koshervancouver

A little moderation

2010-12-29T20:04:00.000-08:00

*note: this post will remain at the top until a new moderator is found.

KosherVancouver needs a new moderator(s). We here at KosherVancouver have made aliyah and will no longer be able to keep the blog up-to-date.

KosherVancouver covers items of interest to the kosher consumer, including what kosher products are available in various Vancouver stores, kosher restaurant information, kosher alerts. Also, we respond to email requests from travellers, and various other emails of interest.

Please email KosherVancouver if you are interested in taking over this blog. While we haven't been able to keep it updated as frequently as we'd like, we would still hate to see the blog die away.

Finally, a nice place to take your kosher date.

2010-02-09T09:16:00.007-08:00

A new kosher dining experience is coming to Vancouver on February 10!

From
Maple Grill
The West Coast Kosher Kitchen

Kosher food meets modern cuisine in a fusion of new flavours that is brand new to Vancouver.

With major trends in personal wellness and the concern for animal rights on the horizon, the time for emerging health-conscious menus could not be better; add kosher-monitored food preparations to the equation and you tap into a whole new level of healthy eating.

Maple Grill is an innovative idea for a new dining experience; a comfortable environment for a business meeting, social dinner, drinks or a quick bite to eat.

Maple Grill
The West Coast Kosher Kitchen

Dining Style: Casual Elegant
Cuisine: Kosher, Global, International
Neighborhood: Kitsilano
Cross Street: Broadway and Maple

Website: http://www.maplegrill.com
Email: info@maplegrill.com
Phone: 604.568.4885

Hours of Operation:
Lunch: Sun - Thur: 11:00am - 5:00pm, Fri: 11:00am - sundown
Dinner: Sun - Thur: 5:00pm - 11:00pm, Sat: Sundown - 12:00am
Brunch: Sunday: 10:00am - 4:00pm

Payment Options: MasterCard, Visa
Executive Chef: Sarah Robinson

Public Transit: The restaurant is located on major bus routes, and a short transit from the Canada line Sky Train.
Parking: Private Lot
Parking Details: We offer limited parking for guests in the lot behind the restaurant.

Kosher Alert: Cosmo Bakery

2009-06-29T07:17:00.003-07:00

From BCK:

June 19, 2009

KOSHER ALERT

Please be advised that as of July 1, 2009 Cosmo Bakery will no longer be certified kosher by the Orthodox Rabbinical Council of British Columbia (BC Kosher). For more information, please contact Rabbi Lando at (604) 731-1803 ext 103.

Kosher Alert: Mix it up

2008-10-08T03:42:00.002-07:00

From BCK:

October 10, 2008

KOSHER ALERT

Please be advised that Dan-D-Pak Ranger Mix contains dairy (Not Cholov Yisroel) ingredients as listed on the ingredient panel but the dairy designation has been inadvertently omitted. Consumers finding this product are asked to contact BC Kosher at (604) 731-1803 or by email.

No shrimp, Sherlock

2008-07-29T13:39:00.003-07:00

A new kosher alert:

Full Circle Assorted Frozen Shrimp Products, Topco Associates LLC- Skokie, IL:
These products are bearing an unauthorized OU symbol and are not certified kosher by the Orthodox Union. Corrective action is being taken. Consumers spotting these products are requested to contact the Orthodox Union at 212-613-8241 or via email at kashalerts@ou.org.

*gasp* The OU doesn't certify shrimp?? Simply shocking.

If you think it's Kosher, but it's not

2008-06-01T09:58:00.003-07:00

According to BC Kosher: Kayan Mediterranean Cuisine, located at #202-777 West Broadway in Vancouver, has been representing themselves as a kosher restaurant. The restaurant is in fact not certified kosher.

Always ask to see the Certificate of Kashrut if you are not familiar with a kosher restaurant. And remember, sometimes the misrepresentation is not malicious; a lot of people honestly - albeit naively - think they're kosher, based on their own misunderstanding of what kosher actually means.

Cashrewt Alert

2008-05-18T15:07:00.002-07:00

From BCKosher:

And to think, we almost bought these...

May 18, 2008 - Please be advised that TRADER JOE’S brand CASHEWS marked product of Thailand bear an unauthorized BCK symbol of Kashrus. Consumers finding this product are asked to contact BC Kosher at (604) 731-1803 or by email info@bckosher.org.

It's not kosher food, but it's a kosher flat

2008-04-10T11:11:00.003-07:00

Posting on behalf of a friend tight with the former-Vancouverites-now-in-Jerusalem group. Please email us at koshervancouver@gmail.com if you're interested. Feel free to forward.

----------------------
My Roommate will be in America for about two months this summer and am looking for a mature responsible female to sublet her room in Nachlaot this summer.

May 13th-July 20th (Dates are negotiable)
$500/month (if rent is paid up front early in full there may be a discount of $25/month)

- Utilities included except electricity (approximately $20/month)
- Internet and cable television included (there is a television however it is rarely turned on)
- Fully furnished
- Large bedroom
- Kosher dairy kitchen
- Washer/Dryer
- Mirpeset
- Centrally located
- 5 minute walk to the Shuk
- 10 minute walk to Ben Yehuda/center of town
- 10 minute walk to the central bus station
- Mature responsible roommate :-)

Please contact me or forward to someone you know who may be interested.
Thank you so much & warm regards,
Pamela
----------------------

Pesach guides

2008-04-08T11:55:00.003-07:00

BC Kosher has come out with their Pesach guide. It has the basic information, and probably would have been more helpful if they had listed "regular" supermarkets that carry Kosher for Passover products (ie, which Safeway has the best stock, does Choices carry anything, etc.), instead of just telling us what we already know: Sabra's, Pini's, Omnitsky's, Kosher Food Warehouse.

However, the Passover page is still worth looking at, as it mentions Seven Seas for fish, and has a link to download the guide. Importantly, there is also information about what items need a hechsher and which do not. And, reminders to buy milk, eggs and sugar before Pesach starts. We at KosherVancouver find ourselves running out to the store nearly every year 15 minutes before the Chag begins in a frantic dash to buy enough milk. Maybe this year we'll remember Thursday.

Trader Yosef's

2008-04-08T11:32:00.004-07:00

A curious reader asks the following question:
"does anyone know if Trader Joe's will have a good selection of kosher l'pesach food?"

Because we at Kosher Vancouver always have our readers' best interests at heart, we took it upon ourselves to shlep down to the States this past Sunday to investigate.

(Okay, so we did some of our own Pesach shopping, too.)

The answer is, no. We asked the First Mate in Bellingham (no, seriously, that's what they call the head customer service guy) and he said they were not planning on bringing in anything specific, other than keeping the kosher meat stocked up. He mentioned they used to bring in the "crackers" but they weren't going to this year.

And for those of you who are wondering, they don't know when they'll have the smoked mozarella again. When we got over our devastation, we answered the First Mate's questions about Pesach, and gave him a brief rundown of the holiday.

So the answer for Trader Joe's is you can get kosher meat, and a few bottles of kosher wine. However, travel an extra hour or so south and visit the University Village QFC (I-5 South to exit 171 to NE 65th St to 25th Ave). Everything you could possibly need for Passover, you will find there. Plenty of fresh meat, roasts, briskets, chicken, lamb, and cholov yisroel products for Pesach. In addition to their regular kosher section, they have a nice-sized Passover display that includes all the standards. And of course, decent prices on everything. You'll plotz over the price of the meat.

You can have lunch right at the QFC in Noah's, a kosher bagel/deli shop.

QFC even has a nice (cheap!) wine selection, or you can go back to NE 65th and visit Tree of Life, which has a big wine display. Just remember, technically, you can't bring any alcohol back with you to Canada if you've only been gone a day. Some people have gotten away with the "ritual purposes/religious use" explanation, but you can't always count on that working.

Pick up freezer packs for $1 each at the meat department, or buy a large freezer bag to keep your meat cold while you sit in the line-up at the border going home. We bought frozen blintzes, put them in an insulated bag with a freezer pack, and despite two stops and an hour wait at the border, they were still frozen when we got back to Vancouver.

Ready for Pesach?

2008-04-01T12:45:00.004-07:00

We definitely have to get more aluminum foil...

Thanks to regular reader Mark who forwarded this to us, published last week in the Crown Heights News

Starch your salmon, Sir?

2008-03-21T14:08:00.004-07:00

From BCKosher:

March 19, 2008: "With Passover coming up shortly BCK would like to inform the public to be aware that it is common practice among salmon manufactures to dip raw salmon in a corn starch bath. This is especially important for those careful not to consume kitniyos on Passover. Please verify that the fish you are purchasing has not been treated as mentioned and is certified kosher for Passover."

Seven Seas usually offers kosher for Passover fish each year. We'll post info as soon as we hear when they're taking orders.

Miss the Spice? It's now twice as nice!

2008-02-18T16:43:00.005-08:00

If you've been missing the falafel, soup, pizza and especially the amazing lasagna at Spice, then get yourself down to Falafel Plus immediately!

The owner of Spice has re-opened as Falafel Plus & Catering, and is now located at 446 West 8th Avenue.

We here at KosherVancouver took it upon ourselves to immediately head to FP&C when we got the notice from BCK about a new kosher restaurant, and we were very pleasantly surprised to see Spice's owner behind the counter! The food was yummy as ever, although they were out of soup by the time we got there for dinner take-away. The pizza looked terrific, the salads wonderful, and the lasagna was mouth-watering.

FP&C is also now carrying frozen goods - knishes, bourekas and spinach rolls. Not sure if that's a permanent thing, but it was there when we visited.

Menu items are either Pareve or Dairy Chalav Yisroel. The phone lines weren't set up yet when we went, so it was cash only, but FP&C was anticipating being able to accept Interac and credit cards soon.

Falafel Plus & Catering is located between Cambie & Yukon - behind Wendy's, but you can't get there from Cambie during the RAV construction. There's plenty of parking, just make sure you come down Yukon.

Please call Simon at 604-724-5252 for more information.

Welcome back!

Trader Joe's opens in Bellingham. Kosher meat lovers* in Vancouver rejoice.

2007-10-17T10:27:00.001-07:00

What's better than finding a store that sells FRESH KOSHER 1" thick steak CHEAP?

Finding a store that sells FRESH KOSHER 1" thick steak CHEAP that's only an hour** drive away.

Chevra, Trader Joe's has come to Bellingham. We at KosherVancouver sacrificed a Sunday to check it out for you. Bellis Fair is no longer the only reason to go to B'ham. We found fresh steak, fresh ground beef, fresh turkey, fresh ground turkey, fresh whole chicken, cut up chicken, organic chicken, skinless breast, organic skinless breast and of course, hot dogs. There is the to-die-for smoked mozarella and Italian mozzarella, although that's about it for acceptable hechshered cheeses.

Snacks and desserts galore. Milk chocolate chips, and parve chocolate chips. Ghirardelli chocolate chunks. Fake italian sausage and bacon. Yogurts of all flavours. Oh, and did we mention wine? Yes, Baron Herzog and Fortant (Chardonnay included), which is helpful now that our local resource has closed. Although, remember that technically, you're not supposed to buy alcohol if you're gone less than 48 hours.

In the old days, if you were sitting at your desk in the afternoon, with a craving for a nice, thick, juicy steak, you were outta luck. If you didn't take the rock-hard, frozen-since-the-ice-ages steak you bought locally out of the freezer the night before, you ain't having steak that night.

Those days are gone, gone, gone. Now, if you're sitting at your desk thinking you'd like a steak that night, you can drive down to B'ham, pick up a steak, and drive back, and be back in time for dinner. Granted, that's a long way to go for a craving, but we have three words for you: Seattle. Three. Hours.

We saved $20 on gas by filling our tank in B'ham, and paid ridiculously cheap prices - some products were HALF of what we pay in Vancouver. And with the dollar being above par, it actually didn't cost us anything to go to Trader Joe's. Except a few hours of our day.

One caution. Trader Joe's has an extensive kosher inventory, but some of the hechshers are not recommended by the OU or BCK. A lot of the cheeses are "tablet K." We also saw a lot of the generic "K" on products. Obviously, unless you know the product and know the source of the hashgacha for that product, a "K" should not be accepted.

Related to that, there is a product that Trader Joe's carries which has lost their certification, although some packages are still marked with a hechsher.

2410 James Street (Mt. Baker Hwy, Sunset Dr exit. At end of ramp, go straight across and you'll be on James.)
Bellingham, WA 98225
Phone: (360) 734-5166
Trading Hours: 9 am - 9 pm

Note, they do not have "hechshered in the US only" products such as Thomas's English Muffins, Entenmann's or Oreo cookies. Head to Hagen's for those.

Make your first steak with just a little salt & pepper. Revel in those juices.

*Not meant to exclude vegetarians or non-meat lovers. You can rejoice, too!
**Always depending on border traffic, of course.

If at first you don't succeed...

2007-08-05T11:36:00.000-07:00

Rockin' review for Nava Cafe at the JCC in Vancouver (scroll down to the last comment):

I previously commented negatively on Nava, and I need to retract it. Today we had two phenomenal meals there.

Read the whole comment here and then go get yourself a cajun salmonburger! Or try the new BBQ dinners on the patio. Yum!

Peel it off. Peel it all off.

2007-05-16T11:28:00.000-07:00

That seems to be the answer to the issue presented here.
A small sign hanging above the produce in a local supermarket reads, “Fruits and vegetables have been coated with food-grade vegetable, petroleum, beeswax, and/or lac-resin based wax or resin to maintain freshness… No fruits or vegetables have been coated with animal-based wax”. The sign is the result of efforts by citizens groups demanding disclosure of ingredients in coatings used on fresh produce. The produce industry, citing the impracticality of constantly changing signs and claiming that disclosure would compromise the confidentiality of coatings ingredients, resisted these demands. The FDA regulation that emerged in 1994 is the result of a compromise between the two groups. Although the sign does disclose some information, it only tells part of a much larger story.

The sign is not required by law to declare the additives put in coatings, some of which raise kashrus concerns. That doesn’t mean that coatings on fresh produce are not acceptable. This article will present information relevant to evaluating the kashrus of coatings.
Regardless of kashrut, this is all just gross enough to make us peel. Everything.

Or better yet, buy local and organic, then you don't have to worry about bug wax at all. AND you support your local farming community. Tikkun olam, baby.

Parting is such spicy sorrow

2007-04-26T09:24:00.000-07:00

If you want to get your Israeli falafel fix, awesome veggie lasagna fix or just a good ol' motzei Shabbat fix, and have it all with a hechsher, better get to Spice before Tuesday, May 1. According to BC Kosher, they will no longer be certifying Spice Restaurant and Catering, starting on that date.

It's a sad day for Vancouver kosher consumers.

*Please note: we do not know why Spice will no longer be certified, so please don't start any rumours. If you want more information, please contact Rabbi Lando of BC Kosher at 604.731.1803.

Clean your lettuce, the Pesach bunny's coming

2007-03-06T13:32:00.000-08:00

Okay, so we know people go overboard for Pesach. For some reason we here at KV feel it's important to ensure under the dryer is spotless for Pesach. But Kosher-for-Passover lettuce? C'mon.

from BCKosher:
KOSHER LETTUCE FOR PASSOVER 2007

We at KV recognize the convenience of having pre-triple washed, ready-to-eat fruits and veggies. It's a great service that Pos`tiv provides. And we're okay with having to pay a little more for this convenience (and it is a convenience. If you've ever had to wash 12 heads of spinach, you know what we mean), but announce it as just that: a convenience.

Let's not add to the already (mostly unnecessary) stressful preparations for Pesach. There are probably some poor folks, trying to being machmir for Pesach, in a panic right now, thinking that if they want salad for Pesach, they have to spend 9 bucks on a bag of Kosher for Passover lettuce. We at KV have to admit that for a moment - a split second - we experienced a bout of panic, thinking that all these years we've been buying regular lettuce and Shite! We've treifed our Pesach dishes.

If you want to buy pre-checked lettuce

Pini's Pizza
729 West 16th Avenue
Vancouver, BC
Kindly contact Pini With your order before March 18 2007 (Tel: 604-879-7100)
Romaine Lettuce 908g for $8.99
Romaine Leafs 284g for $4.49

please do. But buy it because you want to, not to because you think you have to.

Kosher Alert. We almost got too excited.

2007-02-12T12:57:00.000-08:00

Because we loves our pasta sauce, and really wish there was a kosher cheesey pasta sauce:

from BC Kosher
February 12, 2007

KOSHER ALERT

We have been informed that Hunt's Thick & Rich Premium Pasta Sauce
Four Cheese (680 ML) was erroneously labeled with the OK symbol.
The product is NOT certified by the OK and is NOT kosher

Death of a Dan-D

2007-02-07T15:34:00.000-08:00

Alas. We had a post ready about a falsely advertised challah product available at the 67th and Oak Dan-D Market store, but the store is no more.

Fear not, the store on Broadway still exists. But no more last-minute dash to Dan-D for grape juice or inexpensive desert, no more late evening Yedda Chedda cravings satisfied for the Marpole Jewish community.

Ah, Dan, we hardly knew ya, but you'll be missed.

Kosher Alert - and it's local

2006-12-08T10:35:00.000-08:00

From BCK:

December 08 2006
“KASHRUTH ALERT”
Please be advised that BOTTICELLI products imported by Dynamic Chocolates, of Delta, BC, Canada, bears an unauthorized BCK symbol and are being withdrawn from the marketplace.
Orthodox Rabbinical Council of British Columbia
Rabbi Eli Lando
www.bckosher.org

Krispy and Kreme-y, but not Koshery

2006-11-16T17:07:00.000-08:00

In an off-blog inquiry by some loyal readers, we were asked about the Krispy Kreme store in Delta and the rumour that they are kosher. Like many others, we assumed that it was (don't know why, maybe the rumour was stated with such enthusiasm and conviction, we found it hard not to believe! Or maybe that Krispy Kreme-y goodness was just too inticing for us to confirm the rumour.)

BCKosher said the Krispy Kreme Delta (ya gotta feel sorry for some future Krispy Kreme Kamloops location) store was not supervised. So we at Kosher Vancouver did our krispy kashrut duty and checked into it. Here is what Kathleen Bishop, Krispy Kreme Customer Experience (rep? question-answerer? Or is that an existential statement: Krispy Kreme Customer Experience?) said:

All the ingredients used to make Krispy Kreme doughnuts are kosher; however, not all our stores are. The doughnuts in our Delta, B.C. store are made from kosher ingredients but the store itself is not kosher. The closest kosher store to Delta, B.C. would be the store at 3580 - 20th Avenue N.E. in Calgary, Alberta. KSA is the supervising group and the supervising rabbi is Rabbi Weiss who may be contacted at (905) 882-0790.

Actually, she might be wrong. The closest kosher store has got to be Seattle, no?

So spread the word. If you're KBI* then go for it. If you're not, as one of our readers said: gam zu l'tovah - it's probably better that way. Your heart will thank you.

*Kosher by Ingredient. You go by labels, hechshers be damned. Maybe we'll do a post about an incident one of our readers told us about when he looked at the ingredients of a package he bought where shrimp was listed in the French, but not the English. He went strictly kosher right after that event.

What rhymes with kishka?

2006-10-03T13:44:00.000-07:00

Amazing - someone found a rhyme for falafel.

This is very cute; way to advertise, Kosher.com! By the way, the do ship non-perishables to Canada (but not wine, sorry).

The search is on

2006-09-29T13:51:00.000-07:00

A reader asks if anyone knows where, in the greater Vancouver area, one can find the following:

1) unbaked frozen croissants (cholov stam is fine) - large or small quantity

Le Bon Croissant makes unbaked frozen products, which are COR certified. We are currently waiting for a response to our inquiry about where to purchase their products.

2) solid pack canned pumpkin (for baking) - not to be confused with pumpkin pie filling.

Anyone? COR has a few canned pumpkins listed on their site, but tracking them down? *shudder* We suggest calling IGA, Safeway, Superstore, Choices, Capers, Whole Foods, etc. In the meantime, if any of our 3 readers know where solid pack canned pumpkin is available, please drop a comment or an email. Thanks!

Kosher alert:Whoops, here's another one

2006-08-16T14:37:00.000-07:00

You know, we really didn't intend to become all about kosher alerts. Really. And we only post those that we think affect Vancouver. And are important.

Like the following:

The following kashrus alert is from the Kashruth Council of Canada on August 15, 2006.

The Kashruth Council of Canada (COR) wishes to advise that Natures's Blend Cheddar Cheese Bagels were labeled with an unauthorized COR 153. THIS PRODUCT IS NOT KOSHER CERTIFIED. Please note that COR 153 is presently inactive and should not appear on any products.

Sorry if you got all excited about cheddar cheese bagels being available at a regular ol' store.

Kosher alert:Not all Starbucks products are created equal. Or by Starbucks.

2006-08-16T14:13:00.000-07:00

The following kashrus alert is from the Chicago Rabbinical Council on August 9, 2006 and confirmed by Pepsi^*.

Unlike other varieties of Starbucks bottled drinks, the Frappuccino Strawberries & Crème in the 9.5oz bottle is NOT certified kosher.

^* Yep. Bottled Frappuccinos are manufactured by Pepsi. Disillusion lives on.

Getting buggy with it

2006-07-31T13:01:00.000-07:00

There's an interesting, albeit eye-spinning, article at Kashrut.com about bugs in our food. Check it out and discovery why sometimes bugs are perfectly acceptable to eat.

Bragg's Kosher alert

2006-07-31T12:53:00.000-07:00

This one affects Vancouverites, so check your bottle codes:

The following kashrus alert is from Kosherquest.org and confirmed by the KSA on July 24, 2006.

Bragg's Apple Cider Vinegar with the following bottle codes bear an unauthorized KSA: 12046, 13046, 14046, 17046, 11056, 12056, 18056, 19056.

Food:Missing the muffin

2006-05-22T13:59:00.000-07:00

Why can't we get these in Canada?

Yes, they are kosher. Just don't use ham when you make your Eggs Benedict.

*Update: because we at KosherVancouver are so concerned about your welfare, and the epidemic of Muffin Deprivation, we contacted Thomas' English Muffins via their website. They called us back, and told us to call the parent company's Canadian branch, George Weston Limited. Weston in turn told us to contact the Vancouver office, which we did. Or rather, tried to. The number they gave us was out of service. After some investigative work, we found a document online with the company name, which allowed us to backtrack and look up the new phone number, where we left a message. We shortly received a call back from the sales manager at the local office, who told us they are looking into bringing Thomas' English Muffins into BC. But they'd likely not be brought up from the States, but be baked by the bakery in Ontario, which is not under supervision.

If you know of any other English Muffins that are kosher and can be found in BC, please let us know!

Miscellaneous:up-to-date

2006-05-19T13:43:00.000-07:00

KosherVancouver has been successfully and completely moved. All previous blog entries are now located here. Browse away!

Food:Indian summer

2006-05-18T12:47:00.000-07:00

Two new product lines make it easier to enjoy Indian cuisine at home.

Taj Mahal^® Flavour of India bottled condiments include a variety of chutneys and curry pastes. These locally produced foods bear a BCK hechsher and are 100% natural. The chutneys are also vegan and gluten-free.

Kitchens of India ready-to-eat Indian Cuisine are vegetarian, 100% natural, contain no preservatives and are kosher certified. Dishes include Dal Bhukhara: Black Gram Lentil Curry; Aloo Mutter: Diced Potato and Pea Curry; Rajma Masala: Red Kidney Bean Curry; Navratan Korma: Mixed Vegetable Curry; Pindi Chana: Chick Pea Curry.

Now if we could just find kosher papadams!

Dan-D Foods carries both lines.

Superstore:No name? No treif!

2006-05-08T15:40:00.000-07:00

Fresh veggies don't need a hechsher. Certain frozen veggies don't need a hechsher, according to some (plain, uncooked, no sauces or oils added, etc.). Canned, however, is a whole different ballgame. And finding canned vegetables with a reliable hechsher can sometimes be a challenge.

Be challenged no more! Superstore now has canned, hechshered vegetables (okay, they may have had them for a while, but we just noticed them). You creamed corn fans (corn muffins, anyone?) can get satisfaction via MK:

Green beans according to the OU?

Ooh, here's a fun idea for one of those treasure-hunt games: go to Superstore and see how many different hechshers you can find for the canned vegetables!

Miscellaneous:Branding

2006-05-05T19:12:00.000-07:00

This:

is not

this:

We were not happy having to confirm that VH Lite Soya Sauce with the generic "K" in the generic circle was actually certified by the OK. Why bother having a corporate logo?

Restaurants:Add this to the list!

2006-05-04T15:19:00.000-07:00

Hey, Vancouver has another kosher restaurant added to the mix! We haven't yet been, so if anyone has checked them out, let us know what you think of the place. And what they serve... We've heard falafel, but don't know for sure.

Under supervision of BCK
Spice Restaurant and Catering - Dairy (not chalav yisrael)
3134 West Broadway
604.677.3985

Kosher Alerts: Ah, technology

2006-03-09T19:21:00.000-08:00

Here's a different kind of Kosher Alert. Presenting, the technology category:

The following refrigerator Sabbath mode alert is from the OK Kosher Certification on March 6, 2006.

A service call is necessary to correct the Sabbath Mode feature in the 30" and 36" Viking all Fridge refrigerators Model #VCRB304, DDRB304, DFRB304, VCRB364, DDRB364, or DFRB364 manufactured after May 1, 2005.

Consumers who have purchased this product are urged to contact their retailer to set up a no-fee service call.

Please contact Star-K at 410-484-4110 or www.star-k.org/cons-appl.htm for a complete listing of currently certified Sabbath Mode appliances.

Miscellaneous: BC Kosher's new website

2006-02-23T19:22:00.000-08:00

is up and running!

There is still a bit of information to be put up, but we like the new look. Hopefully, pages for those keeping kosher (as opposed to strictly commercial ventures) will be forthcoming, as well.

Check it out at www.bckosher.org and send them your feedback - which you can now easily do from their site!

Miscellaneous:They call it "The Whys and the Cows"

2006-02-13T19:23:00.000-08:00

Young Israel of Richmond is hosting a series of classes entitled,

Kosher! The Whys and the Cows.
The first few classes have already occurred, but there are still a few to catch. Particularly interesting to us are the Sushi class, "So-Ko-Shur Sushi" on February 28 and a special class on March 6 with Rabbi Teitelbaum, formerly with BC Kosher and now of the Ottawa Vaad.

Check out the series information (scroll down to get to the series information). Hurry up and register!

Miscellaneous:Tu B'Shvat

2006-02-09T19:26:00.000-08:00

For Tu B'Shvat, here's information from Kashrut.com on fruits and nuts - which need hechshers and which don't.

Chag "Tzomeach"*!

*courtesy of Kaluach.net

Kosher Alerts:Hurry! Run, run as fast as you can

2005-12-22T19:27:00.000-08:00

to the nearest store and stock up on Hostess Twinkies while you still can!

Kashrut.com announced that Interstate Bakeries Corporation is discontinuing their kosher certification of Hostess Twinkies distributed in the Northeast as of December 27, 2005. You can reach IBC at 800.483.7253. (This product was previously certified by the Triangle K).

Now, this may not affect western region Twinkies, but really, do you want to take that chance?

Food:Seeing is not believing

2005-12-15T19:30:00.000-08:00

There have been so many kosher alerts lately regarding labelling vs. ingredients (ie, dairy items not having a dairy designation on the label) that we decided to do a general, overall reminder:

ALWAYS CHECK THE INGREDIENTS

ahem

You may resume your previous activities.

Food:Mac-Off update

2005-12-15T19:28:00.000-08:00

There's been an addition made to the Mac-Off entry. One more into the mix!

Kosher Alerts:Check your labels!

2005-12-13T19:31:00.000-08:00

We'll have a real entry soon. Honest.

From the OU:
Fleischmann’s Original Margarine
This certified product contains dairy ingredients as listed on the ingredient panel. The product mistakenly bears an OU-Pareve statement on the outer carton. The individually wrapped margarine sticks correctly bear the OU-D symbol. Corrective action is being taken.

Kosher Alerts:Don't go breaking my hearts

2005-12-08T19:32:00.000-08:00

From COR:

This is to advise that:

Sardo Marinated Artichoke Hearts
were inadvertently labeled with an unauthorized COR. This product is not kosher certified and is being recalled.

Hershey TopScotch Butterscotch Syrup
was inadvertently labeled with a DE designation and should have been marked "dairy"

Miscellaneous: Missing in action

2005-12-05T19:33:00.000-08:00

Well. Finally.

Weeee're baaaaa-aaack.

That was pretty sucky. We're looking into one of those pay blogs so things can be more reliable here at KosherVancouver.

Anyone want to sponsor a blog for $5 a month? Anyone?

Kosher Alert:Whipped Topping

2005-11-04T15:38:00.000-08:00

Compliments Frozen Whipped Topping
From COR, November 4, 2005

The following products bearing COR 143
were inadvertently labeled without a "dairy" designation

COMPLIMENTS FROZEN WHIPPED TOPPING
COMPLIMENTS FROZEN WHIPPED TOPPING -- LIGHT

These products contain DAIRY ingredients and are dairy.

Kosher Alerts:Halloween Kosher Alert

2005-10-27T15:39:00.000-07:00

Yes, we know Jews don't technically observe Halloween, but that doesn't mean we can't buy the candy, does it?

HERSHEY’S HALLOWEEN PACKS are labeled with the COR symbol on the outside of the package.

Please note: The package contains the following individually wrapped candies:

- Nibs
- Twizzlers
- Twizzler Sours
- Jolly Ranchers – not authorized

Please note that Jolly Ranchers are not kosher certified and were inadvertently put into the package.

So to those of you who may have gotten excited over thinking you could finally have a watermelon JR again: sorry.

Miscellaneous:Best Kosher airline food

2005-10-27T15:38:00.000-07:00

Can you guess which airline has the best kosher meals? Can ya, can ya?

How's this sound (from AirlineMeals.net):
- roast leg of lamb with Parisienne potatoes
- green beans and carrots
- farfalle pasta and ratatoille salad
- wild berry cake
- roll
- cheese & biscuits (hmm. They're sealed, but still... perhaps the cheese is parve?)
- bitter chocolate
- A choice of Tea and Coffee, Red Wine and Table Water

You can find all this (LAMB?!) on...

Qatar Airways.

Yes, the national airline of the Arabian Gulf state of Qatar, under the leadership of CEO Akbar Al Baker serves the meal above in Economy class.

Beats the hell out of Air Canada's frozen orange juice and overcooked beef stew with noodles.

We found this list on AirlineMeals.net. Scroll down on the left-hand menu to the bottom to find "Kosher" then click on Qatar Airways.

Peruse the other airlines while you're there, and post your own airline kosher meal horror story!

Superstore:Coffee confusion

2005-10-14T15:40:00.000-07:00

Upon checking to determine if President's Choice Gourmet whole bean coffee, we at KV noticed the pre-packaged PC Gourmet Coffee carries an MK hechsher. However, there was no pre-packaged PC Gourmet whole bean decaffeinated coffee, so we scurried to the computer to look up PC Gourmet Coffee on the MK website.

No luck.

However a search brought up the COR site. According to the COR site, all President's Choice Gourmet whole bean Coffees are COR certified, including the decaf.

So then why do they carry an MK hechsher?

Miscellaneous:Yom Kippur

2005-10-12T15:41:00.000-07:00

G'mar Chatima Tova!

May you have an easy and meaningful fast.

Miscellaneous:Blogging blahs

2005-10-11T15:45:00.000-07:00

sigh Sorry for the ModBlog problems.

Anyone interested in sponsoring us for a TypePad account? It's less than $5 a month. And the categories are way better.

Miscellaneous:Top Ten New Kosher Symbols

2005-10-10T15:52:00.000-07:00

10. Cardiac Hospitals: to be supervised by the Heart-K

9. Medications: to be supervised by the Tablet-K

8. Robitussin and Triaminic syrups: to be supervised by the Cough-K

See the rest of the list at bang it out.com

Hat tip: Rav Schachar

Restaurants:Chinese, anyone?

2005-09-29T15:54:00.000-07:00

Kosher Vancouver finally made it to Sabra's new Chinese restaurant, and we must say, Brava!

We started with the vegetarian egg roll ($3.95). 4 small egg rolls arrived, with a very yummy filling. The wrap was a bit odd, however. It was very thick and doughy, not like a fried rice wrapper at all. The taste was okay, but the combination of the typical egg roll filling and the pastry-like dough wrapper made for a strange combination.

For the main course, we ordered the Kung Pau chicken ($12.95) and the Honey Beef ($15.95). The Kung Pau was mixed with green peppers, celery and peanuts, and for another odd bit, it also had potatoes. Weird, but it somehow worked.

The Honey Beef was delicious. Sliced ultra-thin, it was crispy, sweet and immensely satisfying. Kosher Vancouver diverged in our opinions here - half the team felt the beef was sliced perfectly, the other half felt the beef could have been thicker.

Both dishes came with a side of rice, but be warned: it's covered in an onion ginger sauce which was quite tasty, but was a strange mix with the Honey Beef. If you want your rice plain, you have to ask for no sauce.

The interior renovations are great (although we miss the booths a little bit). The menus are the same menus from before the renovation, with a photocopied sheet stuck inside that contains the Chinese menu. Rumour has it that new menus are on the way. We certainly hope so, because the old, worn-out menus really detracted from our pleasure at the new decor.

We were the only customers when we arrived, but within 15 minutes, the place filled up. When we asked our server how the new menu was being received, she told us the only things people are ordering are from the Chinese menu. Hmmm... what is it with Jews and Chinese food?

We give the new, improved Sabra's 3.5 stars out of 5, for the weird dough on the eggrolls, not informing us we have to ask for plain rice, and the old menus. Kosher Vancouver is definitely looking forward to going back.

Food:It's a Mac-Off!

2005-09-21T16:11:00.000-07:00

We recently discovered a brand of boxed mac&cheese that is COR kosher, so we had to try it. (See our review below) That got us to thinking about kosher mac&cheese options out there, so we did a little investigating. Reap the benefits of our curious obsession:

Amy's Kitchen Macaroni & Cheese
Amy's Kitchen Macaroni & Soy Cheeze
So many kosher cheese products, so little time!
Amy's Kitchen's kosher certification is from Rabbi Dov Hazdan of Ner Tamid K in Staten Island, NY. According to their website, their products are available at Loblaw's and natural food stores. We've seen Amy's products at Superstore, but since we didn't know they were kosher at the time, we didn't pay much attention. Kosher Vancouver will remedy that at our next earliest opportunity.

Foulds Macaroni & Cheese
Just...greasy.
Available at Kosher Food Warehouse. If you must.

The Old City Cafe Macaroni & Cheese
The only Cholov Yisroel Mac & Cheese** on the market, so they claim. We've never heard of it, seen it nor tried it. Anyone? Available at Kosher Food Warehouse.

Wacky Mac Macaroni & Cheese
Did you know Wacky Mac is actually the pasta they make and NOT the name of the Mac & Cheese? We didn't.
The standard. The king of kosher mac&cheese. Some families have a Friday afternoon tradition of Wacky Mac to tide the kids over for a late Shabbat dinner. Some adults who run a kosher website have a tradition of having it when we're they are just too tired to cook something healthy and adult-like.

And now, the new brand:
Macariz pastariso mac & Cheese
All caps are as per the packaging. And we're not sure why there is a cartoon elephant on the front, and a real elephant pictured on the back, but the information about the risk elephants face due to the loss of their habitat is interesting and sobering.
Pastariso is rice pasta. So all you gluten-free folks out there who are feeling deprived because you can't join in the mac&cheese frenzy, this product is for you! Kosher Vancouver is not in agreement about the taste of this product. Half the team really liked the rice pasta and white cheddar cheese, the other half felt the rice pasta was tasteless and watery. Try it and judge for yourself. Pastariso is available at Dan-D Market. Be warned: you will suffer wallet shock when buying Pastariso at Dan-D. Unlike the other brands of mac&cheese, which are only available at kosher stores, or in the separate kosher section of a supermarket, Pastariso is on the shelf right next to Kraft Dinner and other non-kosher brands, which range in price from $0.49 to $1.25. Kosher mac&cheese's are typically around $2.00.

You know where the Torah says that bit about not cooking a kid in it's mother's milk? G-d should have added, "and you will charge the same for kosher products as for non."

** update **
Tavor Macaroni & Cheese Dinner
Cholov Yisroel. They've got the Hebrew to prove it.
Discovered recently at Pini's, this product is super kosher - OU and COR - and very, very yummy.

If you've tried any of these products, and want to give us your input, let us know. Leave a comment, or email us.

Miscellaneous:New Boss in town

2005-09-14T16:14:00.000-07:00

BC Kosher has a new Kashrut Field Supervisor. This summer, Rabbi Eli Lando arrived from Israel with his wife, Shterni, and their infant son, to take over the post vacated by Rabbi Teitelbaum, who moved on to supervise Ottawa’s kosher community.

A trained mashgiach and shochet, Rabbi Lando is looking forward to increasing the visibility and accessibility of BC Kosher, not just within the business community, but also in the consumer community. Easy access to answers about kosher products and kashrut has been an issue in Vancouver for awhile, so we at Kosher Vancouver are watching eagerly.

We have been told to keep an eye out for classes, seminars, and events focusing on kashrut-related issues, as well as a new and improved, user friendly website. To contact Rabbi Lando with your kashrut questions, or for kashrut assistance:

Telephone: 604.267.7002
email Rabbi Lando
www.bckosher.org

Kosher Vancouver thanks Camille Joseph, who is truly in Pursuit of Kashrut, for this brief

Miscellaneous:No chocolate cake for you

2005-08-09T16:15:00.000-07:00

Ah, sadly, Duncan Hines cake mixes will no longer be parve. Apparently, they are adding dairy to the mix to improve the product quality, much to the dismay of meat-eating, kosher-keeping folks everywhere. If you are dismayed and wish to contact the company that owns Duncan Hines, Pinnacle Foods, you may reach them in New Jersey toll free at 1.877.852.7424 or 1.856. 969.7100 or contact them through their website.

Or just make the kick-ass parve chocolate cake recipe found at the New York Times. It's so moist and yummy you won't believe it! You will need to login, though.

Kosher Alerts:Trader Joe's beans

2005-08-08T16:16:00.000-07:00

Posted: August 8, 2005
An unauthorized COR 386 has been put on the following products:

Trader Joe’s Chick Peas
Trader Joe’s Black Beans
Trader Joe’s Red Kidney Beans

These products are not kosher supervised.

Kosher Alerts:Your authorization is invalid

2005-07-28T16:17:00.000-07:00

From Kosher Overseers, 22 July 2005:

Please be advised that due to a reformulation, the Kikkoman Teriaki sauces, produced by Kikkoman, USA in Walworth, WI, are not currently certified kosher by Kosher Overseers. The Soy Sauces remain under kosher certification.

From OU 26 July 26 2005:

Pop'em Regular Potato Crisps-Expiration dates June 5 and 6, 2006 (UPC 423810310) and
BBQ Potato Crisps-Expiration dates April 12 and 13 and June 16, 2006 (UPC 4238103030),
Super Pufft, Ontario, Canada
Issue: These products bear an unauthorized OU symbol and are not certified as kosher by the Orthodox Union.

The following peanut allergy alert was from FAAN

Nabisco Foods is recalling approximately 838,000 of the 7.5-oz. boxes of Pure Milk Chocolate Covered Oreo Sandwich Cookies with the UPC product code number of 44000 01094 and all "Best When Used By" dates through 05NOV05 because some boxes may contain cookies with peanut butter crème filling, rather than the vanilla crème filling depicted on the front label. The product is packaged in a dark brown box and is prominently labeled Pure Milk Chocolate Covered Oreo Sandwich Cookies. The UPC product code number of 44000 01094 is printed on the back of the box and the "Best When Used By" date is printed on the side flap of the box. Consumers and retailers that purchased the Pure Milk Chocolate Covered Oreo Sandwich Cookies with the UPC product code number of 44000 01094 may return the product to the store where purchased for a full refund. Consumers with questions about the recall should call (800) 464-8264 or visit the company's website at www.kraft.com/specialreport/PureMilkChocolateCoveredOreo/

Kosher Alerts:Check your chips

2005-07-22T16:18:00.000-07:00

Posted: July 22nd, 2005

No Name BBQ Potato Chips 170 gram canister,
bearing COR 344 DE are not kosher when the following expiry date is stamped on the bottom of the canister: 2005/12/14

No Name Sour Cream & Onion Potato Chips 170 gram canister,
bearing COR 344 Dairy are not kosher when the following expiry date is stamped on the bottom of the canister: 2005/12/13

No Name Original Potato Chips 170 gram canister,
bearing COR 344 DE are not kosher when the following expiry date is stamped on the bottom of the canister: 2005/10/17

This product is being recalled. If you notice the product in the store please contact the COR office.

Miscellaneous:Tattoo Anjou

2005-07-20T16:19:00.000-07:00

Interesting article over at The New York Times. Apparently those stupid little sticky stickers on fresh fruit are going the way of the coal engine (although not if George Bush has his way) and the fine art of tattooing is taking its place.

However, in an interesting point made over at The Kosher Blog, this poses a problem for shomer Shabbat Jews who run the risk of violating the melacha (prohibited activity) of erasing on Shabbat. Read the post on Kosher Blog for more insight into this potential dilemma. Could the offending tattoo simply be excised? Would it have to be sliced off prior to Shabbat? Will cutting out the tattoos become standard practice immediately upon getting fruit home - put away the vegetables, de-tattoo the fruit...

Food:Cuckoo for coconut milk!

2005-07-18T16:20:00.000-07:00

Coconut milk is one of those products that drives us a little crazy. We love cooking with coconut milk but with a hechsher at kosher stores it sells at outrageous prices (usually over $4 when non-certified coconut milk sells for less than half that price). But don't panic!

Fiesta Brand from the Phillipines (distributed by RV Industries to the US and Canada) has OK certification. We've found the Cream of Coconut (which is like thick coconut milk and easily diluted) in specialty Phillipino stores in Vancouver such as PAG-ASA Filipino mart, 185 E. 16th Avenue. (604-708-4166) Unfortunately, we've never seen Fiesta Brand in general Asian stores which seem to prefer coconut milk from China and Thailand (probably cheaper).

Here are links to the details you really should check before you go trusting something you've read on the internet:

OK Kosher Certification information for coconut products
RV Industries (Fiesta Brand)

There are a number of other brands that are allegedly kosher without a hechsher: some authorities permit Goya brand Coconut Milk when labeled "Product of Dominican Republic;" others say Aroy-D coconut milk is fine. We'd like to see something in writing from BCKosher before suggesting anyone use these brands.

Kosher Alerts:A glass of steak

2005-06-23T16:24:00.000-07:00

Our Butchers Choice Marinade (COR 146)
Posted: June 23rd, 2005
Our Butcher's Choice Steak & Kebabs Marinade
was inadvertently labeled without a "dairy" designation
This product contains dairy ingredients as noted on the ingredient declaration.

Question: Why would a steak marinade have dairy ingredients? "Um yeah, I'd like a cut of that parve steak, please."

Restaurants:Chinese in Vancouver!

2005-06-19T16:25:00.000-07:00

Yes, yes, it's true! The newly renovated Sabra's has added Chinese food to its menu, complete with actual Chinese chef.

Due to unforeseen circumstances, Kosher Vancouver missed the Grand Opening night, so no first-hand tastings here. If you went, let us know how it was, and we'll post your review.

We hope to pick up a menu today, and bli neder, we'll post more information then.

Miscellaneous:Recovering from Pesach

2005-06-19T13:10:00.000-07:00

...has taken us a long time. Just when we thought we were ready to climb out from post-Pesach packing, we got hit with an overload of blintzes.

We think we're back now. Sorry for the silence.

Miscellaneous:Chag Sameach

2005-04-19T13:11:00.000-07:00

KosherVancouver is going offline for the next few days for Pesach. May everyone have an easy clean and an enjoyable, meaningful, kosher seder.

L’shanah ha’ba b’Yerushalayim
Next year in Jerusalem

Kosher Alerts:March 2005 Part III

2005-04-01T13:12:00.000-08:00

Busy month for Kosher alerts. See, this is why you have to be careful.
Shabbat Shalom.

May 25, 2004 Birchwood Dairy's

Please be advised that the following products manufactured by BIRCHWOOD DAIRY'S bear an unauthorized BCK symbol:

* DILL FETA CHEESE
* HERB & GARLIC FETA CHEESE
* SUNDRIED TOMATO FETA CHESE
* WHITE ARABIC FETA CHEESE

The company is taking steps to remove these products from the market.

Kosher Alerts:March 2005 part II

2005-03-30T13:13:00.000-08:00

There's more:

Compliments Kettle Style Potato Chips (COR)
We wish to advise that the following products
were inadvertently labeled without a "dairy" designation:

Compliments Kettle Style Potato Chips:
Sea Salt & Malt Vinegar
Sour Cream & Onion (150 gr)

These products contain dairy ingredients.

Fresh Express
Please be advised that the following products produced and distributed by Fresh Express must be checked even when bearing the OK Kosher symbol. These products are:
LETTUCE
LETTUCE MIXES
SPINACH
There will be an update within the next two weeks.

Entenmann’s Chocolate Chunk Muffin Bar, Apple Cinnamon Muffin Bar, Cocolate Chunk Granola Square
These products are not certified as kosher and do not bear the OU symbol. Consumers should always check for the OU symbol and not rely on brand recognition

Pesach:Pack up your kitchen in your old kit bag...

2005-03-30T13:12:00.000-08:00

The first of the hand-dandy links for Pesach planning:

K A S H R U T . C O M

Kashruth Council of Canada (COR)

Miscellaneous:Chew your Jews well

2005-03-23T13:14:00.000-08:00

Well, the debate over whether Jews are a culture or a religion has been settled.

Apparently, we are a food group:

(photo is being held captive by ModBlog's image server)

Seen in an actual supermarket in Richmond

Kosher Alerts:March 2005

2005-03-17T13:15:00.000-08:00

From the FDA:
Streit's SINCE 1925 brand Potato Pancake Latkes Mix
- NET WT. 6 OZ. (170 g). "PRODUCT OF CANADA" labeled product only (found on side of box below the Nutrition Facts Panel). The product is packaged in a box. INGREDIENTS: Dehydrated potato, potato starch, salt, dehydrogenated onion, hydrogenated cottonseed oil shortening, spice. ---
NOTE: Boxes of the product labeled "PRODUCT OF USA" are not involved in recall. UPC barcode # 0 70227 50051
RECALLING FIRM/MANUFACTURER: Aron Streit Inc., New York, NY, by letter on January 24, 2005. Firm initiated recall is ongoing.
REASON: The product contains undeclared sulfites based on FDA's analysis.
DISTRIBUTION: Nationwide and Canada.

From the OU:
Mini Honey Maid Cookies-Oatmeal Raisin, Nabisco
- certified as OU-D but the dairy designation has been inadvertently omitted. Future packaging will be revised.

Kosher Markets:Kosher Food Warehouse

2005-03-15T13:16:00.000-08:00

KFW's website is up and running! It looks great (although the page header, while drool-worthy, is a bit big), and has lots of information. Check it out:
www.kosherfoodwarehouse.com

Prepare yourself: there is a Passover list up already.

Superstore:We all scream for KOSHER ice cream

2005-03-09T13:16:00.000-08:00

The Real Canadian Superstore must have the best selection of kosher ice cream around town. They carry an extensive line from Breyer's (COR) including the low-fat and low-carb varieties. They also carry a number of flavours from Canadian ice cream manufacturer Chapmans. All of Chapman's flavours are kosher (COR), and many are nut-free as well. And as if that wasn't enough, most of the President's Choice line is certified by COR, including a very yummy "Too Good to be True" Fat Free Chocolate Gelato (one of our favourites!) and several organic flavours. The following flavours are from the COR website; some of the names are not exact to President's Choice names, but you get the idea:

President's Choice
Beyond Decadence Dutch Chocolate Fudge Crackle Ice Cream
Blueberry Graveyard Crunch
Canadian Maple
Caramel Cashew Toffee Crunch
Chocolate Cherry Chunk Ice Cream
Chocolate Decadence Ice Cream
Coconut Cream Pie
Eat The Middle First
Fat Free Fruit Bars-Orange, Mango, Raspberry
Key Lime Sherbet
Mango Sherbet
Mini Fruit Bars - Variety Pack
Orange Sherbet
Passion Fruit Sherbet
Rainbow Sherbet
Raspberry Sherbet
The Decadent Chocolate Fudge Crackle Candy Cane Ice Cream
The Decadent Chocolate Fudge Crackle I Scream Chocolate & Orange Sherbet
The Decadent Chocolate Fudge Crackle Ice Cream
The Decadent Chocolate Fudge Crackle Mint Chocolate Ice Cream
Toasted Coconut Cream Pie Decadence
Vanilla Almond Bar
Vanilla Bar
Vanilla Decadence Ice Cream

President's Choice Organic Ice Cream
Chocolate
Milk Chocolate
Strawberry
Vanilla

President's Choice TGTBT Gelato
Cappucino
Chocolate
Lemon
Raspberry

We should add that Safeway also sells a line of specialty ice cream, Safeway Select Canada Great Escapes Ice Cream, that is certified kosher (COR). Although a little on the pricey side, the ones we've tried are very good.

Wine, etc:Kosher & Organic

2005-02-25T13:17:00.000-08:00

The lovely new wine store in City Square Mall (12th & Cambie), The Lennox Liquor Store, carries a kosher, organic blueberry wine, certified by BC Kosher. They also carry some other kosher wines, and we understand some members of the community are going to speak with the manager about the possibility of increasing their variety of kosher wines.

Please let them know you're interested! While they can't compete in price with other community sources, it is likely they can bring in things no one else can.

The blueberry wine is absolutely delicious, by the way.

The Lennox Liquor Store
#001-555 West 12th Avenue
City Square Mall
Vancouver BC V5Z 3X7
604.871.1116
lennoxliquorstore@telus.net

Kosher Alerts:February 2005

2005-02-24T13:18:00.000-08:00

Following are kashrut alerts from COR, active for February 2005:

Delmonte Mandarin Magic Dried Fruit & Nut Mix
- was inadvertently labeled without a dairy designation. This product is dairy.

Derlea brand Derlicious Food Rubs
- the following products, with a COR and a '05 expiry date, are not kosher:
Derlicious Montreal Steak Rub
Derlicious Chipotle Rub
Derlicious Tomato & Roasted Garlic Rub
Derlicious Cajun Rub
Derlicious Roasted Garlic & Pepper Rub
Planters Dry Roasted Peanuts
- 70 gram package was inadvertently labeled with an unauthorized COR. This product is not kosher certified by the Kashruth Council of Canada and is being recalled.

SURAJ Crisp Fried Onion
- the 400g package bears an unauthorized COR. This product is not kosher certified by the Kashruth Council of Canada and is being recalled.

Restaurants:How to build a kosher restaurant

2005-02-22T13:19:00.000-08:00

A letter to the community from Camille Joseph, who is truly in pursuit of kashrut.

Hello all,
It's me again with the latest instalment of what is turning into "Kashrut and the City": the ongoing chronicles of the pursuit of kosher eateries in Vancouver.

I (with the help of Rabbi Teitelbaum from BCK) have been in contact with several restaurants/food services companies in Vancouver for many, many, many, months
now. At this point there have been meetings, on site inspections, and initial examinations of ingredient lists. Whew! As a result, several establishments have shown some interest and the ability to make the necessary changes to acquire BCK certification. It looks quite promising.

As the Jewish/observant/kosher community in Vancouver grows (and it is) it becomes more and more crucial that there be more places where people can eat, meet, and buy kosher food product. Not only is this important for people who already keep kosher, but I believe that this is of paramount importance to those who are just beginning to explore the possibility of a more observant lifestyle.

Here's where you come in. I am asking you to:

1) Please forward this email on to anyone in the Jewish community, or anyone else who supports this endeavour (friends, vegetarians, others with beliefs which require stringency with food etc.)

2) Please take a few minutes to call or email at least 2 of the companies listed and let them know that you would like them to provide kosher food product. They are interested in the possibility, but they need to know that there is a population that wants kosher food in Vancouver.

#1 Annapurna - a cozy, vegetarian Indian restaurant
(604)736-5959
ask for Suresh or Gita

#2 Cupcakes - a small upscale bakery, a great place to order fabulous cakes for any occasion or drop by for a delicious (you guessed it!) cupcake
(604)874-1300 or
cupcakes@telus.net
ask for Lori or Heather

#3 Greens and Gourmet - a buffet, family-style restaurant
(604)276-2029 or
jersam@dccnet.com
ask for Jerry or the manager

I believe that this is a really important issue and your involvement could be the difference between these restaurants pursuing kosher certification or just not bothering to continue. So...

Call and email, and encourage others to do so.

I thank you in advance for your time and participation. I'm hoping for a good outcome and will keep you informed.

With sincere thanks,
Camille Joseph

if you would like to contact Camille personally, please email us for her information

Bakery:Garden City Bakery Baking schedule

2005-02-18T13:21:00.000-08:00

Yes, they have a schedule - only certain things on certain days:

Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday:
Caraway rye
European rye
Marble rye
New York rye
Pumpernickel rye
French baguette
White
Wholewheat

Sunday
Square challah
Multigrain
Raisin

Wednesday
Multigrain
Russian rye

Friday
Kiddish challah
Water challah
Raisin square challah
All the ryes except European

They also have gobs of pareve baked goods, oozing with poppyseeds, jams or chocolate. And a yummy spinach pie (we got ours fresh from the oven! mmmm) and knishes.

Garden City Bakery is in the Garden City Mall, at Garden City Road and Blundell.
604.244.7888

Safeway:We eats our spinach

2005-02-15T13:21:00.000-08:00

Yeah, sorry for the lag; we've been busy.

In the meantime, we've been informed that Organic, Kosher frozen spinach has been spotted at Safeway in New Westminster.

Safeway Select Organics

Ask for it at your Safeway. And if you see it at your Safeway, let us know.

IGA:I spy...kosher at IGA

2005-02-02T13:22:00.000-08:00

A few things we've had difficulty finding with a hechsher, that can be found at IGA:

Rice
"Our Compliments" (COR)
Basmati
Jasmine

Canned Vegetables
"Smart Choice" (MK)
cut green beans
cream-style corn

Pasta Sauce
"Hunt's Thick & Rich" (OK)
all the varieties we've found, except those with cheese, are hechshered. We are finding a lot more stores seem to be carrying Hunt's Thick & Rich recently.

Miscellaneous:We've been Google-ized.

2005-01-31T13:42:00.000-08:00

Okay, we did it: we ego-surfed.

Go ahead. Google "kosher vancouver"

We admit it; we're weenies.

Kosher Markets:We promised

2005-01-31T13:23:00.000-08:00

Here it is:
How to get to Kosher Food Warehouse:
Take East 16th Avenue (head east from Oak or Cambie).
Turn left onto Carolina.
Turn right into the alley.
It's the second building, but the first building with an entrance, on the left.
The nice guy behind the counter is owner Steve.

Tell him the blog sent you!

612 Kingsway (enter from alley)
Vancouver BC V5T 3K4
604.709.9889
email KFW

Hours:
Tuesday-Thursday:
8:30am-1:00pm, 3:00pm-6:00pm
Friday:
8:30am-2:00pm
Sunday:
9:30am-2:00pm
Closed Mondays & Saturdays

Restaurants:Nava Creative Cuisine

2005-01-25T16:45:00.000-08:00

Ah, Nava Creative Cuisine.

This is the name of the new café located at the Jewish Community Centre of Greater Vancouver. As owner Harvey Sandler told the Jewish Western Bulletin, "We're going to have fresh omelettes in the morning and pastas in the afternoon that are made-to-order," he said. "We'll have quesadillas, burritos, wraps, soups and chili. And we'll still have pizza, but we can make more than just cheese pizza and it will be available when people want it." Jewish Western Bulletin, 14 January 2005

Read the full Jewish Western Bulletin article here.

We think this sounds yum: "roasted red peppers, marinated artichokes, spinach and goat cheese on a multi-grain baguette"

Open to 8pm Monday to Thursday, this means kosher Vancouverites have yet another place to go for dinner. Our hearts can't stand it. Neither can our wallets, because we've lost an excuse to stay home for dinner.

Mazal Tov and Hatzlacha (success) to Nava Creative Cuisine.

The list will be updated accordingly.

Miscellaneous:It's Tu B'Shvat!

2005-01-25T16:44:00.000-08:00

Chag Sameach. Now, go eat a fig.

Thanks to Adam va-Adamah, along with many other Vancouver organizations, for hosting a rockin' Tu B'Shvat seder last night.

Learn more about Tu B'Shvat here.

In the future, we'll try to post these things before they happen...

Restaurants:JCC Cafe

2005-01-17T20:23:00.000-08:00

Is it Nava Cafe? We stopped by today to see how they're coming, and the pickin's are a little slim as of yet. They have some beautiful sandwiches in the display, and the old pizza standby was on the tray. The freezer was empty, there were no menus and at the moment, they are cash only.

The good news is, they were really busy, so we didn't want to interrupt with any questions yet. We'll check back in a few days.

Seafood:fishheads, fishheads, roly poly fishheads

2005-01-17T15:43:00.000-08:00

On Shabbat, we were having a discussion about where you can go to get good-quality, reasonably priced fish without having to worry about security tackling you for brandishing your sharp, pointy kosher knife. Turns out that place is Seven Seas Fish Market on West 4th.

Apparently, they are quite used to Jewish ninjas bringing their own knives to maintain the kashrut of the fish and have no problem with it. They are even accommodating enough to change gloves and search out a barely-touched piece of fish for people who have shellfish allergies, and worry about cross-contamination.

So, grab your knife and head over to Seven Seas:

Seven Seas Fish Market
2328 West 4th Avenue
Vancouver BC V6K 1P1
604.732.8608

Organic:Organic Kosher BC

2005-01-14T20:17:00.000-08:00

A link to a list of some of the Kosher Organic products available in BC, courtesy of Adam va-Adamah:

http://www.av-a.org/resources/kosher_organic.html

Restaurants:Current Kosher Dining spots

2005-01-11T20:15:00.003-08:00

The list thus far, kept up-to-date*. All are Vancouver unless otherwise indicated, all are BC-K supervised. If we know if it's cholov yisrael, that is noted.

Falafel Plus and Catering - Dairy (cholov Yisrael), Parve
446 West 8th Avenue
604.724.5252

Garden City Bakery - No sit-down: Baked goods; Parve
#360-9100 Blundell Rd.
Richmond BC
604.244.7888

Mount Royal Bagel Factory - Dairy, Parve (Non-cholov Yisrael)
701 Queensbury Avenue
North Vancouver BC
604.904.1116

Nava Creative Cuisine - Eat-in: Dairy (Non-cholov Yisrael)
Wraps, gourmet sandwiches, pasta
950 West 41st Avenue
604.263.7507
hours: Mon-Thu 8am to 8pm, Fri 8am til ?, Sun 9:30am-6pm

Omnitsky's - Eat-in: Deli; Meat (glatt kosher)
For purchase: the standards, including cheese
5866 Cambie Street
hours: Sun-Thu til ?, open Fri til about 3pm
604.321.1818

Pini's - Eat-in: Pizza & lasagna, etc; Dairy (Cholov Yisrael)
For purchase: the works! Cheese, meat, frozen dinners, snacks, desserts, Israeli items
729 West 16th Avenue
hours: Mon-Thu 8am-9pm, Fri 8am-2pm, Sat 7pm-10pm, Sun 11am-9pm
604.879.7100

Sabra's - Eat-in: Israeli; Meat (glatt kosher), Parve
3844 Oak Street
604.733.4912
hours: Sun-Tue til 7pm, Wed-Thu til 8pm, Fri til 4pm

*Please note, we are no longer in Vancouver and are looking for moderators. We cannot guarantee that this list is accurate from July 2008.
Last update: July 2009

Safeway:Sun Dried Black Olives

2005-01-11T20:10:00.000-08:00

We here at KosherVancouver love sun dried black olives. Some of us hate the green ones, but that's another story. Anyway, up until recently these shrivelled-up little fellas have been next to impossible to find in Vancouver. Last year, Urban Fare began to carry a line called Santa Barbara Olive Co. All of their olives bear the KSA hechser, including their sun dried black olives. They were prices at $6.44 but were recently discounted to $3.99, a sure sign that this product is soon to be discontinued. Good news, however, from Safeway. On a recent visit to the Oakridge branch, we found Scarpone's brand sun-dried black olives, with a COR 77 hechser. Thank you Safeway!

Kashered to cook, but no place to buy?

2005-01-10T18:45:00.000-08:00

Welcome. So here's the thing: how tired can you get of going to IGA, Safeway, Superstore, Choices, Save-on, etc., etc., basically careening all over Vancouver looking for the ONE place that has canned creamed corn with a hechsher (We looked for an illiteration. Really we did.)? We created this blog with the intent of listing items like that. We shlep around so you don't have to.

Do you know where you can get coconut milk with a hechsher? Guess what? According to BC Kosher, Arroy-D coconut milk is approved without a hechsher. But how is one supposed to know that?

This is the kind of thing we're talking about.