Favorite Recipes
By Giora Shimoni, About.com Guide to Kosher Food
Use this recipe index to find all recipes in the About.com Kosher Food site. All recipes in this site include kosher ingredients and follow Jewish Dietary Laws, such as separating food containing dairy from food that contains meat.
Appetizers
Traditional Jewish appetizers include Baba Ghanouj, Burekas, Blintzes, Chopped Liver, Gefilte Fish, Herring, and Whitefish Salad. However, any appetizer can be made kosher by using kosher ingredients and preparing according to Jewish Dietary Laws.
Breads
Beginning when Abraham had Sarah bake for the visiting angels as a sign of hospitality, bread has had rich symbolic meaning in Judaism. Sacred texts and commentaries govern bread baking and eating rituals. Today in Judaism, bread at the Jewish Sabbath or holiday table is a symbolic substitute for grain offerings sacrificed at the altar of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem. Enjoy these kosher recipes for challah, rye, pumpernickel, bagels, pita and more.
Soups
Kosher soup is not limited to borscht and chicken soup. In fact, any soup made of kosher ingredients and cooked according to Jewish Dietary Laws is a kosher soup.
Salads
Find a variety of kosher recipes for colorful, healthy salads. Salads are an important part of kosher dining as they can be easily incorporated into meat or dairy menus.
Dairy Entrées
Milk or any food containing a milk derivative - even in the smallest amount - is considered "dairy" (chalavi in Hebrew, milchig in Yiddish) by Jewish Dietary Laws. A dairy product can be certified as kosher if the milk and cheeses 1) come from a kosher animal, 2) contain no non-kosher substances, and 3) contain no meat substances.
Fish Entrées
Foods that are not meat or dairy are considered "pareve" (parve in Hebrew) by Jewish Dietary Laws. As a pareve food, fish can be served with both dairy and meat meals. Consequently, fish, a high-protein and low-fat food, plays a prominent role in kosher cuisine.
Meat Entrées
Any food made with meat or fowl is considered "meat" (basari in Hebrew, fleishig in Yiddish) by Jewish Dietary Laws. Kosher certified meat 1) comes from an animal that chews its cud and has split hooves, 2) is slaughtered according to Jewish dietary laws by a trained kosher slaughterer, and 3) has been salted before cooking.
Vegetarian
Biblical text implies that vegetarianism is ideal. If, however, one cannot control a craving for meat, then meat can be eaten. The meat should be kosher as a reminder that the animal being eaten is a creature of God.
Side Dishes
This collection of kosher recipes for side dishes can be used to enrich any meal. It includes vegetables, pastas and rice, and of course a variety of scrumptious kugels.
Desserts
Food is an integral part of Jewish culture, and desserts are an integral part of Jewish cuisine. Jewish desserts are a synthesis of recipes from the many places that Jews have lived throughout the centuries, all influenced by Jewish dietary laws.
