The Cameraman's Profile
Hipster gefilta fish
Good! Ashkenazi food gets no respect, as though the burnt cholent, bland kugel, and gefilte fish served in gloop we all remember from our childhoods are inherent to the cuisine rather than a result of careless preparation of cheap, crappy ingredients.
One day, I'd like to open a slow-foods kosher deli, like these meshugenas here: http://www.chow.com/food-news/106414/the-pastrami-dilemma/
Cholent for Pesach
A good yaptchik will have marrow bones, too.
Try to get a fattier cut of meat, which will keep the meat from drying out. It's basically a kugel with a fleishige surprise in the middle.
Orlando FL (DisneyWorld) Kosher food options
They won't win any awards, but they aren't bad.
Tropical Shalach Manot?
A pineapple? A coconut, maybe? I like your rum idea. And then... mango salsa? Tropical laffy-taffys?
I think a better investment would be the container and accessories than the actual contents of the shalach manos. Try Oriental Trading. A quick search gave me these ideas:
http://www.orientaltrading.com/coconut-cups-a2-34_1808-12-1.fltr?Ntt=straw
http://www.orientaltrading.com/island-hibiscus-treat-bags-a2-3_3004-12-1.fltr?Ntt=island
http://www.orientaltrading.com/mini-bright-flower-petals-a2-34_1476-12-1.fltr?Ntt=island
http://www.orientaltrading.com/hula-girl-straws-a2-25_1528-12-1.fltr?Ntt=straw
Good luck!
Walt Disney World
I went this summer. On site is super convenient, to the point where I don't think I would carry my own food in again, like we did this time. One restaurant in every park keeps frozen, double wrapped meals in stock at all times, and will happily heat it for you, and source everything in the restaurant for you too, down to the nutritional info, so you can easily see hechsherim (and nutritional info, if you want). Prices are very reasonable- nothing is more than, like, a dollar or two than the treif stuff, so you don't feel ripped off. Hechsher was, at the time, Star-K (I don't know if they've changed it). Food is fairly tasty and both kid- and adult friendly. Each portion is big enough to satisfy a hungry adult (I ordered two for myself, expecting a Meal Mart style airline tray).
If you'd like to eat in a "theme" restaurant, like Cinderella's Palace for example, these frozen kosher meals can be delivered to nearly every restaurant in any park (there's like three or four total they won't deliver to, I guess because they don't have the storage facilities?).
Call Disney Meal Service 407-939-3463, they're ridiculously helpful and have seriously the BEST ON HOLD MUSIC EVER.
Off site, Cohen's Deli is about a 15 minute drive from Disney but totally worth the trip. Prices are nearly New York City levels, but that's to be expected (shipping stuff in must cost him a fortune), and you get your money's worth. Food is delicious, portions are huge, and the service makes you feel like a guest in their home, not a paying customer. Under the supervision of the local Chabad: http://www.cohensdeli.com/
He'll also deliver meals to any Disney park or hotel, as they are official Disney vendors.
Other than the local Publix (where we got canned fruits and veggies, condiments, and what have you), I haven't tried any of the other kosher options in the area.
Hope this helps!
Your Favorite Kosher Cookbooks
More of a coffee table book than a cookbook, but I love the recipes in The Book of New Israeli Food by Janna Gur, Beautiful pictures, too.
Got it from a Secret Santa gift exchange, ha!
Pitopia
Yes, I did neglect to mention how delicious the pitot, and everything else but the hummus, is. The hummus is just meh.
The menu is very limited- falafel, sabbich, and not much else. Not even french fries!
Pitopia
If you're in the neighborhood, it's totally worth stopping by, but I wouldn't drive from Jersey just to try it, unless you're some kind of falafel fanatic.
Falafel is wonderful, salads are amazing (and they have pickled eggplant! no one ever has pickled eggplant!), prices are hilariously low, but hummus tastes like Sabra. Tehina is pretty good.
Overall, I recommend this place.
Hamantaschen Question
Should hold up just fine, as long as you don't overfill (very common in your first few batches until you get the hang of it).
While we're on the topic- I love using pie dough for hamantaschen. Flaky, buttery, and doesn't overpower the taste of the filling.
They also freeze better, in my experience, so you can make lots of small batches well in advance. I usually bake a small batch of 20-30 hamentaschen when I come home from work, let them cool, put them in ziplock bags, usually 3 to a bag, and freeze them. On Purim morning, we throw one bag of each filling (and we usually make three different fillings), straight from the freezer, into the shalach manos. They defrost in the car and on people's front steps, and are still delicious three or four days later.
No homemade hamantaschen for us this year, though- the wife and I are both on diets (and only about 90% of a given batch usually makes it into the freezer- the rest are tested for quality control purposes). Maybe we'll give rice cakes and broccoli for shalach manos.
Baby Food
Neither of my kids ever wanted to eat baby food. Eventually, we just made a giant pot of chicken soup, took out the boiled veggies, pureed them in various combinations, pureed the chicken, and froze the soup for Shabbos.
Tuna/Chicken Salad Extenders
Onions work well in tuna, egg salad, and chicken salad. Celery works well in tuna and chicken. I've had onions, apple, and a little jalapeno in chicken salad- very good. Fried onions works very well in egg salad but not tuna. A little unflavored breadcrumbs works okay in any salad but too much gives it a nasty texture. I've got some good feedback from panko in chicken salad, and experiments are ongoing. Mustard, both yellow and brown, work well in egg salad, as well as giving it an exciting flavor profile and improving the color. It doesn't bulk it out much when making small quantities but you'd be shocked how much it bulks out large quantities, anything over 4 dozen eggs basically.
And there's always the last refuge of the truly lazy, which is "add more mayonnaise".
What stays hot?
Any kind of stew, served in a bowl with lots of sauce/gravy, works. Goulash, pepper steak, sesame chicken, various kinds of curry.
Break fast
Becher-full of grape juice, with a side of sweet smelling spices, served in candle light.
Then, a coffee and a donut.
After letting that settle, I have my Bubby's mac and cheese. Bringing ziti to a boil, I pour out most of the water. A few squirts of ketchup. Melt a pat or two of butter. Melt lots of American cheese into the mixture, at least 6 slices of cheese per cup of dry pasta. Mix over low flame until creamy. In no way is this chowish but oh, so good, and very simple to make on the spot, and very filling.
My wife prefers vegetable soup and making fun of my mac & cheese.
wall st journal kosher subway article
I tried the Brooklyn Subway once. Not bad, good bread, actually not terribly priced for the neighborhood, but not enough meat. That's crucial in a place with so many other places to get a sandwich within walking distance.
My relatives tell me the Subway in Baltimore is doing well, but I've given up trying to figure out Baltimore long ago ;-)
Sheep's head for Rosh Hashana
Oh, you guys.
I knew I should have been more specific. Yes, I was referring to the candy. Yes, it began as a joke. No, an actual jellyfish does not have a head, per se. Yes, people do eat the actual Stomolophus meleagris and Rhopilema esculentum: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jellyfish#Culinary Yes, it is an actual minhag, if minhag is defined as "thing we do in rememberance of our parents having done a specific thing at a specific time".
Sheep's head for Rosh Hashana
We're spending Rosh Hashana at my parents this year. My family traditionally serves the largest fish head we can find, and then we traditionally squabble over who gets to eat the eyes. My wife traditionally tries not to throw up during the proceedings and wonders out loud how she came to be mixed up in this family. Of course, *her* family traditionally bites the heads off of jellyfish and call it good.
I'd like to do a sheep's head one year, but I don't think the wife would go for it.
What are you eating before the fast?
Like my ancestors before me, I have challah with a touch of honey, gefilte fish, boiled chicken, and a big bowl of soup with lots of noodles or rice. Unlike my ancestors, though, I spike the soup with a dash of sriraccha sauce, because I hate the taste of boiled chicken and unsalted soup.
I also drink a liter of water, throughout the day.
Just before the start of Tisha B'Av this year, I ate two power bars (I was worried about getting caught in traffic before the seuda hamafsekes). Best fast I ever had.
Kosher Sausage Casings
Kosher West in Lakewood, NJ makes their own sausage, why don't you give them a call. (732) 886-9378
ORLANDO EATERIES - KOSHER CULINARY & COHEN'S DELI
We went to Disney World last week. I cannot recommend Cohen's enough. Food was top notch, service was just terrific. My wife is on a very strict diet and has a very short list of things she is allowed to eat. Justin went through all his options and actually went off menu to accommodate her (I called beforehand to confirm). Prices were a little Manhattanish, but that is to be expected, and portions were big enough and tasty enough to justify the cost. I have to go to Orlando on business in September, and I will be coming back with clients (hopefully).
Cohen's Deli & Butcher Shop
16640 Cagan Crossings Blvd #305
Clermont FL 34714
http://www.cohensdeli.com
(352) 729-3399
Reviews on Camp Neshama and a kosher hotel in the Maryland area?
I stayed at Pearlstone Conference Center (which I believe is on the Camp Neshama grounds) for a Shabbos sheva brachos. Clean, comfortable, terrific food, very accommodating to special needs, highly recommended for a group (we had roughly 20 families, if I recall correctly). Please don't ask me about prices, I was on the chosson's side.
http://www.pearlstonecenter.org/
Hottest Kosher Food
Sorry about the delay.
I usually cook by taste, eyeballing ingredients, so please bear with me.
Slice fresh, not frozen, Italian sausage or keilbasa into 1.5 inch chunks. Slice one large potato into large chunks. Cover with 2 inch layer of sauerkraut and one inch of water. Add teaspoon nutmeg, teaspoon coriander, splash of lemon juice, and some orange zest. Bring to a boil and simmer until potatoes are soft.
Combine 3 parts sea salt, 3 parts black pepper, 4 parts sweet Hungarian paprika, 1 part smoked paprika. Set aside.
In crock pot, combine 3 parts barley, one part kidney beans, one part navy beans, and one part lima beans (dry). Add one large onion, sauteed golden (do not overcook the onion or the cholent will turn bitter), 3 raw garlic cloves, 1 liter of beef stock, one liter of Coca Cola made with sugar (either Mexican Coke, or Kosher for Passover Coke- my local grocery store conveniently stocks Israeli Coke. I find normal Coke made with CFS gives an unpleasant chemical aftertaste) and spice mixture.. Add sausage and sauerkraut mixture. Add vegetable oil- I strain and save oil whenever I fry meat or chicken, and use that for cholent, and yes, you can taste the difference.
One day I'll learn to make jachnun, but for now, Sabra makes an acceptable frozen version. Wrap in silver foil and place in cholent, making sure it is covered in as much water as possible.
If you can, select a fatty cut of grass fed beef and add to cholent. Otherwise, add a beef bone. Be sure to select one with as much marrow as possible.
Turn the crockpot up to the highest heat setting and bring the cholent to a boil for 45 minutes.
Crack a raw egg into a glass cup, check for blood spots, and gently slide the raw egg into the now boiling cholent. This will allow it to poach. Prepare one egg per person.
Allow cholent to cook on highest crockpot setting until just before Shabbos (allow at least two hours cooking time). Right before licht benchin, turn crockpot down to lowest setting. Cover crockpot with towel.
On Shabbos, serve the jachnun and egg with crushed tomato dip, schug, and chummus as a course separate from the cholent.
This is a work in progress, and i know it's a lot of trouble to go to for a cholent, but it's a special dish for a special day.
Diet
Oh. Didn't think about that.
Do you have a wok? Stir frying is a great way to jazz up vegetables, and uses very little oil compared to frying. Throw some vegetables in a wok with a little soy or teriyaki sauce and a little meat or chicken, and serve over brown rice. The vegetables are the main focus of the dish, the meat is just for flavoring. You can even use leftover chicken or meat. A single chicken thigh, a splash of vegetable oil, a zucchini, a large carrot, an onion, two splashes of teriyaki sauce, and 2 cups of brown rice is enough to feed a family of four.
Trenton makes...
Ah. In that case, may I recommend the Chinese place at 335 Route 9 South, Manalapan, NJ 07726 (in Summerton Plaza). Cheap and good (typical takeout Chinese). Levy's Pizza is next door if you'd rather milchig.
Diet
As you're in Lakewood, the new vegetable store in Howell (on Rt 9 South, just north of Shoprite) is an Asian market as AdinaA describes. They've got fruits and vegetables I've never even heard of, let alone seen. If you have a smartphone, look stuff up on Wikipedia before you buy.
They've got lots of Caribbean fruits and vegetables, too, breadfruit for example.
Good luck with the diet.
Lakewood
Update: Best Butcher honors now go to Kosher West, since their expansion. Very fresh meats, chickens, and fish, lots of interesting cuts (Shoprite seems to be stocking only steaks, ground beef, and the occasional kalachel), and somewhat better prices. There's also a butcher that will cut whatever you like and make suggestions.
There is also a new schwarma place called Pita Hut, next door to Rita's, across from Kimball. The food there is... meh. I can't fault anything specific- the toppings are fresh, the pita is fresh, the service is quick and friendly, but... meh. It isn't bad, it just isn't very good. It's just okay. Burgers are decent, if you like the Israeli style spices, made on site, very thick, and juicy with a good fat-to-meat-to-filler ratio.
However, it is my practice to find something nice to say about everything- I'm a salesman, after all- and thus I award Pita Hut with Cheapest Fleishig Option honors. They're open pretty late, too, which is nice.
SingingFoodie, welcome to Lakewood. Sorry about the stares. And the traffic. The lake is pretty nice, though, isn't it? Where in Lakewood are you?
Lakewood
Places that stay open late is a problem in Lakewood. Matter of fact, until very recently, the ONLY food option after 7:30 PM was the sandwich place in the Exxon. Allegedly, The Yeshiva didn't want a "hangout".
Matter of fact, till about 8 years ago, there was absolutely no sit-down food option in Lakewood. Absolutely none. Then Pizza Plus was opened, to great controversy, and the genie was out of the bottle.
Kosher Food at Six Flags NJ?
Take some snacks and sandwiches, and then go to Lakewood for dinner. Lakewood is about twenty minutes away, and you can easily hop on the Garden State Parkway from there.
Still good after a year?
Assuming you eat gebrokts and it's been well sealed, they'll be fine. The taste might be a bit off, but they'll be fine.
If they haven't been well sealed, there is a non-zero chance bugs may have gotten in. Freeze the matzah meal and then sift it.
If you eat gebrokts... then you wouldn't be using matzah meal.
Machine matzah lasts for about 18 months, in my experience, assuming the plastic is still on.
