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Matzo Balls, Kneidlach, etc.

jackal10

By jackal10
in Cooking

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Rachel Perlow

Rachel Perlow

Posted
Posted
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? :laugh:

balmagowry

balmagowry

Posted
Posted
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? :laugh:

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

Gifted Gourmet

Gifted Gourmet

Posted
Posted
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? :laugh:

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

Melissa Goodman aka "Gifted Gourmet"

balmagowry

balmagowry

Posted
Posted
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? :laugh:

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

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

Gifted Gourmet

Gifted Gourmet

Posted
Posted

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?? :rolleyes:

Melissa Goodman aka "Gifted Gourmet"

Mild Bill

Mild Bill

Posted
Posted (edited)

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 by Mild Bill (log)
Gifted Gourmet

Gifted Gourmet

Posted
Posted (edited)
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!! :biggrin:

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

Edited by Gifted Gourmet (log)

Melissa Goodman aka "Gifted Gourmet"

balmagowry

balmagowry

Posted
Posted
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?? :rolleyes:

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

balmagowry

Posted
Posted
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

cakewalk

Posted
Posted

I was in high school before I learned that luckshen was not an English word. :unsure: 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. :smile:

bloviatrix

bloviatrix

Posted
Posted

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.

"Some people see a sheet of seaweed and want to be wrapped in it. I want to see it around a piece of fish."-- William Grimes

"People are bastard-coated bastards, with bastard filling." - Dr. Cox on Scrubs

Gifted Gourmet

Gifted Gourmet

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

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

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

Melissa Goodman aka "Gifted Gourmet"

balmagowry

balmagowry

Posted
Posted
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.... :biggrin:

Gifted Gourmet

Gifted Gourmet

Posted
Posted
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 ... :laugh:

Melissa Goodman aka "Gifted Gourmet"

bloviatrix

bloviatrix

Posted
Posted
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).

"Some people see a sheet of seaweed and want to be wrapped in it. I want to see it around a piece of fish."-- William Grimes

"People are bastard-coated bastards, with bastard filling." - Dr. Cox on Scrubs

pjs

pjs

Posted
Posted

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

"Epater les bourgeois."

--Lester Bangs via Bruce Sterling

(Dori Bangs)

KatieLoeb

KatieLoeb

Posted
Posted
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 ... :laugh:

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. :biggrin:

Katie M. Loeb
Booze Muse, Spiritual Advisor

Author: Shake, Stir, Pour:Fresh Homegrown Cocktails

Cheers!
Bartendrix,Intoxicologist, Beverage Consultant, Philadelphia, PA
Captain Liberty of the Good Varietals, Aphrodite of Alcohol

pjs

pjs

Posted
Posted

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

:wink:

"Epater les bourgeois."

--Lester Bangs via Bruce Sterling

(Dori Bangs)

Gifted Gourmet

Gifted Gourmet

Posted
Posted (edited)
I definitely like my matzah balls and my men of differing firmness.  :biggrin:

Katie, thanks once again for a superb sig line! :biggrin: 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!! :laugh:

Edited by Gifted Gourmet (log)

Melissa Goodman aka "Gifted Gourmet"

bloviatrix

bloviatrix

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

Katie, thanks once again for a superb sig line! :biggrin: 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!! :laugh:

Must stop laughing.....belly hurts. :laugh:

"Some people see a sheet of seaweed and want to be wrapped in it. I want to see it around a piece of fish."-- William Grimes

"People are bastard-coated bastards, with bastard filling." - Dr. Cox on Scrubs

Gifted Gourmet

Gifted Gourmet

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

Katie, thanks once again for a superb sig line! :biggrin: 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!! :laugh:

Must stop laughing.....belly hurts. :laugh:

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!! :rolleyes:

Melissa Goodman aka "Gifted Gourmet"

  • 2 years later...
LuckyGirl

LuckyGirl

Posted
Posted

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?

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