Have you ever dreamed of a Food Network reality television show becoming kosher? I know I have! As a teenager, my sisters and I would have fake “Chopped” competitions in our kitchen using the finest kosher ingredients from our pantry. My parents would serve as the judges, critiquing us on taste, creativity and appearance. I remember when my eight-year-old sister made a cherry compote, presented in half a scooped-out orange, and won! My teenage self was crushed, and I longed for the day where there would be more professional kosher cooking opportunities.
The kosher food world has evolved and exploded lately. Kosher food establishments have upped their game and there is such a wide range of options out there. I am currently a food columnist, a blogger on Instagram (@hubbyishungry), and a contributor to Kosher.com. And the first fully kosher cooking competition took place on the West Coast – hosted by Elon Gold.
Skill’It features four foodies competing against each other for the grand title and a $20,000 barrel of exclusive Herzog wine. The first episode aired on July 4 and the chefs were asked to create three separate small dishes incorporating Gefen wonton wrappers. The small bites were full of creativity and ingenuity and were plated beautifully.
The judges included world-class chef and caterer Nir Weinblut of La Gondola in Beverly Hills, the renowned Gabe Garcia, executive chef at Tierra Sur, and Joe Hurliman, head winemaker at Herzog cellars.
The contestants are BZ Ingber; Moshe Bloch4, co-founder of Meshuga 4 Sushi; Moshe Nafisi
and Kolev Klein.
Watch all the episodes on kosher.com.
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Tuna Tostada Recipe
By Moshe Bloch
Ingredients:
Gefen wonton wrappers
1 lb. fresh salmon
3 Persian cucumbers, chopped
2 Roma tomatoes, chopped
1 small red onion, chopped
1 cup cilantro, chopped (reserve some for garnish)
Pepper and salt
1 lemon
1 lime
Spicy mayo or chili garlic sauce, for drizzling
Directions:
Deep fry eight wonton wrappers in hot oil until both sides are golden and crispy.
Prepare the Salmon Ceviche: Skin and cube salmon into small, bite-size pieces.
Prep your pico de gallo: Combine chopped cucumber, tomato, onion, and cilantro. (Reserve some chopped cilantro for garnish.) Season with salt and pepper.
Mix the cubed salmon into the pico de gallo.
When ready to serve, juice lemon and lime and mix into the fish mixture. Taste to check whether you need to add more lemon or seasoning.
Assembly:
Plate the wontons. Spoon the ceviche on top. Sprinkle the leftover cilantro and drizzle with either spicy mayo or chili garlic sauce.