I grew up in a traditional Jewish home, but definitely not a typical one. I was always comfortable with my mixed background—but others didn’t always make me feel so welcomed. “but you look Spanish?” are comments I would get from fellow Jews. “What do you mean you can’t eat arroz con camarones [shrimp and rice]?” were responses I got from fellow Latinos.

While attending the CIA [Culinary Institute of America], instructors would often seem confused when I explained that I could not taste the dishes that contained shellfish, pork or mixed meat and dairy. They knew this meant I was quasi-kosher, but they couldn’t understand why? After all – I didn't look Jewish. After living and working this way for a while, I decided I was only going to cook kosher food. In an effort to fit into my own community, I found myself quickly becoming overly observant. After many trials, tribulations, and continued spiritual growth, I have come to realize that it's not necessary to be accepted because I am who I am. I’m definitely at a happy medium. I do wear pants, listen to everything from hip hop music to classical music and dance salsa as a hobby [though not on the Sabbath!]. All this however, does not change my efforts to be a good person and a good Jew. Underneath it all, I would still like to be respected as a person, and a kosher Chef.

The Kosher Tomato started in an effort to take care of people through food on a more personal level. The name of my business derived from the distinct love and passion I have for food. I even get excited about tomatoes! My approach to cooking is pretty ‘out-of-the-box’ and I believe in the concept of cooking above all.

In preparation of Purim, I was in search of a twist on a classic. Gail Ashkanazi-Hankin's book 'Festivals of Lite' provided just that! Not only are these full of flavor, but they're lower in fat than the traditional one's we're used to. The combination of flakiness and creaminess is delicious!

Pumpkin Hamantaschen
(makes 18)

Filling:

1 lb canned pumpkin (or mashed sweet potatoes)
6 Tbsp. pecan filling
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
pinch of salt

Dough:

1/2 cup orange or apple juice
1/3 cup oil
2 egg whites
1 egg

2 3/4 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp. baking powder

-Mix all filling ingredients. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
-In a bowl, mix the juice, oil and eggs. Add the remaining dough ingredients and mix until the dough forms a ball. Knead for 1-2 minutes until very smooth. Place ball in a covered bowl and refrigerate for 1-2 hours
-Roll dough out to 1/8 inch thick. Cut out circles with a 4-inch round mold (or the rim of a glass)
-Place approx 2 tsp. of the filling into each center. Form a triangle by folding in the edges at three points, leaving a space in the center to view the filling
-Bake at 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes.

[calories 172; saturated fat 0g; total fat 5g; carbohydrates 28g; cholesterol; 12 mg; sodium 56 mg; fiber 1g; protein 3g]

Enjoy a comical presentation of a rather simple soup including the one and only TOMATO!

http://www.nytimes.com/pages/dining/index.html

[copy & paste into your browser, and scroll down to the video with Mark Bittman]