Okay, I’m off to Kosherfest. Complete report to follow.

Okay, this time I nixed the rennet altogether and chose a recipe using lemon juice as coagulant: Barbara Ciletti’s “Whole-Cream Ricotta,” page 55. Not surprisingly, the lemon juice adds a mild, lemony flavor to the smooth, creamy cheese.

My main challenge was evenly heating the milk directly on the stove. It was difficult to get the liquid above 160 degrees without one spot or another starting to boil. In the end, I probably had a smaller curd than the ideal, which makes it tough to ladle out the curds without taking excess whey with it. After draining for 20 minutes, though, the finished product seemed just fine.

Since the cheese is a bit lemony, I think I’ll use it to make some sort of dessert. Any ideas?

In other news — since I wanted to create a double-boiler effect with two pots, I have decided that I’d be better off just buying a double boiler. Duh. The new pot will go back to Sur La Table, and I’ll purchase something like this. Also, my good friend Elliot called with some great news tonight. Rabbi Love of Yeshivat Chovevei Torah has said that it’s acceptable to purchase kosher liquid rennet from a specialty dairy supply house which simply repackages it into smaller bottles. Huzzah!

Tradition Foods, Inc., probably distributes the vast majority of kosher instant soups. The concept is simple — peel open the lid, add hot water, let sit a few minutes, and enjoy your quick sodium-laden mini-meal.

Unfortunately, the soups stink.

In this case, I have plenty of pre-kosher experience to support my opinion. Both Maruchan Ramen and Nissin Foods offer simple and inexpensive noodle/soup meals which are quite tasty (though also loaded with sodium).

The Tradition soups, while competing handily in terms of convenience, never get it quite right in terms of taste. Today, on a lark, I tried the “Tradition Low Fat Hot & Sour Instant Noodle Soup.” Well, it’s certainly not hot, it’s only sour in that it tastes rancid, and it’s absolutely nothing like the “hot & sour” soup commonly found at a Chinese restaurant.

In the opinion of this critic, the only “tradition” here is the legacy of bad taste these products leave behind. Zing!

Most of us in the Boston area know that J.P. Licks, a popular ice-creamery located in and around Boston, is kosher, certified by the Va’ad Harabonim of Massachusetts. What most of us don’t know is that the main, Jamaica Plain location is actually more than an ice cream shop.

I was first tipped off by the fact that the JP JPL’s is open at 6AM every day. (Ice cream at 6AM — preposterous!) I finally got around to confirming my hunch yesterday, making the short drive from Brookline to Jamaica Plain with digital camera in hand. Besides serving ice cream, this J.P. Licks roasts its own coffee, serves lattes and cappuccino, and offers a nice selection of fresh baked goods — coffee rolls, danish, muffins, cookies, batter breads, and H & H Bagels from New York. It’s an expansive building compared to their other locations, with high ceilings and much more seating.

Believe it or not, we’ve actually had a kosher-dairy breakfast hangout, right in our backyard, for years — and I never knew about it ’til now. So, next Sunday, skip Starbucks (can’t eat their baked goods, anyway), and enjoy this “new-to-you” kosher eatery for a simple dairy breakfast.

And while you’re there, try out their new apple crisp ice cream; it’s amazing.

While grocery shopping this evening, we noticed that the small bags of Shaw’s semi-sweet chocolate chips are no longer pareve — they’re now OK-Dairy. Luckily for our chocolate chip cookies, the 24 ounce packages of chips are still marked pareve, but I imagine they’re just from an earlier production cycle and will be replaced by dairy chips eventually.

Not a complete disaster: Stop & Shop semi-sweet chips are pareve.

Does the classic Chulent include beans? Over the course of my chulent-making career, I have wavered somewhat on this question. There are some obvious negative affects to a beany chulent (especially if the beans were not soaked for 12+hours prior to cooking). On the other hand, they do add a distinctive taste an texture to the meaty mixture. (Of course, real chulent must contain meat. That is not really up for discussion). Does anyone else have an opinion on the subject?

My current favorite recipe however does not include any beans. The taste is very pleasing and the texture is usually just right: not too liquidy, not too solid.

Note: a chulent recipe is different from most other types of recipes in that it is hard (if not impossible) to duplicate results from one ocassion to the next. (Of course, some of the tastiest chulents come into creation specifically because this of this lack of structure).

• 3 large potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 1 sweet potato, peeled and cubed
• 2 onions, cubed
• 1/2 - 1 lb of beef chunks
• 1/3-1/2 package of barley
• 3 long squirts of ketchup (about 1/4-1/3 of a regular Heinz ketchup container)
• 1 long squirt of BBQ sauce
• Honey
• A few cloves of Garlic
• Water
• Secret Ingredient (we’ll have to post about that another time)

Add all of the solid ingredients into a crockpot (important to use one where the pot part can detach from the main aparatus). Best to put meet on bottom, then barley, then other veggies. Fill up with water until it is about 1-2 inches over the top of the solid ingredients. Add other liquid ingredients and mix.

Start cooking on Low/Medium on Friday morning, or on High on Friday afternoon (as long as it is at least 3-4 hours before Shabbat begins). If cooking on High, be sure to turn down to Low/Medium before Shabbat begins. Will be ready for Shabbat day lunch.

Recently, I noticed a new line of mediterranean salad products show up in the supermarket. Well, at first, I didn’t know they were new. The labels said “Sabra Foods,” so I figured it was the same Sabra chumus, etc., I’ve been enjoying for several years, distributed by Blue & White Foods of Astoria, NY. Only these labels said “Norwood, MA.” Most peculiar.

Further research lead me to a Globe article profiling Sabra Foods and its owner, Pierre Saroufim. Sabra Foods is the marketing name of International Food Products, Inc.; the similarly named Sabra Restaurant in Newton and Sabra Grille in Cambridge are also Saroufim’s creations. Though the restaurants aren’t kosher, they’ve been providing the Boston area with kosher chumus, tabbouleh, baba ghanouj, and nine other products for 21 years.

I wonder if Saroufim is aware that his “Sabra” name is shared with another mediterranean products brand.

One Additional Note: I saw in Stop & Shop on Tuesday that Dorot Crushed Garlic is now under the Sabra (of Astoria) brand. The package is now red instead of green, and seems only to be available (in this area) at Stop & Shop (not Shaw’s/Star).

In an effort to remain as holed-up as possible during these riotous times in this city following the disastrous performance of my home-town team, I’m thinking of making use of that ubiquitous October fruit — apples.

Last week, I successfully made two apple pies that ended up really good (or so I was told by others). This was a pleasant surprise to me, as I’m much more of a cook than a baker. In any case, while I did receive some crust recipe recommendations from a fellow member of TeamKosher, in the end I recognized my time limitations and used store bought crusts. The filling, though, was all homemade. I started with a variety of apples (macoun and empire, mostly, I think), and peeled, cored, and sliced them. Of course, I ended up with much more apple than I needed to fill the two pies, but that’s not important now. To my estimated 5-6 cups of apple slices (which was probably more like 8 cups), I added 3/4 cup sugar, 3/4 cup flour, about a teaspoon or two of cinnamon (there’s the cook in my with my inaccurate measurements), and a very light dash of salt. This wash just shaken up a bit and let to sit for 15 minutes as I prepared the crusts. I filled the bottom crust with filling (not too much) and then placed the flattened top crust on top. Then it was time for a little fusing with a wet fork and cutting 4 vents in the top. The pies were baked first for about 20 minutes at 425 F and then around 35 minutes at 300 or 350 F (I don’t really remember, nor does it matter so much) with a cookie sheet under them. Once the tops were brown and there was a little filling boiling up through the vents, they were done. After cooling for at least a few hours (mine cooled much longer), they were ready to eat.

Now, back to the leftover filling and the goal of staying away from riots — I think I’m going to make an apple crisp tonight. For this, I have a much simpler recipe, straight from my grandmother. If you can remember “a cup, a cup, a cup, and a stick” then you’re set. Prepare the apples as for pie (peel, core, slice) and arrange them in a convenient pan (I use a rectangular one, but you can use whatever you want). Then, in a plastic bag (sealable) or bowl, combine a cup of flour, a cup of sugar (or brown sugar), a cup of oatmeal (not the instant kind), and a stick of butter (or margarine for pareve, trans-fatty goodness). Mix it up and put it on top of the apples. Bake for a bit (maybe 25-30 minutes or so) at around 350 F. Once the top looks brown and cooked, you’re done. That’s it. Simple and yummy.

Enjoy! (and if you’re rioting, don’t come to my house)

Since the Red Sox game kept me glued to the TV last night, I haven’t yet had a chance to perform my third cheese experiment. So, instead, I offer this quote from On Food and Cooking, which I began to read during the early innings:

No cookbook can forsee and forestall all the emergencies and mistaken turns that an ingenious amateur can invent, and someone who understands the basic nature of the foods and methods at hand is in the best position to recoup and come up with a nutritious and palatable dish.

Two pieces of news this week bring to light two sides of the Kosher Walmartization phenomenon:

In today’s New London The Day, there’s an article about a 110-year old butcher shop closing its doors, and the four brothers who worked there together for 70 years. But not for a lack of business, it seems — they simply didn’t create a “succession plan” to keep the business going after their simultaneous retirement.

Of course, it’s always sad to see communal institutions like this whither away, but when giant supermarket chains open fancy, sparkling-clean “Kosher Lands” in their mega-outlets, the average kosher consumer might not mind. In fact, KosherToday reports this week that Albertson’s has opened a “Kosher Marketplace” in its Evanston, Illinois Jewel-Osco store — replete with bakery, deli, sushi bar, glatt butcher, fine wines, and general grocery products. They’ll also be including an upscale kosher Asian take-out restaurant with all foods made-to-order.

Hmm. Well.

That aside, I encourage everyone to support our local heymishe stores. Consider visiting Gordon & Alperin in Newton for your friendly-butcher needs. The prices may be a bit high (hey, what glatt meat isn’t expensive), but the store is very clean, all the meat is prime, and the service is delightful. Plus, they sell beef broth!

Team Kosher receives several e-mails either requesting help locating products, with concerns about unusual heksherim, or just with random kosher thoughts. We most often respond quickly and thoroughly, but sometimes things fall through the cracks. In either case, the general public misses out on the question, its answer, and any ensuing e-mail discussion.

Now, there’s a better solution: The Kosher Blog Open Discussion site. Do the quick user registration (don’t worry, we’re not going to use your e-mail address for anything untoward), and then post away with all your random thoughts, questions, and answers if you have ‘em. Team Kosher will actively peruse the forums and chime in where appropriate.

If you have any trouble, please e-mail us.

Okay, same recipe as last time, only with four packets of Danisco starter culture. I used the same rennet solution that I had mixed the night before — not sure how long the rennet lasts once in solution.

Long story short — results were nearly the same. Mostly milk, thick coagulated film on top.

In the future, I’ll certainly be using the Ezal culture, but I’m starting to think that the powdered rennet just doesn’t cut it. If no one wants to split the kosher 5-gallon liquid rennet, maybe we have some budding philanthropists who are willing to donate a bottle for the cause?

Tonight, I’m trying the Lemon Cheese recipe, using lemon juice as coagulant. Wish me luck.

I was all set to cancel my subscription to Gourmet magazine, and I thought the recent “Restaurant Issue” would only bolster my decision. After all, the giant tome would be full of delicious venues into which I could never venture. So, over Sukkot, while sitting out the festive second-night dinner due to a nasty cold, I spent the evening reading the magazine and was, surprisingly, thoroughly entertained. The issue featured several recipes from top restaurants which easily lend themselves to the kosher kitchen; an article by my favorite culinary author on Harold McGee’s revised On Food and Cooking, due out next month; tales of young chefs enhancing their budding skills by visiting top producers of cured ham, cheese, truffles, and vegetables; pieces on France’s scenic Route 7, on Phil Suarez’s restaurant empire, and Gray Kunz’s immaculate kitchen.

So, in the end, I won’t replace my subscription with one to Cook’s Illustrated, I’ll simply augment it.

[Spurred by the McGee article, I’ve finally visited the beautiful Brookline Public Library, and borrowed McGee’s original food masterpiece, as well as Ruhlman’s first cook’s book — The Making of a Chef. If you haven’t read his The Soul of a Chef, and you’ve ever had a dream of being a restauranteur, read it immediately! I couldn’t put it down.]

It has been some time since I first resolved to experiment with kosher cheesemaking. I first acquired two acclaimed books on home cheesemaking, then researched sources of dairy supplies, including starter culture, rennet, milk, and equipment. Finally, I joined up with a “drive sharing” group to secure a regular supply of fresh, raw milk. This past weekend was my first milk run as part of the group. Traveling companion Chaim and I drove out to Chase Hill Farm in Warwick, MA (a brisk trip down Route 2) and after locating the makeshift farm store (it’s to the right of the garage, beyond the two dogs, FYI), we loaded up the cooler with cool, clean straight-from-the-udder milk. Surprisingly, raw milk is a pale golden color, unlike the shockingly sterile white of store-bought dairy.

On our return trip, we stopped at Sur La Table for kitchen supplies:
* perforated spoon
* pot
* curd knife / frosting spatula (for later use)
* large strainer
* pyrex measuring cup
* digital thermometer
* extra cheesecloth

The staff there was quite helpful, and even a bit excited about helping an amateur cheesemaker (probably don’t see folks like us often).

Once home, after the Patriots game and after running all my equipment through the dishwasher for safety, I began my first cheese experiment, Lactic Cheese (Carroll, page 70). Two problems immediately arose. First, make sure you have a giant pot, larger than your designated dairy pot, to form a double-boiler for both pasteurizing milk and warming it for the cheesemaking process. This is tougher than you might imagine, so put in some forethought. Second, the only manufacturer-sealed kosher rennet product I could find was Valiren powdered rennet, available at Danlac.com. This 1-gram packet is enough rennet to innoculate 100 liters of milk — I was only working with 1 gallon. So, I figured I could dilute the rennet in (spring — not tap!) water: 100 mL water with 1 gram powder, then 1 mL solution per gallon. The recipe, however, called for “3 drops of liquid rennet.” Frantically, I jumped onto the author’s online store to learn more about her particular “liquid rennet.” Luckily, the site indicated that 1/2 teaspoon of the liquid rennet treats 2 gallons (approx. 8 liters). After some intense algebra, I deduced that 10 drops of my solution was nearly equivalent to 3 drops of the prescribed liquid rennet.

In the end, though, I completely neglected the simple algebra, forgetting that the packets of mesophilic starter I had (also from Danlac) only treat 1 liter each. I used a scant single packet in my gallon of milk.

The results 12 hours later (this morning) were disappointing: predominantly liquid milk with only a negligble layer of coagulated film on top. The entire exercise, though, was useful in that I familiarized myself with the critical early steps of the process and could begin to evaluate the fitness of my enzymes.

Tonight is Experiment Two — four packets of starter, same amount of rennet solution.

Whether or not my second try fails, I’m researching other sources of enzymes. The Dairy Connection carries OU-certified EZAL cultures, which should be more straightforward to use than the eurocentric Danisco cultures. I’m still stuck with the Valiren rennet, though, unless I buy a gallon jug of the liquid at great cost.

Is anyone (plural) out there willing to split (several ways) a 5-gallon jug? I’m happy to purchase it, divide it into smaller containers with great care, and mail it out to my comrades-in-cheese. Please contact me ASAP if you’re interested.