Just found this site a few days ago.

[britt]

Hi! I'm britt.
I started cooking when I was about 10. My Grandmother was a free lance carteerer in Chicago. I used to help her on summer vacations. She moved here from Germany after WW1. She worked at the Drake hotel as a pastry chef for about 10 years and went on her own. Her clientele was mostly the Jewish community in the Chicagoland area. She was a fabulous baker. Back then I thought that was girlie stuff and didn't take much interest in it. I really regretted that later.
Through High school I did the Mr. Steak thing at a very busy location in Denver. Learned early how to keep it together under pressure.
I got out of the service '77. Worked as a resturaunt cook while I was finishing up college. Got my first taste of upscale eateries and knew where my heart was.
I was very fortunate and worked with some great chefs. I moved around a lot and tried to learn as much as I could. I started to participate in the culinary competitions in the Denver area. I was certified by the CCAF in 1981.
My first chefs job was a seafood place in Downtown Denver. I spent my last 5 years with Specialty resturaunts. My last position for them was Chef at Baby Does' overlooking Mile-hi stadium. We were doing 125,000 + week in food sales(that was at mid-80s' prices). When the Broncos played at home, we could plan on 2000 covers for Sunday brunch and around 800+ for dinner. My Health started to go bad and I moved to Ohio for a sales job.
I still got the "bug". After a few years I met a couple who were struggling with their resturaunt. It was an old CorknCleaver. That was the worst kitchen to work in. Tight and just no equiptment. We got a good crew put together trained. Things really got popping. I was able to keep up for about a year and a half. Then my health started acting up again. Back in '98 I met the chef at a local C.C.. He needed a sous-chef. He knew my conditions but I wanted to try one last time. 6 months and I had my second heart attack.
I stayed in sales after that. I just went on SSI disabilty last year.
I try to keep my hand in at home. But I have a wife who likes to say, "why can't we have normal food?'. LOL.
britt

[patlaw]

Hi and welcome, Britt. I came across this site when I was surfing for some help with a confit. My first job was as a cook for a little neighborhood restaurant when I was 16. I kept that job for 3 years, and after the first few months, ran the restaurant alone in the evenings after school and weekends and maxi-full-time in the summers. In college I cooked in the dorm for an ever-evolving group of friends. After that, my career was never cooking, but it has always been my passion. A constant throughout the 35 years since college has been a weekly dinner party, no matter how busy my life is with other demands. I'm now semi-retired from the practice of law and enjoying more time in the kitchen. Cooking keeps me focused and calm, gives me an outlet for creative energy, and perhaps best, gives me the opportunity for fellowship and joy with friends and family.

About that confit? I have prepared goose, rabbit and duck confit (legs only of all three) and am planning to serve all three at next week's dinner party. If anyone has any ideas on presentation, I'd be grateful. As accompaniments I'm thinking snap peas steamed in lettuce leaves and tiny new potatoes.

Any suggestions?

[britt]

That guy who peddles the new orleans itching powder and (a thousand and one other hyped up products), says its the best topping for a baked potato. Other then that its a primary ingredient for cassoulette. Made it once or twice but never got into it.
Did you seal it with its own fat or olive oil. I thought the olive oil gave a better flavored end product.
britt

[patlaw]

I sealed all three with goose fat. I've made cassoulet and garbure before, but this time I want to serve the legs on a platter, after roasting them briefly to crisp and warm them. On other occasions, I've ground a bit of a vaguely Moroccan combo of spices (black peppercorns, nutmeg, cloves, orange rind, rose petals, grains of paradise and ginseng) over them and drizzled a little balsamic vinegar over.

I'm just trying to come up with an idea for presentation on the platter -- maybe some sliced fruit (I live in California, and every imaginable fruit grows in my backyard) or something.

Patricia

[redace1960]

welcome to you! i'm new here too.
heres my suggestion...meyer lemon and blood orange sliced on the round, thin like stained glass, on a pale yellow plate! or rolled la cornu, placed around the confit. do you get honeyberry? a few of those sprinkled about would be pretty, too, and good to pick and nibble at.

[patlaw]

That sounds great, and I have Meyer Lemon and blood orange trees in the back yard. Super thanks!

[ambitious]

hello everyone, im new and i just found out about this place today. SO i decided to join because it seems very interesting. I was looking for kosher gelatin and i came upon this website. so nice to meet you all.
If anyone can answer my question, i would like to know if there is any store in chicago where i can find kosher powder gelatin? i need to make chocolate mousse as soon as possible.

[Kerryclan]

Hi, ambitious, and welcome to the forum!

According to this Jell-O is kosher. So You don't have to go crazy looking in specialty stores. I don't know about knox gelatin, but you can always call the helpline for most products and get an answer. Good luck.

http://users.rcn.com/sue.interport/food/gelatin.html

[britt]

My Grandmother was the expert on this. I just did what she told me. A lot of her functions were done in a temple and we a Rabbi looking over our shoulders to make sure we were on the right track.
I would think the concern is not that jello can be considered Kosher, as far as edibility. The issue would seem to be the incorporation of the meat by-prouduct and dairy for a mousse would be a no-no.
My suggestion would be to make a more traditional mousse using whipped egg whites.
britt

[Kerryclan]

Britt, jello is considered neutral - can be used with either meat or dairy. However, I agree that the traditional whipped egg white method is the best anyway.

[britt]

I'm not sure there. Just from my limited experience, the Orthodox/Kosher rules are very inflexible. I could be mistaken here; but my understanding was that combining any meat(or meat product) and dairy was strictly forbidden. And as, ambitious, made a point of the Kosher aspect, I would procede with caution here. As I said I'm in over my head.
Thanks for the backup on the mousse. A mousse with gelatin is like a nobake cheese cake. Might as well buy SarahLee.
britt

[Mezzaluna]

Wow! Lots to respond to today.

First of all, I'd like to extend an official Chef Talk Cafe welcome to Britt, Ambitious and Patlaw. You all sound like eager new members, and we'll be glad to see you here often.

As for the gelatin question: Britt is absolutely correct. Rabbinic authority on kosher rules is ironclad. Here is a site with authoritative information on the circle-K items, which are acceptable to most Orthodox Jews. To make a very long, detailed article short, use agar-agar or carrageenan- not gelatin- if you're making kosher food and aren't absolutely sure your gelatin is kosher. Unless you are able to locate truly kosher gelatin (and it does exist!), go with these products, as they are made from plants.

This page has the symbols of kosher certification used around the world. If the product you buy has one, it means it's been supervised and considered officially kosher by an Orthodox rabbi from one of many, many Orthodox groups.

I suggest searching this site, because discussions of these topics have taken place in the past. Also, asking at one of the pastry forums will also get you a response. Several of our pastry experts either are Jewish or have catered to Jewish patrons (and to Muslims who observe halal). They can help you with questions and product sources.

Regards,
Mezzaluna

[Kerryclan]

Wow! Great page Mezz. Thanks. I had no idea it was that complicated. I assumed jello was ok based on it being: kosher/pareve and my kosher kitchen (but not orthodox) friend's say so. Obviously, it's not that simple.

[redace1960]

depending on the movement, different ones have different kashering boards.
go to the site judaism101 and hit the kosher definition page; they have links to the main certification outfits.

[britt]

Thanks for the clarifications. If I overstepped my bounds, I do apologize. I was wrong in getting involved in an important issue that I have so liitle knowledge of. After reading over that site, I saw a number of KEY points I was totally wrong about.
I should have made the suggestion on egg whites for the mousse and left it for others to handle.
britt