The Case for Bringing Back Shmaltz
Theodore Bikel’s 1998 album “A Taste of Passover” gets a little peculiar on the ninth track. Rather than music, it features Yiddishist Chasia Segal teaching a live audience how to prepare kneydlakh, or matzo balls. After combining matzo meal, eggs, salt and chicken broth, she announces, “And now I have a problem!” In an ideal world the next ingredient would be schmaltz, or rendered chicken fat, but Segal observes that “We’re not supposed to have any more schmaltz” and uses vegetable oil instead.
The Joy of Pareve?
I recently received an e-mail from Amazon.com informing me that, based on my previous purchases and ratings, I might enjoy Paula Shoyer’s “The Kosher Baker: Over 160 Dairy-free Recipes from Traditional to Trendy.” Not one to doubt Amazon’s grasp of my culinary tastes, I clicked the link provided and read the product description. It begins:
Yid.Dish: Homemade Yogurt and Buttermilk
It produces tart, fresh-tasting yogurt that matches or beats the stuff you’ll find in stores.