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| Great Cookbook!! |
For the past 6 months I have been consulting for a Jewish Community with a Kosher kitchen. This experience has been so educational, and way beyond anything I have ever had to consider in my practice as a Registered Dietitian. In order to maintain a Kosher Kitchen... there are several rules one must follow.
Here are just a few rules taken from the http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/copyright.html
Dishes and
silverware
It is essential to have separate sets of dishes for dairy
products and meat. It is best to have two distinct colors, patterns or styles so
that you will not be confused when you look at a plate or a fork as to whether
it is for dairy or meat.
Cabinets, drawers, and
trays
To help avoid confusion, it is best to designate separate
cabinets for the dairy equipment and meat equipment. If you have cabinets on two
sides of the kitchen, you may want to put the meat on one side and the dairy one
on the other to avoid confusion. When you first organize your kosher kitchen, it
is wise to label the cabinets on the outside as "Dairy [Chalav]" and "Meat
[Basar]." You can use masking tape or colored file dots that you can get from a
stationary store (red and blue are popular to be used, red for meat, blue for
dairy). Many Judaica stores and online Judaica shops also sell various styles of
labels for meat and dairy. You will also find these labels come in handy if you
have guests and they want to put the dishes away or take them out. If you have a
housekeeper, labeling helps make sure no mistakes are made.
Tableclothes, napkins, and
placemats
As with the kitchen, the dining room/eating area maintains the
separation of meat and dairy foods by using separate utensils. This includes
separate tablecloths, (cloth) napkins, placemats and other similar items.
While laundering may be suitable to kasher them (particularly
if mistakes are made), it is advisable to have a separate meat and dairy set
because you may forget before using them which type of food was eaten on them
last.
Refrigerators
When placing food in the refrigerator, care should be taken to
avoid contact between open packages of meat and dairy products.
Ovens
One should not use the oven for dairy and meat at the same
time. Between using the oven for dairy and meat, the oven should be cleaned
(wiped up) if spillage has occured. Electronic self-cleaning ovens can be
koshered simply by cleaning up spills and running the self-cleaning cycle,
however, oven manufacturers generally recommend that the self-cleaning cycle not
be used more than once or twice a year due to the extremely high heat that the
self-cleaning cycle generates.
Using Stovetops
Spills on the stovetops should be cleaned, particularly in
between using the stove for meat and dairy foods. This is especially true if you
tend to rest pot lids on the stovetop when cooking. There is no need to
designate separate meat and dairy burners. It is best to avoid cooking meat and
dairy foods on the same stovetop at the same time to avoid spillage. If you must
do so, extra care should be taken to ensure that no spillage or transfer or
liquid or heat occurs and to ensure that your pots are covered tightly.
Using Microwaves
It is best not to use a microwave oven for cooking meat and
dairy foods at the same time because microwave covers usually have holes in them
that allow fumes to escape.
Porcelain sinks
Because the sink itself is made of material that is not
kasherable, sink racks (that fit on the bottom of the sink and keep the dishes
from touching the bottom) or a tub (which can be used for soaking the dishes)
are put into the sink. Separate racks or tubs must be used for dairy and
meat.
Metal Sinks
Metal sinks may be kashered by pouring boiling water in them.
The water must be boiling before you pour the water in and remain boiling as it
comes into contact with the metal lining of the sink. There should be a
separation (such as racks or tubs) between meat and dairy dishes.
Dishwasher
There is a difference of opinion as to how to use
dishwashers:
Most Orthodox authorities hold
that you can not use the same dishwasher for meat and dairy utensils, even if
they are washed at different times.
- Some liberal authorities hold that one may use the same dishwasher (provided its interior is stainless steel) for meat and dairy utensils provided that they are washed at different times and an empty full cycle, only with dishwashing soap, (using the hottest water that your dishwasher provides) must be run in between meat and dairy. Some hold that the dishwasher must be left unused for 24 hours before running this cycle.
- Some authorities require that the (stainless steel) dishwasher be given a thorough cleaning (including the strainer) and that separate racks must be used between meat and dairy cycles. This is the opinion of Rav Moshe Feinstein zt"l.
- Meat and dairy utensils can never be washed in the same dishwasher at the same time.
I have had a chance to experience popular Jewish meals that include:
Challah (A special kind of bread that usually begins the meal)
Gefilte fish is a cake or ball of chopped up fish. The fish is chopped into small pieces, mixed with onions and some other vegetables (carrot, celery, parsley). The mixture is held together with eggs and matzah meal.
Matzah Ball Soup (My Favorite)
It is essentially chicken broth with two or three ping-pong-ball sized matzah balls (or sometimes one very large matzah ball floating in it). I cannot get enough of this.....
I am so excited I was able to obtain this experience for the past 6 months!!
Mazel!!!!!
