Peanut Butter Cookies

Mix 1 cup peanut butter, 1 cup sugar, and 1 egg. Scoop into balls and bake at 350°F (175°C) for 7 minutes. Great for your gluten-free guests!

—Chaia Frishman

FT, help me!!

When should I use a serrated knife over a straight-edge knife?

A: Please don’t use serrated knives on meat! Many people call serrated knives “tomato knives” because they’re fantastic for giving a sharp cut to something without smashing the softer inside. Serrated knives should also be used for bread, and I also like to use them on citrus because they cut through the skin without smashing the fruit. Using a serrated knife on meat, however, will shred the meat, especially the sides of each slice.

—Chanie Nayman

Okay, quick!

You’re stranded on a desert island and can only take one food with you. What is it?

A: If there’s one food I could see myself eating over and over again without getting sick of it too quickly, it’s cream of kasha. I know that sounds odd, but I love simple, warm, hearty foods, and kasha is my favorite grain. I’m assuming I can get some maple sap or honey out there in the wild to sweeten it, but even if I can’t, I would be satisfied!

—Rorie Weisberg

Staff Room Q

What’s your fastest party dessert that always gets attention and gets eaten?

A: An ice cream razzle! Dump the contents of your pantry (well, maybe not anything, but cookies, cereal, nut butter, halva, etc.) into store-bought ice cream. Fill a graham crust to make a pie or serve it in scoops with some extra chocolate sauce and cookie crumbs.

—Faigy Grossmann

Must try:

My favorite kitchen item is my Vidalia Chop Wizard. It cuts any and every vegetable into perfect falafel and Israeli-salad size without putting my fingers in danger of getting chopped off!

—Devorah Cohen

Halacha

If you use a stovetop grate for milchigs and fleishigs, can you use it to toast a laffa or a wrap?

A stovetop grate, even if used for both milchig and fleishig pots, does not typically become nonkosher. Although it is quite likely that during the cooking process some food or liquid will spill over from the pots onto the grates, potentially making the grates nonkosher (due to the meaty and dairy spillage being absorbed into the grates), in reality we are not concerned about it, since the fire burning underneath the pots is continuously kashering the grates (via libun). If so, you may use the grates to toast a laffa or wrap.

Still, you must make sure that the surface of the grate is completely clean from any spillage or residue before the toasting begins.

-Answered by Rabbi Doniel Neustadt

(Originally featured in Family Table, Issue 739)