Serious Eats - seriouseats.com

Just for the record, having worked prep at a Taco Bell, many of the things most people think of as "vegetarian" or "vegan" from there are not. The refried beans are re-constituted with 1/4 c lard or vegetable shortening (you have to ask, it varies from store to store) the same lard goes into the red sauce and green sauce. The guac has dairy ingredients also.

I was just glad to see that they are kosher!

@Berte- You can buy a tortilla press on Amazon for less than $20 and have it shipped to Italy (expensive but worth it) or have a friend bring one from the states when they visit. Until then, you can smash the dough between two plates, pie pans, or whatever will make them flat. Polenta will likely not work, not being a limed product. You may have to search out masa at a specialty store or learn to make your own.

Does anyone know if there is there a place you can get a sustainable fish guide for the rest of the world?? I live in the Middle East.

Like all true Israelis, we put za'atar on our pizza.

You hide the piece of matza called the afikomen and then eat it for dessert. You pour an extra cup of wine at the table for the prophet Elijah (eliyahu ha'navi). unless you follow Sephardi tradition, then one person guards the afikomen, and the Elijah thing is skipped altogether (at least according to the Ben Ish Chai).

You can't put butter into a meat dish. Milk and meat products don't mix in the Kosher world. Margarine would be fine. Baking powder is fine. When English Bibles translated the Hebrew word "chametz" into "leavening" it made a huge problem. The word really would be better translated "sourdough" or it's like, as the prohibition is against a mixture of grain products and water. If the Israelites had had baking powder, they wouldn't have had to wait for their bread to rise, right?

I'm Sephardi and I love to put sliced avocados, hummus and spiced tehina on Matzo. But we're further heretics and actually use soft matza at our seder, hand-made by our Rav. You can't get it in the states (maybe in NY? If you know some Sephardim??) but it is WAAAAY better for eating plain than the crackers. We rolled them up with lamb and hummus and salad for passover schwarma last year. Sooo good!

@christopher-There's a reason you can't get lung meat. It's gross, not very tasty and very tough. I can get it seasonally here in Israel and made it for new year this last year. I love meat, but this was not nice. My 2 year old ate a bit, but the sound of cutting it was enough to turn me off. Like sawing on a meaty balloon. The foam that came off it while stewing was pretty off-putting as well.

If you already buy kosher meat, don't brine it. it's been salted. The basic roast chicken is easy: buy. rinse. Put it in a pan (I use a ceramic or glass pan) sprinkle on salt and pepper. Cook in a 425 oven for at least 45 minutes (use your thermometer). let it sit 5-10 minutes and then cut it up. you can add other things like oregano, rosemary, etc depending on what else you're making.

Salpico needs to get his facts straight. Hanukkah has been around since before the time of the "New Testament", and there is even record of JC himself going to the temple for the "feast of dedication" which is Hanukkah. In Israel (where I live) it's not a gift-giving holiday (except for candy, toys are given at the new year, rosh Hashana) and it's loads of fun. There aren't special cookies, but all the bakeries are making oil-fried donughts, mostly filled with Jelly. You can go to the open market and buy one for 2 shekels, still warm. Take that x-mas cookies!
Just wish we could get egg-nog.

Or you can make your own. Here's my recipe:

http://rabbiswife.blogspot.com/2008/06/best-bread-in-israel.html

My kid will try anything, but she's been raised on sephardi flavors and spices since day one (well, 5 months, but it was carrots from the soup with hawajj; cumin, turmeric and pepper). she especially loves meat, but isn't so crazy about dates. kids are strange like that.

Why slave over brisket? braise it with a pound or so of caramelized onions, a little salt, and 2 cans of beer. Best brisket ever! always gets compliments at my Shabbat table! The best part is that brisket is one of the cheapest cuts in Israel!