Rachel Perlow

I find the tea strainers to small and too fine for most tasks. I do use a 3" and 6" metal mesh, plastic round part & handle strainers very frequently. I also have a set of three plastic cutting boards. They are supposed to be used (and are labled) for different tasks (raw meat, veggies, cooked food), but I just find having the extra boards with a neat holder very helpful. I have lots of gadgets, but those strainers are probably the most frequently used. Although today I made a stock and that requires a two step straining. First through a large colander to get rid of bones & other large debris. Then through a coffee filter lined strainer to get the smaller bits. I also prefer a real lemon reamer like this one to using a fork or just squeezing, like you see so many chefs on TV doing. Don't they want to get all the juice out?

I'm confused. Are you allowed to refill water glasses once the customer has requested tap water? I feel that any decent restaurant should filter their water if there is any off taste to it (not as much as a problem in NYC as in NJ), and so am perfectly happy drinking tap water. As someone else mentioned, I like it when a carafe or pitcher of water is placed on the table. Sometimes I'll even suggest it to the server after the second or third refill, especially if the cuisine is spicy.

Thought this was a good place to put in a tip. After you chop your onions, cover the bowl with a paper towel to keep you from getting teary while getting ready to use them.

Have you seen the Fox Family channel's new series State of Grace? It is about a Jewish girl and her family who just moved to North Carolina. Very cute fish out of water show.

Wouldn't someone who is vegan not want to go to a BK or McD even if the veggie burger was completely vegan? I'm thinking this because even the though that sandwich is vegan by buying anything in those stores you are supporting a corporation whose main function is selling meat.

The little boy on the cover looks exactly like Harold from Harold and the Purple Crayon, which is my favorite children's book. Is it the same character?

Unlike matzo brei, which I forgot to add to my original post, macaroons are something I left off intentionally. Just couldn't bring myself to buy even one tin this year.

Just don't bother buying one direct from Tilia if you are interested. They are about 50% more expensive than bidding on one on eBay.

In the Night Kitchen, by Maurice Sendak. Here's a link to its Amazon.com page. Here's a link to the Where the Wild Things Are store at the Sony Metreon mall in San Francisco. There is a restaurant inside the store named after In the Night Kitchen.

Is it one of these? :) FridgeSmart™ Containers "produce will last longer and taste better stored in FridgeSmart™ containers"

Back to the topic... A good way to do prep for nearly the whole week is to make use of your FoodSaver if you have one. We talked abou this vacuum sealer a while back if you do a search. But most of your salad fixins can be done ahead of time and stored in mason jars sealed by vacuum. Even chopped raw onions stay perfectly fresh and don't smell up your fridge. This advice is more for the home cook than a restaurant, but you should see my vegetable bin. You open it up and instead of seeing veggies, you see the lids of mason jars, labeled with my Brother P-touch, with sliced celery, carrots, diced peppers, onions. Even lettuce, I can wash, spin dry and store in a vacuum container for several days worth of salads.

As part of a couple of size, I can tell you a few of my tricks for getting more room. First, with airplanes. When I book tickets, if it is possible I reserve an aisle and a window seat (of three across seating). We always try to arrive on time, if not early, at the gate. Then I check with the gate personel as to the crowdedness of the flight, explaining (as politely and smilingly as possible) that since we are both large people it would benefit both the airline and the person assigned in between us if they re-assign that person so they aren't cramped. That is, if there is even someone between us by the time of the flight (vacant middle seats in between two reserved seats are the last to be assigned). If it is a plane with two across seating, we just cuddle together! :) Very rarely do we actually have to deal with a person in between us at the beginning of a flight, but somehow there is always a more comfortable place to move the unfortunately smooshed person by the time the plane leaves the gate. Facing this unembarassingly and with good humor helps the process, especially if there is someone stuck in the middle at the beginning of the flight. Rarely is anyone rude about it, and never has anyone refused to move from in between us, even for another middle seat. As for restaurants, we have left places if the entire restaurant is spaced so tightly that there is no way for us to be comfortable. Usually before or as you are being seated is the best time to ask for a different table. If the booths looked cramped, I will tell the host(ess) we prefer a regular table. As you are being led to a table that appears unsuitable, I will say, "I think we would be more comfortable at that table," if I spy something more appropriate. Unless the place is completely booked, they are usually accomodating, even sitting us at the larger square 4-tops rather than the half-sized tables for two.

I suppose whichever is in the cupboard. But, considering you're soaking the matzo in eggs it seems redundant to use egg matzo. Also, egg matzo seems too soft (? that's not the right word, delicate? I don't know but if you know egg matzo you know what I mean). I suppose I just don't really like egg matzo. I prefer the crisper crunch of pure matzo.

That's one I forgot about. However, that's the savory version. I like sprinkling it with powdered or granular sugar and sometimes cinnamon and eating it with jam.

OK, Passover has it's limitations. You can't eat chometz, which basicly means flour and things made from flour. Except of course matzo, which is made from flour. Sounds ironic, but it has to do with making it so quick it doesn't have a chance to rise. Anyway, I realized while in the supermarket the other day there are some things only available at Passover time that I love and even stock up on. And other foods we make only at Passover. Here are some of my favorites: From the kosher for Passover aisle at the market: - Coke made with sugar, not corn syrup - Fox's U-Bet chocolate syrup, again w/sugar not corn syrup - No salt Manachewitz potato chips - Chocolate Jelly Rings adn Marshmallow twists Foods only prepared on Passover: - Passover Rolls (like pate a choux puffs but made w/matzo meal) - Farfel stuffing - Matzo ball soup, actually this is one passover item that has crossed over to most holidays. What are you looking forward to?

What about par cooking the liver slightly? When making chopped liver the liver is cooked first. Kosherly, this is done by broiling, although I prefer to saute. Anyway, if you simmer the liver or briefly saute, to the rare stage, you should be able to mince it without it becoming liquid, but it will still be mushy and cohesive enough to bind with the minced pork belly.

How about "no ketchup"? They put ketchup on it everywhere, right? And, if you still like ketchup, just put some on from those plastic packets that come with the fries.

I miss Roy Rogers. They had the best fried chicken. Way better than KFC. Even Popeye's, while better than KFC, is no Roy Rogers. :(

I hate to sound even lamer, but last time we were meeting my parents for dinner and were in a seafood mood, we went to Legal! It's pretty good. Where in northern NJ? There's a crab house in Edgewater that very good but rather expensive. Ooh! I thought of one... When are they going there? Joe & Tess's, also in Edgewater at 16 Hilliard Ave, is excellent quality, reasonable prices, very (very) casual. But, it is only open Thursday - Sunday. If you are going on a Sunday, you can even reserve a lobster, cause they'll run out otherwise. Excellent steamers. I know there's also the Fulton Crab House in Cliffside Park, but I've never been. Assembly in Englewood Cliffs is a Steak & Seafood House, but also, I haven't been there.

I'm glad you didn't put this on the NJ Dinner thread, don't want people to stay away because their scared of the nerd-quotient.

Bravo! ... to MYoung, for both creating a serious post about the actual topic and remaining punny at the same time. {my punning sucks, I can't think of anything!}

I really don't have proportions. Generally if something has brown sugar in it where I feel the molasses taste should be emphazed I'll add more, say a tablespoon or even two; if it should be deemphasized, then use about a teaspoon. Usually, I don't bother mixing the two first, I'll just add the sugar and the molasses to the mixing bowl along with whatever other ingredients are being mixed (usually eggs or butter get creamed with the sugar).

I've had their lamb chops, very good. I'm the weird person at the table who doesn't get the steak. I've had lamb chops, salmon and lobster the times I've been there. I have to be in a "steak mood" to eat steak.

Since others have brought it up, here's a link to the thread discussing the NJ Dinner. About half-way down the first page is bus information for getting to Palisades Park. Let me know if you are planning to go by bus and we'll make ride arrangements.

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