GKR EXCLUSIVE: "Chopped" gets another kosher competitor

We can finally reveal. Shalom Yehudiel, Chef/Owner of The Humble Toast in Teaneck, NJ has recently competed on the popular Food Network's Chopped. His episode airs Tuesday, September 22nd and look out for some exciting viewing party details.

But one thing you will be very interested to know is that for the first time, the show allowed rabbinical supervisions (in this case the Kof K and RCBC) to come in and kasher Shalom's station and equipment so he was able to taste the food he was cooking.

Wearing a yarmulka the entire time, no matter the outcome (and he is signed to secrecy on that), this will be a really nice Kiddush Hashem. Can't wait to see what happens. balenciaga outlet

Of course, Chopped has had a few other kosher contestants and well knows chefs from the kosher field.

Also, funny note, the episode will air during Aseret Y'mei T'shuva, so there's going to be a lot of judging going on that week

Here's some background information as Reported by Rebecca King of NorthJersey.com:

Owner of The Humble Toast, a kosher restaurant in Teaneck, will compete on 'Chopped'
Shalom Yehudiel, owner of Jewish deli The Humble Toast in Teaneck, will compete on a historic episode of the popular Food Network series "Chopped," which will air on Sept. 22 at 9 p.m.

A kosher chef, Yehudiel is the first contestant for whom the show had a rabbi come in to make sure the food and work station were suitable for cooking a kosher meal.

All of the same ingredients were presented to each contestant. (“Chopped” has chefs create a meal using miscellaneous ingredients from a mystery basket.) Yehudiel’s were simply kosher.

“I’m really proud,” he said. “When they approached me, I called my rabbi to consult. I run a kosher restaurant, so I just don’t want to say yes if I can’t cook kosher.”

There have been kosher chefs on “Chopped” before, Yehudiel said, but they were not able to taste their food before serving it, as the proper preparations had not been done.

The episode’s theme is “Beat the Judge” and features celebrity chef and frequent “Chopped” judge Amanda Freitag competing against the contestants.

Yehudiel got involved with “Chopped” after receiving an email asking him to come to Manhattan for an entry interview. He did, then waited months to hear back. Eventually, the team came out to Teaneck to get some shots at The Humble Toast for the show. He filmed the episode on June 20, 2019. Now, more than a year later, the episode is ready to air.

The Humble Toast, which serves both old-school favorites like knishes and trendier dishes such as shishito peppers, was opened in 2018. Yehudiel, who was born in Israel and raised in Bergen County, has cooked for massive companies such as Disney. He used that experience and his knowledge of kosher cooking to open The Humble Toast, where he cures and smokes his own pastrami and corned beef.

The Humble Toast is at 1383 Queen Anne Road, Teaneck; 201-897-3080, thehumbletoast.com.

(Photo Credit: Justin Jagiello)