What Did We Eat Today?

[EtheltoTillie]

Gefilte fish is polarizing. I refuse to eat the jarred variety as it has an awful preservative aftertaste. I like the logs you can buy frozen and cook yourself.  They’re the closest to homemade. Ultimately it’s sort of bland and a vehicle for delivery of horseradish.  

I made a very good batch of matzoh brei this morning. Just the right amount of soaking time. I like to see the pieces of matzoh. I don’t observe Passover rules at all but I do buy matzoh.  I made the gefilte fish log and a batch of chopped liver last week. 

The chopped liver is also polarizing. I make it with a lot of caramelized onions. 

It also needs a fair amount of salt. 

Edited April 19 by EtheltoTillie

[EtheltoTillie]

Back to gefilte fish:  I was just reading something on Reddit where a poster mentioned salmon croquettes (made with canned salmon and saltines and onion and egg).  Well, that's sort of what gefilte fish is like.  But it’s made from ground raw fish and you simmer them like quenelles instead of frying.  You can make gefilte fish with fresh salmon, by the way, but it's more traditional with fresh water whitefish, carp and/or pike. 

Edited April 19 by EtheltoTillie

[Mondrianyone]

6 hours ago, EtheltoTillie said:

The chopped liver is also polarizing. I make it with a lot of caramelized onions. 

I made chopped liver a few months ago for the first time in a long time. I didn't have chicken fat,* so I found a recipe that just called for oil instead. It also suggested using the food processor instead of a meat grinder, and I was feeling lazy enough to go along with that. I regretted it, because the texture was not at all what I was used to. So the next batch will get the old grinding routine. When my grandmother made it, that was my favorite part--watching the little worms of meat and hard-boiled egg come out. And I just bought a packet of ten different blades for the grinder, so who knows what magic I can create now?

I also recently bought a book called Schmaltz by Michael Ruhlman (one of whose other books I worked on some years ago), so I plan to become an expert in chicken fat. A schmaltzologist, perhaps.

P.S. My gentile husband loves gefilte fish. It makes me nauseous (that must be my Jewish half). The slime that the jarred kind floats around is just disgusting.

Edited April 19 by Mondrianyone

[EtheltoTillie]

1 hour ago, Mondrianyone said:

I made chopped liver a few months ago for the first time in a long time. I didn't have chicken fat,* so I found a recipe that just called for oil instead. It also suggested using the food processor instead of a meat grinder, and I was feeling lazy enough to go along with that. I regretted it, because the texture was not at all what I was used to. So the next batch will get the old grinding routine. When my grandmother made it, that was my favorite part--watching the little worms of meat and hard-boiled egg come out. And I just bought a packet of ten different blades for the grinder, so who knows what magic I can create now?

I also recently bought a book called Schmaltz by Michael Ruhlman (one of whose other books I worked on some years ago), so I plan to become an expert in chicken fat. A schmaltzologist, perhaps.

P.S. My gentile husband loves gefilte fish. It makes me nauseous (that must be my Jewish half). The slime that the jarred kind floats around is just disgusting.

So much to comment on here!  I have no recipe:  it's just oil, livers, onions, hard-boiled eggs.  In the right ratio.  

My mother made chopped liver with oil as do I (olive oil).  My  mother did not use a meat grinder; she used a curved "hocker" blade and a wooden bowl, achieving a coarse texture--but not too coarse.  I used to use that method myself, but then I adopted the food processor.  I have to make sure to pulse just enough to achieve the right coarse grind and save it from going to pasty. 

You worked on a Michael Ruhlman book?  Cool!  I love his books, and I've listened to his podcast.  His book about attending the CIA is a fave.  I'm going to look for the Schmaltz book. 

I have never used schmaltz.  I used to see it sold in jars at the supermarket (Manischevitz, I think) in my childhood neighborhood  but haven't in years.  They probably still sell it in kosher markets. 

A hocker blade is also called a mezzaluna.

Edited April 19 by EtheltoTillie

[EtheltoTillie]

Here's an interview with Michael Ruhlman (starts halfway through) about schmaltz and his book.  I think I will at least buy a jar of schmaltz and try it for matzoh balls and more chopped liver.  He certainly waxes lyrical. 

However, he disses kasha (he calls them buckwheat groats), which is sad. 

Can't wait to hear about your schmaltz adventures, @Mondrianyone

Edited April 19 by EtheltoTillie

[Mondrianyone]

 

Thanks for this video, @EtheltoTillie! I'm going to watch it ASAP.

My grandmother always used a meat grinder, and it was one of the first appliances I bought for myself once I had an actual kitchen. The cast-metal kind (I think it's aluminum, but heavy enough to kill someone with), and I recently bought one that I have yet to try that attaches to the KitchenAid stand mixer. She also used chicken fat. When I've made it in the past, I rendered down my own schmaltz, and I think that's the flavor that lives in my memory. The reason I was tempted to try oil was the price of jarred schmaltz--it's crazy expensive! I can't see paying 30 bucks for a small jar of fat, so it's back to rendering for me.

I have a modern-day mezzaluna that I use for slicing pizza and a wooden bowl inherited from Grandma that I think she used mainly for making noodles, but I can easily see it as a chopping bowl as well. Now it's always filled with fruit. Oh, those old days . . .

[EtheltoTillie]

18 minutes ago, Mondrianyone said:

 

Thanks for this video, @EtheltoTillie! I'm going to watch it ASAP.

My grandmother always used a meat grinder, and it was one of the first appliances I bought for myself once I had an actual kitchen. The cast-metal kind (I think it's aluminum, but heavy enough to kill someone with), and I recently bought one that I have yet to try that attaches to the KitchenAid stand mixer. She also used chicken fat. When I've made it in the past, I rendered down my own schmaltz, and I think that's the flavor that lives in my memory. The reason I was tempted to try oil was the price of jarred schmaltz--it's crazy expensive! I can't see paying 30 bucks for a small jar of fat, so it's back to rendering for me.

I have a modern-day mezzaluna that I use for slicing pizza and a wooden bowl inherited from Grandma that I think she used mainly for making noodles, but I can easily see it as a chopping bowl as well. Now it's always filled with fruit. Oh, those old days . . .

Thirty dollars!  I just saw a jar of Empire schmaltz listed on Instacart for $5.99.  Maybe because you are out of the geographic schmaltz zone.

I've never rendered the schmaltz as I never have enough fat to make a meaningful amount.

 

Edited April 20 by EtheltoTillie

[Mondrianyone]

That's what it costs on Amazon, for real. I'd post the link, but it always seems to post under my actual account. I can't get it in any of the supermarkets near me. I had to describe matzo to them once, and when they found a couple of boxes, they were sweet enough to hide them behind the cash register till I could get to the store in case some other Jew wandered in and grabbed it. They don't stock it at the local Walmart Supercenter brick-and-mortar, so you have to have it shipped, and the shipping charge for a box of matzo is $9.99 for a $4.00 box. I've never baked matzo, but if they could do it on flat rocks in the desert, it may not be that hard to learn.

I can buy like a pound of chicken fat for very cheap at one of the local poultry farms, so I don't have to wait till I have enough. Plus, you can use skin, so if you strip it off chicken you cook and pop the skin in the freezer, it doesn't take that long.

 

[Mondrianyone]

Just in case someone is interested in that book and goes looking for it, I just pulled it out and checked the title--it's called The Book of Schmaltz. My mistake.

[EtheltoTillie]

9 hours ago, Mondrianyone said:

That's what it costs on Amazon, for real. I'd post the link, but it always seems to post under my actual account. I can't get it in any of the supermarkets near me. I had to describe matzo to them once, and when they found a couple of boxes, they were sweet enough to hide them behind the cash register till I could get to the store in case some other Jew wandered in and grabbed it. They don't stock it at the local Walmart Supercenter brick-and-mortar, so you have to have it shipped, and the shipping charge for a box of matzo is $9.99 for a $4.00 box. I've never baked matzo, but if they could do it on flat rocks in the desert, it may not be that hard to learn.

I can buy like a pound of chicken fat for very cheap at one of the local poultry farms, so I don't have to wait till I have enough. Plus, you can use skin, so if you strip it off chicken you cook and pop the skin in the freezer, it doesn't take that long.

 

I looked it up, yeah, it was $30 on Amazon.  Wow.

I thought Manischevitz looked funny.  That's because it's spelled Manischewitz. 

[Mondrianyone]

I'm prone to exaggeration. It's a pound and a half of schmaltz, so not exactly a "small jar." But still, that's a lot of money for some chicken fat.

[PRgal]

My matzoh brei is more egg (or more accurately, egg+quark/cottage cheese and a splash of milk (and seasoning)) than matzoh, served savoury with ketchup or pico de gallo.  Think of it as a fully loaded scramble.  We also had matzachos (nachos made with matzoh) and matzoh pizza.  

[annzeepark914]

I had a delicious grilled Swiss cheese sandwich (with some banana pepper slices tucked in), dill pickle chips, and potato chips for supper. MrP914 is at a poker party so I'm chillin' out 🤓.

[Anela]

I had KFC, but I don’t really enjoy it anymore.  

[DearEvette]

I had seared Ahi Tuna (marinated in soy sauce, honey, sesame oil, garlic, chili flakes) sliced in thin slices, accompanied by rice noodles (stir fried in a sauce of hoisin, peanut, sesame oil, soy sauce, little bit of brown sugar) and roasted baby bok choy.

[Ancaster]

On 4/17/2025 at 3:19 PM, isalicat said:

It is usually incredibly bland - just a taste of mild white fish (think cod or filet of sole if it were served cold) so a little horseradish on the side makes it much better (if you prefer more flavorful food). I actually like it, but it is a particular preference - for some people eating cold pressed fish is out entirely or they find the texture off putting.

I find the stuff in the jars repulsive, no matter how much horseradish I add (it's the texture rather than the taste I think - like you say, it's pretty bland).  I make a gefilte fish loaf using good quality fish.  People actually want to eat it rather than feeling obliged because of "Tradition!".

[Ancaster]

On 4/19/2025 at 7:27 AM, EtheltoTillie said:

 

The chopped liver is also polarizing. I make it with a lot of caramelized onions. 

It also needs a fair amount of salt. 

I think if it wasn't called chopped liver and people didn't know what they were actually eating, a lot more North Americans would like it because they would taste it and love it.  North Americans do not do well with organ meats, I think because they just think "ick" without actually tasting.  (I'm talking Americans with meat and potato backgrounds.)   Give them a toast with pate de foie gras and a cornichon and most will love it!

Edited April 29 by Ancaster

[Ancaster]

On 4/19/2025 at 5:49 PM, Mondrianyone said:

 

Thanks for this video, @EtheltoTillie! I'm going to watch it ASAP.

My grandmother always used a meat grinder, and it was one of the first appliances I bought for myself once I had an actual kitchen. The cast-metal kind (I think it's aluminum, but heavy enough to kill someone with), and I recently bought one that I have yet to try that attaches to the KitchenAid stand mixer. 

If it's heavy enough to kill someone with, it's not aluminium - probably cast iron.

By the way, does your husband read your posts?  🤣

Edited April 29 by Ancaster

[Ancaster]

On 4/22/2025 at 10:23 AM, PRgal said:

My matzoh brei is more egg (or more accurately, egg+quark/cottage cheese and a splash of milk (and seasoning)) than matzoh, served savoury with ketchup or pico de gallo.  Think of it as a fully loaded scramble.  We also had matzachos (nachos made with matzoh) and matzoh pizza.  

Is it easy to find quark in Toronto?  I spent some time in Germany and ate bucketloads of it, but haven't seen it where I am in the PNW.  (Not that I've sought it out, but it's certainly not something I've ever seen in a regular grocery.)  Hmm, I have an idea of where I might find it here (a place I call The Magical Food Emporium), so maybe I'll check it out!.

PS:  Sorry to dominate the board for the last few entries, but I've been off piste ("off post"?) due to Passover and life, and "you lot" always give me so much to think about that I couldn't help myself.

Edited April 29 by Ancaster

[Mondrianyone]

12 hours ago, Ancaster said:

If it's heavy enough to kill someone with, it's not aluminium - probably cast iron.

By the way, does your husband read your posts?  🤣

It's cast aluminum, and you definitely could kill someone with it. I think you're thinking of thin sheets of aluminum. This isn't that. If I'm motivated enough later, I'll take it out and weigh it, but remember you can kill someone with a few pebbles in a sock, so sometimes it's all in the delivery.

He does not read my posts. He doesn't need the tsuris.

[Ancaster]

2 hours ago, Mondrianyone said:

It's cast aluminum, and you definitely could kill someone with it. I think you're thinking of thin sheets of aluminum. This isn't that. If I'm motivated enough later, I'll take it out and weigh it, but remember you can kill someone with a few pebbles in a sock, so sometimes it's all in the delivery.

He does not read my posts. He doesn't need the tsuris.

Thanks!  Yes, I was thinking of the thin sheets having never heard of cast aluminum.  Another tool in my belt, once I've refreshed my delivery methods . . . 

Edited April 29 by Ancaster

[annzeepark914]

We had grilled turkey burgers (TJ's frozen) that go right on the grill from the freezer (except I add a bit of olive oil, black pepper & garlic powder) on toasted brioche buns, big tossed salad, and pasta salad w/ deviled eggs on top.

[Anela]

I'm making chicken soup from babytamago. 

https://sundaystack.substack.com/p/a-transitional-spring-chicken-soup

And I'm trying a drink I bought a couple of weeks ago, before either my birthday, or my dad's. I thought it was a margarita, but it's called a BuzzBallz (?) and the drink is a PeachBallz. I hardly ever drink alcohol, but I like it. I just poured it over a lot of ice. 

https://www.buzzballz.com/products/peachballz-cocktail/

[PRgal]

On 4/28/2025 at 11:40 PM, Ancaster said:

Is it easy to find quark in Toronto?  I spent some time in Germany and ate bucketloads of it, but haven't seen it where I am in the PNW.  (Not that I've sought it out, but it's certainly not something I've ever seen in a regular grocery.)  Hmm, I have an idea of where I might find it here (a place I call The Magical Food Emporium), so maybe I'll check it out!.

PS:  Sorry to dominate the board for the last few entries, but I've been off piste ("off post"?) due to Passover and life, and "you lot" always give me so much to think about that I couldn't help myself.

Yes and no.  Only one brand, which is local (M-C Dairy) makes quark.  I'm not sure how authentic it is though.  It's part of a bakery with Eastern European roots.  I've seen it in a few supermarkets and it recently became available at the online grocery store I've been shopping at since just before the pandemic.

[BooksRule]

I just put a meatloaf in the oven.  I love meatloaf, but I hardly ever make one here at home (maybe once every two years or so), but I just got a hankering for one and stopped by the store for ingredients. I'm not sure what I'll have with it, maybe a salad.  And there should be leftovers for meatloaf sandwiches for the weekend.

[EtheltoTillie]

I made hummus from scratch for lunch today.  It's so much better than the supermarket stuff.

I cooked some dried chick peas in the pressure cooker over the weekend (already a huge improvement over canned).  This morning I took the leftovers and ran them through the blender with some tahini, a small clove of garlic, and lemon juice and some water.  YUMMMY.

[EtheltoTillie]

More on hummus:  My office mate, who is from Syria, says you can doctor up a store-bought hummus like Sabra by adding those extra ingredients, like the lemon juice, tahini, garlic, water, and running through the blender.  Then you can get that light airy whipped texture.  I may try this sometime.  Or you can use canned chickpeas; probably still better than doctoring up Sabra. 

I made some curried cauliflower on Saturday--that's what I served with the original batch of chick peas. 

Edited May 12 by EtheltoTillie

[Anela]

I made soup, and had a frozen dinner earlier. 

This past week, I tried two juices from Just Made. I liked them both. I have another one in the fridge, and wanted a few more, but they were all sold out. So, I had to try a new flavour. It has guava in it, which I don't always like in a drink, but used to love in yogurt (with apricot). The juices I liked, had dragonfruit in one, and the other was pineapple, ginger, coconut, and lime (I think).

[annzeepark914]

On my way home today, I picked up a Bertolli bag of frozen chicken something (chicken, peas, some type of spaghetti, in a cream sauce) & made a quick & easy supper. Added a little 1/2 & 1/2, a little chicken broth, garlic powder, Penzey's Turkish seasoning, black pepper, and cut up a bit of leftover grilled chicken. It was very good (used just a large skillet). 

[BooksRule]

I just kind of snacked at work today instead of having lunch (a bad habit, I know) and just got home from the grocery.  I'm too tired to cook anything, so I'm going to have a pimento cheese sandwich and some Fritos.

[BooksRule]

Several days into my staycation and decided to do a little cooking.  I have a pot roast in the slow cooker (the house smells amazing, but it still has a little while to go) and I just took a mixed-berry cobbler out of the oven (I was going to make a blackberry cobbler, but couldn't find a bag of frozen berries in the freezer, so I used a bag of the mixed blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries).

[annzeepark914]

Grilled portobello on toasted brioche rolls with sauteed bell peppers & onions, & aioli. Tasty!

[BooksRule]

Last day of my staycation and I just finished making a pot of chicken gumbo. The whole house smells like roux.  I just need to wait for the rice to cook and then I can dig into a big bowlful.

 

[Ancaster]

It cooled down last night so I took advantage by making a recipe I'd been eyeing to use a cauliflower I'd bought a few days ago.  It was a Middle Eastern inspired roast cauliflower, chickpeas and onions tossed in harissa (spicey sauce) and ras el hanout (spice blend) served with greens (I used raw arugula - she called for blanched kale) and a yoghurt based sauce.

I cooked early in the morning, but had to try it straight away of course, so it was basically a spicey late breakfast, with lots of leftovers.  It was good, though I had to make a few changes to the recipe to make it work, and it isn't pretty enough to serve to guests, which is too bad, as I'd been hoping to add it to my list.

[EtheltoTillie]

37 minutes ago, Ancaster said:

It cooled down last night so I took advantage by making a recipe I'd been eyeing to use a cauliflower I'd bought a few days ago.  It was a Middle Eastern inspired roast cauliflower, chickpeas and onions tossed in harissa (spicey sauce) and ras el hanout (spice blend) served with greens (I used raw arugula - she called for blanched kale) and a yoghurt based sauce.

I cooked early in the morning, but had to try it straight away of course, so it was basically a spicey late breakfast, with lots of leftovers.  It was good, though I had to make a few changes to the recipe to make it work, and it isn't pretty enough to serve to guests, which is too bad, as I'd been hoping to add it to my list.

You can't go wrong with chick peas and cauliflower--sounds a lot like the dish I mentioned upthread recently. 

[Ancaster]

19 minutes ago, EtheltoTillie said:

You can't go wrong with chick peas and cauliflower--sounds a lot like the dish I mentioned upthread recently. 

Maybe that was in the back of my mind and was what inspired me to look for recipes with both!  I agree though, they are a good match, and I use them together quite often with some kind of tomato base.

[Mountainair]

It’s been cold and dreary all week and my appetite has been non existent so I’m making French onion soup. Trying not to eat through all the cheese while I wait for the onions to caramelize lol!