Refreshing Summer Drink

Buy your favorite flavor of fruit smoothie in a bottle (I like Bolthouse Farms) and blend it with ice. The texture is so creamy and delicious.

For the grownups, add a splash of vodka or rum to make a perfect summertime slushy cocktail!

—Miriam (Pascal) Cohen

FT, Help Me!!

How do you make the perfect scrambled eggs?

Add a whole egg to a frying pan with a little butter and/or oil, turn up the heat, and scramble as it cooks.

—Chaya Suri Leitner

Just Sayin’

What’s the secret to evenly cooking a whole chicken?

IMHO, it’s not a question of evenly cooking as much as it is cooking it to the right temperature, and not undercooking or overcooking. The best way to do that is by using a thermometer until you’ve done it enough that you’re very comfortable with your skill. Cook a whole chicken at 425°F (220°C) for 35–45 minutes, or until a thermometer that’s inserted into the thickest part of the breast (not touching the bone) has reached 165°F (74°C).

—Michal Frischman

Ok, Quick:

What’s your favorite salad topping?

I recently discovered nutritional yeast and just tried it in a Caesar salad. It added a cheesy flavor, but it’s actually pareve!

—Shevy Shanik

Review It!

My husband introduced me to the frozen Diamond Harvest brand seared ahi tuna and salmon tartare from Costco. They instantly elevate any meal and are delicious! They’ve become staples in my house. They taste outrageous, they’re super fresh, and all that’s required is a quick defrost.

—Rivki Rabinowitz

Reader feedback:

In Issue 743, the Man with the Pan column featured a recipe for Moroccan fish. I made it for lunch a few days ago, and it came out fantastic. I used Nile perch instead of tuna and a little less hot pepper. It was super simple to make, and my family loved it.

—Chana Zelasko, Ramat Beit Shemesh

Halachah

What is the correct brachah to make on a potato knish? Does it make a difference if the crust is thicker/thinner?

A potato knish, whether the crust is thick or thin, is considered pas haba bekisnin, and its brachah rishonah is borei minei mezonos (no brachah is made over the potato, even if some potato is eaten individually, without any crust). The brachah acharonah is al hamichyah, but only if a kezayis of the crust was eaten within three to four minutes; otherwise, the brachah acharonah is borei nefashos.

(It should be noted that thick-crusted knishes are considered a bread-family product, falling under the halachos of kevius seudah. Consequently, if the knish is eaten as part of a meal, such as lunch or supper, along with a substantial amount of other foods, and one ate enough to be satiated, he may have to recite Bircas Hamazon on this meal, even though no actual bread was consumed.)

-Answered by Rabbi Doniel Neustadt

(Originally featured in Family Table, Issue 750)