I have maintained a love affair with food since my childhood. And I’ve always eaten kosher. My parents occasionally remind me that I was the last person to finish the meal at my bar mitzvah in 1987. And that was an hour after the last guest had departed! It’s fair to say that I’ve never been one to miss a good meal.
However, as it turned out, the food I was eating was not as healthy as I was led to believe. I suffered from food allergies and sensitivities for over 25 years. In 2014, while experiencing brain fog, lack of energy and a host of other issues, I finally learned that I was suffering from advancing adrenal fatigue, which is certainly not helped by the Western diet. On the advice of my doctor, I began removing the refined breads, dairy, soy, processed and manufactured items, food additives and, for a time, all red meat and wheat products. With my wife’s help, I learned how to make my food from scratch. And most of my allergies and sensitivities disappeared.
In 2016, I earned a certification in Culinary Nutrition, empowering me to further explore the organic and artisanal food and beverage industry. (The Academy of Culinary Nutrition has an extensive profile of my food journey.)
There’s a perception that kosher food is healthier and safer than non-kosher. But is this true? Kosher food requires close inspection and monitoring, which confers many advantages (that are summarized well in this article). On the other hand, hot dogs, candies, soup mixes and sugary desserts made from refined flour are profoundly unhealthy regardless of the kosher certification. And the animals from which dairy and beef come are fed corn, hormones and antibiotics, which ends up in our own bodies.
My food journey has led me to become a regular customer at farmer’s markets throughout Los Angeles. I’ve learned how to shop a supermarket to find what I want rather than what the food industry wants to sell me. And, despite buying farm-fresh produce and choosing artisan brands for occasional packaged items, my family’s food budget has not increased.
I was inspired to launch this blog after rewatching the 2009 film “Julie and Julia” in June 2019. I was taken with the elegant simplicity of Julia Child’s approach to food – "Eat good food from fresh ingredients”. While I do not agree with the decadence of some of Julia Child’s dishes, I love that she emphasized using fresh, seasonal and locally-sourced ingredients.
My intent is to teach people how to eat a kosher diet rich in nutritious, predominantly unprocessed whole foods. The recipes are simple and quick, to accommodate parents juggling careers and multiple kids.
Kosher food can be both tasty and nutritious. It need not be filled with cheap refined carbs, sugar, salt, preservatives or filler. By swapping these foods for whole, unprocessed foods, your monthly food bill will likely remain about the same. And you will feel amazing.
