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Swisskaese

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Posts posted by Swisskaese

  1. I didn't eat pork when I wasn't keeping Kosher. I didn't like pork then and therefore, don't want an imitation version of it now.

    I did like seafood very much, but I really disliked imitation crabmeat then and I still don't like it. Therefore, I don't like imitation shrimp and calamari.

    I just don't see the point of having them as a Kosher product. The real thing is forbidden, why do we need an imitation of it? I really don't miss the seafood.

    As for Steven's comments on lab constructed meat, well, halachichally it wouldn't be considered meat anyway because it didn't come from an animal, so the whole discussion about that is nonsense.

    Cooking Kosher is not such a sacrifice. Kosher meals, if prepared well, are as tasty and delicious as non-Kosher meals. If you don't believe me, come to my house for a gourmet meal. :wink:

  2. I am not crazy about fake bacon, shrimp, calamari, etc. Not because they should not be available, but because I think they taste nasty.

    Kosher cooks through the ages have always tried to find good substitutes for non-Kosher dishes. For example, when a recipe calls for bacon, most of us use smoked goose. It gives the dish that smoky flavour that is found in dishes calling for bacon.

    I think that those who do not keep Kosher always make a big deal about keeping Kosher. It is really not a big deal. I don't really miss the seafood anymore.

    I do not like non-dairy products and avoid them at all costs. I only serve non-dairy creamer to guests. And, I refuse to make desserts with parve cream. I will make cakes or tartes with oil or margarine.

  3. I’m wondering what would happen if you went to their house for dinner and if they would prepare a separate menu just for you. I think you’d be eating kosher and I think that would be proper since you are a guest. I think it’s rude to expect such special treatment from a host. Maybe dinner isn’t the best way of socializing when dinning habits are so diametrically opposed.

    If you read above, the guests were expecting nothing. In fact, they said not to worry, that they would eat before they came to the party.

    I really don't understand your point. What if the guests had a wheat, milk or egg allergy? You wouldn't want to hang out with them?

    So, I guess if I was invited to dinner at your house and you served a big ham, I would be expected to eat it. :rolleyes:

  4. Wow, that doesn't look like any mint I've ever seen before. This is what mint should look like. Are you sure you got the right herb?

    The mint actually did look like that, but it's been cut up and sitting in lime juice overnight so it looks got kind of "mushy."

    I know it's usually made with lemon, but I had some with lime in Israel and thought it was a lot better. I never thought of the blending technique though, that's a good idea. It never looked like it had actual mint in it, so I figured they must've gotten the flavor by steeping it somehow. I think I will look for a better mint source though and try it again.

    Nana is spearmint and we do not cut it up. To make Lemonnana, you infuse lemonade with whole stalks of spearmint and you put some of the squeezed lemons in the pitcher.

    I am surprised that you had it made with lime here, because lime is very hard to find in the shuk and the supermarket. Did someone make it at their home for you? If you make it at home you do not steep it overnight, you make it in small batches and serve it immediately. Otherwise, it will have a medicinal taste.

    We don't blend it like they do in Lebanon, Jordan, etc.

  5. Okay, I'm officially starting to feel like all of my non-cooking friends!  I now have a 20lb bag of russets in the house from Costco.  Ever see those?  Each potato easily weighs over 1lb.  NO KIDDING.  But I figure that I'll have less peeling to do!  :-)  Embarrassment aside, I'm going to ask these questions, b/c I can do so here in the comfort of the boards, but have to know what I'm doing for next week's party!

    1.  I saw a woman on tv (Rozanne Gold, iirc) who par-boils the russets, lets them cool, and then grates them for the latkes.  She said the starch that comes out in the par-boil helps hold the latkes together, and she only uses potatoes, onions and salt & pepper in them.  They looked gorgeous...  has anyone ever tried this method?  She also said that you get better 'strands' of potato b/c they've cooked a bit and cooled, so you get more of a lace effect.

    2.  Any issue with using canola or olive oil instead of peanut?  I generally cook healthy, so the idea of using such a heavy oil isn't really appealing--but for best results, I'll bite the bullet if I have to. 

    3.  Are there secrets to keeping the lingering smell of oil out of my kitchen/house?  As I mentioned upthread, I never fry anything, but even when I make popcorn, the smell sticks around for a day or so.

    4.  Just want to confirm that there is no reason to put a lid on the frying pans while cooking the latkes.  I can't imagine I'd want the steam to be contained in there...

    5.  Finally, how much oil should be in the pan?  A couple of inches?  Again, I'm not used to frying, so I would tend to use less, not more.

    Set me straight, please!!   :raz:   Thanks in advance!

    Curlz

    I have only grated raw potatoes. I would be afraid that I would over cook them and them I wouldn't be able to grate them. And, I cook them in about 1/2 inch of canola oil.

    I use raw potato and mix them with grated onion, egg and salt & pepper:

    2 pounds russet (baking) or Yukon Gold potatoes, grated

    1 medium onion, grated

    1 large egg, beaten

    Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

    Vegetable oil for frying

  6. We ate our Roladin soufganyiot over a two-day period and they were delicious.

    I had the Forest Fruits and Havana. The forest fruits was filled with a very berry pastry cream that was creamy and had a hint of creme de casis. The white chocolate did not overpower the pastry cream and the white chocolate covering was not too sweet.

    The Havana had a nice chocolatey, coconutty, creamy filling with a hint of coffee.

    Today, I read an article in our local weekend magazine describing some of the local ethnic restaurants that were serving ethnic "soufganyiot". Actually it is an article about ethnic desserts that are similar, and I use the term loosely, to soufganyiot.

    Ethiopian soufganyiot - A whole wheat yeast dough that is formed in rounds and panfried. They are served with honey.

    Moroccan Sfenj - Which I made above. A local restaurant is serving them with chocolate, vanilla and caramel dipping sauces.

    Japanese soufganyiot - Tempura'd lychees

    A local bakery is also selling matcha soufganyiot. They are soufganyiot filled with matcha pastry cream.

    Chinese soufganyiot - Steamed dumplings filled with a date and nut filling.

    Thai soufganyiot - Pa tong ko, yeast batter fried in the shape of fingers with or without a sweet sauce

    Spanish soufganyiot - Churros with a chocolate dipping sauce

    French soufganyiot - Beignets filled with vanilla cream and forest fruits.

    Turkish soufganyiot - Deep fried bagels sprinkled with powdered sugar

    Greek soufganyiot - Lokumades with a honey, vanilla and cinnamon sauce

  7. Thanks for the photos; those look and sound delcious! 

    I bet your homemade ones tasted delcious too.  I can't remember if I asked you this before, but do the basic sufganyiot sometimes have rum and lemon zest in the batter like Austrian Faschingkrapfen typically do?

    No they don't. They are usually plain. I really like the Austrian Faschingkrapfen. I have a recipe for them, but I have never made them. I will have to remember to make some next year.

  8. Tapenade and I made our annual Hannukah pilgramage to Roladin Bakery for their designer sufganyiot.

    gallery_8006_298_49908.jpg

    We got the following:

    gallery_8006_298_39411.jpg

    Left to Right:

    Creme Patissiere - Filled with vanilla pastry cream and coated with white chocolate and Chinese pecans.

    Forest Fruits - Filled with pastry cream, forest fruits, creme de cassis and white chocolate. Coated with white chocolate and a pink macaroon.

    gallery_8006_298_171340.jpg

    Left to Right:

    Havana - Filled with milk chocolate ganache, coconut milk and espresso. Coated with bitter chocolate ganache and toasted coconut.

    Jamaica - Filled with bitter chocolate ganache and dark rum. Coated with bitter choclate and hazelnut croquante.

    Chag Hannukah Sameach! Happy Hannukah!

  9. When I lived in Schwabish Hall, Germany my home-away-from-home was a wonderful Turkish Imbiss that specialized in dishes from Southeastern Turkey. They made the most delicious stuffed pide and oven roasted meat and vegetable dishes.

    They cooked the pide in a wood fire oven. I still dream about those pide. :wub:

    The pide was stuffed with cheese or lamb or beef or aubergine and chesse.

  10. I am going to make some on Friday. I will make my standard sweet potato and regular potato latkes.

    I was thinking of trying an experiment with the purple potatoes, but they are pretty small. What do you think?

  11. I have to say that I dont have in any recipe for Panettone , the use of fiori di sicilia.

    The use of pasta acida ( sour dough or mother dough ) is essential for the real panettone and the process is very very long.The aroma used in it are usally candied orange, candied cedro ( wich is a typical citrus , kinda like a big lemon but isnt a lemon )vanilla , they also use a panettone flavor wich has a great buttery flavor and all the rest.And cocoa butter is an essetnial ingredient as well , in the preparation of panettone e pandoro.

    The starter is quite different form the one we use here for sour dough bread , its more complicated to keep and mantain , because it requires an everyday care.

    Cedro is Citron.

    I also don't have any recipes that call for fiori di sicilia. I have made homemade panetonne and although it was very good, it is not the same as the ones I bought in the pastry shoppe in Milano.

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