Biblical Eating Guidelines:

Select a topic by clicking on the underlined words

Biblical Eating Explained and Terms Defined

Overview
Kashering Meat
The Kosher-Certified Symbol
A Few Areas to Pay Attention to (ie “hidden” pork)
Where You Can Buy Kosher Foods
Resources—Books and On-Line

Examine Scriptures That are Used to Question Biblical Eating Standards

1 Timothy 4:1–5
“Food for Thought” by Natan Lawrence

Halakha (Guidelines) for Community Meals at Hoshana Rabbah Meetings

Biblical Eating Explained and Terms Defined

The Biblical guidelines and definitions of what our Creator has sanctified and set apart for us as food are found in Vayikra/Leviticus 11 and D'varim/Deuteronomy 14. Certain items eaten by some have never been called “food” nor “meat” for us to eat, and some things people will eat are called “abominations.”

Avoid all pork and pork products (found in bacon, ham, Canadian bacon, lard, gelatin, Vitamin D3 in milk, and animal rennet and enzymes in cheese). Also avoid shellfish such as shrimp, crab, lobster and fish without fins and scales. All meat must be properly slaughtered (not strangled) and the blood removed before eating (Acts 15:19-21). For more scripture references for why we remove the blood from our meat, click here.

Where You Can Buy Kosher-Certified Foods

Kosher-certified foods may be purchased at most grocery stores. Kosher-certified meats take a little more hunting to find, especially if you want organic meat. Trader Joe’s has prepared a pamphlet of the kosher certified items they carry, including meat, and Wise Organic Pastures meat is available in many areas as well as on-line. Local Portland area resources for kosher-certified foods and meat includes: Trader Joe's, Wild Oats Markets, New Seasons Markets, the Albertsons store on Shattuck Rd. & Beaverton-Hillsdale Hwy in SW Portland, NW Kosher Co-Op, and the Mittleman Jewish Community Center Deli. Links and contact information are here.

Resources

• A Consumer's Dictionary of Food Additives by Ruth Winter. Winter’s book gives you the source of the food additive as well as if it is healthy or has known reactions and side-effects. It does not specifically tell you if the source is kosher. This is a great reference book for all kitchens if you want to identify those unfamiliar words in the ingredients list.
  
  
• Kashruth: A Comprehensive Background and Reference Guide to the Principles of Kashruth (The Artscroll Series). Artscroll’s book discusses the principles of what is and is not accepted as Rabbinically kosher. A list of properly-scaled fishes at the back of the book is helpful as those of us purchasing fish at the store may never see what does and does not have scales.

Helpful links to on-line references and resources (click on underlined text). We will be adding to this new section as time allows:

• Non-kosher food additives commonly found in many foods and supplements. More links like this one will be added in the coming months.
  
  
• List of Kosher and Non-Kosher fish
  
  
• What is Autolyzed Yeast? This question comes up every year at Pesach/ Passover as we are cleaning the leavening out of our homes. You might be surprised at the answer... and decide to remove it from your homes year-round:
  http://www.truthinlabeling.org/organicP.html
  http://www.nomsg.com/sources.html
  
  
• What is Glatt Kosher? What does Treif mean?
  A helpful explanation from the Star-K folks.
  

If you have any questions or need suggestions, please e-mail Sandi . Don’t let yourself get overwhelmed when you first get started in these things. You’ll get the hang of it pretty soon and it’ll become natural for you. Remember what YHVH tells us in D'Varim/Deuteronomy 30:11-14:

“For this mitzvah which I am giving you today is not too hard for you, it is not beyond your reach. It isn't in the sky, so that you need to ask, ‘Who will go up into the sky for us, bring it to us and make us hear it, so that we can obey it?’ Likewise, it isn't beyond the sea, so that you need to ask, ‘Who will cross the sea for us, bring it to us and make us hear it, so that we can obey it?’ On the contrary, the word is very close to you - in your mouth, even in your heart; therefore, you can do it!” (CJB)

Scriptures:

Let's examine a few scriptures that are used to question Biblical eating standards and oftentimes used to argue that “the law has been done away with”:

1 Timothy 4:1-5 states: 

“The Spirit expressly states that in the acharit-hayamim (literally, “the end of the days”, the latter days) some people will apostatize from the faith by paying attention to deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. Such teachings come from the hypocrisy of liars whose own consciences have been burned, as if with a red-hot branding iron. They forbid marriage and require abstinence from foods which God created to be eaten with thanksgiving by those who have come to trust and to know the truth. For everything created by God is good, and nothing received with thanksgiving needs to be rejected, because the word of God and prayer make it holy.” (CJB, emphasis added)

Oftentimes this scripture is used to argue that “everything is now clean for us to eat, we just need to pray over what we intend to eat.” What it is saying is quite to the contrary. Paul is talking about people in the end of days who abstain from foods which are clean and acceptable in Torah.

Let's look closely at this scripture. “Truth” in scripture refers to Torah. So we ask, “Which foods did Elohim (God) create to be eaten with thanksgiving?” Was it everything and anything we see or only specific things he created for our food? The word “holy” is the Hebrew word kadosh, which means “set apart” or “sanctified.” What has been set apart or sanctified by the word of Elohim for us as food? Our answer is found in Vayikra/Leviticus 11 and D'Varim/Deuteronomy 14.

For a more complete look at this subject, read:

Food for Thought by Natan Lawrence, which addresses the heart and spirit behind the Biblical Kosher Laws as well as the various Brit Chadashah (NT) scriptures that are used to argue that clean and unclean meats are no longer valid for Believers.

Cookbooks and Recipes

Sandi's Favorite Cookbooks

We are often asked to recommend cookbooks for those wanting to eat Biblically and celebrate the Biblical Holidays. There are many recipes available on the internet and you might be surprised what you may find in your library's cookbook section. Here is a list of the cookbooks we reach for the most in our kitchen (click on the underlined text for a link to further information about purchasing the book):

Sue Gregg's Eating Better Cookbooks for Busy Women — No pork or shellfish recipes to have to weed out...NOR white sugar nor white flour! Whole food healthy recipes that really taste good! For those who need to know, there is a “holidays” book, which includes both Biblical Holidays as well as Thanksgiving and some of the ones the Christian Church has adopted. This set is our top all-around favorite for every day meals as well as entertaining.

Light Jewish Holiday Desserts by Penny Wantuck Eisenberg (ISBN 0-688-15985-0). She substitutes part of the fat with a jar of pear and apple-plum baby food. Very tastey and you don't miss the "missing" fat.

The New Jewish Holiday Cookbook, An International Collection of Recipes and Customs by Gloria Kaufer Greene (ISBN 0-8129-2977-2). Mrs. Green not only shares great recipes that are traditional for each Moedim (Appointed Time), she gives an informative and historical explanation of the Holiday and it's traditions.

Kosher by Design: Picture Perfect Food for the Holidays & Every Day by Susie Fishbein (ISBN 1-57819-707-4). We find we are using this book more and more. It is a stunningly beautiful book and it is a joy just to read through the book. For the practical side, if you focus on good health choices, you will need to substitute ingredients or simply change some of the recipes to use a healthy oil or lower fat choice. She gives great presentation ideas for each of the holiday tables we set. I especially like her Challah napkin rings idea! We've been told her new Kosher by Design Kids in the Kitchen cookbook is wonderful, and Mrs. Fishbein has now produced a series of these popular cookbooks, including Kosher By Design Entertains: Fabulous Recipes For Parties And Every Day and Kosher by Design Short on Time: Fabulous Food Faster.

This flour blend can be used in equal amounts to the wheat flour in most recipes, except for yeast bread. It does not contain enough gluten and needs xanthum gum and apple cider vinegar added to rise properly. I just grind the organic grains up together in my grain mill, or you can use purchased, pre-milled flour in the same quantities:

2 Cups Barley + 1 Cup Short-Grain Brown Rice + 1/4 Cup Oat Groats.

Mix together to make flour blend. Substitue 1 cup this flour blend for 1 cup flour called for in the recipe (except yeast breads).

Wheat-Free Breadmaker Challah for Erev Shabbat

WHEAT-FREE CINNAMON RAISIN BREADMAKER CHALLAH
print recipe

Start with all ingredients at room temperature

Mix liquid ingredients together and place in bottom of breadpan

3 Eggs, large or extra large (must measure 3/4 cup), lightly beaten
3 tablespoons Organic Olive Oil
1-1/4 cups Water
1 teaspoon Organic Apple Cider Vinegar

Mix dry ingredients in separate bowl and add onto top of liquid ingredients in breadmaker pan.

3 cups Wheat-Free Flour Blend (see above) or gluten-free flour such as rice flour
2 teaspoons Xanthan Gum
1/2 cup Non-Instant Organic Dry Milk
1-1/2 teaspoons Sea Salt
3 tablespoons Sucanat or Sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons Cinnamon
1/8th teaspoon Vitamin C (powdered or crushed tablet)
2-1/2 Teaspoons RED STAR^® Active Dry Yeast
2/3 Cup Raisins

Place pan in breadmaker and set to a medium crust. Add raisins at appropriate time near end of kneading cycle (many breadmakers will “beep” to let you know it's almost done kneading). This will look like stiff pancake batter when kneaded and cannot be braided. Allow to cool 10 minutes in pan before turning out onto a cooling rack.

If the loaf sinks in the middle when cool, remember to write a note on the recipe to reduce the liquid approximately 1 or 2 tablespoons.
If the loaf has a rough uneven top crust, remember to write a note on the recipe to increase the liquid approximately 1 or 2 tablespoons.

Or, if you don’t use a breadmaker:

Mix liquid ingredients together in a mixer bowl. In a separate bowl, mix the dry ingredients together and add to the liquid ingredients. Using the dough hook, knead the dough on lowest setting for approximately 8 minutes, scraping the sides of the bowl occasionally. Add the raisins when almost kneaded.

Let the dough rest for about 2-3 minutes before turning into a prepared (oiled) 5 x 9” glass loaf pan. Rise in warm place (such as 100° oven) until double in size (about 40 minutes). Bake in a 325° oven (metal pan—350° oven) for 40 minutes. Turn out immediately onto cooling rack.

Since I do not use the meat “drippings”, we have found this recipe to be a favorite of ours. We think it tastes like a chicken or turkey gravy and is great over potatoes, meat or veggies. This gravy can be made dairy-free and gluten-free.

HERBED GRAVY

In a 2 quart saucepan, heat oil over medium heat.

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

Add flour, and stir often for two minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool for several minutes.

1/3 cup flour (I use my flour blend, or rice, bean or sorghum flour)

In a separate bowl, combine remaining ingredients. Whisk together with the flour/oil, half at a time to avoid lumping.

1 cup organic milk, rice milk or other dairy-free alternative “milk”
1 cup water
1 Tblsp wheat-free tamari sauce (like soy sauce) or Bragg's Liquid Aminos
1 teaspoon dried, crushed sage
1/4 teaspoon thyme
1/4 teaspoon marjoram
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
pinch of black pepper (optional)

Bring to boil over medium heat, stirring often. Reduce heat to low and cook for 10 -15 minutes, stirring occasionally. If gravy seems too thick, simply whisk in additional water, 1 Tablespoon at a time until desired consistency is reached. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. Gravy will thicken as it cools.

Stores well in the refrigerator for several days. To serve at a later time, reheat slowly over medium heat, making sure to stir well. Add a Tablespoon or two of water if necessary. Yield 1-1/2 to 2 cups. Original recipe from Imagine Foods.

Halakha (Guidelines) for
Hoshana Rabbah & Congregation Elim Community Meals: