About TORI Expertise I will try to answer questions relating to keeping a kosher home and cooking in the Jewish tradition. I am NOT an expert on Sephardic dishes, but I can often point you in the right direction. I am willing to share recipes, but I can`t tell you why your brisket was bad, unless you send some for my husband to taste.
Experience I am a GREAT cook and I keep a Kosher home. My family seder never has fewer than 40 at the table and I prepare a congregational 2nd seder for over 100 - from scratch!
Question I've asked you this question previously. You requested additional information in your reply, which I provided in my followup answer. I may have missed your followup answer. Please permit me to present to you my question, in more detail, again:
I'm not certain whether the coleslaw shown above is considered Jewish food or not. The kosher coleslaw that I often eat at a local "Picadilly Cafeteria" (about 60 miles southwest of Waco, TX), is just referred to as "Kosher Slaw." It has a very unique taste; and I understand that it contains the following ingredients: shredded cabbage, lemon juice, oil, white pepper, salt, celery seeds, garlic, sugar, and the upper green parts of onions.
I am trying to find the exact recipe so that my wife can prepare it for us at home.
Thank you in advance for a timely response.
Answer OK Domenic - I got it. Cole slaw in general is not considered to be Kosher or non-kosher food. Kosher is not a food type/style the way Mexican or Chinese is. If a restaurant says they serve "Kosher-style" food, it usually means that the food is cooked just like Grandma's, but that the ingredients and supervision is not Kosher.
That said - cole slaw is food that everyone likes to eat. Those of us who keep kosher need to eat cole slaw that has been prepared following the laws of Kashrut. Who knows why the Piccadilly Cafeteria calls their slaw "Kosher Slaw."
One thought is because it does not have mayonnaise. I am really not sure. I did e-mail them and try to find out, but got no reply. Their website says that they do not "share" recipes.
Kosher (Kashrut) is the collection of Jewish law dealing with what foods we as Jews can and cannot eat and how these foods must be prepared and eaten. "Kashrut" means fit, proper or correct and "kosher," describes food that meets these standards.
When a food item is kosher, it doesn't mean a Rabbi blessed it, as is commonly thought, but that it was prepared according to the strict kosher dietary laws. These include not mixing meat food items with dairy food items, not eating products of non-kosher animals or animals that were not ritually slaughtered, and not eating any shellfish. Not only does the food need to be kosher in order to conform to dietary laws, but all the pots, bowls and utensils used in preparation need to be kosher as well. This means that I have two sets of pots, dishes and silverware, so that nothing gets "mixed up".
Please keep in mind that this is just a general description of some aspects of keeping "kosher." If you are interested in learning more about Kashrut, I have provided some links below that give an interesting description of what keeping kosher is about.
Next, realize that there are foods that Jews traditionally eat, like chicken soup with matza balls (fluffy dough balls), gefilte fish (chopped fish patties - don't ask), and noodle pudding. These can be prepared so that they are kosher. This would mean that all the ingredients meet the standards described above. You could also make all of these in your own home and while they would be tasty - they would not "be kosher" or meet the standards of Kashrut.
Now, the moment you have been waiting for - a recipe. I have searched and searched and called a few aunts and this is the best I could do - I hope it is close. I will continue to search while your wife prepares the slaw. Please let me know if it is close.
Slaw With A Twist
Ingredients
3 cups shredded cabbage
1 onion, peeled and diced
1/2 cup shredded peeled carrot
1/2 finely chopped, seeded green bell pepper
1 tablespoon mustard seed
1 teaspoon celery seed
1/4 cup vegetable oil
5 tablespoons cider vinegar
5 tablespoons water
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Directions
In a large salad bowl, combine cabbage, onion, carrot, green pepper, mustard seed and celery seed; mix well and drizzle with oil.
In a small saucepan, combine vinegar, water, gelatin and lemon juice; bring to a boil, stirring until gelatin is dissolved. Pour over salad. Serve immediately.
