We are heading towards the pinnacle of the Gefiltefest year with the fest taking place on the 19th of next month.

It is not too late to vote in the JC-Gefiltefest 2013 Food Awards. Who makes Britain’s best challah? Will Kaifeng scoop the Best Kosher Restaurant award for the third year running? Cast your votes at www.thejc.com/promotions/gefiltefest-jewish-chronicle-2013-food-awards

Gefiltefest’s contributors are busy preparing their demonstrations and talks.
Chef patissier David Mendes of Baking Dreams Together has conjured up the chocoholics dream — a perfect white chocolate challah (right). Whoever correctly guesses the weight will win the chocolate challah. Chocoholics can post their bids at www.gefiltefest.org.
If you don’t win you can always try fashioning your own when Kosher Kingdom, which sells the moulds, gets new supplies.

On May 12, Cardiff-based cook Ruth Joseph, co-author of Warm Bagels and Apple Strudel, will be speaking at London’s Jewish Museum about the One Hundred Year History of a Jewish Cake Tin — the tale of a Gugelhopf tin (below) carried by Ruth’s late mother Judith Carlebach as part of her luggage escaping from Germany with the Kindertransport. As well as stories, Joseph will be sharing cake — selling almond kipfel to raise money for Jewish Care.

In other news, Amsterdam’s Jewish Museum has just held its first kugel contest. Fifteen participants from all over the country came with their pots and pans. The winner, Dave Delwel, made a kugel based on the recipe of his 91-year-old aunt, Jo. Key ingredients were roodkoker pears (that
turn red when they’re cooking), ginger and almonds.

My wife overheard an odd kashrut question at her pregnancy yoga class: “Is placenta kosher?” The swift riposte was, “It isn't on the KLBD list, so probably not.”