Kosher in the Kitch (www.kosherinthekitch.com) a recipe-sharing website created by Nina Safar and geared toward the kosher consumer, hosted its first ever tasting party this past Sunday evening in the beautiful Brooklyn home of Yossi and Idii Stern. Six contestants had the opportunity to prepare dessert recipes in the kitchen of The Center for Kosher Culinary Arts and present them at the party to be sampled. The event was open to the public and everyone was able to taste the contestants’ creations.

   Judged on originality, presentation, and taste, the decadent peanut butter ice cream with brownie bits, submitted by Chanel Lipskier, captured the judges’ hearts and won first place. Formidable rivals were the exceptionally moist and pretty strawberry shortcake submitted by Miriam Rothstein, and the very health-inspired chocolate dipped white chocolate biscotti recipe by Elke Probkevitz of Take-Home Chef.

Nina Safar, Leah Koenig, Sandy Stollar, Yosef Schwartz & Jesse Blonder

   Shoshe Ben Abou’s parve cream cheese whipped topping may possibly have stolen the show in the taste department being that it was convincingly dairy and served with a rich chocolate cake that complemented it perfectly. Ette Hazan-Goldfarb’s chocolate espresso mousse, a favorite among many of the guest tasters, was served in ideal portions with little spoons and tasted of silky goodness. A cranberry upside-down cake submitted by Tanya Bernardson offered some natural sweetness and color to an otherwise sugary evening. The desserts were paired with a selection of kosher white wines and were sampled by an impressive crowd of satisfied connoisseurs.

   The judges included Leah Konig, writer and editor of The Jew and the Carrot; personal chef Sandy Stollar, creator of The Kosher Tomato; Yossi Schwartz, executive director of The Fresh Diet and Jesse Blonder, director of the Center for Kosher Culinary Arts.

   Lipskier won two free passes to a cooking class at the culinary school as well as a $100 gift certificate to Grillz Glatt Kosher of Staten Island.