for questions about cooking generally and also about the halachic concept of bishul
12
votes
2answers
311 views
Cooking water on Shabas renders the pot non-kosher?
The halacha (SA OC 318) generally is that if someone cooks food b'mezid (on purpose) on Shabas then he may not eat it, not even after Shabas.
Magen Avraham adds that the pot in which the food was ...
11
votes
1answer
201 views
Why does a Meat Thermometer not need Tevilla?
In this answer, We were told that "according to the Star-K Tevila Guidelines, no tevila is required for a meat thermometer."
Why not?
From the Star-K's article on Tevillat Kelim:
Utensils ...
11
votes
2answers
160 views
Cooking meat and milk as a chef
In this article an Orthodox woman describes how her rav permitted her to enroll in culinary school. Although he apparently did not permit cooking meat and milk together, is there any angle to permit ...
11
votes
2answers
251 views
Starbucks VIA on shabbat
Someone recently mentioned in a conversation about making/ not making tea on shabbat with a tea bag, that the Starbucks VIA coffee is micro-ground vs how ever regular instant coffee is made and that ...
10
votes
1answer
147 views
May one reheat food on top of a crock-pot or urn on Shabbos?
According to my understanding cooked or baked food that is currently cold, may be placed on top of a pot that is on a blech on Shabbos to warm up.
What about putting cooked or baked foods on top of ...
10
votes
1answer
629 views
Using a plata on Shabbat
I have a plata--an electric warming tray that does not have knobs or adjustments. I can leave it plugged in throughout Shabbat. I want to use it correctly when I have guests and to up my observance.
...
9
votes
2answers
214 views
Kosherizing Water using Distillation
Suppose I have water that was cooked with non-kosher food. I then take the water and distill it.
Would this water be considered permissible to drink?
9
votes
2answers
197 views
Using an oven timer on Shabbas
This is my first post here.
I'm fairly familiar with cooking on Shabbat, but I have a few specific questions.
I know there are issues with using the warming setting on an oven to keep food warm. ...
8
votes
2answers
369 views
What's the halachic advantage of double (or triple) wrapping food?
I've heard of both double and triple wrapping when it comes to shielding a food item in an oven with regards to Kashrus.
What exactly does double or triple wrapping accomplish that one wrapping ...
8
votes
2answers
394 views
Cooking Cholent Right before Shabbos
Is there anything wrong with putting up a cholent to cook right before Shabbos?
8
votes
2answers
238 views
Non-Yemenites who heat up soup after the start of Shabbat?
The most widely held practice regarding heating up liquids on Shabbat is that it is prohibited, though there are differences of practice between Ashkenazim and Sephardim regarding sauces and such ...
8
votes
3answers
110 views
Are בישול on Shabbos and בישול of Meat and milk the same?
Are the qualifications for being called בישול (cooking) the same for Shabbos (e.g., frying is a question in Halacha if it is recognized as Cooking to say אין בישול אחר בישול - there is no such thing ...
8
votes
2answers
191 views
Issues with cooking meat and milk at the same time
What issues are there (either potential or inherent) in cooking meat dishes and milk dishes at the same time on the same stovetop (not in the same pot)?
Please also compare benefits and problems ...
8
votes
2answers
123 views
Meat Flavor during the nine days
I cook hard boiled eggs with shells in meat cholent and was wondering if I could eat them during the nine days. If cooked before Rosh Chodesh Av or after - would that make a difference?
8
votes
2answers
170 views
Blackout restoration on Shabbath - and your food
If you suffer from a blackout on Shabbath, but the power returns on Shabbath, and you have certain food elements cooking, is there a problem of either Nolad or some other issue relating to food that ...
8
votes
3answers
458 views
Why do some people have a custom to boil only odd numbers of eggs?
I heard that some still have a custom to boil only odd numbers of eggs at a time. I heard that the reason is if there is a blood-spot in an egg, the egg will be Battel Berov. This only explains why ...
7
votes
4answers
241 views
Do you have to check boiled eggs?
Is it necessary to check hard or soft boiled eggs for blood spots?
I've never seen anyone do it, so perhaps it is not, but if so, why?
7
votes
1answer
141 views
Tevilas Keilim for a meat thermometer
Does a meat thermometer need to undergo tevillas keilim before use, since it does not really do anything to prepare the food itself?
7
votes
1answer
51 views
Do you take challah from something that will be deep fried?
If the requisite amount of dough is made that would require taking challah if it were baked in the oven, should one take off challah with a bracha if she intends to deep fry the dough instead?
7
votes
1answer
93 views
Can steam make one Fleishigs?
If I go and lean my head over a pot on the stove, open my mouth wide, allow the steam that's rising to enter my mouth, and then swallow it (don't try this at home), does that give me a status of being ...
7
votes
2answers
191 views
How does Shabbos/Yom Tov mode on a stove work?
Star-K certifies the shabbos mode on some modern stoves. (Oh how I pine for the day of simple rheostats on electric stoves, and pilot lights on gas stoves! Those were the days...)
Our GE gas stove ...
6
votes
1answer
143 views
Cole slaw in the Cholent on Shabbos
In a discussion I overheard, I seem to understand that there is a Halachic Issue of mixing Coleslaw into the Cholent in my plate on Shabbos. I also heard, but it may be a separate topic, that the ...
6
votes
2answers
143 views
Tasting the meaty Shabbos food on erev Shabbos Chazon: can one swallow?
We do not eat meat or poultry in the Nine Days with certain exceptions notably Shabbos.
It is customary to taste the Shabbos cooking on erev Shabbos afternoon to check the flavouring.
During the nine ...
6
votes
2answers
338 views
Where does the concept of a Kli Shlishi come from?
When it comes to cooking on Shabbos, most people hold that things that are not allowed to be put in a Kli Sheni (a vessel once removed from the vessel that was on the fire) because it is considered ...
6
votes
1answer
161 views
How long until a bean chulent is totally cooked (mevushal kol tzorko)?
My son has started raiding the chulent Friday night. To be able to return the chulent crock pot back to the casing, everything must be fully cooked. I rarely cook with beans, but would like to try ...
6
votes
0answers
96 views
Which types of light bulbs are 'only' an issur d'rabbanan to activate on Shabbat
I'd be very interested to know if anyone has definitive advice on which types of light bulbs are considered an issur d'rabbanan (Rabbinic prohibition) vs an issur d'oraita (Torah prohibition) to turn ...
5
votes
3answers
275 views
Seeking old Jewish recipes
What are some really old recipes that Jews are known to have used (actual recipes that say how to make the dish, not just names or descriptions of what was eaten like צלי קדר)? I'm seeking ...
5
votes
1answer
124 views
Did the Terumas haDeshen write a challah recipe?
Reading this article about challah-making, I noticed the following:
Using the starter, I tried the Rich Sourdough Barches recipe from Inside the Jewish Bakery, which the authors say is adapted ...
5
votes
1answer
143 views
Milk and Meat of Non-Kosher Animals
Is cooking milk with non-kosher animals the same problem as cooking meat with kosher animals?
In other words: can a Jew cook milk with a non-kosher animal (and not eat it)? Can a Jew obtain benefit ...
5
votes
2answers
155 views
Cooking meat and milk on the way to burning them
If someone cooks meat and milk together at a very high temperature, so that they will be burned to ash, in the time that it takes from getting the ingredients to a hot temperature to the point that ...
5
votes
2answers
175 views
Cold-brew coffee on Shabbos
One can make coffee by soaking grounds in cold water for an extended period.
See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cold_brew
Is it permissible to start the process on Shabbat, or if not, to start it ...
5
votes
3answers
233 views
Bracha on Cooked Matza
Plain matza on pesach is Hamotzi. Fully cooked matza (eg. Keneidels) is Mezonot. What about these in between cases:
Fried matza ("Matza Brei")
Chicken soup with crushed matza ("Matza Farfel")
Matza ...
5
votes
1answer
118 views
Ben Drosai - what was his Zechus?
Gemara Shabbos 20a and in other locations mentions
כמאכל
בן דרוסאי
Rashi explains that Ben Drosai was a thief who ate his food when it was only cooked 1/3. Did Ben Drosai have some sort of Zechus ...
5
votes
1answer
90 views
Permissibility of making Matzah by frying
Does anyone know of an opinion permitting Matzah to be cooked in a skillet(instead of being baked in an oven), and if so under what circumstances?
4
votes
2answers
381 views
4
votes
1answer
153 views
How can I slow-cook dairy if my slow-cooker is meat?
I have a (meat) slow-cooker and very occasionally want to be able to slow-cook dairy foods. Is it possible to adapt my existing appliance for this purpose?
The slow-cooker consists of a glazed clay ...
4
votes
2answers
211 views
Can I use a Parabolic Mirror or Fresnel Lens to cook on Shabbat?
Shabbat 39a discusses cooking on Shabbat using the sun. It is permitted to roll an egg on a hot roof to cook it since this is not a typical way to cook, but you can't burry it in sun-heated-sand ...
4
votes
1answer
169 views
Cooking meat and milk in the microwave
Would cooking meat and milk in the microwave be prohibited on the biblical level or just a rabbinical level prohibition?
4
votes
1answer
74 views
Bakery workers washing Negel Vasser
In my local bakery there are Jewish non religious workers. Is there a concern that perhaps when they are handling the baked goods they have not washed negel Vasser (morning n'tilas yadayim)?
4
votes
1answer
152 views
Food cooked by a non-Jew not kosher?
Why is it that food cooked totally by a non-Jew - without the participation of a Jew - is not kosher?
4
votes
2answers
140 views
Cooking on yom tov, not on shabbas
Why are you allowed to cook on yom tov but not on shabbas? I understand that there are certain rules about cooking, but why can't we do that on shabbas?
4
votes
1answer
328 views
Baking powder on Pesach
I know intellectually that chemical leavening agents are allowed during Pesach. Kosher baking powder (free from kitinyot) is widely available. Still, I can't help feeling that it's cheating to use ...
4
votes
1answer
67 views
Is there any problem with using yomtov candles to cook food (on yomtov)?
Suppose you had a lot of candles, and a small pan of chocolate you wanted to melt, any problem using the yomtov candles for this? Cooking is permitted, but is the use of yomtov candles restricted in ...
4
votes
1answer
235 views
Coffee Urns on Shabbos
I've heard that there is a dispute among poskim if one is allowed to use such an urn on Shabbos (also here)
as the outside water tube gets cold over Shabbos. Both sides agree that "Yesh bishul achar ...
4
votes
0answers
272 views
Using a non-kosher toaster oven
What is the permissible way to use a non-kosher toaster oven? My thought process was that, when cooking milk in a meat oven, the covering of the dish and the rack makes it acceptable.
Would covering ...
3
votes
2answers
38 views
בישול Versus שולק
The Shulchan Aruch and the Gemara use two words that to me seem to mean the same thing: "Cooking". My question is what is the difference between שולק (Sholek) and בישול (Bishul)? Please provide ...
3
votes
1answer
100 views
Seared Sushi Bishul Yisroel
Certain Sushi require the searing of the fish on the outside. Does this process require a Jew light the torch used to do the searing or is it not required? I have seen that some stores do and some do ...
3
votes
1answer
79 views
Cooking on Yom Tov, for Yom Tov
Why can't one cook for the second day of Yom Tov on the first day? Why won't something along the lines of Eiruv Tavshilin help in this case as well?
3
votes
1answer
306 views
Is there some way to turn the electric stove on and off on Yomtov?
We use an electric stove to cook in our house, not fire or gas (aside from the occasional barbecue). To cook on first day Yomtov and more so on second day we would have to leave the stove on from the ...
3
votes
1answer
129 views
refilling a percolator on Yom Tov
Are you allowed to refill a percolator or hot water urn on Yom Tov?
