In the Kitchen with a Rabbi

Review by Chandra Clewley of The Food Network’s Private Chefs of Beverly Hills

Chef Brian is assigned to his regular client Nick’s dinner party for his new wife’s kosher family. When Brian gets there, not only is Nick there, but their Rabbi is there too.

The Rabbi will have to preside over the entire dinner from prep to service in order to make sure the food is and stays kosher. The Rabbi goes into a long speal about what is allowed and not allowed.

The particulars are stringent and no meat and dairy can touch or come in contact. Everything, including the knives must be blessed, so Brian’s knives are automatically ousted. Brian cannot even turn on the stove, the Rabbi must.

Brian is stressed! His menu is Appetizers of Roasted Red Pepper and Squash Soup and Roasted Winter Vegetable and Romaine Salad. The main course will be Pan Seared Lamb with Mushroom and Sesame Broth and Oven Baked Sweet and Savory Brown Rice with Dates.

The Rabbi insists on combing through every grain of rice and every date before passing them on to Brian even though he bought all the food at a kosher market.

It slows the process to an almost standstill, and when Brian discovers that what he thought was a meat refrigerator was really a freezer he realizes he is screwed with the pan searing and will have to roast broil the shanks.

Just then, the Rabbi stops all cooking when he tells Brian that he must go out for his evening prayers and Brian has to stop preparations in the kitchen until he is back.

At this point, Brian is seriously behind, and when Nick’s kosher family show up to eat, Nick comes into the kitchen to find out how long it will be.

Finally, Nick steps in, which inspires the Rabbi to step in as well, and with a team, Brian is able to rock out the food to Nick’s new kosher family. The family loves the food, and the Rabbi gifts Brian with a kippah.