Gifted Gourmet

Probably due to the rarity of the occasions on which it is prepared ... every week would be overkill even with something this good ...

So here is the "update" on those much maligned (by me, anyway) Manischewitz Fruit Slices ... as I had said, they were disastrous for the past few years and now sported the "New Improved" logo on the box ... well, they were actually better this year! Not superlative, of course, but better .. they tasted somewhat fruitier and the more acidic (do not read Hassidic, please!!) balance with the sugar coating was a lot nicer and more palatable ... but here is my "issue" with them: why not do it right first instead of making us hang around and wait for the better product?? Is this not tantamount to saying "You idiot consumers put up with less than good stuff for years, but NOW we are improving it!" Demeaning to our intellect, demeaning to our palates ... I rest my case ...

Make sure you use the REAL sour cream (the really unctuous one with all that fat!) For an extra treat, use egg & onion flavored matzo (although it won't be Kosher for Pasover) Gotta agree with you that real sour cream is essential in Passover cooking .. I top my savoury matzoh brie with a mixture of chopped fresh spring veg ( a la Ratner's ... RIP) and the bright flecks of color (purple onion, red pepper, green onion tops, golden peppers, etc.) mixed with the sour cream, is not only attractive, but delightful! If you gotta go, better you should die with this on your lips!!

The best place for general listings and descriptions is http://metroactive.com/dining/santa-cruz/santa-cruz.html and then there is this: http://www.gdtimes.com/04_01_04/diningguide/ and then when you narrow down your choices, we can provide more details and opinions ... certainly tanabutler and I have mentioned a variety of local places which you will find appealing .... taking into account that you'll be taking kids with you, of course ...

That is the place to find the very latest reviews on our local Atlanta dining scene! New stuff appears daily, no, hourly, on the website!

Nyafat ... trust me on this, it is a vegetarian fat which comes in flavored (onion) and unflavored .... whoopee! http://www.food-and-drink.com/display.cfm?rec=52647 "Schmaltz is rendered chicken fat with onion, and is available in the kosher section of your market. Nyafat is a cholesterol-free, schmaltz-flavored vegetable shortening, also available in the kosher section."

http://www.atlantacuisine.com/reviews/blais31flavors.html Tom Maicon's review is new and on his website ..... and it is extremely detailed!!

Yeah, but they are supposedly fat free .... anyway, what's a little titanium dioxide among friends?? Surgeon General's Warning: Don't smoke while ingesting!! Found a brand new worst ever candy this afternoon, and one which I was looking forward to all week .. from, who else, Manischewitz, entirely new product: Double Chocolate Dipped Matzos ... $6 a tiny box ..... the matzo inside the coating, which fell off in great chunks, was stale and the coating a true horror ....so much for "New and Improved" ...

and I am quite certain, clothier, that she loves you as well .... even a lurking mad mommy is not such a bad thing here at eG!

(saliva all over my keyboard, Jinmyo!!)

The perfect title for an upcoming bestseller: Briskets of My Past .....

My first Passover. A good time was had by all. I enjoyed the experience immensely. You done good, Al Dente!! Very pleased for you that this was an unqualified success! When's tonight's dinner? I am sure you have saved some leftovers for your eG supporters .... The pictures are gorgeous! Almost like actually being there! yet lacking the aromas .....

You might regret that request. Pesach has been known turn into Festivus. Yes, Festivus, I remember it with great anguish ... when people would stand up and complain ... yeah, many a seder has the merry ring of Festivus! Thanks for the memory, bloviatrix! Festivus with the Whiners .. just imagine that!!

Salmon is better than what some of my vegetarian friends serve ... lots of vegetable casseroles .... just not the same as a brisket swimming in its own gravy ... When, and if, someone says something negative about one of my dishes at the seder, I remind them, as has been recently mentioned here, "It's not the last supper you'll ever eat, you know! Tomorrow is yet another meal!"

We are nothing if not the human form of Prozac .. Pesachdik of course!! Enjoy New Jersey and the holidays with your in-laws, bloviatrix, and bring us tales from the holiday with detailed reports on the food ... and your highly energetic mil!!

The word your searching for is oenophile. I know--it sounds dirty, but it's a real word. Actually, when I think it over rationally and logically, perhaps he is more of a "winophile" due to his volume and choices of wine ... oenophile doesn't sound dirty unless you add the old Monty Python phrase which they guaranteed would add the element of smut to pretty much anything: "know what I mean? wink, wink, nudge, nudge" .... Anyone remember the old SNL skit with the Whinners? The Whiners were a favorite of mine! They were so much like my family that I failed to see the humor in the beginning and decided it must be a reality show ... but then I woke up with a start and realized that (1) reality shows hadn't been invented and (2) the Whiners only lasted about 7-8 minutes when my own family just continued on and on ....

Just when you thought you'd seen pretty much everything, comes this from Jewish World Review: http://www.jewishworldreview.com/kosher/pa...rinter_friendly I like their title "Tastes Great, Less Chometz" .....

The quick and humorous answer is, of course, one can not use any part of the mole for Passover ... a more serious answer can be found here on a knowledgeable and reputable site: http://www.okkosher.com/kfgProducts.asp?ir...EY+%26+MOLASSES

The word your searching for is oenophile. I know--it sounds dirty, but it's a real word. Actually, when I think it over rationally and logically, perhaps he is more of a "winophile" due to his volume and choices of wine ... oenophile doesn't sound dirty unless you add the old Monty Python phrase which they guaranteed would add the element of smut to pretty much anything: "know what I mean? wink, wink, nudge, nudge" ....

Got to agree with you here, bloviatrix, on the very definition of the purist's brisket ... isn't that one of those "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" things?... au naturel is best .. foam is best left for hair mousse, after all is said and done ...

Todah rabbah, Queen de Charoset Sephardiques!! Will be honored to meet you in Jerusalem, G-d willing, with the rest of your loyal, devoted "subjects" .... and to sit at your learned feet to hear tales so exquisite on the fruit of the vine! Thank you for all your banter and good humor and learning on this topic at this glorious season, Katie! A marvelous Pesach to you too!!

No - you can't use an IV drip - but you can make brisket foam <g,d&r>. Robyn Does brisket foam, a la El Bulli, not capture the quintessential "being" of what brisket aims for in its brief life??

Actually, I recently learned that there is a fleishig egg. I'm not quite sure what it comes from (although I hope to learn that at a later date). So, it's probably more precise to say chicken eggs are pareve. One instance of a fleishig egg: If I remember correctly, I think I learned that if an egg is found in a chicken when the chicken is slaughtered, it is considered fleishig. if an egg is found in a chicken when the chicken is slaughtered, it is considered fleishig. Which is traditionally served in chicken soup especially if it has double yolks, if I recall correctly ... in any event, the regular chicken egg packed in styrofoam by the dozen is more than likely parve ... bloodspots are yet another thing altogether ... those go into the disposal for some of us ...

Exactly the same experience here in Atlanta with the lobster ... I think they are highly aware of the economics with regard to offering certain delicacies ... maybe I am just too crabby ....

Just had the most delightful discussion with bloviatrix with regard to the price of kosher briskets ... she pays more per pound in NYC than we pay here in the wilds of Georgia .... considerably less! So she may fly in to pick up some of this local "bargain", she notes with glee ... But, while I see those briskets as something comparable to buying clothing at Bergdorf Goodman, she sees it as an essential, not unlike Cartier's "Musts" stuff ... Does a brisket or a Coach handbag fulfill the mitzvah of "living high on the hog"?? and, when choosing a new pair of Manolos, need one calculate the difference between the two with the price of kosher brisket of beef?