cakewalk

Interesting discussion, to say the least. It was my understanding (I may be wrong) that McDonald's in India does not serve beef. I've heard that their "beef" products are all soy derivatives. This was a big thing in Israel about 8 or 9 years ago when the first McDonald's opened in Jerusalem - a non-kosher McDonald's that is open on Shabbat. Tremendous arguments raged back and forth, with many people pointing to India as an example that Israel should have followed. Again, I'm not sure whether or not it is true. I think that saying "it's not necessary to keep kosher" implies (either deliberately or not, depending on who is saying it), at the very least, that there is no valid reason to do so. And yes, it is offensive, because I consider my reasons for keeping kosher most valid, to say the least. You might not agree with my reasons, but that does not alter their validity. When I hear people say this now, I generally get the feeling they are trying to "defend" (for lack of a better word) the fact that they themselves do not keep kosher, rather than insult the fact that I do. But the origin of the argument that kashrut is not "necessary" does start with the slow attempt to convert Jews to the relatively newly founded Christianity. There are more levels of kashrut than I could ever imagine. Technically, it is true that if it ain't kosher, it ain't kosher. However, Jewish law is meant to be interpreted. In fact, it must be interpreted. There is no way to live if we take the laws literally, and the very purpose of those laws is to enable us to live - as Jews. I don't need to tell anyone here what happens once something - anything - is open to interpretation. The question becomes how seriously you take the entire, larger issue of keeping Jewish law, and then it narrows down to finding a level that is acceptable to you, that you can live with. Everyone will end up maintaining a different level. Some people will accept that fact that you do things differently than they do, others will look askance at it. That's the way it goes - and this of course goes way beyond religion. I mean, look at the responses to the semi-homemade-cooking stuff! My own adherence to Jewish law seems to continually diminish. I'm kosher at home (although I buy non-kosher cheese), I do not eat pork or seafood anywhere, but I do eat in non-kosher restaurants (fish, veggies, salads, etc.) I started out eating only cold foods in restaurants, but now I'll eat hot, cooked foods too (there is a halachic difference between hot and cold, it really is a very complicated issue.) However, I don't kid myself into thinking that that stuff is kosher. It isn't. And even if the food itself is kosher, the utensils sure aren't. But that is my own level of adherence to the law. A lot of people will say that that's not good enough for them. Which is fine, their level of adherence is different, higher, stricter, "better," even. I accept that. I do not view Judaism as an "all or nothing" proposition. But I don't agree that any of this means that one cannot be a foodie if one keeps kosher. I can't compare my lasagne to yours if you're using meat and milk together, there simply is no comparison to be made. But that doesn't mean I can't make a great sauce and use the same fresh tomatoes and herbs that you would use, it doesn't mean I can't make my own noodles, it doesn't mean my cooking is going to be "inferior" to yours in any way. It is going to be different, but different does not necessarily mean "better" or "worse."

I wonder about the points of comparison here. Would you say that a chef, or a foodie, or whatever, whose cooking is based on Western culinary traditions, cannot by definition be as good as a chef whose cooking is based on Eastern culinary traditions? (Or vice versa, depending on where you're from.) Or would you say that they're two different traditions and therefore should not be compared to one another?

I noticed this in today's JTA World Report (Jewish Telegraphic Agency) and thought I'd post it here: "Kosher chefs get school There's a new school for kosher chefs in Israel. The Kosher Culinary Academy, which opened for classes Sunday, is based at the Holyland Hotel in Jerusalem. The 10-month, full-time curriculum -- only open to men at this point -- is in English. The academy plans to open a professional course for women, as well as classes for beginners, later in the year. More information is available at www.kosherculinaryacademy.com" Apparently there are quite a few people who think one can indeed be a foodie while keeping kosher. I don't know anything about it (being a foodie, that is ). (BTW -- if this infringes on any copyright laws, etc., just delete it.)

I once had a roommate from Paris. (No, this is not a limerick.) Two Americans, one Parisian in an apartment. One morning we made a bunch of French toast for breakfast. The Parisian said, "thanks for the fried bread, it was really good. What do you call it?"

Cycling my heart out in the gym a couple of hours ago, I caught a commercial on TV by Subway. It seems they now have an Atkins approved Subway sub! (Now that I think of it, they may have had this for a long time already but I only just heard of it.) It seems that the Atkins diet has undergone alot of changes since the man died, especially in its marketing. I was on the Atkins diet when I graduated from college (about 30 years ago). I lost quite a bit of weight, but put it back on. I remember that I did not feel great while I was on the diet, and my doctor hated it because of the ketosis stuff (but I didn't pay attention to him). The low-carb diets that deliberately avoid a state of ketosis seem to make a lot more sense overall.

And is this what gave the bagels that ever-important "crack" upon first bite, which Ed Levine zeroed in on so beautifully? It is a detail I had completely forgotten, and when I read it in his article it shocked me into remembering. Bagels were hard and crusty, and they cracked when you first bit into them. Of course they did! And they don't do that any more.

When I was about 15 I remember a friend of mine went on a rant because M&M's always advertised, "melts in your mouth, not in your hands" -- and of course the stuff always got all over your hands. So she wrote to them asking how they could advertise like that when it was obviously so untrue. And they wrote back a very nice letter saying that their advertising slogan was "M&M's MILK CHOCOLATE melts in your mouth, not in your hands." The stuff that was melting in her hands was the candy coating, not the milk chocolate. It was a very polite letter, but they didn't send any coupons and not even a packet of M&M's. Re the black & whites: are the black ones the same as the chocolate ones they have now (which are brown), or are they actually black, like licorice?

Every time I read something on this site, I end up spitting food and drink at my computer screen. I've never even heard of Tal bagels. Now, of course, I'll have to give them a try. Probably this weekend. H&H bagels are sort of ubiquitous. They're okay, but I don't think I'd call them especially good. It would be nice if Tal bagels fit that description. My benchmark for comparison: the bagel place on Mosholu Parkway in the 60's. They don't make 'em like that anymore.

hmm. most Jewish moms were cooking things like meatloaf and the like? I was referring to simplicity in cooking, which is what I remember most about our meals when I was growing up. I think it accounts for a large part of the attraction to Chinese restaurants, for Jews and non-Jews alike, perhaps especially for those of us who grew up in lower-middle class, or working-class families. The neighborhood Chinese restaurant (Jade Garden on Jerome Avenue, BTW) was exotic for us at that time. The food was exotic, certainly not anything I or any of my friends would ever have found in our own kitchens, and that goes for my non-Jewish friends, too. The food was different, the utensils were different, the paintings on the walls were different. It was lovely and enticing because of that, for my siblings and friends, that is. My parents, and most of my friend's parents, never stepped foot in the place. I'm not so sure that this Jewish/Chinese food affinity thing is only Jewish, but then I'm referring only to my own memories. (Then again, maybe it all started with Lenny Bruce's routine about things that were Jewish and things that were Goyish. He did say, in that routine, that the Chinese are Jewish. Didn't he? And to think he's finally been Pardoned by Pataki.)

Maybe a better way of phrasing this is that the lack of dairy in Chinese cuisine probably allowed Jews to think they weren't transgressing quite as much as they might have? But it's true, certainly, that there's nothing kosher about Chinese food unless it's, well, kosher Chinese food. I think one of the attractions of Chinese food (and not just for Jews) was the fact that it always seemed so elaborate. All that cutting and chopping, etc., it just wasn't something most moms in the 60's and 70's were used to doing (think meat loaf), so going out to a Chinese restaurant was somewhat exotic. No way would we get that stuff at home.

Oh yeah, sure, there ya go. Blame the wife.

Perhaps that is one reason some people don't like to give out their recipes. If there's one thing I've learned from this site, it's that the small details of cooking can make huge differences in how a dish turns out. Or one can change it entirely, leaving out "this" and adding "that" instead. So it becomes a different dish, which might be exactly what the original "owner" is trying to prevent, especially if, out of honesty, you still refer to the dish as "Mary's apple pie" or whatever. I give out recipes, but then I don't have any old family recipes that I'm trying to preserve. I don't really understand why there's such animosity towards people who prefer not to share their recipes. What is that all about?

Many years ago, when I was a mere 20 year-old whippersnapper, I was at an office pot-luck party and asked someone for their recipe. She said it was an old family recipe, and she wouldn't give it to anyone for that reason. At the time I was a bit stunned, I remember. (Yes, I still remember.) I had never encountered such a thing before, not sharing a recipe. I felt it was sort of like not sharing food. Bad analogy, of course, because she was sharing food. Lots of it, in fact. So stinginess and/or selfishness does not seem to be part of the equation. I guess it's a desire to preserve something of oneself, one's family, one's history, intact. I can't really fault it, even if I don't fully understand it. I don't do the same thing with recipes, but if I thought about it (and I'm sure I will), I'm sure I could think of other things I'm unwilling to share. Most of us have things we want to keep for ourselves, for whatever reasons.

I was wondering when someone would bring this up. Doesn't every family have the "airing of grievances" at some point during the holidays? In our family we just call it "getting together." It doesn't demand a holiday.

Wonderful.

Umm, the green stuff?

Heh heh. That and a Kit Kat. Heaven.

I am happy to announce that my offer from last year will be repeated this coming Hanukkah as well. This year I do promise that some of the Latkes will include Black truffles! The latkes would be accompanied also by top Israeli wines and cheeses. See you soon!

"... I don't intend to be limited." This from a 91-year-old. It makes the heart swell! She comes across as being truly her own person, unimpressed with food trends and fads. A very impressive interview. Thanks.

I am in the midst of scarfing down a schwarma that I bought over on 47th St. Mmmmm, it is good. With techina (which is too watery, but what the hell) and sides of fried eggplant, minted carrots and red onions. Oh, it is good. Love those red onions. Keeps my co-workers away.

i'm not positive, but i'm pretty sure i use both "on" and "in" without giving it much thought. and i don't think twice when someone else uses either one. I've been on AND in. And I've been up and down and over and out, and I know one thin' ... When I lived in Jerusalem these tourists once asked me which bus to take to get to the Nesset. I thought it was a lovely mistake.

I have eaten nothing all day today but sugar and caffeine. Who needs a calendar?

Ah, but if you unthinkingly stuff them down a garbage disposal while cleaning a dozen fish or so and then turn the disposal on, they will spray a horrifying glurt of scales, blood and eyeballs all over the kitchen. Chad Glurt. What a great word. Thanks. But is it a noun or verb? Or both? Can a "glurt" of scales, blood and eyeballs also "glurt" all over the kitchen? My old toaster was highly flamable. Didn't matter what was in it.

I think I must have read your message about 4 times. This is the first time in my life I am on a real diet. i did weight watchers a few years ago to loose some pregnancy weight.. but not like this. I too am terrified to go the gym. I know I need to get over it. .. thanks. I did go in once or twice and was really intimidated.. All these beautiful young women and all so fit.. And me.. Yes, it is intimidating. I remember talking about this with a friend of mine and she said something that is really very true. In essence: don't worry about all those beautiful, young, fit women in the gym. They won't even bother to glance at you -- they're much too busy looking at themselves in the mirror. A suggestion: get a trainer, at least for one or two sessions. I figured it like this: I haven't the faintest idea what to do in a gym, what all this weird equipment is. Chances are I could kill myself really fast if I don't know what I'm doing. I told my trainer I was a complete newbie and my main objective was staying alive. I had no desire to bench press 100 punds (acutally I had no desire to bench press anything), and no desire to be competitive with other people in the gym. The trainer was actually very helpful. Do it!

I resisted this for years, but have discovered that it is truly true: exercise makes all the difference. In the past almost two years I've lost over 50 pounds. I hate the idea of "dieting," I've been on more diets than I can think of throughout my life. They all worked great while I was on them, and I always gained everything back (and then some) when I went off them. So this idea of "on a diet" and "not on a diet" doesn't seem to be the answer, at least not for me. A little over two years ago I moved into a building that had a gym. I was 46 years old and had never stepped foot inside a gym in my life (no exaggeration). I was living in the building for about three months before I worked up the nerve to join, and it took another three months or so to actually start to go to it. It has made all the difference in the world. I don't think it matters too much what type of exercise you do, as long as you find something you think you can stick with. I combine bike riding (both stationary bike and "real" bike) with weights, so I have something that burns calories as well as something that's strenghthening and toning my muscles. If I overdo it on the eating, I try to put more time into the bike riding. It's a long-range thing. I'm careful about what I eat and how much, but I have deleted nothing from my diet. It's a matter of how much and how frequently I eat stuff. I still have my days (and plenty of them) when dinner consists of a pint a Ben and Jerry's. Because IMO, cottage cheese sucks and I just can't get it down! Anyway, I'm not going to tell you about how I never went to the gym before and now I love it and you couldn't keep me away for all the money in the world. It's not true. While I don't hate it quite as much as I used to, I can't say I love it. If I didn't feel I had to do it for my health, I wouldn't step foot in the place. But the truth is, it's the gym that has made the difference for me, much more than the eating. Good luck to you!