Pgh Al's Profile
Romanian in Chicago delivers?
I heard a rumor that the Romanian Sausage company in Chicago (home of the best salami ever) is now available for delivery. Can anyone confirm or deny this? If they have a website, it's very well hidden.
Where to find kosher mead?
You should try making your own mead. One part honey, three parts water, bring it almost to a boil. Skim off any foam and debris (use raw honey). Let it cool, pitch the yeast and put it in a fermenter for three months. Siphon it into a secondary fermenter for another three months (to get rid of the dead yeast), and bottle it. Six months later, you've got a delicious drink. I used to make it for Pesach, but the yeast hasn't had a proper hechsher for several years.
Mead isn't aged in barrels like wine, so there's no issue with old wine casks. It's also shehacol, not hagafen.
Al in Pgh
Travelling to Vienna
I will be in Vienna, Austria next week, staying pretty much in the central city. Any recommendations for dining?
Thanks,
Al D.
Kosher aquavit?
Mazel tov on the wedding. I make my own aquavit for Pesach for our shul's kiddish club. All you need to do is get some vodka and drop in a spoonful of crushed caraway seeds. By January it should be nicely infused and it will be quite flavorful. (At Pesach I get Kedem vodka, which is molasses based.)
No kosher for Pesach Stick margarine
See the article in today's Wall Street Journal, on page A-1. The main reason is that the cottonseed farmers have all switched to corn in order to supply ethanol, so I guess we can blame Al Gore.
Kosher Venison?
The Crown supermarket in West Hartford, Connecticut used to have venison, but I haven't lived there for about 10 years, so I don't know if it's still available.
Wonderful restaurant west of the Hudson River
We had dinner at Shallots, in Skokie a few weeks ago. I must say that without a doubt, it was the finest dining experience I'd ever had in any restaurant, kosher or not. The bill was about what I'd expected for a four star restaurant, but worth every penny.
Also, if you're in the area, Ken's Diner on Dempster has delicious kosher Italian Beef.
Pgh Al
Kosher for Passover yeast
I guess I'm not sure what you mean by KLP beer. Beer has grain, so it's not Pesachdich. Making a starter with raisins would sort of defeat what I'm trying to do, and I'd think the lag time would be pretty long, as well as having wild yeast and bacteria contribute to the fermentation. My mead is pretty hefty, around 13% abv, and I try to control as much of the flavor profile as I can. For Pesach I've been making two gallons.
I've since heard from both the OU and OK. Neither of them certify any yeast for Passover, so I may be SOL this year. The rabbi at OK labs said that there is a mashgiach in Europe who certifies yeast for Passover, but getting a small quantity into the US, and in time for Pesach would be difficult to impossible.
This is a great forum. Thanks for all the feedback.
Kosher for Passover yeast
I've been in touch with both Red Star and Lallemand. Both companies have recently changed their packaging facilities, and you're right, ganeden, Lallemand's small packets are not kosher l'Pesach but the large quantities may be. None of Red Star's wine yeast is kosher l'Pesach. A few years ago, Ramapo Brewing had made a kosher l'Pesach "beer" out of honey (pretty much what I'm trying to do), but when I type in their URL my browser shuts down. Does anyone know if they are still in business?
Kosher for Passover yeast
Yes, there is such a thing. Or at least was. I'm a homebrewer, and for many years I've made kosher for Passover mead--fermented honey. Without going into detail, it's analogous to white wine, but with no grapes.
Here's the problem...I'm having trouble finding a kosher for Passover wine yeast. Red Star seems to no longer make wine yeast, and the brand that my local homebrew shop sells isn't Kosher for Passover. Does anyone here make their own wine? If so, what do you do for Pesach?
Thanks in advance for your help. This seems to be a great resource.
Al D.
