levana-cooks-basil-pizza-and-wine-bar

My Favorite Pizza: Basil Pizza and Wine Bar!

Every time I go to Basil, I -not so- discreetly eye what everyone seated next to me  - and even a little further: Foodies, what do you expect?- is having. Yesterday it was those luscious poached eggs on toast with saute spinach and home fries,…
A flyer for the kosher food and wine experience.
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The Kosher Food and Wine Experience: A Remarkable Journey

Still enjoying the glow of last night's Kosher Food and Wine Experience. Recently I had been trying to firm up a kosher supervision for retail use of Dashi powder. In my catering days I used to order it from Daniel Berlin at Sushi Metsuyan,…
levana-cooks-Goldbaums-Natural-Foods

New Gluten-Free Product on the block! Pasta and Ice Cream Cones

Just sampled a very good new gluten-free product: Goldbaums Natural Foods. Their ice cream cones and brown rice spaghetti were super: Check it out!
levana-cooks-shirataki-noodles

Shirataki: The Miracle Noodle that lives up to its name

Shirataki Noodles with Sesame Sauce Shirataki is the latest low carb pasta marvel, better known as Miracle Noodles. Every time I come across any food or drink item that boasts zero calories, I remember my mother's admonition, delivered in…
A cup of coffee with cream on top.
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Noidue Restaurant: Panini, Coffee and Nostalgia a la carte

There are several reasons Noidue Restaurant tugs at my heartstrings. Some questions come up about it quite often:  I thought sharing my thoughts would make me feel somewhat more at peace with seeing a whole chunk of our lives behind us.... Here's…
levana-cooks-pardes-brooklyn

Exciting New Kosher Restaurant in Brooklyn: Pardes

Image via Crown Heights My friend Chaim Szmidt, of the Kosher Scene and I just love to talk about food, and of course consume it and then excitedly discuss it, as other people discuss their recent cruises or their recent shopping sprees (I…
A bottle of liquid with tomatoes on it.

Kosher Fruit Concentrates

I recently called the Star-K to ask if we could use fruit concentrates without a kosher sign, and they explain that although technically it would be OK, we do need a kosher sign as the processing plant might also be processing grape products,…
Linguini Puttanesca

The Pasta Factory Teaneck

Dinner at the Pasta Factory Teaneck on Mother's Day was a great experience.  We had one of the Mother's Day prix fixe  menus, and it was spectacular: Corn Tomatillo soup, baby rack of lamb, and assorted desserts. Every bit as delicious as…
The Seduction of Dashi

The Seduction of Dashi

This morning I received something which for years I used to perceive as a berating lecture,  but which I have long since identified as an unmitigated compliment, indeed a tribute: It has to do with being dogged, and never taking no for an answer.…