Your Online Kosher Gift Guide
Kosher kishka is one of the most popular kosher foods. It's often served during the holidays and at large family gatherings. Here is a favorite recipe for kosher kishka. Remember to buy each item kosher as certified under the kosher organizations.
Ingredients:
1.5 cups of flour
2 cups of matzo meal
8 feet total of kosher beef casings (extra thin)
A pinch of pepper
1.5 cups of melted kosher chicken fat
2 teaspoons of salt
Additional salt
To begin, you need to wash the kosher beef casings and then cut them into pieces of 10 inches. After you cut the casings, tie one end of each piece with baking string. Then you need to turn the casing inside out so that they can be filled. Make sure the string is tight before you turn the casings inside out.
To make the kosher kishka filling, you need to combine all of the other ingredients, aside from the extra salt. After mixing the ingredients, fill each casing carefully. The best way to do so is with a small spoon. You can also put the mix into a plastic bag, twist the top, and cut off a corner in order to squeeze the filling into the casings. The filling shouldn't be packed in tightly, but slightly loose.
Tie the ends of the casings with the same string and cut off the edges on both sides. Begin to boil water. When the water is boiled, place each filled casing in. It's best to do about three at a time. You should boil them for about 15 minutes.
Take out the cooked filled casings and scrape off excess fat and grease.
Boil water with pinches of salt and pepper. Let the water cool down and put the filled casings back in. Let these, all together, simmer for about two and a half hours. Afterwards, remove them from the water and then place them in the refridgerator. One cooled, cut into half inch slices. Then fry in a pan in order to re-heat.
Written by Rachel Krech
No matter what the occasion, buying a last-minute gift is never easy. Finding a perfect gift is hard enough when you have plenty of time, and that last-minute crunch adds pressure and stress to the mix. Since food and wine are universally popular last-minute gifts, the problem is compounded when you are unsure of the recipient's dietary restrictions.
There is a simple way to avoid worrying whether or not your gift of food or drink will be well received, though - by purchasing kosher gifts. Most kosher foods are appropriate for people of any religion, and those who observe kosher dietary laws will be especially touched by your thoughtfulness.
Gift baskets, chocolates and other food items make great gifts, but it's not always easy to find just the right treat for a specific holiday, especially if you wish to purchase kosher products. Kosher retailers like Enstrom's, which specializes in kosher candy and other kosher gifts, are a lifesaver for last-minute shoppers. These retailers have Web sites for quick online ordering and offer overnight shipping - you can get chocolate coins for Hanukah, candy for Purim, nuts for Passover or honey for Rosh Hashanah, all with a few clicks of a mouse.
For those who drink alcohol, kosher wine is a perfect quick gift. Although kosher wine has a reputation for being overly sweet and not always high quality, kosher wines have improved greatly over the years and should no longer be considered second-rate. Luckily for last-minute shoppers, kosher wines are available at most wine stores - just ask the salesperson for some guidance in choosing a wine that your friends or family will enjoy.
If you are certain that you're buying a gift for someone who observes kosher dietary laws, a kosher cookbook makes a terrific gift, which can be purchased online or on a last-minute dash to the bookstore. Even those who don't keep kosher may find a kosher cookbook useful, especially if they are interested in learning about other cultures and cuisines.
Doing all of your holiday gift shopping at the last minute may not be ideal, but it needn't be a chore, either. By choosing kosher gifts, you eliminate at least one source of stress - all that's left to worry about is whether or not you've chosen the right wrapping paper!
Written by Lindsay Woodland
Selecting the proper kosher gift for special holidays is always a great adventure. Whether buying for yourself or honoring the religious beliefs of close friends or relatives, bear in mind it takes a little bit of research to ensure the kosher food gifts are certified; however, the recipient will appreciate the fact that the time and care was taken to select such a special gift. There is a wide variety of kosher food gift items from which to select for the many holidays that adhere to Jewish dietary laws appropriate to the recognized holidays including Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Chanukkah, Pesach, Sukkot and many others.
If planning to honor a friend on a specific holiday and presenting a bottle of wine is your preference, do the research to ensure the wine selected has in fact honored the agricultural laws to make kosher wine. Visit Kosher Wine Report to do a little research prior to purchasing the bottle of wine and try to select a wine appropriate to the holiday. For instance, a great recommendation for kosher wine for Rosh Hashanah is Recanati Petit Syrah. Made from a combination of 70 percent petit syrah and 30 percent zinfandel, the delicious wine is an Israeli blend that is a fragrant and spicy red wine. The retail price for a bottle of Recanati Petit Syrah is approximately $16.99.
Shiner Hefeweizen Beer is another excellent gift to give when visiting friends throughout the Jewish holidays, though finding the beer locally may be a challenge. If you plan in advance you may still be able to get your hands on the popular product by ordering kosher products online. Shiner Hefeweizen is brewed in Shiner, Texas, and it doesn't bear the Va'd symbol on the label; however, it is under the supervision of the Va'd in Detroit, Michigan, and it can be found online at Sam's.
Enstrom's makes an incredible almond toffee that meets the certification for kosher dairy products and offers a variety of kosher candy from which to select ideas for gift giving. The selection of kosher candy available includes milk chocolate, dark chocolate, toffee squares and toffee petites. Available in 4- or 5-pound boxes as well as in gift tins, the delicious toffee can be purchased from the official Web site.
If in doubt as to certification when purchasing a kosher food gift item look for the OU seal. When purchasing in a shop, ask the shopkeeper. Another excellent way to stay informed about kosher gift giving particularly as it pertains to food items is to visit the Web site OUkosher.org, which provides a wealth of information regarding kosher certification including newly certified products. Ensure that the kosher gift you give for the holidays is certified and take pride in doing the research to enjoy the act of kosher gift giving.
Written by J. Rica Middlebrooks
Wracking your brain for ideas on kosher gifts you can give in a corporate setting? If so, you are in luck. A variety of companies offer gift items created with the Jewish faith in mind. They are all food items, professional and perfect for workers at different levels of responsibility in the office. Here are three key suggestions.
Enstrom's Almond Toffee Squares. These sweets come in individual bronze packing and a tin. They are crunchy and decadent - just right for a man or woman in middle management who has a sweet tooth. Give them a tin and solidify your working relationship.
Kosherline's Tea and Dream Basket. Have a corporate buddy who can't wait for tea time? Then he or she will fall head over heals for this basket. It includes a variety of flavored teas ranging from apple delight to peppermint. Also, this Kosherline product includes little nibblers like buttermilk cookies, vegetable pate and cranny banany snack mix. Give this basket to the boss or head of your company and get one leg up the corporate ladder.
Challah's Connection's Tin. Get with a program that will both promote good will around the office and the corporate log. What is it? It's the Challah Connection Logo Tin Program. Here's how it works. You select a tin from a variety of colors and sizes, pick a treat to go in them like popcorn, nuts or chocolate and then e-mail a digital photo of your company logo to Challah Connection. Afterward, this gift maker will put it all together and ship it out to your company. Give these tins as gifts to the worker bees in your company at a corporate function or during the holidays. It will make them feel appreciated.
These three kosher gifts are just a few that are right for the corporate office. Visit the makers of each at their Web sites (Enstroms.com, ChallahConnection.com and Kosherline.com) for more ideas. They will help you meet the needs of everyone in your company.
Written by Stephanie Modkins
When it comes to holiday shopping, I start by buying for family and then go on to friends and co-workers. My shopping plan means that I am usually grasping at the final hour for caring gift ideas for people I see every day. But if I have a few things in mind, I can be grabbing gift bag items while I am out crossing off names on my family list.
My gifts are by no means entirely original. I see ideas that I like in catalogs or online and then I duplicate or twist them according to my budget and availability of items. I rely heavily on gift bags, tissue paper and gift cards. I can go to Blockbuster and buy a moviegoer's tub of popcorn and candy for one friend or make five of my own for less money and more friends.
Other Gift Bag Ideas
1. Winter Survival Package. Co-workers can keep these in their desks. Collect small bottles of good-quality hand lotion and hand sanitizer, Chap Stick, small packages of tissues and lozenges. Add a personal touch like a small ornament to tie the bag together.
2. Holiday Travel Package. This includes a car coffee/tea mug (if the person does not already have one); 2-ounce gourmet coffee packet or special tea bags; a CD of favorite music; and chocolate or other tasty treats.
3. The Weather Outside is Frightful. This gift bag needs to be filled up with hot drinks and foods for staying warm by the fire. Include cocoa packets, a small bottle of Irish Cream or other liqueur, a soup mix (dried beans and spices prepackaged) and a deck of playing cards or some other game.
Homemade Food
In our increasingly global culture, my last-minute holiday shopping may need to become less spontaneous. Where in the past I thought nothing of boxing up some cookies baked the night before and handing them out the next day at work, now due to the more stringent dietary needs of co-workers and friends I need to consider the ingredients going into those cookies. Otherwise, my friends might be dumping my gift into the trash.
In the past these are items I have given as gifts.
1. Any kind of cookie, including snicker doodles, chocolate chip, peanut butter, peanut butter blossoms, macaroons or an assortment of two or three different kinds.
2. Caramel corn. Pop the corn, make your caramel mix and pour it over the popcorn, then bake it. Yum!
3. Spiced nuts. I usually spice up pecans or walnuts. Find a recipe that suits your taste buds and go for it. It is really easy to do.
But since my kitchen is not kosher and some of my ingredients may not be either, I have recently looked into buying what I cannot make. Kosher foods are actually much more readily available than I thought they would be. Lots of food companies have gone kosher because it increases their food sales by broadening their consumer market. In addition, kosher certification on a product shows that rigid standards of cleanliness have been observed as well as other things pertaining to the law of the Torah; therefore, kosher products appeal even to non-Jewish consumers for health reasons.
Wine is another usual last-minute gift for which there are also kosher standards. A little quick research in advance can help me be sure that the wine I buy will not get poured down the drain or passed off to a neighbor.
Gifts to friends and co-workers are a way to show appreciation for their assistance and love throughout the year. Gift giving can stay simple without being inconsiderate or disrespectful of others' beliefs or dietary habits. Last-minute shopping and wrapping is not necessarily thoughtless, just busy.
Written by H. Ann Myers
Almond Toffee Gift Box 
Gourmet Almond Toffee
