Some prices from today's shopping trip at KRM and Gourmet Glatt, Boro Park. All are for two-lb boxes.
At KRM:
* Charedim $44.99
* Tzantz $46.99
* Lakewood $39.98
* Kerestirer $41.98
* Montreal $38.98
* Kiryas Joel $36.99

At Gourmet Glatt:
Shatzer $45.50
Satmer $48.98
Boro Park $20.10 (I am not sure this was the 2-lb price, I think it may have been a 1-lb box)

Not going to pull any punches. IMO, you will sound like a troll. One analogy I can think of would be going to the forum of the Semi-Homemade show, and posting about how it takes only 30 seconds to prepare a from-scratch pizza dough or fresh vegetable soup.

I frequent some forums related to cat-herding and especially cat nutrition. Believe me, people food is a Sunday stroll in the park compared to the minefield of opinions regarding cat food. You probably would not go on a raw feeding subforum to tell them that Meow Mix is on sale this week, and if it is good enough for your cats, it's good enough for theirs.

I would take this rant-y feeling as a sign that my interests and concerns have evolved beyond the scope of Serious Eats, and look for another community of like-minded cooks who want to prepare foods that taste good and are good for you. (Hey, that oughta be an ad slogan!) Besides feeling you can relate to the topic, the content there would be genuinely useful to you.

Butternut squash. This is a delicious, very rich butternut squash lasagne:
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/foo...

The filling part would be perfect for ravioli. It's *very* rich. The squash is strongly flavored enough to substitute "light" versions of some other ingredients, if you want to lighten it a bit.

I’ve been signed up since 2003, never once got spam. I even have my “real” email in my profile, an address where I would notice spam immediately. Check your account profile on eBates, surely there’s an opt-out option for promos. And of course, you can always set up a separate email address as JonParker suggests.
eBates was a great find. I was very skeptical when I first signed up, but dang if those checks don’t come like clockwork, no strings attached.

In past years, I've seen bins of tomatoes-for-sauce at 3 Guys market on Ft Hamilton and 65th St. I'm not sure if they have any right now, or if these are Roma or other varieties. The bins for this kind of stuff are on the 65th St side at the back of the outdoor stands.

They publish specials on their website http://www.3guysfrombrooklyn.com/. No tomatoes in this week's flyer but it might be worth giving them a call.

Also, just checked and they actually do have a picture of a crate of tomatoes-for-sauce on their Facebook page, and they look like Romas to me. They posted it August 14, no idea if they have them now.
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?se...

Hmmm, they've become quite a sophisticated operation. Facebook page, fancy logo, community outreach and everything. Looks like somebody went to the Executive MBA program at Harvard, LOL.

When I am working with a hard, cold dough, I don't try to scoop it at all. I roll the whole thing into a long cylinder and slice it up. I use parchment paper as a "rolling aid," to get the cylinder shape with minimal manipulation of the cold dough with my warm hands.

Another benefit of rolling is that you can easily freeze it, and then slice and bake only the quantity you need.

More than 100 years ago, when I was still in the first blush of youth, I acquired a neat-o little cookie gadget that lets you fill up baking pans quickly and efficiently. It's like a spatula for scooping up a chunk of dough, with a pusher that lets the dough slide off onto the baking sheet. I use it for cold doughs that are chunky, like chocolate chip or oatmeal cookies.

It's called a "cookie drop" and Amazon has it for 5 bucks:
http://www.amazon.com/Cookie-Drop-Sta...

Also, I love your aspiration to achieve Dandy Living With Useful Utensils.

ETA A store called Fantes.com has another efficient gadget similar to this, called a "scoop and release" cookie dropper. This one is a regular spoon shape and also has this "sweeping" arm that lets you easily flick out the dough onto the baking sheet.

I snagged a box of the shevarim yesterday morning, and the pile was dwindling fast. At first I couldn't even find them on the shelf until a KRM'er pointed out the stack.

The new store up the block, Gourmet Glatt, had Shatzer's and others, no Charedim.

Shoprite has more brands than in past years of hand Shmura Matzo, including spelt and whole wheat. I remember Tzelem-Pupa.

Next time I go out I'll make some notes about brands and prices I see and update here.

As far as I know, Corningware and its related companies like Revere Ware, Pyrex, Corelle are made in the U.S. Also Lenox china, Lodge cast iron, and some of Calphalon's lines.

Not fancy, but that stuff holds up like iron. My mother still uses Pyrex pots she got back in the 60's.

I just checked this for you in Hebrew. I trust you are referring to the little pasta balls approx the size of orzo grains (but round). We call them p'tittim in Hebrew and they fall somewhere between comfort food for little ones to major nostalgia triggers for those of who grew up before the whole wheat imported Italian pasta craze. The problem with nostalgia is that the preparation you remember so fondly might actually yield a ghastly dish if you try it forty years later :).

The keys to this kind of couscous are first to toast it, in the cooking pot, in a bit of olive oil or similar, and then to add *boiling* liquid. In these days when we eat our pasta 'al dente' and not 'Elmer's glue' texture, the accepted proportion seems to be 1 1/2 cups liquid to 1 cup couscous. Add boiling liquid to lightly-toasted couscous, cover, lower flame to simmer, cook till liquid is absorbed, then let the covered pot rest a couple of minutes before fluffing.

On your first try, I'd keep a little extra liquid nearby and quickly check the couscous when it's absorbed the liquid, to make sure it's cooked through sufficiently, before letting it "rest" in the covered pot. But if you're adding roasted vegetables at the end, the small amount of liquid they will exude while everything is melding together will probably be just enough to make the couscous perfect.

Here's some inspiration :):
http://blog.tapuz.co.il/teamimmehalev...

In my youth, I learned that if you do the thawing in the fridge, you can refreeze it. How about thawing it in the fridge just enough so you can hack it into more manageable pieces, use one and repackage and refreeze the others?

N.B. For the sake of safety, I just checked this again and yup, it's correct. Here is a link to the USDA's fact sheet; the part about thawing in the fridge and refreezing is about halfway down the page or search for "refreezing."

http://www.fsis.usda.gov/factsheets/f...

Yes, yes, yes. I made it when that issue arrived. It was an instant hit.

It was very rich, and smaller than suggested servings sufficed even for hearty eaters. The magazine says six servings, I think it's at least eight. As I grow older, I think about trying to make it with "light" ingredients, but haven't tried that yet. Instead, I just don't make it often.

It benefits from being made a day in advance, and resting. I also learned that I can make it in stages over a couple of days, and assemble and bake the day of or the day before serving.

The squash somehow has enough "body" (if that's the word) that even meat-eaters don't feel deprived.

Over the years, I've made it with butternut, or whatever was available, even pumpkin. I've substituted walnuts for the hazelnuts, and dried sage when I had no fresh. Always came out great.

Oh, that's a nice site. They'll be getting some business from me too :)

OP, the pic at that site reminded me that Michael's, the chain of crafts stores, has a baking materials aisle. I once bought teeny muffin cups from them, about an inch across, meant for chocolate truffles and suchlike. It made for a very pretty mishlo'ach manot on Purim. Can't remember if they were foil or paper, or what other sizes they had, but it’s worth a shot if there’s a branch near you.

Just checked their site, here is a link to that department:

http://www.michaels.com/Packaging/pro...

ETA: OP, maybe Williams Sonoma or the King Arthur's catalog will have them, or - in general - the size you need might be available at places that sell supplies for making candy and confectionery,

I never heard about the custom at all, but many years ago, the first of my close friends had a baby. I had very little money, and I knew she hated cooking. I asked if I could drop off some heat 'n eat food. I’m no gourmet cook, but I was the best option they had as an alternative to take-out. I prepared a box of freezable mix ‘n match dishes that lasted them for two weeks of dinners. The cooking and prep took half a day. Of course it ended up costing more than a silver baby rattle from Tiffany’s.

After that, all my other friends insisted on the same baby present. It became my “signature” gift, although eventually I scaled down the quantities a bit. I learned, anecdotally, that giving birth apparently makes you very, very hungry and also very, very tired. Ergo, food that only needs heating and serving is very, very welcome.

Twenty-five years (!!) have passed since then, and some of those brand-new squalling infants have brand-new squalling infants of their own :). Back in the day, the thought passed through my mind that food is not the kind of gift anyone will remember, unlike, say, a silver baby rattle from Tiffany’s. Boy, was I wrong. My friends still reminisce fondly over the box of food waiting when they got home from the hospital.

We had no idea that this was a custom or tradition, or that we were tuned in to a trend. Maybe in OP’s circle of friends, it is more of a burden or imposition. But from a perspective 2 ½ decades later, I know from experience that a baby present of some homemade heat ‘n eat entrees, or soups, or side dishes, or any combination thereof, will likely be fondly acknowledged and remembered for years.

You mention that they are Jewish. If you know that they are kosher-observant, and you are not intimately familiar with the myriad ins-and-outs of different kashruth certifications, my suggestion would be to stay away from food and potables. A jaw-dropping floral arrangement or even a beautiful art book can fit the WOW factor if well-chosen.

As far as kashruth certification, wine, Champagne and similar products (like brandy) are particularly complex to choose and present to a kashruth-observing family, much more so than other alcohol products like scotch, for a myriad of reasons.

Ditto for food, including chocolate. Some kashruth certifications are acceptable to some but inadequate for others.

I am sure they will be grateful and appreciative of your lovely gesture no matter what, but if you aren’t sure whether they observe kashruth and, if they do, which certifications are acceptable to them for which products, maybe you should sidestep that category entirely. Or, maybe your assistant can figure out how to delicately pry out the necessary information, maybe in a discreet talk with the doctor’s assistant or something. Unfortunately, though, whatever certification they adhere to, Champagne would fall out of the running entirely, whether Dom Perignon or Cristal.

If you already bought a box of Knipschildt truffles and aren’t sure whether they are acceptably kosher, why don’t you just send them to me and I’ll... check the certification. Yes, that’s the ticket. I’ll check the kashruth for you. Of course it means most of the product may be consumed in the testing process, but hey, maybe I’ll be able to leave a truffle or two for you :).

Daddy. Although we were so very fortunate, that I did have the opportunity to make them for him in his lifetime. He enjoyed reminiscing about his childhood, when they would have contests to see who could eat the most in one sitting.

The dish is Szilvas Gomboc (Hungarian plum dumplings). I make it once a year, when the plums are in season. Nowadays, with modern transportation and whatnot, I'm sure I could get the same ingredients year-round, but making them in season makes them special.

Here is one good recipe that is similar to how I make them. Like most classics, though, the texture of the dough is more a question of “feel” than exact measurements. Warning: They’re pretty much irresistible. If you decide to make them, be ready for wholesale quantities.

http://homepage.interaccess.com/~june...

These knödel are made with Italian plums, which come into season toward the end of the summer. If you want to make them at another time of year, you can make them with apricots, in which case they will be an Austrian dish called “marillenknödel.”

I doubt that this would be a "strong" taste or a "spicy" salad, but I add some sauerkraut, and also often use tahina for a dressing.

As far as strong flavors, my father loved s'chug on his falafel (Israeli salad being a major component of a falafel sandwich), while it made my eyes tear up. S'chug is a Yemenite condiment often added - at the customer's request - to a falafel sandwich. It is extremely strong, though. I don't think a caterer would add s'chug to a salad without warning the diners. But still, maybe OP got a portion that had a bit of s'chug on it.

OK, now I understand how the handles are comfortable. The handles on these seem much more functional than on that high-concept Fissler piece. Clearly, Fissler put a heck of a lot of thought into the design, but whether they are stay-cool or not, the sharp edges on those handles seemed like an odd choice. A rounded handle like on the piece you saw makes more sense.

The manufacturer of the piece you found is Carl Schmidt Sohn GmbH (CS Group International). It seems to have well-thought-out details, with the built-in strainer with large and small holes, the measuring marks, non-stick surface and unbreakable glass (from their website description). Their catalog is online at their website. This model is on p. 12.

Here is their site: http://www.cs-solingen.com/

As josey124 asked, what type of information are you looking for?

Don't know if this is something like what you saw. The handles are very stylized, not sure if I'd describe them as comfortable, and it doesn't specify Le Monaco, but otherwise it's similar to your description.

German-made, 20cm casserole, stainless, glass lid w/ built-in strainer, measuring marks, works with induction. The manufacturer is Fissler, product line is solea. There is a pic of the manufacturer's stamp on the bottom of the pot with what looks to be a longer name - maybe the company's full name is longer than just Fissler.

http://www.eurostoves.com/Fissler_Solea_Casserole_p/10135.htm

Here is Fissler's main website. They don't appear to have a Le Monaco collection, but maybe it's a previous season and that's why it's at TJMaxx. Anyway, hope this helps.

http://www.fissler.com/en/home.html

eta: I just looked at their website description. I don't know if this turns out to the piece you're looking for, but the design is nicely thought-out - besides the other features you mentioned, this line has a lid that hooks onto the pan edge so you don't have to put it on the counter. It says the handles are stay-cool and you don't need a potholder. They're quite nice, actually (and pricey!).

and, eta again: The website has a close-up of the manufacturer's stamp, all it says is 18-10 stainless. Fissler appears to be the full name.

We've always used ginger, the spice, in our matzo balls. When I grew up, it was ground powdered ginger, which is what I still use. In recent years my mother began using fresh grated, but I think it doesn’t work as well. Powdered ginger disperses more evenly in the matzo ball batter. I know of several other families that use ginger too, so it wasn’t limited only to us. Maybe it was a regional thing.

I wouldn’t use ginger ale in matzo balls. I don’t think that would work at all. For this purpose, the beverage would absolutely not work as a substitute for the spice.

I’ve used both club soda and seltzer instead of water and that works very well to make the matzo balls lighter and fluffier. And, for health reasons, my mother now makes matzo balls with egg whites and without any added fat… and while I’d never admit it to her ;), they’re pretty good. They don’t taste like deprivation at all.

I still use whole eggs but I don’t use added fat, either. I’m the last person on earth to preach against using fats prudently, but once I just tried a batch of matzo balls without added fat and felt that neither the texture nor the flavor suffered, and from then on, I stopped adding fat. If it’s a concern to you, it’s worth a trial run to decide for yourself.

For matzo balls, the seasonings I use (besides ginger) are salt and ground white pepper.

Would I be giving them too little credit if I wondered whether they're confusing kvass with borsht? As in, all those Russian beverages look alike to them?

What was the bright color?

We use one for our Sabbath cholent (bean 'n meat stew, similar to cassoulet) when we aren't having guests and only need a small amount. Mine has a low, high, and keep warm setting. I start with the High, then at the start of the Sabbath switch it to Keep Warm, where it simmers for about 16 hours.

I use a Stock Pot liner, which makes clean-up an absolute cinch. I buy mine in a Jewish grocery. The brand I get is imported from Israel and is dirt cheap, like $1.29 for 10. They are too big for the small size stock pot, but I just cut them down. Reynolds makes a similar product that's available at any supermarket, I think they call them Slow Cooker Liners, unfortunately not quite as dirt cheap as the Israeli ones but definitely worthwhile since they make cleaning a non-issue - just toss them out and give the pot a rinse and you're done. It may give you a lot more incentive to you use the pot more often.

My dad taught me a trick to check whether eggs are still fresh. Put the egg on the counter and give it a spin. If it whirls around fast, it's not good anymore, but if it spins slow and wobbly, it's still good to use.

To tell the truth, I honestly don't remember ever getting to a point where we actually had to rely only on that test to check the freshness of an egg. In general, eggs are good for at least a month after the date stamped when you purchase them, if stored properly. Also, when you crack them, you can usually very easily tell if they're "off." The smell is quite distinctive. I think maybe once or twice, I remember him triumphantly showing us an egg that failed the almighty spinning test, and even then it's possible he faked it just to make the point, because I can't imagine that we didn't use up a dozen eggs in a month's time. But I'm passing it on because it's a fun childhood memory, although with the caveat that I can't vouch for its absolute scientific veracity.

You can get them from Penzeys Spices, also known as Charnushka. I ordered them once out of curiosity and they have the strong flavor you describe. Here is Penzeys description:

Tiny, black, smoky flavored seeds found atop Jewish rye bread in New York. Used in Armenia, Lebanon, Israel, and India. Also referred to as black caraway or kalonji, charnushka is used heavily in garam masala. From India."

Since they are used in Indian cooking, now I'm thinking you can probably find them in Indian groceries as well, certainly at Kalustyan's on Lexington.

You might have some luck if you check the house brands of some good supermarket chains like Publix or Wegmans. I remember noticing at Publix that for some snack items, they have a greater variety of flavors under the Publix brand than the well-known national brands. Archer House (for Target) also has interesting choices.

Also, in my local supermarket, I see very similar thin-crust pizzas to at least some of the Trader Joe's offerings - medium size pies, imported from Italy, either margherita (the spelling I saw on the box, I think) or other garnishes. Target has them under the Archer House brand, IIRC, and Wegman's under the Wegman brand. I've never bought them but they look a lot better than the big brand names frozen 'zas.

I know there are some people who put LightLife veggie hot dogs (O-K parve) in their parve chulent. I never tried it but I wonder if the chorizo or smoked sausage (same brand) would work.

Yes, IIRC, the Empire chicken and turkey packaging says the same - "giblets may be missing." I don't know what they do with them. I'm sure they don't get tossed, so probably they are processed into other products.

Yes, (After you unplug your mixer), take off the bowl and lift the mixing head, you will see the screw on the back (the part that connects the mixing head to the bowl), on the inside.

Kitchenaid's user manuals have the exact and easy instructions how to do this, and you can view and download all their manuals on their website, at the Support link :).

Just checked Jay F's suggestion and I think he's right. They describe the risotto pot as a "shallow" Dutch oven, which describes yours perfectly, and the size is listed as 12" diameter.

Here is the link to that pot on Le Creuset's website:
http://www.lecreuset.com/en-us/Produc...

Hmmmm. At first glance, I thought it looks a lot like my La Marmite, but your pot seems to have straighter sides than the La Marmite, which is sloped. I found the box and grabbed a pic. The details and an illustration are on the box, so you should be able to compare it with yours. But if it will help, I'll be happy to take pictures tomorrow of the pot itself, and check the inside of the lid. My pot is even the same color as yours, I think - Flame, right? I think that's such a gorgeous color!

I think the La Marmite is meant to use for stuff like stews or thick soups. My kitchen is currently in transition and mostly packed up, but I used it a lot. I cook for 3-4 people and the 2-1/2 qt size is perfect. And since the shape is more like a sautee pan than a Dutch oven, it's wonderfully easy to brown and sear meat, and to sautee in it - onions, garlic, other veggies - and then continue to make the soup or stew.

From the shape and dimension, I'm thinking maybe yours is a skillet for frying chicken, that sort of thing? Also, I don't know how to authenticate Le Creuset, but that one looks like a normal Le Creuset. Also, I think TJMaxx would get in a lot of trouble if they were caught selling counterfeits. So I'm pretty sure you weren't duped, you got a real Le Creuset, and you just have to figure out what model this is.

If you still want pictures of my pot so you can rule it out, let me know, and I'll take a few tomorrow ad post them.

Here is my La Marmite. I think there is a larger version, like 5 quarts. This one is 2-1/2 qts.

Sounds like what my family calls a kugelhopf (because my mom bakes it in a cast-iron kugelhopf mold that must weigh 10 lbs on its own, although I think genuine kugelhopf is something else), and most places call "kokosh," from da Hungarian, best translation I can think of is "cocoa'd cake," even though it's actually chocolate (the chocolate part is "wet," right, like a paste?).

Being blessed to be a Hungarian daughter with a Hungarian mother and many Hungarian aunts, great-aunts, cousins, and honorary aunts, I don't know from store-bought kokosh, which I don't think I've ever tasted in my life, but when we make it, the chocolate yumminess is actually cocoa, sifted with sugar, spread out on buttered dough. The dough is rolled out flat and dotted generously with dabs of unsalted butter, then the cocoa-sugar mixture is spooned out over that. Sometimes we add chopped walnuts. All this yumminess turns into semi-melted chocolate when it's finished baking.

Technically I supposed you could use margarine, but no one does because kokosh is a cake that's eaten with dairy meals (Sabbath mornings, mostly, in our family).

I know the commercial cakes are made either "high," that is, with a yeast dough so they rise - I think that's the one usually labeled "babka." Then there's a flatter verson, dough rolled with the cocoa, it's only about two inches high at most. That one's usually labeled kokosh. I think it might be made without yeast.

Our homemade kind is made with a yeast dough, of course.