Thanksgivukkah – A Once In A Lifetime Holiday

Posted on November 13, 2013 by Papa Ben's Kitchen

This Thanksgiving America’s favorite holiday will come face to face with the world’s favorite Jewish holiday – Hanukkah – this encounter gives us, Thanksgivukkah! This is a once in a lifetime holiday that won’t happen again for another 70,000 years so let us celebrate in grand fashion. This November 28th American Jews are invited to the table to tell their stories of rooted gratitude and thanks. Not sure about all of you, but we cannot wait for this once-in-a-lifetime convergence of holidays. In planning for the festivities we’ve put together some Holiday menu mash-ups we thought we’d share.

These potato latkes with cranberry-apple sauce are a Hannukah classic with a Thanksgiving element, earning them a place on the Thanksgivukkah table.

Pumpkin spiced challah, a blend of flavors just right for this once in a lifetime holiday.

No Thanksgiving meal is complete without its centerpiece and main attraction – the turkey. But this is not just any Thanksgiving. So we have found a recipe that takes a pretty traditional bird, with one twist: It’s brined in Manizchewitz, a super-sweet kosher wine. Follow the step-by-step directions here.

This creamy butternut squash is roasted and pureed with honey, chipotle and smoked paprika. This medley of flavors creates a side dish that will have your guests asking for more.

A traditional Jewish pastry, Rugelach fun and easy to make for any holiday. We add pumpkin filling to this recipe for a Thanksgiving twist.

Of course, no family table is complete without our family tradition. We hope you will bring Papa Ben’s Mandelbroyt to your table wherever you are celebrating this year. Four this unique holiday, try our most popular and most unique flavor, the Spicy Chipotle with Ginger and Dark Chocolate. It is not too spicy, but has a nice little kick at the end after the sweet dark chocolate and delicious candied ginger. Indulge in our family tradition and make it a new one of yours!

With a couple weeks to spare, you have plenty of time to start planning your Thanksgivukkah feast. We hope we shared some inspiring ideas with you and we can’t wait to hear about your creative favorites for this special holiday.

We made the Cover of Specialty Food Magazine!

Posted on November 6, 2013 by Papa Ben's Kitchen

We are very excited to announce, and had to share, that Papa Ben and his daughter Gail Lesser-Gerber are on the cover of the November issue of Specialty Food Magazine – the only magazine dedicated to food and beverage. In this article Specialty Food Magazine so eloquently tells its readers about Papa Ben’s Kitchen and its great cause behind these delicious cookies, remembrance. You see, our Mandelbroyt is more than a tasty dessert, each cookie is a testament to those who survived the Holocaust and a way of honoring those who did not. In 2008 Papa Ben founded the Zachor Holocaust Remembrance Foundation and began handing out commemorative pins with the Hebrew word Zachor (Remember) on it to students that attended Papa Ben’s talks.

The response was overwhelming. And today we have given out more than 100,000 pins, hoping to keep the memory of the Holocaust alive. The Zachor Foundation’s purpose is to ensure that people never forget the immense tragedy of the Holocaust and that is why we at Papa Ben’s Kitchen donate a percentage of our profits to this great organization. We are committed to making a difference in this world, one cookie at a time! Thank you Specialty Food Magazine for telling our story.

Last Minute Halloween Ideas

Posted on October 30, 2013 by Papa Ben's Kitchen

Hard to believe it’s Halloween! Where does the time go? We appreciate that everyone is busy this time of year, with school in full swing and the holidays quickly approaching. So we’ve put together a list of last minute Halloween ideas that are quick and easy to pull off in time for the festivities.

Try this easy and inexpensive idea for your centerpiece this Halloween. Don’t worry we won’t judge if you dip in to your new decor 😉

With all the candy getting passed around it’s nice to have something healthy to nibble on. Arrange your healthy veggies in the shape of a jack-o-lantern.

Carve your pumpkin in to a festive cooler this Halloween. Be sure to line the gourd with a glass or plastic bowl to prevent it from becoming waterlogged. And finish by filling the bowl with ice and bottled drinks.

Serve these spooky treats tomorrow night and have your guests coming back for more. Quick, easy and in the spirit of the holiday.

Didn’t have time to carve pumpkins this year. Don’t worry, we have you covered. These no carve pumpkins will be sure to get some attention this year. Plus they will last you longer than your traditional Jack-O-Lantern. Follow these directions for a magical display of pumpkins.

Happy 85th Birthday Papa Ben!

Posted on October 23, 2013 by Papa Ben's Kitchen

Happy Birthday to our very own Papa Ben! Ben Lesser turns 85 this month and its quite remarkable the story his life can tell. As we try and put to words this great mans life it seems one or both of two parallel traits come to mind: at once, Ben has been able to pass on his strong values of perseverance and tenacity while providing his family with the care and support necessary for us to realize and appreciate such values.

To honor our family patriarch and celebrate his birthday we showered him with love, gifts and a few fun surprises this past weekend. To kick off the weekend Ben spoke to the graduating class at the Leadership School at Nellis Air Force Base. Somehow his story never

gets old and watching the crowd each time is an experience all on its own. It was quite amazing, as it always is. After his speaking engagement we surprised Ben and his wife Jean with there very own hotel suite at Lake Las Vegas, a beautiful lake resort just 15 miles from the Las Vegas Strip. With family members hiding in the room, Papa Ben was beyond thrilled when his grandchildren and even great grandson started popping out of corners of the room. It was special. The weekend was one that none of us will ever forget. With nocell phones, TVs or computers our family had absolutely no interruptions. We were all present. We were all there with one purpose, to celebrate Papa Ben.

Rosh Hashanah Desserts – L’Shanah Tovah

Posted on September 4, 2013 by Papa Ben's Kitchen

Rosh Hashanah signifies the end of the Hebrew calendar year. It is the first of the High Holidays, a ten-day period that ends with Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the Jewish year. Rosh Hashanah provides us with an opportunity to reflect, recognize our shortcomings and better ourselves in the year ahead. This holiday is the start of a New Year and gives us the chance to improve the way we approach the world, and in turn become better people.

While holiday traditions may vary from home to home, Rosh Hashanah desserts feature symbolic foods that signify our hope for a sweet New Year and are central to the holiday tradition. We always enjoy fruit that has recently come in to season (“new fruit”), this fruit is more often than not pomegranate.

This ritual reminds us to appreciate the fruits of the earth. The head of the fish is also often served, symbolizing the literal translation of Rosh Hashanah which means “head of the year”. Some may, but while we do serve the fish head we do not eat it! Challah, as most of you probably know, is a staple. During Rosh Hashanah the loaves are shaped into spirals or rounds symbolizing the continuity of Creation.

At our house we love to add raisins to the Challah making it extra “sweet”! No Rosh Hashanah is complete without apples and honey. Both apples and challah are dipped in honey again representing sweetness!

Here are some of our favorite Rosh Hashanah recipes, we’ve found and perfected through the years.

This is one of the best challah recipes we’ve tested over the years. It is especially wonderful with raisins and topped with cinnamon sugar! Oh and if you need help braiding a round challah check out this video. Give it a try.

We may have mentioned this pomegranate-beet salad before, but we must share it again. Try it, you’ll see why!

From our Papa Ben’s Kitchen family to yours we wish you a Sweet New Year!

Living a Life That Matters

Posted on July 19, 2013 by Papa Ben's Kitchen

All at once, Papa Ben makes us proud and humbles us. He has dedicated his life to sharing his stories with all those willing to listen, most recently at the Los Angeles Museum of the Holocaust (LAMOTH). This past Sunday, June 14th at LAMOTH Ben read passages from his book Living a Life That Matters: from Nazi Nightmare to American Dream. For those of you who do not know, Papa Ben is a Holocaust survivor. And while most in his shoes would like to forget such memories, he willingly relives them each and every day by sharing his story to ensure that others will not forget.

Ben had a pretty normal childhood until he and his family were forced to go on the run and eventually into a Jewish ghetto. From there he was sent to concentration camps Auschwitz-Birkenau, Durnhau, Buchenwald, then Dachau and after what felt like a lifetime Ben was finally liberated from his nightmare. He eventually traveled to New York City and later to Los Angeles. He started as a driver for UPS and eventually became the successful entrepreneur we know today.

Years later he founded The Zachor Holocaust Remembrance Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to the remembrance of the Holocaust. And soon after that he unveiled his bakery line, Papa Ben’s Kitchen specializing in Mandelbroyt, an eastern European biscotti-like cookie that he fondly remembers learning how to bake with his father before the war.

Ben has taken his tragic past and transformed it in to something beautiful. Through his speaking, his foundation and now his book he is teaching people the power of love.

“More than anything else, I understand the power of love to eliminate hate. The love of my parents, who were massacred by the Nazis, gave me the foundation that my life has been built on. My love for them and my brutally murdered sister and brothers fills my heart to this day. And in the horror of Hitler’s concentration camps, there was no way to even imagine that one day I would live to find my soul mate, my best friend and the love of my life, my wide of 63 years, Jean. For us to have been blessed with our two beautiful daughters and four amazing grandchildren plus the upcoming arrival of our first great-grandchild, is proof that love is stronger than hate.” – Living a Life That Matters: from Nazi Nightmare to American Dream

To learn more about Ben, his history, his company Papa Ben’s Kitchen and the change he is dedicating himself to making, pick up a copy of his book here. You won’t regret it!

Welcome To Our Family

Posted on July 8, 2013 by Papa Ben's Kitchen

Indulge in our Family Tradition!

Thank you for finding your way to the Papa Ben’s Kitchen blog. We hope you check in often for exciting new recipes, entertaining tips and ideas, and of course the latest on our family’s exciting new products and developments. Please feel free to share your stories with us as well.

Mandelbroyt is a biscotti-like cookie with an Eastern European flair. We welcome novice and seasoned eaters alike. Our all-natural, Kosher and Pareve recipe has been passed down through generations and ultimately perfected by Papa Ben himself. From his family kitchen in Poland, through WWII and now in Los Angeles Papa Ben is dedicated to celebrating family tradition and welcomes you to indulge in his!

Delicious foods are best when shared with the ones we love. From our family to yours.

Enjoy!

PBK

Papa Ben's Kitchen Mandelbread Blog

Crispy. Crunchy. Delicious. What's Not To Love?

Category Archives: FAMILY