Roasted Green Beans

Slice three shallots and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet along with one pound of green beans. Drizzle with 3 Tbsp olive oil and season with kosher salt and pepper. Roast at 425°F (220°C) for 15 minutes. (If using haricots verts, check after 10 minutes.)

—Rivky Kleiman

FT, help me!

How do you know if your challah dough rose enough?

I usually work by time — two hours for the first rise and then an additional hour after braiding. It’s most successful when left in a warmer area. During the winter, when the kitchen may be colder, I’ll heat up the oven a bit, turn it off, and stick the bowl in there to rise.

—Faigy Grossmann

Just Sayin’

What products do you wish were chalav Yisrael?

Oh gosh. Here are a few: Everything at Trader Joe’s. Mexican crema. Sweetened condensed milk. Reese’s peanut butter cups.

—Chanie Apfelbaum

Review It!

I love Estee Kafra’s Chocolate Sesame Spread. I turned it into a super-fast dessert, as per instructions by Michal Frischman. I whipped up one container of Rich’s whip and folded in the chocolate sesame spread. It became a creamy, delicious mousse. Then I spooned it into small cups and topped it off with crumbled halva.

—Chanie Nayman

Okay, quick!

What are your five can’t-live-without-them spices (not including salt and pepper)?

Paprika. Turmeric. Chili powder. Garlic powder. Cumin.

—Barbara Bensoussan

Here’s a Halachah

Rabbi Neustadt once mentioned that one shouldn’t leave peeled garlic overnight. What about the garlic cloves they sell in a package with a hechsher? What makes those okay?

- Faye Perlow

Peeled garlic or onions sold in packages, or liquid eggs used in most bakeries, are permitted to be eaten even though they are obviously left peeled overnight, and actually over many overnights.

Rav Moshe Feinstein explains that Chazal only forbade peeled garlic, onions, and eggs if the items were peeled in order to be used that same day, and then there was a change in plans and they were left over. In addition, they also forbade those items if for the sake of convenience (or some other reason) they were peeled today to be used for tomorrow (or the next day). But in a commercial setting, where there is no choice but to prepare in advance a large amount of garlic (or onions and eggs), which is then packaged, stored, and frozen, and is intended for long-term usage, it’s not considered “garlic, onions, or eggs that were left overnight” and is permitted to be used.

This novel ruling by Rav Moshe has been accepted by all kosher agencies today, which is why peeled garlic, as well as eggs and onions, are available with a hechsher.

-Answered by Rabbi Doniel Neustadt

(Originally featured in Family Table, Issue 748)