Nosh Fest, South Florida's Jewish Food Festival, Returns to Cooper City November 21

"Nosh," meaning to taste, is the very premise of Nosh Fest, South Florida's Jewish Food Festival. This year's Nosh Fest is expected to grow substantially. Created last December by leaders of Temple Beth Emet in Cooper City, this festival aims to benefit local food banks, namely Feeding South Florida, Jewish Family Service of Broward County and We Care Food Pantry, during the busy holiday season. Feeding South Florida alone provides food to 89 different social service agencies in South Florida, according to Stuart Silver, Chair of Nosh Fest II. This year's Nosh Fest is expected to double in attendance following the popularity of the festival hosted by Temple Beth Emet in 2009.

Festival attendees "pay" for their admission with canned food items and thereafter enjoy nosh-sized samples of Jewish Cuisine at reasonable prices. Nosh Fest will run from 10am - 3pm, Sunday, Nov. 21.

"This year will be a bigger, more exciting and fun-filled event," Silver said. "There will be more of everything – cooking demonstrations and competitions, children’s activities, arts and crafts, entertainment, and of course, delicious Jewish Cuisine."

Food tickets are traded for snack-sized noshes of a variety of foods. Menu items are slated to include a Lower East side Corned Beef Sandwich, Romanian Pastrami Sandwich, Brooklyn Mini-Bagel with Lox & Cream Cheese, Israeli Falafel, Aunt Sadie’s Matzo Ball Soup, Sweet Noodle Kugel, Peppy's Potato Pancakes, Hot Dog, Tati's Blintzes, Mini-Stuffed Cabbage, Knish, Pretzel Dog, Israeli Salad, Ruggulah and Black and White Cookies. (The menu is subject to change.)

Fitness 21, a sponsor of Nosh Fest, is pitting its trainers against all takers in a pie eating contest! Brave souls interested in competing can sign up by calling Zohar Casden at 954-680-1882. Other entertainment includes a food trivia competition, live bands and music and dancing by performers affiliated with Platinum Gold, which is donating services to Nosh Fest. The Florida Panthers are also involved in this year's events.

For younger attendees, activities include kids' cooking projects and demonstrations such as cookie decorating, face painting, a bounce house, games, Israeli dancing and how to make an edible cup of dirt!

Visit www.NoshFest.org or call 954- 680-1882 for more information, competition applications, and to purchase discounted food tickets. Temple Beth Emet is located at 4807 South Flamingo Road in Cooper City.

Nosh Fest was created by leaders at Temple Beth Emet as a way to gather the community for a taste of Jewish Style Cuisine while offering support to Jews and non-Jews who were suffering as a result of difficult economic times before Chanukah and Christmas.

Sponsors of Nosh Fest include Le Cordon Bleu, Haute Cuisine Caterers, Lauderdale BMW, Westside Regional Medical Center and Network Strategics.

Bring "The Perfect Side Dish" and Win!

"The Perfect Side Dish" holiday recipe contest just got more delicious with contest prizes from Pollo Tropical as a preview to "What Can You Do?," a statewide food drive Nov. 20-Dec. 14 at Simon Malls in Florida, in collaboration with the Florida Association of Food Banks. Home and professional chefs are invited to submit their favorite holiday side dish recipes using canned ingredients by Wed., Nov. 10, for the chance to win a $100 American Express Simon Giftcard, plus a $100 gift certificate from Pollo Tropical.

Submitted recipes must include canned ingredients; the ever-so-popular green bean casserole or sweet potato pie are good examples of recipes with canned food items. A panel of judges will review the recipes and select the perfect side dish chefs to compete. As a special incentive, the first 50 individuals to submit a recipe will receive a coupon for a free meal from Pollo Tropical.

Finalists will be asked to prepare their dish, which will be judged on taste, creativity and ease of preparation during a special competition held on Sat., Nov. 20, 2010 at four Simon mall locations including Paddock Mall (Ocala/North Florida), Coral Square Mall (Coral Springs/South Florida), Seminole Towne Center (Orlando/Central Florida) and Edison Mall (Fort Myers/Southwest Florida). Five finalists per region will each receive a $25 American Express Simon Giftcard and a $50 gift certificate from Pollo Tropical. The winning chef per region will receive a $100 American Express Simon Giftcard, a $100 gift certificate from Pollo Tropical and the bragging rights for this premier recipe contest.

Recipes for "The Perfect Side Dish" can be provided via email to recipes@bitnergoodman.com. Recipe submission forms can be found at participating Simon Mall Guest Service desks or can be downloaded online at www.bitnergoodman.com/perfectsidedish.htm. All entries must be received by 5 pm on Wed., Nov. 10, 2010. For detailed contest rules and additional information, call 1-800-998-6753 or visit www.bitnergoodman.com/perfectsidedish.htm.

Participating malls include Boynton Beach Mall, Coconut Point, Coral Square, Dadeland Mall, DeSoto Square, Edison Mall, Florida Mall, Gulf View Square, Indian River Mall, Lake Square, Melbourne Square, Miami International Mall, Paddock Mall, Port Charlotte Town Center, Seminole Towne Center, The Falls, The Shops at Sunset Place, Town Center at Boca Raton, Treasure Coast Square and Tyrone Square.