N. I >> food sponsored by BUSCH'S - liesA, rewalaikier Facon, Anyone? HOLIDAY DINNERS Kosherfest 2012 serves up fake bacon and real innovation. I Gil Shefler JNS.org Secaucus, N.J. N othing says Jewish food like a bowl of matzah-ball soup or a slab of pastrami on rye. But will Mediterranean gefilte fish or facon also be on that list one day? Facon, you ask? As the name implies, it's fake bacon, and it was just one of the many novel- ties unleashed on the Jewish culinary scene at Kosherfest, the nation's largest annual kosher-food trade show, which took place Nov. 13-14. Thousands of rabbis, restaura- teurs, chefs, foodies and at least one hungry journalist crammed into the Meadowlands Expo Center in New Jersey to nosh on the food samples and get a hold of the latest trends in cuisine that adhere to Jewish dietary law. As one might expect, bagels and lox, a broad selection of cold cuts and a variety of pickles were on display. But the old staples were clearly fighting for prominence with a smorgasbord of new offerings that either borrowed from international cuisines, like the Japanese or Italians, or offered observ- ers of kashrut a small taste of what dietary law forbids, like facon, the faux bacon. "There's no law anywhere that a Jew should not be allowed the flavors of the world:' declared Alan Broner, co- owner of Jack's Gourmet, which mar- kets the product that won the 2012 Kosherfest award in the best meat category. Broner said facon was the inven- tion of his business partner Jack Silberstein, a graduate of the presti- gious Culinary Institute of America, and is made of beef plate —a fatty cut located behind the brisket — that is then seasoned, smoked and fried. The result, he said, is an accurately treif- tasting delicacy that is entirely kosher. "The prohibition is not to have beef baked and smoked to taste like ...," Broner paused as he looked for the right word, "to taste like something else:' Jeffrey Rappoport, a blogger who ate bacon before starting to eat kosher at age 13, almost had tears in his eyes when he took a bite. "That's amazing!" he said, planting a kiss of joy on Broner's head. "The buds don't forget," responded Broner, who had a taste for treif before he began observing kashrut at age 30. Not everyone was as thrilled with facon, however. "It's kind of bland:' said storeowner Sandra Steiner. "I won't buy it:' She added that she might not be the best judge, however, as she has been kosher her whole life. Facon was just one of the many novelties at this year's Kosherfest, where innovation was clearly the name of the game. JoburgKosher, a company originally from South Africa, partnered with New York businessmen to bring a taste of their homeland — bilatong, a dried meat similar to beef jerky, and boere- wors, a type of Boer sausage — to the U.S. market. "It tastes like dried pastrami:' said Benny Goldis, a local partner of JoburgKosher, putting it in terms local Jews would understand. "People can take bilatong on vacation or on business trips. It's a new food I'm sure people will love:' Even the oldest names in the Jewish food industry like Manischewitz are acutely aware that palates are becom- ing increasingly sophisticated and demanding as part of a global trend. That's why the company, which is associated with foods like matzah, farfel and kosher wine, launched a new line this year that includes Moroccan roasted vegetables and chicken couscous sauces, red velvet macaroons and Mediterranean gefilte fish, "with flavors of rosemary, orega- no and olive oil:' But those worried food fads are destroying authentic Jewish cooking need not worry. At the fair, there were still plenty of traditionalists ready to make sure old favorites would not die out. Steve Leibovitz, the owner of United Pickles, the company behind Guss' Pickles, reigned over a big barrel of sours, half-sours and green tomatoes, handing them out to passersby much the same way his grandfather, Max Leibovitz, did when he opened up on the Lower East Side 118 years ago. Fl Atv BUSCH'S WITH FRESH, HAPPY CHANUKAH! NEVER FROZEN, FROM ALL OF US AT BUSCH'S MADE FROM SCRATCH www.buschs.com Sa&Oztriecs Save even more time with online shopping! BUSCH'S buschs.com/MyWay Peso Per/ Aavpket WEST BLOOMFIELD FARMINGTON HILLS W. 14 Mile at Farmington 248-539-4581 Grand River Avenue at Drake 248-427-7400 Visit www.buschs.com to find all 15 convenient locations. A FAMILY-OWNED MICHIGAN COMPANY SERVING YOU. 1792450 • naa,©©li Holiday Greetings from Josie, George and the entire staff. Thank You to you all for your valued business. Celebrate the Holidays with Family & Friends at Assaggi!!! Purchase GIFT CARDS at the restaurant or can be mailed for your convenience. OPEN New Year's Eve Call NOW to make your reservations. Regular Menu including Special features will be served Assaggi can accommodate all parties large or small Lunch Tuesday-Friday 11:00am 2:00pm - Dinner Tuesday-Thursday 5:00-10:00pm Friday & Saturday 5:00 11:00pm • Sunday 4:00-9:00 Closed Monday 330 West Nine Mile Road. Ferndale P 248 584 3499 Reservations welcomed. Requested for Friday and Saturday www.assaggibistro.com Like us on 111 December 6 • 2012 1791390 / 77