I did yet another Ralph's yesterday, i do the same ones over and over, and I got the same Produce guy and had to ask the same question about citrus fruits, I jazzed it up asking if you still have Cara Cara oranges available, flashing a smile i said, they are my favorites, he remembered me, but was cool, showing me the oranges and other types,,,,,,I swear I know every butcher/produce guy in my town. I tell them I'm a foodie, when asked/told gosh your in here a lot. Maybe I'll say I own a catering business. Actually I'd like the job writing questions, I have a few goodies.

I had one credit card inquiry shop. The MSC wanted to know MY credit score. That had nothing to do with the shop. I refused the shop. I noticed later those shops got pulled quickly.

OMG, all you people who actually cook thinking it is dumb to ask food questions. I live in the big city. It seems more and more people do not cook. I even know someone who had an electric stove/oven in their house and did not even plug the thing in for years. I enjoy cooking even though it does not always taste great. But so many now with busy lives and earning what they think is enough to pay someone else to cook for them use delivery services for pre arranged packages of food that they "cook" themselves, or order already cooked food or just eat out almost every meal. Many of these people would not know a potato from a patata or how to choose a ripe whatever. I even went into a store once to buy a designer tomato (so I could harvest the seeds and plant my own crop). It was so soft and mushy and expensive I asked the produce guy to reduce to day old prices but he eventually just cut off a big chunk of mushy stuff and gave it to me. A year later when I had my own crop I discovered these tomatoes are always mushy. In any case so many do not even know how to boil water that pretty much any question can come to the food depts in grocery stores. My local store even sells the pre arranged meals you heat up that the delivery services do right there in the store. So put on your best Hollywood actor mystery shopper face and pretend you are visiting Aunt Em and she asked you to go to the store to pick something up, or that you have a new special friend and want to impress after having cooked so many pre arranged and packaged meals you felt you could do it. But after all cannot figure out which can of ?? is best. How does one open these cans anyway? You have lived in Disneyland all your life and have no idea. This type of thing can continue for repeat visits as it took all of us who do cook years to build up our stash of info about food and cooking.
Translate this to a home improvement store being visiting by someone who always had someone else to do this type of thing for them and now they are living on their own. Or any other scenario.

Sandy - urban dictionary has an interesting meaning for “patata”.

I don't live in a packed city area like Sandy with tourists galore,here it is a family oriented community, most young couples are here for the schools and nice large homes and do cook or hubby BBQ's. Working woman of course will use the new delivery services, but do to the expense, maybe once a week, although I think they'd rather go out as we have tons of family restaurants, and it teaches the kids to behave in public. Many are diet restricted (like me) so no salt, low sugar and butter, ordering from delivery, expensive and kids are fussy, although all stores will season or fry your fish, but Mom knows what to cook . My blood pressure would be so high if I didn't know what was in my daily food, yikes.
@Kenasch..I misspelled Blinztes , your thinking of the correct one. I used to make them homemade, now just buy them and they are just as good (almost).
@Sandy...which designer did the tomato, bet it was Saint de Laurent....

Irene, my grandparents used to buy the frozen blintzes in the blue package, when they would eat "dairy" for dinner. We had all kinds of weird food in my house growing up, tongue, borsche, liver and onions, lox, halvah. I don't know how they liked this stuff!

@Niner wrote:

Irene, my grandparents used to buy the frozen blintzes in the blue package, when they would eat "dairy" for dinner. We had all kinds of weird food in my house growing up, tongue, borsche, liver and onions, lox, halvah. I don't know how they liked this stuff!

Definitely Jewish cooking, I love Borsch and lox and bagel (any day). My home growing up was also Kosher, so got used to certain things, it's ingrained. Kosher (as you know) is no meat and dairy together, I have the Jewish names, but no one here would understand. I don't have a Kosher home, am reform now, they (years ago) did it for health reasons....I always get along with a New Yorker...

Niner - Usually, if you grow up in a house where "weird food" is present and eaten, you start eating and liking them as a child, and you are surprised that anyone thinks of them as weird. I personally never acquired a taste for tongue (pun intended) and for me to really like onions, they needed to come packed with pickled herring. In my parents home, smoked whitefish and smoked sable would have definitely been on the list, as well as many other items. They are still treats for me.

@Niner wrote:

Irene, my grandparents used to buy the frozen blintzes in the blue package, when they would eat "dairy" for dinner. We had all kinds of weird food in my house growing up, tongue, borscht, liver and onions, lox, halvah. I don't know how they liked this stuff!

@myst4au wrote:

Niner - Usually, if you grow up in a house where "weird food" is present and eaten, you start eating and liking them as a child, and you are surprised that anyone thinks of them as weird. I personally never acquired a taste for tongue (pun intended) and for me to really like onions, they needed to come packed with pickled herring. In my parents home, smoked whitefish and smoked sable would have definitely been on the list, as well as many other items. They are still treats for me.

@Niner wrote:

Irene, my grandparents used to buy the frozen blintzes in the blue package, when they would eat "dairy" for dinner. We had all kinds of weird food in my house growing up, tongue, borscht, liver and onions, lox, halvah. I don't know how they liked this stuff!

My mom will eat all of it. I am a picky eater. We were both raised by her parents. We also had whitefish in the house! I also remember the frozen challah that my Nana would buy and defrost, let rise, and bake. That stuff was surprisingly good. When we leave NY, I tend to keep the Jewish thing quiet since there is a lot of bias out there. I remember meeting someone down south. After they found out my background, first question was, "Are you a lawyer?" Yup. Also have a finance degree. Living the stereotypes. Then they told me I was going someplace not favorable when I die. Anyway.

Another member of the tribe here. You guys are making my mouth water. I just finished a river cruise and had lox every morning. They also had pickled herring in sour cream that was as good as my mom’s. Now trying to locate some in my local markets. I also enjoy gefilte fish around the holidays, particularly when it’s on sale. I also think gefilte fish is a great food if you are on a diet.

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 06/02/2019 10:15PM by kenasch.

That's an AWESOME question and I think that many restaurants should ask themselves that question, because if you use the WRONG type of cheese it is NOT a grilled cheese sandwich it's just cheese on bread. But it depends on how you like your cheese to taste melted. I Like American Cheese by Kraft on toasted white sandwich bread because it makes the perfect Grilled cheese. However, if i'm going for the gourmet thing then of course AGED Irish White Cheddar Cheese on toasted Croissants. That's the best

Lox, bagel, cream cheese.. One of my favorites!

I'm now running to Trader Joe's where I get a small package of lox, bagel red onion and tomato. My "Bubbie" made pickled herring, didn't like it as a kid, but still make her Borscht and sour cream. Brings back good memories. We have Brent's Deli (the best) in Northridge and I bet they have herring there. My "Bubbie" lived with us and every Thursday made Challah for Friday night dinners, she made a small one for me. I sometimes pick one up at Whole foods and it makes the best french toast....we always find one another. Did anyone speak Yiddish growing up? PM me and we'll continue.....

I love most foods and my body will attest to that! I saw a show this morning about brunch and they had the most glorioius looking bagel with thinly sliced lox and I was just thinking how I could eat that every day and not get bored so @kenasch that river cruise sounds amazing!

In my family, if it was on the table, you ate it. My dad made my baby food by blending up last night's "adult dinner" and my Mom loved to tell the story about how I was upset when I was 5 because I didn't have my own escargot plate like my older siblings did.

I live inan area where there are lots of Delis. Grew up NOT eating any of the smoked fish but give me a good pastrami sandwich on rye.
My sister in law used to re cook the gefilte fish but my mother just took it out of the jar. Lots of good memories.
I actually still have one box of Matza left.

Amazing



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/02/2019 11:44PM by myst4au.

New Yorker's, love them...my family came over from Poland were Orthodox and I spoke Yiddish until five, starting kindergarden and not knowing English...I learned in three weeks and still use many Jewish words when meeting another like me. No one speaks it any longer, totally a dying language. Hebrew is spoken in Israel, and Yiddish here while we prayer in Hebrew. I was recently in Vegas and Carnegie's deli opened in Cosmopolitan hotel and was great, better than in New York.

In evaluating an adult product in an erotic shop, I was required to ask the clerk if he used the product, and if so, did he enjoy using it!! He said yes; he and his wife enjoyed the product

@Irene_L.A. wrote:

I'm now running to Trader Joe's where I get a small package of lox, bagel red onion and tomato. My "Bubbie" made pickled herring, didn't like it as a kid, but still make her Borscht and sour cream. Brings back good memories. We have Brent's Deli (the best) in Northridge and I bet they have herring there. My "Bubbie" lived with us and every Thursday made Challah for Friday night dinners, she made a small one for me. I sometimes pick one up at Whole foods and it makes the best french toast....we always find one another. Did anyone speak Yiddish growing up? PM me and we'll continue.....

I will say random Yiddish words/phrases and forget most people have no clue what I am talking about.

We had all that growing up but we were not kosher so we also had spaghetti and meatballs, hot dogs, cheeseburgers, and other American food. My mom always made me frozen blintzes until one day when she tasted them she vowed never to serve them to me again. I was around 10. She was hospitalized for some major surgery and had a person of color come to the house to help for a few weeks when she returned home. That person had learned how to make jewish blintzes from a former client and taught my mom and we had real blintzes ever since. I never ate any of the stuff listed below, hence blintzes or french toast for dinner for me on those nights. I loved the halvah. The middle eastern variety they sell here is not at all like the Jewish deli variety.

@Niner wrote:

Irene, my grandparents used to buy the frozen blintzes in the blue package, when they would eat "dairy" for dinner. We had all kinds of weird food in my house growing up, tongue, borsche, liver and onions, lox, halvah. I don't know how they liked this stuff!

My grandparents on my mother's side came to the US in 1891 and my family was very Americanized. I don't believe that my great- grandmother spoke English but my grandparents certainly did. There are only a few Yiddish words that I know and use occasionally.

Irene, I just returned from a great time at the Central downtown library where we were entertained by Mitzi Manna the Yiddish Drag Queen. It was wonderful. The room was full and Mitzi was great. Who knew a library would put on programs like this. And this month is gay pride month too.
Yiddish Translation
[Copy]

פאָכער

fokher
So there above is the way you say fan in yiddish. Since we were a highbrow library crowd she did not want to do a song involving sex in any way so she sang about a fan she just happened to have.
Anyone ever asked to go into a retail store and ask for a fan in yiddish. You are now prepared.

@Irene_L.A. wrote:

I'm now running to Trader Joe's where I get a small package of lox, bagel red onion and tomato. My "Bubbie" made pickled herring, didn't like it as a kid, but still make her Borscht and sour cream. Brings back good memories. We have Brent's Deli (the best) in Northridge and I bet they have herring there. My "Bubbie" lived with us and every Thursday made Challah for Friday night dinners, she made a small one for me. I sometimes pick one up at Whole foods and it makes the best french toast....we always find one another. Did anyone speak Yiddish growing up? PM me and we'll continue.....

My Oma always made pumpernickel rye for sandwiches...it didn't matter what kind of sandwich. The smell of bread baking on Sunday afternoons is still one of my favorite memories.

She made borscht from the beets in her garden, and pastrami from the cattle on my uncle's ranch. I remember so many things about her, but somehow it always comes back to the food.

I did an Italian gourmet eatery/specialty venue. I had to ask Guest Relations, "Where is your produce dept.?". Uummm, it was 8 ft across from us in all its huge glory.

@Irene_L.A. wrote:

New Yorker's, love them...my family came over from Poland were Orthodox and I spoke Yiddish until five, starting kindergarden and not knowing English...I learned in three weeks and still use many Jewish words when meeting another like me. No one speaks it any longer, totally a dying language. Hebrew is spoken in Israel, and Yiddish here while we prayer in Hebrew. I was recently in Vegas and Carnegie's deli opened in Cosmopolitan hotel and was great, better than in New York.

Irene- looks like it’s actually at the Mirage Hotel, unless there is more than one in Las Vegas. I look forward to eating there on my next visit to Vegas

[www.yelp.com]

My brother taught Yiddish at his University in S Carolina. There were no Jewish students there but he attracted enough of his French students to the class for the University to keep the course going. He retired just a few years ago so it was recent. I also found out there is a Yiddish foundation practically around the corner from me in Marina Del Rey. And my brother also goes to a large Yiddish adult camp every year in upstate NY. There is a following, not huge, but it is still alive. We did not speak Yiddish at home when I grew up. But my brother got interested in the language when he was in grad school and taught himself how to speak and then became a Yiddish and French professor. Neither of my parents spoke Yiddish and I never had any live Grandparents. My parents told me their parents did not speak Yiddish at home when they were growing up in the early 1900's.

@Irene_L.A. wrote:

No one speaks it any longer, totally a dying language. Hebrew is spoken in Israel, and Yiddish here while we prayer in Hebrew.

@sandyf wrote:

Many of these people would not know a potato from a patata

There is no such thing. Patatas don't exist.

"No one speaks it any longer, totally a dying language. Hebrew is spoken in Israel"
Can we keep that a secret until next Fall? My daughter-in-law is employed with The National Yiddish Theater Off Broadway production of Fiddler On the Roof.
Before I saw that play I would have said I only knew a few Yiddish words. Now it seems I know more than I gave myself credit for.