Matzo Balls, Kneidlach, etc.

[Rachel Perlow]

More to the point, what I find unacceptable is a huge deli matzoh ball plunked in the middle of a shallow plate of soup, protruding from it like a volcanic island (look - is that Abe Vigoda dancing on top?) and getting colder and colder while I work my way around it.

I suppose orange soda is the only appropriate drink with that kind of matzo ball?

[balmagowry]

More to the point, what I find unacceptable is a huge deli matzoh ball plunked in the middle of a shallow plate of soup, protruding from it like a volcanic island (look - is that Abe Vigoda dancing on top?) and getting colder and colder while I work my way around it.

I suppose orange soda is the only appropriate drink with that kind of matzo ball?

I believe Orange Crush, in particular, would be the beverage of choice among the Waponi Wu.

[Gifted Gourmet]

More to the point, what I find unacceptable is a huge deli matzoh ball plunked in the middle of a shallow plate of soup, protruding from it like a volcanic island (look - is that Abe Vigoda dancing on top?) and getting colder and colder while I work my way around it.

I suppose orange soda is the only appropriate drink with that kind of matzo ball?

Would have thought something by Dr. Brown's more appropriate ....

[balmagowry]

More to the point, what I find unacceptable is a huge deli matzoh ball plunked in the middle of a shallow plate of soup, protruding from it like a volcanic island (look - is that Abe Vigoda dancing on top?) and getting colder and colder while I work my way around it.

I suppose orange soda is the only appropriate drink with that kind of matzo ball?

Would have thought something by Dr. Brown's more appropriate ....

Obviously, my dear, you have never seen the underrated "Joe Versus the Volcano."

[Gifted Gourmet]

Obviously, my dear, you have never seen the underrated "Joe Versus the Volcano."

You got that right!! Shall I hie myself hence to ye olde "Blockbuster film and comestibles" and check out an often viewed copy??

[Mild Bill]

Some are fluffy, moist, and flavorful, and some are tough, bland, and chewy inside...

I wonder why no-one's asking about recipes...

I didn't find one on my search here...

I promised my wife for years I'd learn how to make the ultimate Matzoh ball...

I like'em fluffy, big and flavorful...

Edited April 17, 2004 by Mild Bill (log)

[Gifted Gourmet]

Some are fluffy, moist, and flavorful, and some are tough, bland, and chewy inside...

I wonder why no-one's asking about recipes...

I didn't find one on my search here...

I promised my wife for years I'd learn how to make the ultimate Matzoh ball...

I like'em fluffy, big and flavorful...

http://www.jewish-food.org/recipes/pmaindex.htm

choose whatever turns you on ingredient-wise!!

I have made those entitled: Fluffy and The Absolutely Best Ever ... with excellent light, fluffy results .. "floaters" not "sinkers", to be sure!!

Edited April 17, 2004 by Gifted Gourmet (log)

[balmagowry]

Obviously, my dear, you have never seen the underrated "Joe Versus the Volcano."

You got that right!! Shall I hie myself hence to ye olde "Blockbuster film and comestibles" and check out an often viewed copy??

If you like silliness, yeah. It's early Tom Hanks/Meg Ryan; a bit sappy in places, but with enough charm to carry it over. She plays two (or is it three?) parts and has a ball doing it. Abe Vigoda would be worth the price of admission even if the rest of the movie were a lot worse than it is. It's not a Great Classic or nothin' - but it's not a waste of time either. Go with it. Go for it.

[balmagowry]

Some are fluffy, moist, and flavorful, and some are tough, bland, and chewy inside...

I wonder why no-one's asking about recipes...

I didn't find one on my search here...

I promised my wife for years I'd learn how to make the ultimate Matzoh ball...

I like'em fluffy, big and flavorful...

Well, mine are fluffy and flavorful - and they'd be big if I made 'em big. Basically, I use the recipe from the back of the box of matzoh meal, except if it says something I disagree with.

:pause to search for matzoh meal:

Well, I couldn't find it. Might be out. Or maybe it's just hiding because it knew I was looking for it. So I ain't got proportions handy, but apart from that what I said up-thread was actually pretty accurate. Matzoh meal, a goodish dollop of schmaltz, an egg, some chopped parsley, S&P. Mix it up and chill the hell out of it. Then shape it. Then cook - or re-chill until ready to cook. Now I know there's them here what don't like the clouding of the broth, but I feel very strongly that cooking the matzoh balls in chicken stock is one of the most important things you can do to make them really flavorful. I have to say I have never had the clouding problem - my matzoh balls always preserve their integrity and allow the broth to preserve its own. If that's unusual I can only assume that I use a different mix of ingredients from those who worry about this - or, quite likely, that the critical thing is to have the balls very cold and the stock boiling very hard when you put them in. But if you're really concerned about this you can always draw off some broth into a separate pot and use that for cooking the balls.

If I find the damn matzoh meal I'll report....

[cakewalk]

I was in high school before I learned that luckshen was not an English word. Embarrassing it was. I thought everyone ate soup and luckshen.

I don't like matzoh balls that are too fluffy. I like to have something to bite into.

I always go out to friends for the major holidays, and I haven't made any of the traditional stuff in ages and ages. Now I really want to play around with some matzoh ball recipes.

The first Pesach after my mother died (over 25 years ago) I made matzoh balls for the seder. They were hard as rocks. Well it gave us something to laugh about.

[bloviatrix]

I will admit that I've never made matzo balls in my life. We basically only eat them on Passover, and since I always go away, I've never had the opportunity to try my hand at it.

But, my requirements are that the matzo ball must be well flavored. And it must be big enough to last the entire bowl of soup -- I want some on every spoonful.

[Gifted Gourmet]

They were hard as rocks. Well it gave us something to laugh about.

As with some of the "male persuasion", harder is often better ... and lasts longer ....

Seriously, there are entire schools of thought on the firmness of the matzo ball, with a schism between just how to accomplish this miracle ....

[SobaAddict70]

I read somewhere that soda water is essential to matzoh balls. Is this true?

you know, for the light consistency...

Soba

[balmagowry]

I read somewhere that soda water is essential to matzoh balls.  Is this true?

you know, for the light consistency...

Nope.

My matzoh balls are plenty light, a lot of people would say too light, and I can't even imagine how you'd use the soda water - unless to drink it while making them, as it can sometimes be thirsty work....

[Gifted Gourmet]

I read somewhere that soda water is essential to matzoh balls. Is this true?

you know, for the light consistency...

Soba

Urban myth, I honestly believe ...

[bloviatrix]

I read somewhere that soda water is essential to matzoh balls. Is this true?

you know, for the light consistency...

Soba

I believe my mil uses seltzer in her matzo ball recipe and hers are quite good (although they look more like croquettes).

[pjs]

As long as the density envelope isn't being stretched too far at either end, I enjoy both floaters and sinkers. Baseball sized matzoh balls, however dense, are to be avoided at all costs. Size matters.

PJ

[KatieLoeb]

I read somewhere that soda water is essential to matzoh balls.  Is this true?

you know, for the light consistency...

Soba

Urban myth, I honestly believe ...

This is not a myth. I always use club soda and the schmaltz from making the soup in the matzoh balls. I follow the recipe on the back of the box of matzoh meal and add the club soda instead of the water. Definitely makes them lighter.

I defintely like my matzah balls and my men of differing firmness.

[pjs]

The secret ingredient is not soda water. Nor is it club soda. It is seltzer. Preferably delivered weekly in a wooden case of twelve bottles.

PJ

[Gifted Gourmet]

I definitely like my matzah balls and my men of differing firmness. 

Katie, thanks once again for a superb sig line! Shouldn't I begin to pay you royalties for this intellectual property you're giving away free???

Now I can see why they don't call you Levitra Loeb for nothing!!

Edited April 18, 2004 by Gifted Gourmet (log)

[Gifted Gourmet]

Seltzer? Schmaltz? This is beginning to sound like a bad parody of the "Borscht Belt"!! Kutscher's anyone??

[bloviatrix]

I definitely like my matzah balls and my men of differing firmness. 

Katie, thanks once again for a superb sig line! Shouldn't I begin to pay you royalties for this intellectual property you're giving away free???

Now I can see why they don't call you Levitra Loeb for nothing!!

Must stop laughing.....belly hurts.

[Gifted Gourmet]

I definitely like my matzah balls and my men of differing firmness. 

Katie, thanks once again for a superb sig line! Shouldn't I begin to pay you royalties for this intellectual property you're giving away free???

Now I can see why they don't call you Levitra Loeb for nothing!!

Must stop laughing.....belly hurts.

I think it is from your mil's Seder meals and the pounds of matzo you consumed last week, bloviatrix, so I hereby disclaim any knowledge and intent of causing you intestinal discomfort ... so help me G-d!!

[LuckyGirl]

I made a batch of matzo balls last night and even though I followed the directions on the box, I wound up with sinkers that were rock hard.

What are the tricks or methods for making light and fluffy matzo balls?

[Gifted Gourmet]

Don't despair, Lucky Girl!

Simply collect yourself, get your ingredients and try this .. works every time!