Matzo Meal

I have to make matzo soup for a dinner I'm hosting Saturday. I have an excellent soup recipe, but I was wondering if anyone thinks one brand of matzo meal is better than another. And while I'm picking your brains, is Schmaltz from a jar any good or should I make my own?

Thanks.

quote:

Originally posted by apremerson

I have to make matzo soup for a dinner I'm hosting Saturday. I have an excellent soup recipe, but I was wondering if anyone thinks one brand of matzo meal is better than another. And while I'm picking your brains, is Schmaltz from a jar any good or should I make my own?

Thanks.

I'm assuming you mean you're going to be making chicken soup with matzoh balls. If so, Any matzoh meal ought to do. When it comes to chicken fat, the jarred stuff isn't the same as what you would make yourself. In fact, I believe it's partly artificial. It's still pretty good, though.

Yes, chicken with Matzo balls. Thanks for the info on the fat. After using commercially produced lard in tamales once (no flavor whatsoever), I was skeptical about jarred chicken fat. I'd like to make my own, but at least if I run short on time, I know I can use the jarred variety in a pinch.

A comical story about matzoh ball soup. One day my Jewish sous-chef says "I'm going to make matzoh ball soup tomorrow." I used to always make the soups and had no idea about matzoh balls. So I said, go for it. In a restaurant you have to make the soup in the AM......hold it through lunch.....all afternoon.....and all evening. Well, through the course of the day, those balls got Bigger and Bigger and BIGGER! By evening they were the size of softballs......no, maybe small basket balls. Could not fit them in the soup cups so everyone got a bowl of this nice broth with a giant ball plunked in it. I finally 86'd the soup (it was embarrasing) and said, All we have is clam chowder!

If you do decide to render your own chicken fat use plenty of chopped onion to make the fat flavorful. If you dice chicken skin with the onion you get something called "gribbines". Simmer everything very slowly so the skin and onions brown, but don't burn. These are mighty tasty, but lethel! One more tip - I make the matzoh ball mix at least 4 hours in advance and chill - up to 8 hours is ok too. I simmer the balls in the soup over very low heat for 1 hour with the lid on but at a jar. The slow simmer makes the balls floaters rather than sinkers.

quote:

Originally posted by lleechef

A comical story about matzoh ball soup. One day my Jewish sous-chef says "I'm going to make matzoh ball soup tomorrow." I used to always make the soups and had no idea about matzoh balls. So I said, go for it. In a restaurant you have to make the soup in the AM......hold it through lunch.....all afternoon.....and all evening. Well, through the course of the day, those balls got Bigger and Bigger and BIGGER! By evening they were the size of softballs......no, maybe small basket balls. Could not fit them in the soup cups so everyone got a bowl of this nice broth with a giant ball plunked in it. I finally 86'd the soup (it was embarrasing) and said, All we have is clam chowder!

Hey, I love softball-size matzoh balls.

THE GREAT LOCH NESS GRIBBENES ROAD TOUR OF 2006

The word gribbenes (no one is sure of the spelling...yeah, yeah, you know how to spell it) seems to be creeping in at every forum. i.e.--Turkish Taffy? Yup, goes great with gribbeness; Miscellaneous Forum: "You'd be a lot nicer person if you ate gribbeness."

Doubtless, there is a subconscious desire by the multitudes to eat gribbiness. Odds are, they want to eat them with fried chicken liver.

Alas, if it's true, there is hope for the world.
In the meantime, I haven't had it in years...many, many years.

But I don't want it at some restaurant claiming to make it like Mom makes it. That just wouldn't do.

Any chance we could do a Gribbenes Tour 2006? Here's what we do before we rent the bus. We pay 5 or 6 old timers with a guaranteed reputation for Le Culinaire de la Gribbenes to let us come to their house/apartment and partake of their gribbeness with chicken livers.

However, their ability in things gribbenes must be vouched by relatives from both sides of their family, and they must be known as Bubbie to at least three people. Out of the 5 or 6 hundred applications we will probably get, 6 entrants will be the lucky gribbeness purveyors of our tour.
The Bear

Were you really trying to be nasty, or was it an accident?

Mike,
Why is it nasty?

quote:

Originally posted by Michael Hoffman

Were you really trying to be nasty, or was it an accident?

Michael,

As usual you are raining (I did not use the nasty version of that) on everyone's parade!

Bear,

I would be honored to participate in GribbinesFest 2006. I make killer livers and would consider it my contribution to mankind to spread my joy to whomsoever would like to partake. I have many relatives who can vouch for my talent, although at 44, I am no one's Bubbie - not yet anyway.

Hoffman - you are so not invited!

Just trying to get this thread back on track.
http://www.ifoce.com/news.php?action=detail&sn=59

Lexi,
Thanks for your enthusiasm and support. Perhaps you could be on the committee. You can be an Honorary Bubbie.

I suggest that with the Western NJ Hot Dog Tour in late April being the first event of what promises to be a very important season, kaynahorah, the main thing is to avoid any scheduling conflicts.

Perhaps we could slot it in between the Knaidela Cotillion and the Kugel Cook-off.
The Bear

What the Hell did I start?

quote:

Originally posted by Lexi

Hoffman - you are so not invited!

Thank you. I wouldn't attend an event to which someone such as myself might be invited.

quote:

Thank you. I wouldn't attend an event to which someone such as myself might be invited.

Does Groucho Marx know you are using his best material?

He should. I wrote it for him.

I never had matzo balls until as an adult I started trying a lot of different ethnic treats. I've made it with fair success from the boxed matzo meal. It was not so good the times I bought matzo and crushed my own meal. Worse still was the attempt to make something similar from white saltine crackers.

I'd be interested in anyones take on the differences between the meal I'd have the three ways I mentioned getting it and why the product is so different.

quote:

Originally posted by apremerson

What the Hell did I start?

These guys get sidetracked very easily.
It makes for some fun reading, though!

quote:

Originally posted by roossy90

quote:

Originally posted by apremerson

What the Hell did I start?

These guys get sidetracked very easily.
It makes for some fun reading, though!

I'm only an occasional poster here, but I belong to a non food forum where I post daily and I am guilty of that sort of digression constantly.

quote:

Originally posted by apremerson

quote:

Originally posted by roossy90

quote:

Originally posted by apremerson

What the Hell did I start?

These guys get sidetracked very easily.
It makes for some fun reading, though!

I'm only an occasional poster here, but I belong to a non food forum where I post daily and I am guilty of that sort of digression constantly.

It so easy to do that. By the time I get thru a conversation with someone, I cant remember what it was that was the topic to begin..
I always chalk it up to being blonde... Ha Ha..
Case in point, this was supposed to be about matzo meal, right?
ROFL....