Simsbury Life Features Meals on Wheels Kosher Caterer
Simsbury Life January 2010 Local Caterer Offers Tasty Choice for Kosher Events By Natalie K. Pollock Any kind of dietary restriction, and there are more and more these days, can make grocery shopping more complicated. In the Hartford area, there are few choices available for Jews who adhere to a strictly kosher diet.
Old time kosher cooking used to be bland and unconcerned with fat and salt content. But his approach offers more creativity and a dedication to quality ingredients in his recipes.
"Years ago, there was a big difference between kosher and non-kosher cooking. I adapted the best styles to kosher cooking without mixing meat with dairy," Mr. Shuman said.
"I learned to substitute non-dairy creamer for certain ingredients, for example, using it in place of milk in mashed potatoes, or for risotto with cheese. It all depends on the creativity of the chef."
When the Wadbaum's supermarket on Bishops Corner in West Hartford spread the word that it was planning a kosher deli, Mr. Shuman applied to be the purveyor and was selected based on his samples. When Avon Old Farms Inn restaurant added a banquet facility in 2001 and advertised that it would become a venue for bar mitzvahs and Jewish weddings, he approached it to do the cooking.
When VNA HealthCare of Hartford needed a vendor to provide fresh daily meals for its homebound Jewish clients, it asked if Mr. Shuman would be interested. Staff from the organization comes every day to pick up his meals and deliver them to residents in West Hartford and Bloomfield who pay from $15 to $18 a day for two kosher meals.
"We have a good working relationship with Steve Shuman. There have been no complaints. Everyone seems to like the food," said Mike Matthew of the VNA, who coordinates scheduling the meals.
"We have two programs: one for those who are unable to pay for their meals and one for those who can afford to pay. Lunch and dinner are usually delivered at the same time and reheated."
Barb Tarkin, who lives in Simsbury with r husband and five children, has never met Mr. Shuman. But she buys his prepared foods at Waldbaumfs deli and has enjoyed his cooking at Chabad of the Valley, which also delivers his cooking to community members in need.
It's delicious food and he has some unusual combinations, like his couscous with squash and bananas. I would not think of putting these ingredients together, but they taste good," said. Ms. Tarkin.
The general consensus in her religious community is that his food is flavorful as well as reasonably priced for the customer.
"There are not many Glatt Kosher caterers around and he has a good reputation. People for whom it is important know they can trust his integrity, that his dishes have been prepared carefully and under strict supervision. This is as important as taste and quality and price," she added.
To be a certified kosher caterer, Mr. Shuman makes sure not to mix dairy with meat in his kitchen. He does not keep dairy there and if he needs to work with dairy products, he covers all the tables and counters and makes the dish in a separate area.
He has been certified by the Hartford Kashrut Commission and a rabbi who comes around about once a week to inspect. He also does not make any pork or seafood dishes, but he can handle specific requests for those who need to eat low-sodium or gluten-free diets.
"It's not necessary to have dairy desserts. I have none and people drool over my desserts. For example, I make a non-dairy fudge brownie and chocolate decadence cake," he said.
Mr. Shuman likes baking the best. He came close to buying a bakery in West Hartford Center many years ago. When the owner was sent to the hospital with a serious ailment, he took over the business and made it so successful that the owner changed his mind about selling it upon his return.
"I had always wanted to be a chef," said Mr. Shuman.
He started in the business by working at Vallee's Steak House in Hartford and then he attended the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, N.Y. Upon his return to Hartford, he went to work at Scoler's restaurant where he stayed for 17 years.
The position left him free to try his hand at catering on the side.
His wife Judy Levine is the granddaughter of the founder of Kramer Kosher Caterers, first in Hartford, then New Britain. She was never involved in the family business, nor has she participated in her husband's work.
They met as children, attending Hebrew school and then high school together. The parents of three adult children who are 30, 26 and 24, the couple lives in Bloomfield. Her brother has been Mr. Shuman's best friend since childhood.
Their youngest son Zack works side by side with his father in the catering business as well as at the Simsbury Inn in the evenings.
"Zack was born with a spatula in his hand. He used to chase me down the street naked because he wanted to go to work with me," said Mr. Shuman.
"Zack is a talented chef, just impatient. He attended Johnson & Wales University and then a local culinary school."
Before he owned a building for his commissary, Mr. Shuman worked out of several synagogues in Newington. A few years later he approached Avon Old Farms to buy his growing business, but he stayed on to manage it after the sale.
After two years, he decided he needed a change. Mr. Shuman left for Florida and became the executive banquet chef at Boca West.
The new position did not turn out the way he had expected and he returned to take back his business, which is still located in the bowels of Avon Old Farms.
"I do kosher cooking for them and off premises. The new owner, Shawn Daigle, is creative. He likes to try new things," said Mr. Shuman.
His day begins at 5 or 5:30 in the morning, but he is done with his cooking by 11:30 or noon. The rest of the day is spent procuring ingredients and answering calls from clients, as well as searching for new catering opportunities.
"With this economy, you have to be creative. People are still making parties, but not like they used to," he said.
Those people who have used his services or tasted his food remember him years later.
There was a person who came up to him at a party and reminded Mr. Shuman that he had catered his daughterfs wedding 20 years ago.
Diners at a reception for dignitaries at the University of Connecticut no doubt still recall that the power went out during dinner and Mr. Shuman illuminated the tables with hundreds of candles and finished preparing the meals in propane-fueled ovens.
At a bar mitzvah in Woodbridge, he made a memorable scene by bringing Viennese pastries in on a large sailboat as a reference to the parents' favorite pastime. Foodies seek out his Asian steak salad and teriyaki chicken salad, as well as his special fried chicken at Waldbaum's.
"I focus on care and quality. I will not skimp on the taste of the product and the presentation must be 100 percent," he said. Sometimes if I can improve it with two steps, I will do it at my cost, because it is my name that is tied to the product."
For more information about Catering by Shuman call Steve Shuman at 860-284-0077.
