Schmaltz?

[Smith1942]

I'm editing a book about Jewish food for Penguin. It says that schmaltz is good for you, but I thought it was a bad fat? Does anyone here cook with schmaltz? It has to be prepared with onions, apparently - just rendered chicken fat won't cut it!

 

[TooPatient]

We use it on occasion, but I've never thought of it as "good for you"

I wonder if it means good for you in the sense of it makes stuff taste delicious so makes you happier and the improved mood is "good for you"?

I'll ask FI when he gets out of the bath. Maybe he has an idea.

 

[Smith1942]

How long does it take you to make it? What does it taste like? Delicious?

I think the author means good for you in that we need fats, and as long as you don't overdo it...

 

[TooPatient]

I've never paid attention to the time it takes. Usually this is in the context of a major meal where I've got stuff going all over the place. (picture a meal that takes 8 full hours of grocery shopping then several days in the kitchen with some dishes cooking (as in actually on the stove simmering) for 36 hours)

FI says that schmaltz IS good for you.... comparatively.
Something to do with it being lower in cholesterol than some other cooking fats. Also a difference in LDL and HDL. Since your body needs some fat anyway, you may as well get it from a source with lower bad cholesterol.

Tastes like
I use it in matzah balls mostly. It adds a really rich flavor that you can't get using the buttery sticks (certified vegan butter substitute) we usually cook with.

 

[JulieN]

It isn't that bad for you. I would think having a steak is worse.

Since you are editing a cookbook, though, you might try to rework that line. I really would never put any line in about supposed health benefits or something being healthy. People who are reading a Jewish cookbook are interested in authentic Jewish cookery. If someone is looking for health benefits in their cooking, they should be reading something else. Unless you are editing a healthy Jewish cookbook, in which case you might want to consult a nutritionist.

 

[Smith1942]

Don't worry, Julie - I was just paraphrasing for brevity's sake. The book would not say anything so simplistically as that, of course. It's a lot more complex than "Hey, fat is good for you! Eat that!" It's a history of Jewish food, not a cookbook. There's a lot about good fats, bad fats, etc and also lot of science all properly referenced and backed up. The author is a well-known expert and knows exactly what he/she is doing!

 

[TooPatient]

Don't worry, Julie - I was just paraphrasing. It's a history of Jewish food, not a cookbook. There's a lot about good fats, bad fats, LDL etc and also lot of science all properly referenced and backed up. The author is a well-known expert and knows exactly what he/she is doing!

Sounds like a great book!

 

[Smith1942]

I can't claim to be a foodie - but yes, TooP, the history of various cuisines is very interesting, especially older cultures.

We English don't really have a cuisine, unless you count cucumber sandwiches and cake.

The book does acknowledge that cooking with certain fats has dropped out of fashion. I suppose low-fat or fat-free is the Holy Grail these days. My grandparents cooked with animal fats and were thin, but then they never ate pizza, bowls of pasta, crisps, sweets, etc etc. and they had always walked miles each day - grandfather to work and grandmother to get the ingredients for the midday meal.

 

[JulieN]

Ok, that sounds good.

And, yes, I feel like saturated fat is not as big of a boogeyman as it used to be. Especially since they discovered trans fat, do people still use margarine?

 

[SB621]

My grandmother and mother used to cook with it all the time for special meals. It doesn't take long to make if you are making the entire meal from scratch.

 

[Meezermom]

From what I remember as a kid, Schmaltz is chicken fat, and very bad for you (pure fat). My grandmother and mother use to use it in their cooking until everyone started learning about healthy cooking and eating.

 

[davi_el_mejor]

Give me something cooked in animal fat over vegetable grease anyday I say!

Schmaltz sounds delicious - I have some kreplach in the freezer, I may just go out and find some schmaltz to fry them in

 

[ruby59]

My grandmother cooked with it. She was very kosher, so using butter when cooking meat or lard was not an option. The running joke I always heard growing up was schmaltz was one of the reasons Jewish men died in their 50s. From what we know now about cholesterol, I do not know how it could be considered healthy.

 

[AGBF]

We English don't really have a cuisine, unless you count cucumber sandwiches and cake.

This thread reminded me of Maisie and her hunt for matzoh (matza, matzah) in the wilds of the UK, far removed from any specialty stores in London!

Maisie's Matzoh Thread...[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/recipes-for-unleavened-bread-for-passover.172961/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/recipes-for-unleavened-bread-for-passover.172961/[/URL]

Deb/AGBF


Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend

 

[MrsAkin]

Ok I didn't have a clue about what schmaltz is - googled it and still don't have a clear answer. Is it pure fat taken from the animal or is it something else? When it's time for Eid al-Adha -when we sacrifice animals and give the meat to the needy- people never throw the animal's fat away. It is still being used in cooking. I mostly cook with olive oil but my mother in law and grandmother use it. To be honest it tastes good when it's used in meat dishes- I'm picky but even I can happily eat it!

There's a popular diet in here called "The Karatay Diet" and the doctor behind it says it's not necessary to be afraid of animal derived fats and butter but we should avoid margarine, trans-fats etc... She even says that cholesterol is a myth! I don't really know the science behind it as I'm not a doctor but I'm not afraid of butter, and I think moderation is the key.

TooPatient, what are those dishes that needs to be cooked 36 hours?? I consider myself gifted in kitchen ( I cook everyday and there have been occasions where I had to cook for 25-30 people) and really want to expand my knowledge! Seems like a challenge I'd be willing to take!

 

[Lulie]

Rendered animal fats [goose, chicken & beef] do not scare me when used occasionally and sparingly. In fact - my favorite starchy side dish is Schmaltz potato rounds