Kosher Basics for Culinary Professionals
When I joined the kosher deli at Wegmans, it was immediately clear that the deli team, while skilled in the regular deli, did not know much about the kosher rules that they needed for that half of the department. I quickly trained the whole department in the bare basics and a select sub-group in the details. Business boomed as our customers realized that they could trust the department to offer products that met their kosher requirements.
As our reputation spread, chefs and caterers from the surrounding area started asking us to prepare kosher meals for individuals at larger, non-kosher events. I realized that even trained chefs often were unfamiliar with even the most basic kosher rules and they were flummoxed when faced with a kosher customer. In today's environment of increased sensitivity to special dietary requirements including gluten-free, vegan, and allergies, it seemed like a glaring gap in culinary programs which didn't teach anything about kosher or halal requirements. So I created a two-hour workshop to fill the gap. I delivered the program, which includs a 20-page take-away document at the Food Bank of New Jersey's culinary training program for at risk youth.
When I joined the kosher deli at Wegmans, it was immediately clear that the deli team, while skilled in the regular deli, did not know much about the kosher rules that they needed for that half of the department. I quickly trained the whole department in the bare basics and a select sub-group in the details. Business boomed as our customers realized that they could trust the department to offer products that met their kosher requirements.
As our reputation spread, chefs and caterers from the surrounding area started asking us to prepare kosher meals for individuals at larger, non-kosher events. I realized that even trained chefs often were unfamiliar with even the most basic kosher rules and they were flummoxed when faced with a kosher customer. In today's environment of increased sensitivity to special dietary requirements including gluten-free, vegan, and allergies, it seemed like a glaring gap in culinary programs which didn't teach anything about kosher or halal requirements. So I created a two-hour workshop to fill the gap. I delivered the program, which includs a 20-page take-away document at the Food Bank of New Jersey's culinary training program for at risk youth.
“Ms. Schindler hosted a wonderful presentation . . . The students received vital information . . . I have asked Gayle to come back to our next class and present her curriculum again.”
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Here’s what some students said about the program.
“I really enjoyed this. It was interesting and fun.” “Thank you for coming. I heard about some of this before, but now I understand it a lot more.”
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