With the tenure of two serving chief rabbis rapidly coming to a close, candidates vie for primacy before the June election. [Jerusalem Post] Jewish Home leader Naftali Bennett denounced the corruption in his party that took place during last year’s primary elections. [Times of Israel] Israel has repatriated hundreds of Sudanese refugees in recent months. [ABC News] A Pennsylvania prison has recorded increasing numbers of "Jewish" prisoners seeking kosher food. Many believe these inmates are not actually …More

The winner of Israel’s version of “Master Chef” is a German convert from Tel Aviv. Tom Franz is a 39-year-old lawyer who moved to the Jewish state in his 30’s. While living in Israel, he slowly began adopting local Jewish cultures, until he one day made the decision to complete a full conversion. “One day I went to the hospital and asked to be circumcised. I felt like that was the first thing I had to do in this country,” Franz told Israel’s Channel 2. “I knew …More

Tierra Sur, a well-known restaurant in California’s wine region, has made an environmentally friendly New Year’s resolution. According to Chef Gabriel Garcia, beginning in 2013, the restaurant plans on using only locally sourced food available within 200 miles of the restaurant. “Food tastes better if it’s naturally available,” Garcia explained. “Like, why would you eat berries in the winter from a grocery store when they are not in season if the winter veggies are hearty, …More

An Israeli chef in Amsterdam has been awarded two Michelin stars, the Michelin Guide announced Monday. Moshik Roth’s &samhoud Places, which opened in August, won the stars for the 2013 year. Roth, 41, was the first Israeli chef to ever receive a Michelin ranking, when his restaurant ‘t Brouwerskokle won a star in 2005. That eatery received a second in 2009. Roth was raised outside of Tel Aviv but moved to Holland at the age of 23, after serving in the IDF. He began his career at a pizza parlor, …More

As the minutes on the clock tick away, the chefs run about their kitchens furiously trying to complete their Taj Mahal-themed desserts. “What have I got for you now?” booms the thickly accented master pastry chef Ron Ben-Israel as he overlooks the chefs’ workstations. “Another mandatory ingredient--tahini paste!” This is “Sweet Genius,” the hit Food Network show that recently began its second season. Chefs compete to earn the coveted title, win $10,000 and impress …More

The crème de la crème of chefs have recently taken a liking to Chef Shalom Kadosh of Jerusalem Israel. Kadosh just joined the “Club des Chefs des Chefs” making him the first Israeli to join the prestigious group who often cook for heads of State and royalty. There is one necessary criteria for joining the group, having the position of chef for a royal family or State head; interesting enough, Kadosh does not technically meet the criteria. He was however admitted as he is considered the …More

  Chef Michael Solomonov of Philadelphia's Zahav restaurant won a regional James Beard Award on Israel's Independence Day in May. In case anyone missed the significance of the date, Solomonov -- whose restaurant is a platform for contemporary Israeli cuisine -- pointed it out in his acceptance speech at New York's Avery Fisher Hall. "That was pretty incredible," he tells ISRAEL21c of the date coincidence and of the award itself, the highest national honor for professionals in the US restaurant industry. "It …More

David Tanis, Chez Panisse chef, cookbook author, and now food columnist for the New York Times, is best known for his seasonal cuisine. But this Midwestern-born chef cites Jewish food as his culinary roots. By Joan Nathan | Jun 23, 2011 7:00 AM | Print | Email | Share David Tanis is known for many things: longtime chef at the acclaimed Chez Panisse in Berkeley, Calif.; author of two cookbooks, A Platter of Figs and Heart of the Artichoke; and, as of last week, food columnist for the New York Times. Being Jewish …More