Recently, I committed myself to revamping the site with Firefox/Mozilla-compatibility in mind. I have also mentioned new hosting for the site. The two will be delivered together, in one swell foop, as I attempt to migrate the site from NucelusCMS to b2evolution. It’s been a time-consuming operation, which is why my blogging has been so sporadic lately.

I’ve also been hard at work extending the Kosher Blog Online Store. In fact, it’s been extended to such a degree, that it’s dislocated itself from the Kosher Blog juggernaut, developed its own gravitational field, and has assumed its own orbit out there on the Internet. You heard it here first — that little store is now Koshirts.com, chock full of kosher-themed clothing, mugs, buttons, stickers, and more. Use coupon code “CPFALLGEAR” when you check out, and get $4 off your order of $40 or more.

One other thing… I plan to enhance the “new” Kosher Blog a bit with the server/software switch. The site will be an amalgmation of three blogs: the “main” one, identical to the blog in its current state; a “discussion” blog that will (hopefully) be open for anyone to post to with thoughts, questions, etc.; and a “recipe file” blog specifically for cataloging Kosher Blog’s favorite recipes. Other enhancement ideas are most welcome.

Milchig, Fleishig, Pareve — certainly the indefatigable KosherBloggers know what these three words mean, but what’s the appropriate way to refer to them as a group?

Either we’re going to find the right term somewhere, or we’re going to coin it here! Some possibilities, none of which strike me as perfect:

* Kosher Ingredient Classes
* Kosher Food Types
* Kashrut Categories

Thoughts?

When I bought my Casio KL-2700 label printer, I did so only because it was languishing on the Staples clearance table. The price was right, but I really had nothing much to use it with — until, of course, I graduated from college and maintained my own kosher kitchen. Now, it’s indespensible — whenever we get a new kitchen gadget, pot, pan, or Gladware container, we slap on a custom-made “milchig,” “fleishig,” or “pareve” sticker. The Casio-brand labels stay on pretty well through regular washing and oven use. However, the Casio devices don’t have the best input interfaces, so I’d recommend a Brother device instead.

From the Condiments & Dressings Department: KBlog reader Joshua and some friends recently bought a case of Manicardi kosher balasmic vinegar (sold online), and were gracious enough to dispatch a bottle of it my way. Manicardi actually has a decent product. The bottle is substantial and pleasant-looking, which is a big deal if you keep your oft-used cooking bottles out on the counter. Naturally, flavor is what it really comes down to, and this vinegar certainly stands above the Bartenura, Manischewitz, and Kedem balsamics. It’s not stellar by universal standards (ranking relatively low on the industry’s quality scale), but its plesant tang, slight sweetness, and absence of harsh aftertaste makes it the best kosher balsamic I’ve tried.

I chanced upon another kosher balsamic product at Cirelli Foods — Cindy’s Kitchen Balsamic Vinaigrette. It’s a great, all-purpose dressing (OU-certified) and even better, it’s locally produced by Custom Blends, Inc. of Brockton, MA.

My friend Tracy was trying to make a delicious apple pie (you know, apples and honey, work with the holiday theme people!) and was distressed to discover a problem with pie crusts… apparently they’re either 1) treif with lard (ick!) or 2) dairy! What’s the deal? Any thoughts on where to locate PAREVE pie crust? (FYI, she also says good things about Cheryl Ann’s pecan pie… but as we know, nothing that says Cheryl Ann’s is less than fabulous!) Help!

Anyone who gets around in the kosher world knows there are certain “third rail” topics that are best not touched. Heaven knows we’ve experienced some. Chicken soup is right up there — every family has a unique recipe they love… and defend.

I try not to be too fundamentalist when it comes to traditional recipes, but I believe the Kosher Blog is finally substantial enough (over nine months old now!) that I might offer our family’s recipe to the annals of time.

Though we weren’t religiously observant in any comprehensive way, making chicken soup was a firm Rosh Hashanah and Passover tradition in my family. This culinary mitzvah made for simple but ever-vivid memories of my childhood: returning home from school to my grandmother and the smell of simmering chicken, onions, carrots, celery and parsnips; getting an advance taste of the soup with my dad (who always eats the otherwise discarded parsnips); helping extract the cooked meat to make mom’s perfect chicken salad; skimming fat off the cooled broth; the annual experiment to find a perfect recipe for fluffy matzah balls…

Sure, you have your own recipe with garlic, or corn, or a bouquet garni. This recipe is simple, and you end up with a crisp, clean soup that actually tastes like chicken and has chicken in it. No short cuts.

OUR CHICKEN SOUP
Passed through the generations, transcribed by Karen Abbett

Ingredients
* 1 chicken, cut in quarters (as large as possible)
* 1 large onion (peeled and scored with an X on the bottom)
* 4 stalks of celery (use the ones with the leaves as well)
* 6 carrots, peeled, trim bottom and top
* 2 parsnips, peeled, trim bottom and top
* salt to taste when finished

Equipment
* Large soup pot
* Extra soup pot or large plastic container
* Wire-mesh sieve

Place quartered chicken in large soup pot with onion.
Pour in cold water until the chicken is covered (that’s the secret). Cover pot and bring to a boil on medium-high heat.

After boil, reduce heat to a simmer/low. Water must maintain a low bubble. Simmer like this for about 30 minutes, then skim off “scum” with slotted spoon if necessary.

Add celery, carrots, and parsnips, and return soup to boil at medium/high heat. After boil, reduce heat back to simmer/low. Simmer for another 20 minutes, until carrots are tender.

Remove veggies, reserving carrots. Discard any vegetables you don’t want to eat. Remove chicken pieces.

Strain soup into another soup pot through a wire sieve. Return all but two carrots to soup. Mash those two carrots through sieve into soup. Put parsnips back if you want.

Remove white-meat chicken from bone, cut up, and put into soup. Make chicken salad with the rest of the meat.

Add salt to taste. If not serving immediately, refrigerate overnight. Then, skim congealed fat off of soup and discard. Soup may be stored in plastic containers and frozen for quite a while, then reheated at your leisure on the stove or in the microwave.

Making chocolates a rabbi can love
The latest addition to Sweet Satisfaction’s shelves makes an appearance on the Globe’s food page: Christine Buhr’s pareve “Renaissance Chocolates” (Va’ad Harabonim-certified). Just in time for Rosh Hashana, $15 1/2-pound and $30 1-pound boxes make great gifts. We bought a couple boxes today, so post-chag, I’ll give my critique.

Necessity is the mother of invention. Rather than eat a plain tuna sandwich for lunch at work last week, I imposed upon a coworker for some of his K.C. Masterpiece (OU-certified) barbeque sauce. Though the sauce was an unlikely addition to tuna salad, the sweetness and spicy kick it provided was ideal. Here’s my suggestion for a killer “club” sandwich:

1 crusty roll, sliced
2 slices cheddar cheese (I like Tillamook)
2 slices Morningstar Farms “bacon” strips, cooked according to package
1 can of solid-white albacore tuna
mayonaise to taste
barbeque sauce to taste
2 slices tomato

Mix tuna with enough mayonaise to suit your taste. Spread BBQ sauce on roll, then stack with tuna salad, cheese, “bacon,” and tomato.

Reviews? Improvements? Let me know.

So, KBlog’s server (”Jehuda”) lost Internet connectivity for much of the day… sorry about that. I’m considering moving the blog (and my other sites) to TextDrive.com — their $25/mo. plan looks like it would serve my needs in perpetuity, plus a coworker recommends them. And there was much rejoicing.

So, say I want to serve warm rice at lunch on Shabbat. How do I do it without a) having chewy, dried-out rice or b) mushy, formless rice? Suggestions most welcome.

Bruegger’s Bakes World’s Largest Bagel; 868-Pound Bagel is Guinness World Record

Sure, Bruegger’s isn’t kosher, but this news scores plenty of Jewish culture points.

KBlog reader Rajiv writes in with this bubbly blurb:

The Star Market on Comm Ave. (and perhaps others) has a sale on all flavours of Kedem sparkling grape juice. One bottle is $1.99 which is $2.50 off their regular price.

And if you ever remember to send in the Kedem rebate, the price of each bottle drops to just $0.99!

You know we’ll be stocking up on Sarah’s favorite Sparkling Blush!