I was so excited to attend Kosherfest with my hubby for the first time this year – it did not disappoint. Here is a list of the top five of the best new foods I experienced there, in no particular order.
Mom’s Pops: Two years ago in Philadelphia, a retired schoolteacher and her son decided to make a simple, clean, allergen free and portion-controlled treat. Their mini pops are just 15 calories each, with only 3g of sugar and 4g carbs. They come in amazing flavors such as chocolate sea salt, pineapple basil, and strawberry lemonade. I tasted the pineapple basil and it was divine – just sweet enough to satisfy your taste buds, and good for you, too. Head to mompops.com to order!
Esti Foods: Their booth was visually appealing. Using pure Mediterranean ingredients, they create a plethora of options for the consumer to choose from: feta cheese, rustic pizzas, Greek yogurts, extra virgin olive oils, and hummus and dips. Esti’s roasted garlic hummus was one of the best things I ate at the expo. It was smooth, tangy, and basically the creamiest hummus I have ever eaten. For more info, you can visit www.estifoods.com.
The Cheese Guy: Who doesn’t love artisanal, handcrafted, and homemade cheeses? Enter Brent Delman, cornering the market for delicious, creamy handcrafted cheeses. I had to wait on a long line before I got to see what all the hype was about. When I said that I wrote for The Jewish Press, I was treated to a full cheese tasting, and boy was it delicious! The cheddar, pepperjack, and aged havarti were out of this world. Keep up the great work, Brent! The Cheese Guy cheeses are available in most kosher grocery stores nationwide.
Coco Jolie Chocolates: Aside from having the most attractive booth at Kosherfest, these are probably the most visually stunning chocolates you will ever see. Miriam Gitelman, the chef and owner, creates each chocolate to look like a fine piece of glass art in different shapes. With flavors such as salted caramel, apricot harissa, coconut and pomegranate, these beauties look almost too gorgeous to eat. I tasted a salted caramel and I could not believe it was parve! It was creamy, salty and sweet and hit all the right notes. It’s worth it to check out www.cocojolie.com.
De La Rosa 613: Yehudith Girshberg, the CFO, was so sweet to speak with. As their brochure says, they put “heavenly sparks back into food and wine.” Mostly organic, their arrays of delicious vinegars and olive oils are fruity and powerful. They sell sesame oils, 100% organic red grape juice, and coconut products as well. This was the first time I have ever tried pomegranate vinegar and black sesame seed tahini and both were enjoyable and bursting with flavor. They are based out of Florida, but ship nationwide. Check them out at www.DeLaRosa613.com.
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Here is a recipe I developed using a Gefen’s sweet cookie butter. This product is so good it speaks for itself. I decided to let the flavors shine in a five-ingredient molten lava cake. All you need is a bowl and a spoon! Enjoy!
Cookie Butter Lava Cake
Ingredients:
1 cup Gefen Cookie Butter
2 cup powdered sugar
3 eggs
¼ c. water
Chocolate chunks (milk or parve – your choice!)
Directions:
Mix the cookie butter and powdered sugar together.
Add the eggs one at a time while stirring well.
Add water to thin out the batter.
Grease four small ramekins. Pour half the batter into the ramekins, scatter a few chocolate chunks in the middle, and top with more batter.
Bake at 425°F for 15 minutes.
Serve warm with a scoop of ice cream or whipped cream on top.
Garnish with strawberries.