Pam R

Some of the pre-made stuff just needs to be sliced and fried or baked. We sell a couple of different brands -- I think we'll have Unger's for Passover this year. We also made it when I was younger . . one or twice maybe. That was interesting. If you're looking for vegetarian, make sure you check the label. Some of them contain beef fat. Look for a pareve mark on the package.

I think she's talking about kishka.

Can somebody give me the basics of kibbeh? Is it any dough stuffed with something and fried or baked or steamed? Are there any rules? They look great.

I think it's a great idea for some. I like to use short ribs in my borscht - I simmer them on their own until almost falling apart, strain the liquid out and take the meat off the bones, breaking it up into smaller pieces. Then the vegetables get added to the meat and liquid. Also works well for beef and barley or beef and vegetable soup. Shin is ok, but I prefer the short ribs.

Would you do things other than challah? Hamantashen next week, chiffon cakes for Pesach, cakes for bat mitzvahs, etc.? Or are you just talking about bread? Has the synagogue expressed any interest in hiring you vs. running it as your own business? Would you be interested in an arrangement where they cover your 'salary' and you get a share in any profits?

Is fruit salad a salad? We call it a salad but it has no vegetables nor a dressing. . .

Did you blot off the oil before freezing, or did you leave the surface oil? I was supposed to do my first fry yesterday, but I put it off till today. I've got to get moving, because I don't want my potatoes to deteriorate too much! ← No blotting. We'd do 100 to 200 lbs. at a time. They were drained in the fry baskets, spread out on a baking sheet.

It's not considered OK to eat the blood by those who observe kashrut. It's not uncommon for a kosher mashgiach to insist on cracking and checking all of the eggs himself in a kosher establishment or synagogue. Every egg is cracked into a small dish, checked individually and then added to the others. This doesn't help with your brown, 'cage free' eggs, but I remember that last year at Passover when I had to crack and separate approximately 100 dozen eggs, I had to discard about 1 for every 100.

We've started a new topic for Vegas Uncorked 2009. You can find it by clicking here.

No. . . it's something off, a chemical flavour or something. Could just be me, of course.

This makes sense in theory, but am I the only one who tastes something . . odd and different when you drink a Coke or Pepsi out of a glass bottle? It's been a long time since I have had one, but I remember a distinct taste that I didn't like. Maybe a result of washing recycled bottles?

Why lower? Were they not cooked through? ← They were cooked through, but were slightly too dry. I thought that doing them at a lower temperature would give them the cooked, but limp quality that I've noticed in other peoples first fry. ← Have you tried different types of potatoes? Your temperatures sound good to me. I think a waxy potato makes moister fries.

Why lower? Were they not cooked through? Has anybody ever coated their fries before frying?

Eggs are considered pareve or neutral. They are neither meat nor milk and can be used with either. So, yes, meringue works.

Use Earth Balance instead of Fleischmann's. It has a better flavour.

I'd agree. I've had a couple of B&D knives and they were good. I've also had a few $10 no-name models from a grocery store chain and they were just as good. We use them a few times a week to cut stacked sandwiches (party/slider/double decker style) and always have a couple in the kitchen.

I wonder if you should try sprinkling them with icing sugar after dipping them in lemon juice. I've never tried it with bananas, but for making apple chips in the oven, sprinkling them evenly with icing sugar always made a crisper chip.

I think the lower temp. first fry is to ensure that the potato is actually cooking through rather than browning too quickly and ending up with a dark exterior and raw interior. I've always done the two-fry method. At times I've soaked the cut chips in water, at times not. For a small batch at home, I cut, soak, drain and dry then double fry. Thanks Pam. This explains it for the double fry method; however, as the potato is totally cooked initially by way of being boiled first in the triple cook method I'm still left wondering whether a lower temperature is necessary on the first fry using that method. ← Right, it didn't twig for me that you were pre-cooking and then double frying. I've never done the three-step, just the double-fry method without pre-cooking and that's what I was thinking of.

Yes, reds are large enough to get nice long spears. Last time I bought potatoes from the local wholesale (2 weeks ago), 50# bags of small/medium reds were running at $15.88 and the large were going for $18.75. So you're paying more for them, but they're more uniform and will give you nice long fries. I personally don't mind some random, shorter fries, so I went with the mediums. And no, you don't get a mealy texture from the reds that you would from the russet . . and that's why I like them. I think russet fries are too dry. I prefer a creamier interior. I think the lower temp. first fry is to ensure that the potato is actually cooking through rather than browning too quickly and ending up with a dark exterior and raw interior. I've always done the two-fry method. At times I've soaked the cut chips in water, at times not. For a small batch at home, I cut, soak, drain and dry then double fry. When I had a restaurant, we would peel, cut, fry once, spread out on a baking sheet and freeze. Then bag them up and keep in the freezer until we needed them. They would then be fried to order right out of the freezer. These were done a couple of days ago. Tossed with a little salt and generously sprinkled with white vinegar. Next I want to try sweet potato fries. I've never had any success with them and wonder if they need a coating of starch before they go into the fryer . .

Welcome to the eGullet Cook-Off XLV! Click here for the Cook-Off index. After our recent braised brisket and ossobuco Cook-Offs, we thought it was time for a change. We're going from soft and succulent meat to crisp and crunchy fried potatoes. Whether you call them fries, frites or chips, it's time to get the deep fryer (or pot of oil) going. Fries are a popular topic in the eG Forums. For a seemingly simple dish, there's a lot to discuss. First, we need to know what kind of potatoes to use. The standard seems to be the Idaho potato, but I prefer a good red, while some of our members like to experiment with sweet potatoes. Next, what kind of oil do you use? Peanut, canola, soybean? Is there a difference? How about duck fat? Then there's the method - fry once? Fry twice at different temperatures? Do you peel them, soak them in water, use a deep fryer or a pot of oil? Now is the time to try the Robuchon Method if you haven't yet. Finally, what's your condiment of choice? Ketchup, mayo and vinagars (malt or white) are common, but I'm sure Society members are getting creative. Potatoes are still inexpensive so stock up, get your knife out, heat the oil and tell us how you do fries.

I can see that, though I don't have that problem often. Having a kosher kitchen, we have 6 sets of everything (meat, dairy, parve and another set of each for Passover). The cost to outfit the kitchen in full sheet-pan size silpat is prohibitive. I only have the wrinkle problem if I'm using the sheets multiple times. So if I have to toss a sheet of parchment and use a new one to finish a job, that's ok.

Not with silpat, but I've always done the same thing with parchment paper. It's great for pie crust, thin cookies and the like.

It's definitely a Jewish custom. When somebody passes away, the family sits Shiva for one week and traditionally friends and family provide the meals for the week. While many people still do the cooking themselves, it's very common to have a deli or caterer send a meal to the house.

I've used Canadian flour (Robin Hood for as long as I can remember) for most of my life (exception: brief 3 years living in the US ), and because it's all I've ever used, I'm don't have any problems with it. But, the thing is, I've used plenty of American recipes with my Canadian flour and not had any problems. Now, I haven't tried biscuits. . .

I have no idea, but I wonder if they'd fall apart. I think somebody should try it.