The world of kosher cooking is an ever-expanding one, filled with textures and flavors far beyond the confines of our bubbes’ kitchens. The newest addition to this world is the Kosher Convert, an online cooking series created by Jew-by-choice Ashira Ungar-Sargon and her husband Eliyahu.
In the premiere episode (“Chanukah Beignets”), Ashira describes the genesis of the show: “When I started keeping kosher I didn’t want to give up on some of my old family recipes and different foods that I like, so I had to learn to be creative and modify. At this point,” she continues, “I feel like I can make almost anything kosher.” And if the first seven episodes are any indication, that seems to be true. Recent recipes include the Indian favorites Baingan Bharta, Pilau Rice, and Aloo Gobi, and today’s just-released episode features a ginger carrot soup.
But “The Kosher Convert” is more than its “Jew-by-choice-in-the-kitchen” niche. Ashira’s attention to choosing between meat/dairy/pareve ingredients, and being strategic when it comes to the Shabbat-prep crunch are what really sets this series apart. What does Ashira want, most of all? For viewers to “be able to make really excellent food that just happens to be kosher.”
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