My Search for Jewish Cooking in France," published by Knopf. It was released November 2nd and is available for purchase here.

Because the Degustibus Cooking School is not a kosher facility, Nathan asked CKCA to prepare a set of delicious recipes selected from several of her cookbooks in advance -- so that they can be served under proper kosher supervision at the cooking demo. The cooking will take place with Chef Avram Wiseman helming a group of high achieving CKCA student and alumni chefs. Rabbi Zushe Blech will head up the kashruth supervision at the Midwood Jewish Center in advance of the event, and CKCA Pro Program Alumna and Mashgacha Joelle Cohn will supervise en route and at the event itself.

Chef Wiseman reports that there are one or two spots still available for students chefs to help assist with the event, so contact him at avram AT kosherculinaryarts.com if you are interested and have availability on November 10th in Midwood or November 11th in Manhattan.

The recipes that CKCA chefs will be preparing (all from Joan Nathan cookbooks) are as follows:

Moroccan Chicken with Olives and Lemons (Foods of Israel Today, page 286)

Israeli Couscous with Seasonal Vegetables (Foods of Israel Today, page 247)

Moroccan Red Pepper Salad (Jewish Cooking in America, page 277)

Citrus Fruit Soup with Dates and Mint (Quiches, Kugels and Couscous)

Ghouribi (Moroccan Sugar Cookies), (The Jewish Holiday Cookbook, page 320)

CKCA Cold Weather Fave: German Potato Salad

Continuing on the theme of his delicious side dishes after his big first place win at Kosherfest 2010's Cold Appetizer competition, Chef Avram Wiseman shares his kosher, fleishig version of German potato salad, a delicious and filling cold weather favorite!

Ingredients:

5 pounds Yukon gold potatoes
2 pounds Spanish onions, sliced thinly
1 pound smoked beef shoulder or beef “FRY”, cut into small dice
1 ½ cups Pommerey mustard (whole grain)
2 cups white vinegar
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 tbs. Caraway seeds
salt and pepper to taste
chopped parsley for garnish

Procedure:

Place washed potatoes to cook over high heat in cold salted water. Meanwhile place a medium sized, heavy bottom rondeau, over medium heat. Sweat smoked beef until much fat is rendered and beef begins to color. Deglaze the fond remaining from the beef with the sliced onions. Continue cooking without color. Add the vinegar, caraway, sugar and mustard and let cool to room temperature.

When the potatoes are fork tender, drain and let them cool to room temperature. Peel and slice the potatoes into the prepared dressing. Adjust seasoning and dressing consistency. Garnish with freshly chopped parsley and serve at room temperature or slightly warmed.

CKCA Fave Appetizer: Cold Sesame Noodles

On the heels of his big first place win at Kosherfest 2010's Cold Appetizer competition, Chef Avram Wiseman shares his favorite recipe for cold sesame noodles, sure to become a staple of your family's table for years to come. It is great appetizer or side dish, and it can easily be altered into a main dish when paired with grilled chicken, fish or tofu.

5 lb. soba, lo-mein, Or rice noodles
3 and 1/4 Cups strong hot tea
3 cups creamy peanut butter
3 cups soy sauce
1 cup sugar
2 medium cucumbers
1/2 cup toasted sesame oil
1/2 cup soybean oil
12 cloves peeled, chopped garlic
3 cups rice wine vinegar
12 scallions, washed, dried and minced
sesame seeds for garnish

Procedure:

Cook noodles as directed on package. Drain well. Rinse to remove extra gluten. Transfer to large stainless mixing bowl. Thin peanut butter with hot tea until smoothed. Add vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, oils and garlic. Pour mixture over noodles. Toss, cover and refrigerate.

Retoss noodles before serving. Peel, seed and jullienne cucumbers. Add minced scallions and cucumbers to noodles. Adjust seasonings, garnish with sesame seeds and serve.

Chef Avram Wiseman Takes First Place in Kosherfest's 3rd Annual Culinary Competition!

The Center for Kosher Culinary Arts is thrilled to extend congratulations to our own Dean of Students Chef Avram Wiseman on his first prize winning cold appetizer preparation in the Kosherfest 3rd Annual Culinary Competition, awarded on October 27th at Kosherfest 2010!

Chef Wiseman wowed the judges and the audience with a fresh fillet of wild caught Long Island Striped Bass rubbed with a tandoori spice mix, which was grilled and placed over a lentil salad. The fish was topped with a spicy pineapple salsa and was plated with a micro green salad with tarragon vinaigrette.

There were three other competitors in the event: Chef Pini Ben-Ari from U-Cafe, Chef Albert Bijou of Heaven's Kitchen Corporation and Chef Salim Fysal of Dashkin Glatt Kosher Indian Bistro.

Each chef had five minutes to assemble and plate four orders of their dish for presentation to the judges for tasting.

The event included judges Roberta Scher and Lois Held of Koshereye.com, writer/education Ted Merwin and cookbook author and James Beard Award Winner Gil Marks.

About Chef Wiseman

As any of his students will tell you, Chef Wiseman is an outstanding, caring chef instructor with many years of industry experience, though he has often said that his first love is teaching. Early in his career, Chef Wiseman held an astonishingly diverse number of positions in a wide array of settings — as banquet chef at the Tan a Tar Marriot, Missouri, Chef Garde Manger at the Garden City Hotel, Executive Sous Chef of the kitchen at the United Nations, and Executive Chef at the Riverhouse Restaurant.

Chef Wiseman is more than a little familiar with the demands of the kosher kitchen, having served as the executive chef for Lederman Caterers in Queens, Kay Caterers in NYC, President Caterers in Long Island, and is currently working as a consulting chef for Paradise Caterers at Marina Del Ray in The Bronx. He is also a Yeshiva graduate.

Chef Wiseman began teaching, his true passion, in 2000 at The Art Institute of New York. Over the six years he spent there, he earned a CHE certification in hospitality education and completed coursework in teaching methodology.

The next professional training class that Chef Wiseman will be teaching will be the Culinary Arts Certificate program in kosher culinary arts, beginning January 3, 2011 and ending March 15, 2011. The next recreational program taught by Chef Wiseman will be "Ask the Chef," a culinary demonstration and tasting, on November 27, 2010. Call 718-758-1339 for more information.

About the Center for Kosher Culinary Arts


Based in Flatbush, Brooklyn, above a cookware store owned by Lubavitcher Jews, CKCA initially offered only recreational cooking, cake decorating and garnishing classes. However, many people who attended the classes requested professional training, so they could learn classic techniques and apply them in professional kosher environments. Until CKCA was established, the only way a kosher-keeping student could study the culinary arts in the United States was to attend a non-kosher program and rely on classmates to taste the food. CKCA is also one of the only ways a non-Jewish student learns the art of kosher cooking, in order to compete for an increasing number of jobs in kosher restaurants and catering. Several experienced master chefs are on CKCA's permanent faculty as chef instructors, including Chef Avram Wiseman, formerly Executive Sous Chef at the United Nations and Chef Instructor at the Art Institute of New York.

Over the past two years, approximately 140 individuals from numerous states and abroad have completed CKCA professional courses. Those who have desired internships have been placed, and many have found work through CKCA as well. Several grads have opened their own food-related businesses, and many have found commercial success working as personal chefs and caterers. For more information, visit http://www.kosherculinaryarts.com.

Crunchy Chicken Salad

We're all looking for new, fun and interesting ways to present chicken to our families. In honor of our upcoming recreational Sunday class, "Chicken Six Ways," which promised to teach all of us a few new ways to cook our favorite bird, we invite you to try Chef Avram's favorite chicken salad recipe, which adds crunch and life to all of all that boiled soup chicken that we never know what to do with. Chef Avram reports that this sharp, simple and savory recipe is a big crowd pleaser. It's perfect for an Erev Shabbos dinner or lunch, served with challah, toast or matzah.

To sign up for Chicken Six Ways, a class which will be given by Chef Russell Moss, Executive Chef of the 92nd Street Y Tribeca Cafe, on Sunday, November 7th, call 718-758-1339.

Ingredients:

3 and 1/2 cups cooked chicken (24 ounces)
3/4 cup minced celery
1 small onion, minced
3/4 cup minced water chestnuts
1 cup mayonnaise
1 tbsp minced fresh dill (or 1/2 tsp minced dried dill)
2 tbsp white vinegar
3 tbsp Canola oil
Salt and white pepper to taste

Procedure:

Remove all skin, bone and cartilage from the cooked chicken and dice the meat into 1/4 inch cubes. Place into a sanitized mixing bowl.

Finely mince the onion, water chestnuts, and celery. Squeeze all excess water from the minced vegetables (using a clean towel or cheesecloth) until they are quite dry. Add the vegetables and all other ingredients to the chicken.

Mix well to bind. Chill immediately. Garnish with additional minced fresh dill.

A CKCA Favorite: Mulligatawny Soup

Mulligatawny soup is a favorite at CKCA, made every semester in Chef Avram Wiseman's pro class, often in the first week of cooking. It's a great recipe for students to get comfortable in the kitchen, working as part of a brigade, because there's lots of mis en place (ingredients to be made ready for cooking) to prepare that can be shared among a group of people. It's also a great example of the use of delicious Indian spices that can be used in many recipes to add flavor and color to everyday recipes such as roasted vegetables or chicken.

There's no reason this recipe can't be made at home, and it's a thick, spicy, comforting soup that's just perfect for the fall. It can be either served as an appetizer or as a full meal in itself.


Ingredients:

1/4 cup vegetable oil
3 cups chopped onions (about 1 pound)
5 garlic cloves, chopped
4 cups eggplant, peeled,cut into small dice
1 1/2 tablespoons garam masala (see a recipe for this spice blend in "comments")
1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 bay leaves
2 cups dried red lentils
8 cups low-salt chicken broth
2 cups diced cooked chicken
1 cup canned unsweetened coconut milk
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 cups cooked basmati rice
Lemon wedges for garnish

Procedure

Heat vegetable oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook until golden brown, stirring frequently, about 15 minutes. Add garlic and sauté 2 minutes. Add garam masala and next 4 ingredients; stir 1 minute. Add eggplant and continue cooking. Add lentils; stir until coated. Add chicken broth. Bring the soup to a boil; reduce heat to medium and simmer until lentils are very tender, about 30 minutes. Discard bay leaves.

Puree the soup using a hand wand or food processor until smooth. Stir in chicken, coconut milk, and lemon juice. Reheat and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Divide rice among bowls. Pour soup over. Garnish with lemon wedges; serve with cilantro sprigs, chives and a dash of coconut milk.

Artisanal Melon Carving & Fruit Platters with Food Network Star James Parker

Fruit & Vegetable Carving Ace James Parker, found of Veggyart.com, returns to CKCA for a one-day workshop on the art of melon carving and fruit platters. James travels worldwide teaching the art of carving and was the winner of the Food Network Fantasy Fruit Sculpture Challenge. Watch the full video here.

Sunday, October 24, 2010
9 am - 1 pm. $175,
10% off for CKCA Pro Program (Culinary, Baking) alumni!
Call to register, 718.758.1339
More here on Facebook.

Come See Us At Kosherfest!

The Center for Kosher Culinary Arts is thrilled to once again be attending and exhibiting at the world's largest kosher food tradeshow, Kosherfest! At the Meadowlands Convention Center (Seacaucus, NJ) on October 26th and 27th, CKCA will be exhibiting at booth 445, and we look forward to having you stop by to say hi to our chef, students, director and founders.

We always look forward to attending Kosherfest, because it is here where we often see very interesting trends and get to view a large array of new products that will be hitting the kosher marketplace in the coming year. We learn a lot about the availability of gourmet products and how even the oldest kosher food companies are constantly developing new products and innovating with flavors and packaging. It doesn't hurt that we also get to taste new and old kosher products too!

As an added incentive to attend Kosherfest this year, we're excited to announce that Chef Avram Wiseman, our new Dean of Student Affairs, will be participating in Kosherfest's third annual culinary competition on October 26th, so make sure you attend and cheer him on at 11am in Conference Room CD. A panel of industry professionals will judge and decide who takes the title for best kosher appetizer.

Master Class: The Cuisine of Italy

This January, Italy comes to CKCA! We are delighted to welcome Italian Cooking Instructors, Cristina Blasi and Gabriella Mari of Tuscany's "Scuola di Arte Culinaria Cordon Bleu Firenze" to CKCA for our very first week long, hands-on master class in Italian Cuisine. In this four day intensive course, Cristina and Gabriella will teach both classic and contemporary dishes from the Italian North, the Italian South, Tuscany, and the ...Mediterranean. A certificate of completion will be rewarded to all participants.

A reception is to be held on Sunday, January 23rd for students to meet and greet Cristina and Gabriella and each other.

ABOUT THE COOKING INSTRUCTORS:

Cristina Blasi and Gabriella Mari are the owners of the prestigious Scuola di Arte Culinaria Cordon Bleu in Florence, (http://www.cordonbleu-it.com/) where they have been teaching the art of Italian cuisine for over 25 years. They are fully qualified Cordon Bleu instructors and members of the "Commanderie des Cordons Bleus de France". Cristina and Gabriell also teach Cookeuro.com’s kosher program, La Cucina Kasher in Toscana, Florence, and have taught in the New York metropolitan area at The Institute of Culinary Education, King’s Cooking Studio, and the Sephardic Community Center.

$475 -- CALL TO REGISTER -- 718.758.1339

Mon - Thurs, Jan 24 - Jan 27 (YESHIVA BREAK), 10 am - 2 pm

Visit the facebook page but you MUST CALL and confirm your rsvp: http://www.facebook.com/#!/event.php?eid=158701220821401&ref=ts

CKCA Chef Instructor Avram Wiseman Named Dean of Student Affairs

Dean Avram Wiseman is second from left, pictured with several students.

The Center for Kosher Culinary Arts (CKCA) is pleased to announce that Senior Chef Instructor Avram Wiseman has been appointed Dean of Student Affairs for CKCA. This newly created position requires a unique combination of teaching, curriculum development, student counseling, networking with industry professionals, and culinary performance. Dean Wiseman will also serve as an advisor to the CKCA director in several professional capacities, and represent CKCA at public events.

As a professional trade school, the Center for Kosher Culinary Arts is committed to providing its students with meaningful on-the-job training opportunities, honest career counseling, and lifetime job placement assistance. Dean Wiseman, in his new capacity, will serve as the CKCA students' primary career counselor, by managing the student externship and job placement programs, which the school has committed to expanding in the near term.

In his capacity as CKCA's culinary ambassador, Dean Wiseman will work to raise awareness of CKCA in surrounding communities. He will travel throughout the NY/NJ area and promote the school via engaging, entertaining and memorable culinary demonstrations and performances.

As any of his previous students will tell you, Dean Wiseman is an outstanding, caring chef instructor with many years of industry experience, though he has often said that his first love is teaching. He has a dynamic, engaging personality and is a natural, motivating speaker and performer.

Early in his career, Dean Wiseman held an astonishingly diverse number of positions in a wide array of settings — as banquet chef at the Tan a Tar Marriot, Missouri, Chef Garde Manger at the Garden City Hotel, Executive Sous Chef of the kitchen at the United Nations, and Executive Chef at the Riverhouse Restaurant in New Jersey (where he earned 4 stars from the Asbury Park Press).

Dean Wiseman is more than a little familiar with the demands of the kosher kitchen, having served as the executive chef for Lederman Caterers in Queens, Kay Caterers in NYC, President Caterers in Long Island, and is currently working as a consulting chef for Paradise Caterers at Marina Del Ray in The Bronx. He is also a Yeshiva graduate.

Dean Wiseman began teaching, his true passion, in 2000 at The Art Institute of New York. Over the six years he spent there, he earned a CHE certification in hospitality education and completed coursework in teaching methodology.

The Center for Kosher Culinary Arts is delighted to have Dean Wiseman as part of our team, and we look forward to continuing our work with the benefit of his leadership and expertise.

Recipes for a Sweet New Year

As we wish everyone a happy, healthy, joyous and prosperous Shanah Tovah, we are happy to provide you with the links to our wonderful Yom Tov recipes from this season.

Rosh Hashanah Recipe: CKCA's Famous Honey Cake

CKCA's Yom Tov Treat: Dark Chocolate Cake with Mocha Fudge Frosting

CKCA's Yom Tov Treat: Mama Deb's Famous Apple Kugel.

Enjoy and we look forward to seeing everyone in 5771. Until then, Happy Cooking and Chag Samayach!!

Chef Instructor John Murphy Joins CKCA as Evening Pro Instructor

This fall, Chef John Murphy joins the Center for Kosher Culinary Arts as an instructor for the evening Professional Program in Culinary Arts. Chef Murphy has a wide range of experience in culinary education and an exciting history of supporting students in competitive culinary competitions.

Chef Murphy has worked in the culinary profession for more than 30 years. For the last 15 years, he has worked as a culinary educator at Barry Tech Center, a part of Nassau Bureau of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES), located in Westbury, NY.

While at Barry Tech, Chef Murphy has been very involved with Skills USA. He has guided five of his students to New York State Culinary Arts Competition's First Place Gold Medals. In 2007, his student finished second at the Skills USA National Championship in Kansas City, MO. He has also been the New York State Culinary Championship’s Cluster Chair since 2004. He oversees four competitions: culinary; baking; table service and food preparation assistant.


Chef Murphy has been an active member of the American Culinary Federation Long Island Chapter since its founding in 1992. He has served as a member of the Board of Directors as long as he has been a member of the chapter as well as having served as treasurer, vice president, and newsletter chair. He has been the membership chair for the last five years. John has been the recipient of many chapter awards including Chef of the Year in 2002.

Chef Murphy continues to hone his skills by working in industry during his down time from school as well as visiting his former students when possible to learn what they now have to teach him. As a culinary educator, he draws from his many years of culinary experience to pass along to students not only the skills for success in the kitchen but also for life. He feels those life skills are the most important things they can learn: teamwork, integrity, organization, respect, compassion and a good sense of humor.

The Jewish Star: It's Date Night: Time to Make Dinner

Editor's note: The below article refers to the Culinary Date Night classes taught by Chef Mark D'Allessandro at the Center for Kosher Culinary Arts on August 18 and 19, 2010. A new series of Culinary Date Night courses, including a culinary competition for couples, will debut in December 2010.



It’s date night: Time to Make Dinner

by Stephen Wallach

This article originally appeared in The Jewish Star: Individual and Original Reporting from the Orthodox Communities of Long Island, August 28, 2010.

When you think about going out on a date, some type of food and some sort of activity are involved. A picnic can be romantic, but preparing the meal is rarely the event itself. But that’s what six couples experienced on “Culinary Date Night” recently at the Center for Kosher Culinary Arts in Flatbush. My wife and I went with another couple and I wasn’t sure what to expect out of the program. Then again, my first date with Miriam ended with my tie being rung out in an elevator by partners of the law firm where I worked at the time, when I walked in drenched from head-to-toe from our walk in the rain. Life with her tends to be full of surprises.

We filed through a doorway and up a set of stairs to a room filled with a commercial oven, kitchen supplies, and two long metal tables with folding bar stools set in front of cutting boards. Each person got their own butcher knife and the evening was shaping up to be a cross between a slasher movie and a good game of Clue. While Professor Plum and Miss Scarlet were not there, we had our own cast of characters. There was the “pretty” couple, the newlyweds, the pregnant couple, and the couple that was so out of their element. When that wife said she had never tasted lox before in her life, the “pretty” husband asked her if she was really Ashkenaz.

Chef Mark D’Alessandro and his team of sous chefs and assistants helped make this a memorable night. He demonstrated the different dishes in the four-course kosher meal that he had designed. The first course was blini with smoked salmon, where he emphasized the need to make small pancakes, fried just so. Next, for the soup course, an easy but tasty white gazpacho, followed by a demonstration of the deboning of a chicken leg that was then stuffed, seared and cooked. Dessert was a poached pear accompanied by French toast strips, soaked in a coconut cream, alongside caramel sauce and sorbet.

Each couple got to make blinis, the appetizing course, as a way for every one to get into the feel of the evening. We then broke into three teams of two couples each to prepare the next three courses. This is where I began to feel like I was in the middle of a taping of either Top Chef or Dinner: Impossible as 12 people ran around a fully stocked kitchen searching for serving utensils or fresh ingredients in the commercial refrigerators.

Meticulous attention was paid to kashrut throughout the entire class. My wife and the couple we were with were assigned the gazpacho. With some predictable goofs by people working in a rush on a dish they have never made before, working from a recipe that was to be tripled, our course ended up tasting very good and looking good, too. But the pit I get in my stomach during slasher films came back as the four other couples, some of whom didn’t seem to know which end of the knife to hold, were now responsible for the rest of dinner.

When prep time was over, the tables were cleared, cleaned and covered in white linens. Flowers were put on the table and the dishes were set. Each team was now responsible to plate and serve its own course. All of these strangers were able to assume their roles in this choreographed dance, weaving in and out, setting twelve places and serving three different courses. When all was set, we were able to eat.

A night with the potential to be another where I would be rung out in an elevator, or found in a freezer a few scenes ahead in my slasher flick, turned into a pleasant surprise. The food was actually very good. Each course was pretty and tasted good enough to want to have again. At the end of the evening we were able to call this a success. One, the food was good. Two, the experience was one I would probably do again and our friends had fun as well. And three, my date had a good time. I guess I’ll call her again.
If he hasn’t already experienced them firsthand, Stephen Wallach hears most of the stories in “That’s Life” before you do. E-mail info@kosherculinaryarts.com for more information about The Center For Kosher Culinary Arts or for future programming.

The original article appears here: https://thejewishstar.wordpress.com/2010/08/25/it%E2%80%99s-date-night-time-to-make%C2%A0dinner/

Fire Up Your Ovens! New Evening Culinary Arts Course Starts October 3rd!

CKCA's fall evening course in classic Culinary Arts is set to begin October 6th, immediately following the chagim.

This is the only kosher program of its kind in the US.

Classes are open to men and women ages 16 and above and appropriate for anyone who is passionate about cooking and committed to expanding his or her knowledge and skill set in an intensive, professional environment.

PLEASE NOTE: THIS PROGRAM IS NOT AFFILIATED WITH KINGSBOROUGH COMMUNITY COLLEGE

The dates for the Fall program are as follows;
150 hours
October 3 - February 7th
Sunday and Monday Evenings
6:30pm-10:30pm

Please contact Jesse Blonder at the Center for Kosher Culinary Arts for more information and an application at 718-758-1339, or visit
http://www.kosherculinaryarts.com. The application is also available for download at this link.

CKCA Summer Open House

Thinking about taking a professional or recreational class at CKCA?

Come try a delicious selection of hot and cold hors d'oeurves and canapes (free of charge!) and meet Chef Avram Wiseman as well as CKCA staff and current students of the Summer 2010 Pro-Program in Culinary Arts at our next CKCA Open House!

You can feel free to ask questions to Chef Wiseman, CKCA director Jesse Blonder, or any of the students. They will also be happy to share with you some of the special hors d'oeuvres recipes created for the event, which you will be able to taste for yourself.

The event is on Friday, August 27th, at 12:00pm to 1:00pm. RSVP is required.

To RSVP, please call Jesse Blonder at 718-758-1339.

CKCA is located in Flatbush, Brooklyn, at 1407 Coney Island Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11230. Visit us on the web for more information: http://www.kosherculinaryarts.com.

Middle Eastern Mezze: Moroccan Cigars

Moroccan Cigars are a delicious appetizer and a great addition to any Middle Eastern Mezze (sampler or small plates). In honor of our upcoming course, Middle Eastern Mezze, which will occur on Monday, August 23, at 7:30pm (a few spots are still available! Call 718-758-1339 to sign up!), we are sharing the following delectable recipe for Moroccan Cigars.

About this class: "The lightness and emphasis on fresh ingredients makes the cuisine of the Mediterranean and middle east the perfect summer fare. Join CKCA and one of our top chef instructors for an exploration of "mezze" or small plates and tasty nibbles from a variety of countries throughout this region."

Moroccan Cigars

1 onion, finely chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
1 pound ground Lamb, Beef, Veal or Chicken
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1 pinch cayenne pepper (optional)
freshly ground pepper
kosher salt
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
5 eggs, beaten
1 lb filo pastry (or large wonton wrappers)
6oz margarine, melted

Saute the onions in the olive oil until softened. Add the ground meat and cook until there is no more pink. While cooking, separate the meat with a spatula to avoid clumps from forming. Add spices, and salt and pepper to taste. When mixture is seasoned to your liking, add the beaten eggs and remove from the flame. Mix until the eggs become creamy. It will be slightly wet. Add the chopped parsley to the mixture, reserving a bit for a garnish.

Cut filo pastry lengthwise into a stack of rectangles. Brush the corners of three sides of the first rectangle with melted margarine. Place a small amount (approximately 2 tsp) of the filling along one of the shorter edges (the one without margarine), and roll into a tight cigar, folding in the corners as you go. Brush the end of the cigar with more melted margarine if necessary to secure it and to keep it from opening.

Place unbaked cigars on a non-stick pan or over non-stick foil. Brush tops with melted margarine. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-35 minutes until golden brown. Cigars can also be finished by frying in olive oil until golden brown on all sides. Garnish with chopped parsley.

Yields 20-30 cigars, depending on how much filling you use for each cigar.

Culinary Date Night Sells Out! Second Class is Now Open!

Chef Mark D'Allessandro (pictured above), a previous chef instructor of the CKCA Pro Program in Culinary Arts, returns to us this August 17th to teach a special seminar for couples, Culinary Date Night. But the August 17th date sold out so quickly that CKCA has added a second Culinary Date Night for August 18th, 2010. The cost is $125 for couple and it's selling out fast, so sign up now! The price is inclusive of the full meal after the class with wine and other delicacies.

This exciting class will include a short class with each couple working together to create a delicious four course, upscale dinner. Special attention will be paid to teaching how to plate and present each course so that they appeal to the eye as well as to the palate. The evening will finish with a white tablecloth dining experience complete with wine, flowers, candles, and all the other trimmings of a meal to remember.

This is sure to be an evening to remember with that special someone, so make sure to sign up now. Call 718-758-1339 to register.

This Fall, Moonlight as a Kosher Chef!

Back by popular demand! CKCA has scheduled dates for our Fall Evening Program in Professional Culinary Arts and Professional Baking & Pastry Arts, so that working professionals and students can spend just two evenings a week learning strategies to succeed as a classical professional chef.



This is an amazing opportunity for people who are already working to get the kind of training that will secure better job opportunities and a world of new experiences.

The Pro Program in Culinary Arts dates are as follows:

August 29 - January 10, 2010
Sunday & Monday Evenings
6:30 - 10:30 pm
NO CLASS SEPTEMBER 26-27, SUKKOT

The Pro Program in Baking & Pastry Arts dates are as follows:

EVENING
August 31 - January 19th
Wednesday & Thursday Nights
6:30 - 10:30 pm

In observane of Rosh Hashana, Yom Kuppur, and Sukkot the schedule for this program for the month of September will be as follows:

week 1: Tues - Thurs, Aug 31 - Sept 2
week 2: Tues, Sept 7
week 3: Tues - Thurs, Sept 14 - Sept 16
week 4: Tues, Sept 21
week 5: NO CLASS, SUKKOT

There will also be NO CLASS on Thursday, November 25, Thanksgiving.

The Professional Day Program in Culinary Arts is also running this fall:

October 4 - December 9, 2010
Monday - Thursday
9 am - 1 pm
NO CLASS NOVEMBER 24 - 25, THANKSGIVING

CKCA Guest Chef James Parker to Appear in Food Network Challenge!

Our own Chef James Parker, who teaches our recreational master classes in fruit and vegetable carving, will be appearing beginning Sunday, July 18th, on the Food Network, on a program called Food Network Challenge: Food Landscapes.

If you haven't had the opportunity yet to take one of Chef James' classes at CKCA, this is a great opportunity to see him in action. He is not only a talented fruit sculptor; He's also a great teacher, so make sure you watch our recreational class listings and sign up early for his next class. They always fill up!

The dates for Chef James' appearance, and several repeats, are as follows (All appearances are on the Food Network):

*
Jul 18, 2010
8:00 PM ET/PT
*
Jul 19, 2010
3:00 AM ET/PT
*
Jul 21, 2010
7:00 PM ET/PT
*
Jul 24, 2010
6:00 PM ET/PT

* Jul 25, 2010
7:00PM ET/PT

* Jul 26, 2010 - Fantasy Fruit Sculptures
7:00PM ET/PT

* Jul 27, 2010 - Fantasy Fruit Sculptures - THE REMATCH
7:00PM ET/PT

CKCA Open House June 23th!

Thinking about taking a class at CKCA?

Come try a delicious selection of hot and cold hors d'oeurves and canapes (free of charge!) and meet Chef Avram Wiseman as well as CKCA staff and current students at the next CKCA Open House!

You can feel free to ask questions to Chef Wiseman, CKCA director Jesse Blonder, or any of the students. They will also be happy to share with you some of the special hors d'oeuvres recipes created for the event, which you will be able to taste for yourself.

The event is on Wednesday, June 23, at 12:30pm. RSVP is required.

To RSVP, please call Jesse Blonder at 718-758-1339.

CKCA is located in Flatbush, Brooklyn, at 1407 Coney Island Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11230. Visit us on the web for more information: http://www.kosherculinaryarts.com.

Tart and Sweet Acapulco Bass

This is an amazing recipe shared by our favorite fish-grilling Chef Avram Wiseman. It's sharp, spicy, tart, fresh and sweet all at the same time. It's one of those restaurant quality fish dishes that you order over and over again. And now, with the recipe in hand, you can make it in the comfort of your own home!

INGREDIENTS:

* 4 (6 ounce) Bass fillets
* 1/3 cup tequila
* 1/2 cup orange liqueur
* 3/4 cup fresh lime juice
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 3 large cloves garlic, peeled and minced
* 4 tablespoons olive oil
* 3 medium tomatoes, diced
* 1 medium onion, chopped
* 1 small jalapeno, seeded and minced
* 1 cup mango, peeled, small Paysanne cut (the size and shape of scrabble tiles)
* 8 large sprigs fresh cilantro
* 1 pinch white sugar
* salt to taste
* 1 tablespoon olive oil
* ground black pepper to taste

PROCEDURE:

1. Place the fish in a shallow baking dish. In a bowl, stir together the tequila, orange liqueur, lime juice, 1 teaspoon salt, garlic, and olive oil. Pour the marinade mixture over fillets, and rub into the fish. Cover, and refrigerate for 1/2 hour, turning the fillets once.

2. Reserve 1 sprig of cilantro per plate for garnish and coarsely chop the remainder.

3. Preheat the grill for high heat.

4. In a medium bowl, toss together the tomatoes, onion, mango, jalapeno, cilantro, and sugar. Season to taste with salt. Set salsa aside.

5. Remove the fillets from the marinade, and pat them dry. Brush the fillets with oil, and sprinkle with ground black pepper. In a small saucepan, boil remaining marinade for several minutes. Remove from heat, and strain out garlic cloves. Pour the prepared salsa into boiled marinade and heat briefly.

6. Grill fish for 4 minutes per side, or until the fish flakes easily with a fork. Transfer fillets to a serving dish. Transfer the fish to a serving plate. Spoon salsa over the fish. Garnish with cilantro sprigs.

Students Arrive from Around the World to Study Culinary Arts at CKCA

It used to be impossible for kosher-keeping students to learn how to make croissants and delicate French pastries from real French pastry chefs. But at CKCA, the Center for Kosher Culinary Arts, students are learning from true masters every day, and as more and more people have heard about the program offerings, CKCA has begun welcoming students from literally all over the world.

Lured by the rigorous course programs, classic French culinary training and top-notch kashrus instruction designed to assist the kosher chef in professional environments, CKCA has this fall, winter and spring welcomed three students from Panama City, three students from Toronto and one from Melbourne, Australia. Other recent semesters have seen students joining CKCA courses from as far away as England, Israel and Mexico, as well as students from Michigan, Illinois, Florida, Arizona and California, as well as from every community all over the tri-state area.

To help guide the pastry component of CKCA's Professional Certificate Program in Baking & Pastry, Chef Philippe Kaemmerle has joined the already distinguished CKCA faculty this semester as a lead chef instructor. Trained in Strasbourg, France, Kaemmerle has made classic French pastry all over the world, from Paris, Stockholm and St. Tropez, to Manhattan, in restaurants such as Windows on the World, the 21 Club and Aquavit. He has also been an instructor for the past 14 years at The Art Institute of New York, and has also taught at the French Culinary Institute and New York Technical College.



Chef Kaemmerle is intrigued by the burgeoning world of kosher food, and feels that there is a great opportunity for the kosher world to embrace classic French pastry. "There is not such a big concentration right now in kosher pastries, but this is going to get better and better as the education of the students improve," he said.

"It is a learning process and a wonderful challenge to work on the recipe substitutions necessary for kosher baking, but generally it is not very much and substitutions: margarine, rice milk, whipped topping... these all work well," said Chef Kaemmerle.

Based in Flatbush, Brooklyn, above a cookware store owned by Lubavitcher Jews, CKCA initially offered only recreational cooking, cake decorating and garnishing classes. However, many people who attended the classes requested professional training, so they could learn classic techniques and apply them in professional kosher environments. Until CKCA was established, the only way a kosher-keeping student could study the culinary arts in the United States was to attend a non-kosher program and rely on classmates to taste the food. CKCA is also one of the only ways a non-Jewish student learns the art of kosher cooking, in order to compete for an increasing number of jobs in kosher restaurants and catering.

Several experienced master chefs are on CKCA's permanent faculty as chef instructors, including Chef Avram Wiseman, formerly Executive Sous Chef at the United Nations and Chef Instructor at the Art Institute of New York, Chef Mark Hellermann, a veteran New York pastry chef and Chef Instructor at the New York Restaurant School, and Chef David Ritter, a graduate of the French Culinary Institute, restaurant owner and Chef Instructor at the Art Institute of New York.

Over the past two years, approximately 125 individuals from numerous states and abroad have completed CKCA professional courses. Those who have desired internships have been placed, and many have found work through CKCA as well. Several grads have opened their own food-related businesses, and many have found commercial success working as personal chefs and caterers.

In the Professional Culinary Arts program, curriculum includes kashrut, food safety and sanitation lectures as well as preparation for NYC Dept of Health and ServSafe certifications. Class size in both Pro Culinary and Pro Baking and Pastry is limited to allow maximum individual attention.

Classes in kashrut are taught by Rabbi Zushe Blech, a world renowned authority on the intersection between halacha (Jewish law) and kosher food. Blech is the author of the landmark book, "Kosher Food Production."

For more information, visit http://www.KosherCulinaryArts.com, or call Jesse Blonder, CKCA Director, at 718.758.1339. There is also a website for the Pro-Baking program, visible at http://www.kosherbakingandpastry.com, and a website for the Culinary Arts program, visible at http://www.kosherculinaryarts.blogspot.com.

CKCA is located at 1407 Coney Island Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11230.

Baby Spinach Salad with Balsamic Strawberries and Avocado

Strawberries are finally back in season, and nothing says “spring” like this refreshing sweet salad. Be sure to assemble this salad immediately prior to serving, to prevent the spinach from wilting.

The recipe is shared from the "Spring Salads" recreational class taught this past Sunday, May 23rd, by Naomi Ross. To see the full schedule of upcoming recreational classes, visit http://www.kosherculinaryarts.com.

Baby Spinach Salad with Balsamic Strawberries and Avocado

¼ cup balsamic vinegar

2-3 tbsp. sugar

1 quart strawberries, hulled and sliced

1 pkg. baby spinach, washed and spun dry

1 ripe avocado, pit removed and thinly sliced (1/8” thick)

1/3 cup olive oil

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1-2 tbsp. sesame seeds, for garnish

Place vinegar and sugar in a large mixing bowl and whisk to blend. Add sliced strawberries and turn to coat. Set aside to marinate for 20-30 minutes, turning once or twice.

Drain strawberries and transfer to separate bowl, reserving balsamic juices. Slowly drizzle olive oil into balsamic mixture, whisking continuously until emulsified. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Divide spinach amongst individual salad plates. Place 3-4 slices of avocado decoratively over spinach, alternating with balsamic strawberries. Repeat with each salad plate. Spoon dressing over each salad, and garnish with a sprinkling of sesame seeds. Serve and enjoy.

Summer Classes in Kosher Culinary Arts

Love to cook? Spend your summer in culinary school!

Don't lay around bored this summer vacation! Instead, hone your understanding and practice of fundamental culinary technique, and develop an understanding of flavor and taste and appreciation for quality ingredients. And do all this in a glatt kosher environment with top instructors committed to helping you become the best chef you can be!

Our professional training program in culinary arts will be offered on two different schedules this summer:

MORNING
July 5 - August 26
Monday - Friday
9 am - 1 pm

AFTERNOON
July 5 - August 26
Monday - Thursday
2 pm - 7 pm

For more information, call Jesse Blonder at CKCA, at 718-758-1339. Visit CKCA on the web at http://www.kosherculinaryarts.com.