Welcome Newbies!

Friday is usually a slower day on Young, Broke and Kosher. But not today – YBK has been featured in OC Jewish Life, and upon last check, the article is one of the most popular stories on their website! So since there are a lot of new people coming by, I thought I might as well introduce myself personally:

My name is Reina Kutner, known to some as Reina Victoria, known to dad as just Victoria. I’m from a town called Thousand Oaks, which is so white that white bread is achingly jealous. I went to Pierce College in the San Fernando Valley, then escaped to Orange County to be at Cal State Fullerton. My Nony, Regina Amira, who hailed from a Sephardic family that relocated to New York from Turkey before she was born, was the best cook in the world. She taught me about food and love, and although she is gone, I miss her every day.

I am a bit of a punk Jew – I do things my way, right down to my red-and-black checkered Vans. I keep kosher, but I’m not super-religious. Instead of living in Pico-Robertson, the Jewish area of Los Angeles, I keep kosher in an obscure part of Long Beach, about 30 miles south. Here, I don’t have to keep up with the Schwartzes or Goldbergs. Instead, I can be me, kosher and happy. Long Beach is really the first place that I have ever considered home.

When I got married, I began to teach myself about cooking. I could cook before, but I wanted to learn it all. In my unemployment right after I got married, I started watching Food Network shows and started teaching myself about food. I learned a lot by being intuitive, going to farmer’s markets and talking to others. I then decided to write a memoir/cookbook, “Young, Broke and Kosher.”

Eventually, I would find work at a national newspaper syndicate, but then my husband would be laid off. We had a hard time, but we made do. Then came Six – the nickname I gave to the sixth blood clot I had. The first five came in 2004, at the age of 21. Despite this life-threatening condition, I continued to go to work. The result? Two weeks later I was laid off from my job, and my husband and I were left with no jobs and a pile of medical bills.

Six months after the blood clot, I decided that I shouldn’t just sit around on my butt and wait for something to happen. I made “Young, Broke and Kosher” into a blog, and hence this site was born. With recipes and stories, I was going to let people in. I didn’t want to hide from people – rather, it was time to show them who I was and what I do. I feel that I need to be able to talk about anything, be funny and goofy if needed and be serious at other times.

I have gone super-viral, and that has meant that I had to teach myself about social media and what it takes to promote a blog. I have a Facebook fan page for Young, Broke and Kosher and a Twitter account. (On Twitter, you can find us @youngbrokekosh)

Currently, I’m trying to develop video, which we will post onto YouTube, and launch our actual site, youngbrokeandkosher.com (still looking for cheap hosting for this broke lady). I have recently joined up with a federation of food bloggers called EatNation, and represent the Los Angeles region.

Less than a year after Six, I’m healthy and moving on with my life, complete with full control over my medical condition. I feel like I have no limits. Yes, I may be broke, and I may be odd, but I’m not afraid.

For those who have been with me all this time, I still love you! Here’s the link to the article: http://www.ocjewishlife.com/site/“young-broke-and-kosher”/

In the meantime, here is one of my favorite recipes, which I made the other night. It’s been posted before, but it’s worth doing again. P’tayavon and Shabbat Shalom!

TURKEY JOES

2 pounds ground turkey

1 large onion

4 cloves garlic

Salt and pepper

2 tablespoons olive oil

¼ cup flour

1/2 cup barbecue sauce

2 teaspoons mustard

2 teaspoons honey

4 tablespoons rice vinegar

hamburger buns

Chop the onion and mince the garlic. Meanwhile, season the turkey with the salt and pepper.

Heat two tablespoons of the olive oil in the pan. Add the garlic and allow it to cook slightly in the olive oil. Add the onion and salt to soften. Allow them to become translucent.

Add the ground turkey and stir in the pan until all the pink of the meat is gone. Add the flour, stirring until it absorbs the juices from the meat. This is going to be the base of your sauce.

Add the rice vinegar, barbecue sauce, honey and mustard. Stir until every piece is completely coated. Serve on hamburger buns. Get yourself a napkin, because it will be messy!