Emmett would be more than happy to share his favorite Teen Titans with you all.

Let me just say that watching Teen Titans with Emmett is definitly a treat.

debis there room for me o friday at the spa - or should I join you later?

I think the only thing a kosher berry pie requires is no lard - make a butter crust instead. From what Nilly told me, basic butter, eggs and milk are not an issue, provided they come from cows. But organic is even more of a surety.

I've actually found that organic eggs are much less likely to be kosher than regular ones. Some brands are worse than others, but I've had a few cartons of organic eggs where 4 or 5 of the dozen had blood. t edit: I don't keep totally kosher, but I do always check eggs. I've found a few brands of organic eggs that are usually fine, but there are others where I've had a lot of problems. Until I started using organic eggs, I never understood why we always had to check them, because I'd never actually seen a blood spot.

Also, yes, any milk with USDA approval (which is pretty much any milk being sold in supermarkets) is considered kosher, but you get into a lot more issues when you start cooking things -- the oven and the pie plate have to be kashered, and all the ingredients need to have kosher certification (except for the ones that don't, which I can never remember), and you need to check the eggs for blood spots, and probably a few other things that can't think of right now.

(Different people follow slightly different rules. Best bet is to ask Nilly.)

Deb - insent

Also, for all San Francisco natives and visitors: Cass has graciously agreed to be company and wheels for me, so we will be driving into San Fran on Saturday morning for Deb's BBQ. We'll be around all that night (staying in a local hotel) and Sunday morning (brunch plans have been made, I think), and then we'll head out to LA some time that afternoon. Want to see the pretties! (Yes, Buffistas, I'm talking about all of you!) Keep us updated on any plans, 'kay?

It's also possible we might be in Friday night instead of Saturday morning. If so, we'd love to meet up with everyone then as well.

Nilly (or anyone else who knows) -- have you decided yet whether you're going to be coming to DC the night of the 30th or the morning of the 31st? I'm going to be going to NJ that weekend, and I need to buy my tickets there and back, and I need to know when you'll be getting in so that I'll be able to be back in DC by then.

I've actually found that organic eggs are much less likely to be kosher than regular ones.

Sorry, Hil, I wasn't clear - I meant the organic dairy products (as in, cows only fed grain), not the eggs. Nilly told me that checking them for blood is the big issue, and I do that with every egg anyway, because, EWWWWW.

If 'suela's baking a pie (and manoman, she gives good blueberry pie!), she can check the ingredients.

beth, ought to be room; I'm going to go in and block off all five chairs at Laurel Village - which does indeed have a Noah's, totally kosher, and the Books Inc, and a Peets and aStarbucks as well - unless I can find a place with masses of spa chairs between now and, say, Monday.

Trying to decide on BBQ desserts. I think, personally, that I may jettison the chapeau noir in favour of lemon bread or citrus cookies. My original list is really choc-heavy.

Deb, I was doing some research, to see if (with new utensils and pans, and Kosher ingredients) I could bake a Nilly-edible goody for the Somervillains get-together. I found this:

Non-commercial bread and cake that is completely baked by an individual non-Jew is called pat akum and may not be eaten.

[link]

There are more details at the above link. It is a Chassidic site, not simply Orthodox, and different traditions keep Kosher, differently. It may be that for some foods, you will need a Jewish person to help and/or supervise, even if the ingredients are Kosher and the pans and utensils are not problematic (although other sites seem to indicate that is only an Ashkenazi observance). In some of those cases, "help" can be as little as turning on the oven.

The main point? Anyone planning on cooking something for Nilly might want to double check with her, before doing too much in advance.

cc: Consuela

eta

(sorry to go the bolded-names route, but I know this thread is busy)

well, if people are wanting to bring stuff on Monday night and don't know where to go, etc., I'll be going to Trader Joes (and Whole Foods) over the weekend and if instead of bringing something, you wanted to pitch in for that and I could get some extra Sharfennberger, for example, or go to a Kosher bakery and get a pie, that would be fine too.

NOTE: This is *not* a plea for cash for the Kosher party run, just an option if you want to contribute and the Kosher laws make it a bit challenging. But no one has to contribute anything. Er.

this post brought to you by an under-caffienated person who has guilt about money issues, no matter how slight. Please read said post knowing everything's, as the kids say, "cool."

The other thing with dessert for Nilly at the BBQ is, what is she being served as the main course? If it's meat, she won't be able to eat a dairy dessert for a good bit of time(depending on how she follows kashrut, it can range from 1 to 6 hours after the meat course).

Just FYI.

You forgot the part where you'll be sleeping at my house the morning we leave...

ha, good point.