Another Kosher Kwestion for Nilly -- If a restaurant is vegan (using no ingredients that come from animals) could they still be non-Kosher?

Nilly, the highest temperature on my oven is the "self-clean" setting, which frankly terrifies me - you can feel the wall behind it heat up. Hil sent me a site link, which shows the procedure as basically cleaning it out, high temperature, then going over the interior of the oven itself with a kitchen torch, to make sure nothing remains that might not be kosher. So if we're OK with that, I'll get it done the day before you arrive, and then not use the oven for anything that isn't kosher for the rest of your visit.

Pretty sure I can easily find olive oil with the kosher symbol, but to be sure, I'm going to order some from a kosher supplier.

Onward and upward!

If a restaurant is vegan (using no ingredients that come from animals) could they still be non-Kosher?

I know this one!

Some Kosher-keepers will be fine with it. Some will not because there are a few things that could come into play (prepared on sabbath, stuff with greens, etc.). Nilly is one of the latter.

Jess! It's been forever since I've posted with you! You used to be in DC - are you still there? Any chance of me meeting you when I'm there?

What's your Israeli size?

34 (it's in the European sizes).

and it is shoe size, right?

Yup. I hope I'll be able to find shoes my size (as opposed to the usually-at-least-one-size-too-big) in the USA.

If a restaurant is vegan (using no ingredients that come from animals) could they still be non-Kosher?

Yes, they could. Not everybody is strict about it (especially abroad), but I'm afraid that I am.

For example, there are some vegetables that should be cleaned very thoroughly to make sure that none of the very little bugs that live on them are left (those tiny bugs are really very much forbidden to eat - it's a stronger rule than, say, the not-eating-pigs one). That's why flour is sifted, rice is being checked etc. And that's even before getting in to the problems with the dishes, and the fact that some things (like baking) should require a jewish person present in at least some stages of the process, and so forth.

The safest way - the one that I use here, at home, in Israel - is to look for stuff that have a kosher certificate approved by a religious authority, both when it comes to products and when it comes to restaurants and the like. It's possible to be in a vegan place and find ways to work around each and every one of the problems (and you're definitely right, it's much easier in a vegan place, where there are no meat or dairy worries), but it requires lots of attention and may become stressful. And I would like to devote all my attention to the company of Buffistas.

[Edit: x-post with the very knowledgable Trudy.

Also:

Hil sent me a site link

Can you show me the link, please? Now I'm curious.

high temperature, then going over the interior of the oven itself with a kitchen torch

I assume that as long as the temperature is high enough (say, the highest you're willing to stand without worrying about your walls), then it's supposed to be OK. And what's a kitchen torch?

I'm trying to write down something coherent about both kosher food and shabbat (the Jewish Saturday), but this whole work thing, along with the paper I have due next week are coming in the way, silly time-consuming things that they are.]

I wonder how being kosher affects being pregnant and the cravings. For instance, occasionally, I get a huge craving for bacon. But if I had been keeping kosher my whole life, and thus never had bacon, I wonder if I would still crave it?

t /free association girl

Ahh, well. There's a good vegan asian place in Boston, but I very much doubt they take care of the l'il bugs. That's OK -- there are some good places here that are definitely kosher. They have a Glatt(sp?) Kosher sign in the window.

At least in some traditions, if a pregnant woman asks for something three (?) times you're supposed to give it to her even if it's not kosher.

I was at a party once when this came up. My official shiksa advice was go for the lobster.

At least in some traditions, if a pregnant woman asks for something three (?) times you're supposed to give it to her even if it's not kosher.

Does pointing and grunting 3 times count?

Aimee, Probably not, you wouldn't know what you're missing. (craving bacon, that is)

Nilly, 34, wow. Yep, you're looking at a size 4. Which you probably can't get too easily. Children's shoes...at least they're cheaper!

And I know, I haven't seen you around much. I'm still in DC, and I'm great. I'm moving in with my boyfriend in August, and we're travelling like crazy people. I've let myself out of the loop, so I don't know your travel schedule. Hopefully I'll be able to meet you; I'd really like that.

Kitchen torch=mini-flame thrower. Think of welders. They must have used one on Buffy at some point (likely not the kitchen variety).

edited to make clearer whom I was addressing

Yay for Nilly trip!

There's a possibility I may make it to the west coast leg of the trip, though not yet sure about whens and wheres. So deb, you might add me to your Nilly list, too, please. Profile addy's fine.