Kosher Pizza?

[White Israelite]

So is there a such thing as kosher pizza? I really like to go to a local dive bar here and they have awsome tasting pizza, I realize that it is forbidden to mix meat with cheese but what if it is just pizza with veggies or just cheese?

[Ari Ben-Canaan]

  I go to a spot [Kosher] called, "Jerusalem Pizza", here in the SFV; so yes pizza can be Kosher.  It has Kashrut certification.  The risk you run into when eating a pizza, even if its all parve ingredients, is that it is most likely baked in an oven which meat is also baked in, or is at least prepared on a surface which meat has been on [in either case it is very possible for a drop of meat oil or tiny bit of meat to get mixed in].  There is also the possibility that the sauce on a pizza may be a meat sauce.

[TruthSpreader]

  I go to a spot [Kosher] called, "Jerusalem Pizza", here in the SFV; so yes pizza can be Kosher.  It has Kashrut certification.  The risk you run into when eating a pizza, even if its all parve ingredients, is that it is most likely baked in an oven which meat is also baked in, or is at least prepared on a surface which meat has been on [in either case it is very possible for a drop of meat oil or tiny bit of meat to get mixed in].  There is also the possibility that the sauce on a pizza may be a meat sauce.

Chaim said once in some of his past tv shows, he said that most of the employees in Jerusalem II were Arab. How can a so-called Kosher restaurant employ enemies of the Jewish people???

[Ari Ben-Canaan]

  I go to a spot [Kosher] called, "Jerusalem Pizza", here in the SFV; so yes pizza can be Kosher.  It has Kashrut certification.  The risk you run into when eating a pizza, even if its all parve ingredients, is that it is most likely baked in an oven which meat is also baked in, or is at least prepared on a surface which meat has been on [in either case it is very possible for a drop of meat oil or tiny bit of meat to get mixed in].  There is also the possibility that the sauce on a pizza may be a meat sauce.

Chaim said once in some of his past tv shows, he said that most of the employees in Jerusalem II were Arab. How can a so-called Kosher restaurant employ enemies of the Jewish people???

That is a great point.  Arabs should not be employed in Kosher businesses.

[Raulmarrio2000]

So is there a such thing as kosher pizza? I really like to go to a local dive bar here and they have awsome tasting pizza, I realize that it is forbidden to mix meat with cheese but what if it is just pizza with veggies or just cheese?

Oy Vey!!! Since when are Jews relying on the ingredients list to see if something is kosher or not? Unlees you prepare it yourself, you must assume that any food is NOT Kosher if it has no Ortodox Rabbinical Certification.
BTW,  Gentiles' cheese is generally forbidden to Jews because it might have renet, and in most communities, simply because the cow was not milked by a Jew, so it's not Cholov Yisroel.

[Kahane-Was-Right BT]

So is there a such thing as kosher pizza? I really like to go to a local dive bar here and they have awsome tasting pizza, I realize that it is forbidden to mix meat with cheese but what if it is just pizza with veggies or just cheese?

There is indeed kosher pizza and many kosher pizza restaurants all over Israel and I'm sure in nyc too.

The problem is that in a pizza place that is not a kosher pizza place, they are cooking the pizza with meat on it, with sausage, pork, etc  all in the same oven as the pizza with just cheese.

The secondary problem is that a lot of times you don't know if the cheese is kosher either unless you can somehow track down the ingredients and make sure there is no rennet in it. 

Certainly, you should avoid having pizza with any meat on it.  Don't eat that.

[Kahane-Was-Right BT]

So is there a such thing as kosher pizza? I really like to go to a local dive bar here and they have awsome tasting pizza, I realize that it is forbidden to mix meat with cheese but what if it is just pizza with veggies or just cheese?

Oy Vey!!! Since when are Jews relying on the ingredients list to see if something is kosher or not?

Since the Talmudic times perhaps?

If you go to Rav Abadi's website kashrut.org and post up the ingredients of a packaged food that doesn't have a hechsher, they will tell you if it's kosher or not based on the ingredients.   Now, it's true there may be a big difference with a "fast food" type of situation where it's not a packaged food with a label of ingredients.   Sure.   He can't just assume pizza like that is kosher because they are definitely cooking meat in the oven with it.     But for a packaged food, what you said is simply not true.  No offense, but you really don't know what you're talking about.

Unlees you prepare it yourself, you must assume that any food is NOT Kosher if it has no Ortodox Rabbinical Certification.

Again, this is not true, however I agree if you're saying he shouldn't eat the pizza from the non-kosher place - that would indeed be mistaken.   But otherwise there can be kosher foods that don't have certification.  A person should go to kashrut.org and ask the Rabbi Abadi and his sons if they are not sure, to confirm whether or not the food in question is kosher.   Rav Abadi was the renown posek of Lakewood for some time and has an expertise in kashrut for american Jews.

BTW,  Gentiles' cheese is generally forbidden to Jews because it might have renet, and in most communities, simply because the cow was not milked by a Jew, so it's not Cholov Yisroel.

2 different issues.

Rennet is from the cow's intestine.   So it's combining meat and dairy (I guess).

Cholov Yisrael is a stringency that not all Orthodox Jews keep and is not mandatory for an American Jew to hold by.   If a Jew has milk or cheese that is not cholov yisrael, it can still be kosher even if he's not keeping that higher standard.   There's a big difference between something actually being not kosher vs. not adhering to the highest level of stringency.   

[Raulmarrio2000]

Kahane BT, since when is a Jew allowed to go and eat in a non-kosher restaurant? What is that you are saying?
For a pizza or any other meal to be allowed, you must either do it yourself, or buy it kosher certified and cook it at home ( in both cases being carefull to make it and cook without mixing cheese and meat utensills), or you can go and eat it in a kosher restaurant with rabbinical certification.

[Kahane-Was-Right BT]

Kahane BT, since when is a Jew allowed to go and eat in a non-kosher restaurant? What is that you are saying?

Did I say that ?  No.

Read my posts, please.   Don't just react emotionally.

For a pizza or any other meal to be allowed, you must either do it yourself, or buy it kosher certified and cook it at home 

  FALSE.

F
A
L
S
E
 
What more can I say?

Not all packaged products need a kosher certification.  Sorry if you've been misled by all the politics.

[Kahane-Was-Right BT]

http://www.kashrut.org/forum/viewpost.asp?mid=12239

The rabbi's response: 

"We rethought about it and we are continuing to stay on the path of the Tanaim of the Gemara.
However thanks for your concern for K'lal Yisroel."
CYA




But like I said read my posts again, there are many problems with the nonkosher pizza place - I'm not an expert but I don't think he should eat there.   At very least he definitely shouldn't eat any pizza with meat on it!

[Kahane-Was-Right BT]

But as you can see, when the product contains cheese (this is alluded to by the questioner's comment), they caution against eating it without certification - because that brings in the rennet problem to the equation.   Cheese has the particular need for certification, and meat also has such a need because the animal had to be shechted properly etc.

But when there are not cheese or meat products in the ingredients, it can be judged based on ingredients - or to be cautious, one can post the product and ingredient list on that site and find out for sure.

[Raulmarrio2000]

Not all packaged products need a kosher certification.  Sorry if you've been misled by all the politics.

True, not all. But most of'em.

And where did you say that a Jew can go to a non-kosher restaurant? Here.

Certainly, you should avoid having pizza with any meat on it.  Don't eat that.

If the pizza is certified or you know that the meat is kosher(for example if you did it at home with kosher meat) and has no cheese or other types of dairy, that would not be a problem. But if eaten in a non-kosher restaurant, even if you see no meat on it, that's forbidden. But you seem to imply that seeing no meat is enough.

[Kahane-Was-Right BT]

And where did you say that a Jew can go to a non-kosher restaurant? Here.

Certainly, you should avoid having pizza with any meat on it.  Don't eat that.

And where does it say in that quote he can go to a non-kosher restaurant? 

However, now that you bring it up, my rabbi does allow that.   I am permitted to go to a non kosher restaurant and sit with my family and have conversation and not eat any non-kosher foods..    In fact, there are certain foods which one can eat in such a situation, but it requires a knowledge of the halachot and it isn't many things obviously.   

But, I never mentioned anything about this.  Until just now.

I simply wanted to give a big warning against eating pizza with meat on it, which I'm sure he can appreciate and will probably act on - he seems genuinely interested to keep some modicum of kashruth.

If the pizza is certified or you know that the meat is kosher(for example if you did it at home with kosher meat) and has no cheese or other types of dairy, that would not be a problem. But if eaten in a non-kosher restaurant, even if you see no meat on it, that's forbidden. 

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It's forbidden for other reasons having to do with the food itself, NOT because of what location it's in.

But you seem to imply

No, you seem to be imagining things.

[Raulmarrio2000]

And what about keli akkum? I was taught that one must avoid even dring water from a Gentile's cup if one is Jewish, since the cup obviously has no Tevilah.

[Kahane-Was-Right BT]

And what about keli akkum? I was taught that one must avoid even dring water from a Gentile's cup if one is Jewish, since the cup obviously has no Tevilah.

That sounds pretty nuts... Although I admit I don't know for sure if that's incorrect or not.   But just going by instinct, wow.   Something doesn't add up there, but let me ask this way:  Under a regular circumstance (ie a Jew owning a pot, or vessel) What is tevilah for?  And now consider how that has not much of anything to do with drinking a glass of water?

[Kahane-Was-Right BT]

As far as I know, tevilah is for a pot or surface you are going to cook with.

And there's a lot of issues there that separate along lehathila/bdiavad lines, but aside from all that... It's about cooking food.

[White Israelite]

I realize this may sound easier said than done to get kosher food but where I live is pretty much completely devoid of Jews, I live near the border of Alabama. This is to give you a better idea.



If Kashrut is not available, then what?

[Kahane-Was-Right BT]

I realize this may sound easier said than done to get kosher food but where I live is pretty much completely devoid of Jews, I live near the border of Alabama. This is to give you a better idea.



If Kashrut is not available, then what?

Good question, I wish I had better advice.  Bli neder, Let me ask my rabbi and see what he says about it.  He understands this type of situation well and also understands the leniency (as well as the stringency) that exists in Jewish law so he'll try to help you as much as is reasonably possible within the halacha.   When I find out, I'll private message you his advice, since this is particular to you and not necessarily for others here who are in a different situation.

[Ari Ben-Canaan]

Most tuna fish cans are certified Kosher by Orthodox Union.  You can see if there is a capital letter 'U' inside a circle on the package, usually by the brand name.  I realize eating tunafish everyday might get mundane but its one regular thing you can eat.  Fish is parve [something that is not milk or meat] so it does not have the same rules against eating it with dairy.  Hellmann's mayonnaise is Kosher as well so you can make tunafish salad.

As long as a fish has scales and fins its Kosher [tuna, salmon, mahi mahi, sea bass, etc], but a Kosher fish can be made non-Kosher if non-Kosher fish are prepared on the same surface as a Kosher fish, or cut with a knife which has cut non-Kosher fish.  If you can get Kosher fish which has not been in contact with non-Kosher fish that may be a good way to get protein on a regular basis.

I would check the frozen fish sections in your grocery stores to see if any of the fish there have Kosher certification.

Pinto beans and chickpeas are also good sources of protein and they are both parve.

[White Israelite]

Most tuna fish cans are certified Kosher by Orthodox Union.  You can see if there is a capital letter 'U' inside a circle on the package, usually by the brand name.  I realize eating tunafish everyday might get mundane but its one regular thing you can eat.  Fish is parve [something that is not milk or meat] so it does not have the same rules against eating it with dairy.  Hellmann's mayonnaise is Kosher as well so you can make tunafish salad.

As long as a fish has scales and fins its Kosher [tuna, salmon, mahi mahi, sea bass, etc], but a Kosher fish can be made non-Kosher if non-Kosher fish are prepared on the same surface as a Kosher fish, or cut with a knife which has cut non-Kosher fish.  If you can get Kosher fish which has not been in contact with non-Kosher fish that may be a good way to get protein on a regular basis.

I would check the frozen fish sections in your grocery stores to see if any of the fish there have Kosher certification.

Pinto beans and chickpeas are also good sources of protein and they are both parve.

I usually don't buy fish at the supermarket, I have the ocean in my backyard and usually just catch fish in a fish trap or take boat out and catch fish and gut them myself.

not sure if this is a kosher knife but this is what I use

[Kahane-Was-Right BT]

Most tuna fish cans are certified Kosher by Orthodox Union.  You can see if there is a capital letter 'U' inside a circle on the package, usually by the brand name.  I realize eating tunafish everyday might get mundane but its one regular thing you can eat.  Fish is parve [something that is not milk or meat] so it does not have the same rules against eating it with dairy.  Hellmann's mayonnaise is Kosher as well so you can make tunafish salad.

As long as a fish has scales and fins its Kosher [tuna, salmon, mahi mahi, sea bass, etc], but a Kosher fish can be made non-Kosher if non-Kosher fish are prepared on the same surface as a Kosher fish, or cut with a knife which has cut non-Kosher fish.  If you can get Kosher fish which has not been in contact with non-Kosher fish that may be a good way to get protein on a regular basis.

I would check the frozen fish sections in your grocery stores to see if any of the fish there have Kosher certification.

Pinto beans and chickpeas are also good sources of protein and they are both parve.

I usually don't buy fish at the supermarket, I have the ocean in my backyard and usually just catch fish in a fish trap or take boat out and catch fish and gut them myself.

not sure if this is a kosher knife but this is what I use

[img]http://sheffield.rgr.jp/spyderco/image/57563-1.jpg[/img[

Well if you can catch Tuna and a host of other fish which are kosher, that's a big part of the diet right there...

That knife should be kosher as long as you're not using it to cut non-kosher meat or other non kosher foods.   If you were doing that, you may have to kasher it by submerging it in boiling water.

[Ari Ben-Canaan]

Most tuna fish cans are certified Kosher by Orthodox Union.  You can see if there is a capital letter 'U' inside a circle on the package, usually by the brand name.  I realize eating tunafish everyday might get mundane but its one regular thing you can eat.  Fish is parve [something that is not milk or meat] so it does not have the same rules against eating it with dairy.  Hellmann's mayonnaise is Kosher as well so you can make tunafish salad.

As long as a fish has scales and fins its Kosher [tuna, salmon, mahi mahi, sea bass, etc], but a Kosher fish can be made non-Kosher if non-Kosher fish are prepared on the same surface as a Kosher fish, or cut with a knife which has cut non-Kosher fish.  If you can get Kosher fish which has not been in contact with non-Kosher fish that may be a good way to get protein on a regular basis.

I would check the frozen fish sections in your grocery stores to see if any of the fish there have Kosher certification.

Pinto beans and chickpeas are also good sources of protein and they are both parve.

I usually don't buy fish at the supermarket, I have the ocean in my backyard and usually just catch fish in a fish trap or take boat out and catch fish and gut them myself.

not sure if this is a kosher knife but this is what I use

Wow!  That sounds great!   

KWRBT is correct about the knife.

[Kahane-Was-Right BT]

Also, I should add that kashering it would be required if you were cutting the non-kosher meat with it while the non-kosher meat was hot (say, during a meal).   But if the non-kosher meat was always cold when you used the knife to cut this non-kosher meat (assuming you did) - say, only during preparation but before cooking meals, then you would not have to kasher it, just make sure it is thoroughly cleaned.

I think* the kashering is required only when hot non-kosher food has contacted the knife because the metal takes on flavors of non-kosher food (or any food) through heating it since it is a porous surface.  When knife and meat are cold, this is not an issue.   

Glass, on the other hand, does not have that problem and does not ever need to be kashered since it is not porous like metal.   

[FreedomDefender]

So is there a such thing as kosher pizza? I really like to go to a local dive bar here and they have awsome tasting pizza, I realize that it is forbidden to mix meat with cheese but what if it is just pizza with veggies or just cheese?

You can eat everything you want this days, tickets to hell are run out long time ago. Don`t worry ^^

[muman613]

So is there a such thing as kosher pizza? I really like to go to a local dive bar here and they have awsome tasting pizza, I realize that it is forbidden to mix meat with cheese but what if it is just pizza with veggies or just cheese?

You can eat everything you want this days, tickets to hell are run out long time ago. Don`t worry ^^

Do you think this is funny? I don't... It is very, very important for Jews to keep as Kosher as possible. Those who think it is a joke are only fooling themselves.

We don't keep kosher because we are afraid of Gehinnom, we keep kosher because of Ahavat Hashem and doing mitzvot are the way a Jew gets close to Hashem...

I am disappointed with this kind of comment... I would expect this kind of thing from Massuh...