So actually this seems to the thread to ask, even though this is somewhat of a threadjack (please don't disemvowel me!):
I just tried some Morningstar Farms faux bacon. How close is that to the real thing? Because, heated cardboard. Either I'm not doing it right, or Morningstar Farms is perpetuating a fraud of mammoth proportions on the naive and ignorant.
Is there any faux bacon that will finally let me understand what people mean when they say "mmmm, bacon," with that faraway look in their eyes? Or am I doomed to eating only chopped liver forever?
@clickable: Skip Morningstar and head for the Boca. The 'Flame Grilled' burgers are good; the bratwurst is killer. It's not a casing of mush, and as long as you brown it up good with some veggie oil and some sliced onions, and slather on some brown mustard, well, even a Cheesehead would approve.
I had to take a picture of this mechanical monstrosity for a multitude of reasons.
This vendible machine is 24/6. In theory, the machine cannot work on the Sabbath. It is in a movie theatre. If you are Shomer Shabbos, you are not at the movies.
Moreover, if you are Shomer Shabbos, you cannot complete things - like sales. Purchasing thing on Shabbos is off-limits. Which means if you care enough for your vending machine knish to be kosher, you're not buying movie tickets and you're not buying things from vending machines.
The machine does not have to be Shomer Shabbos. I have gone to the E-Walk (pronounced like the teddy bear abomination from Return of the Jedi) dozens of times. It is fair to assume that none of the staff observes the Sabbath on a Saturday.
The idea of a Shomer Shabbos vending machine is absurd. Finally, the iPhone's camera is surprisingly good. That is what I used to take the picture. "Quantum of Solace" not so good.
@OMG! Chrismukkah!: Sorry if I'm a little incoherent. I just got home from drinking - it was my friend's first night bartending at a dive in Brooklyn. I've had 5 PBR in 2 hours and am a little tipsy.
@OMG! Chrismukkah!: "The idea of a Shomer Shabbos vending machine is absurd."
Not necessarily. The owner of the machine in all likelihood is an observant Jew. Sure, the Shomer Shabbos Jews won't ever go to the movies and buy any food from the machine, but there are plenty of Jews who would be going to the movies anyway (and may want to try some Kosher nosh). If the machine accommodated these individuals, essentially the machine is contributing to "sins" of the not-so-observant Jews in the vicinity. And yes, most observant Jews are of the opinion that anyone not as "religious" is sinning on Shabbos.
It's better in their opinion to not serve ANYONE during the 25 hour period of Shabbos than to serve Jews inadvertently. You don't want to ever benefit off the sins of a brother.
Wow, Jesus D. now writing the Kosher articles in place for Benny Ben Goldman???
Does the machine dispense Babka?????
(Disemvoweling worthy comment edited here)
I loves me some bacon. I am one naughty Jew. But hey, I'm not 100% Jewish so I guess it comes from the Catholic part.
Ok. So ya. I had a Bat Mitzvah, but it was a Star Trek:TNG themed Bat Miztvah!
And oh. I've always had such a spectacular Birthmas Tree. Ya know, cause I'm born on Christmas. And I have so many of those ST:TNG and SW Hallmark ornaments.
Oh and Ponies, or OMG (whatevaa), all you addictive insanity makes so much more sense knowing that you to are Jewish. Ever been to Sammy's Roumanian on the lower east side? Kettle One served in a block of ice? Check. schmaltz on the table? Check. The best chopped chicken liver in the world? Check.
@LindsayJoy's MBP is into S+M: All this info...does this make you the daughter of god...err g-d. Whatevs I don't care about god cause I'm the anti-christ. catholic and jewish. I can't imagine the guilt you feel. fortunately, i don't feel that guilt 'cause god never gets in my way; therefore I can write comments worthy of disemvowelling without edit.
@LindsayJoy's MBP is into S+M: Lindsay - if you can make the schlep this weekend, I'm throwing a Chrismukkah party.
The Hannukah Bush is decked. The menorah will be lit (one for the passers-by on the street, the other in the entry room). There are latkes and lox and sour cream for eating. For drinking, a recipe of my own making - the Bacon Mary. Did I mention that it's kosher?
Kaiser and SteveDave will be there, as will Girlie (the greatest shikse ever).
So if you can make it to NYC this weekend, Casa di Ponies is open to you.
@OMG! Chrismukkah!: Dude, bacon mary's? You must have another party when my parents AREN'T having one so's I can try your concoctions. Perhaps I can lend a hand in certain mixing procedures, I'm all about mixing at my job.
@Lite: but we don't know if her mother's jewish or catholic. the babka seems to indicate that she is at least part polish (with her catholicness--prob not russian), but that does not clear up her mom's religion.
...and while her computer is into s & m, I feel like both religions do it equally well, though role-play and costumes in catholocism are hotter imo...nuns are just sexy.
Hey Lindsay, is your mom catholic or jewish, and did you go to catholic or hebrew school?
Also, do you prefer to wear plaid skirts or a headscarf? just wondering ;)
@LindsayJoy's MBP is into S+M: Can we get some pictures from the TNG Bat Miztvah? Might just beat Strider's Christmas Tree. Did people wear Starfleet uniforms? I need more info!
Per Judaism --my mother's mother was Jewish but her father was Catholic, also Italian (her first and middle name is Anna Marie). Per Judaism I'm covered on my father's side, mostly Austrian.
Didn't go to Hebrew or Catholic School, memorized my Haftorah.
As for Babka, who doesn't like Babka? you don't have to have to be Polish, thats for sure!
Ok, this is officially nuts. I have a new electric stove that has a jewish sabbath mode. It uses some weird logic to cook food and have it ready on the sabbath while the owner remains blissfully able to deny having cooked. So, if my stove can cook on the sabbath so can a vending machine. I have a lot of respect for jewish folks, they jump through incredible hoops for their faith but this is pushing it a lot!
@daqman: It's not quite nuts. See Markarian above. It's not about the cooking in this machine, it's about the vending. (Nevermind the carrying money to use in said machine).
No "work". No writing, no driving, no using electricity (complicated, I know, since your stove has the Shabbat setting. But it's more about turning on and/or off the flow of sweet, sweet power.)
@qbrad: Actually its more involved than that. Although a food does not have to abe finished cooking before the Sabbath, for it to be acceptable to an Orthodox Jew, it has to be cooked enough before the Sabbath begins to be edible.
Actually, the reason it rests is because most Jews who are that observant about Shabbat tend to avoid using any electrical devices or driving cars. Some high-end ranges even have a "Sabbath Mode" setting that keeps it warm or primed or something like that, so that food can be re-heated on Shabbat. I think it has to do with a rabbinical opinion regarding the use of electricity being equivalent of violating the prohibition of lighting fires on Shabbat.
@markarian: That's the way it was explained to me by several of my Jewish friends.
If you just leave your oven on (or activate the Sabbath Mode the day before), then putting cold food in it to warm up on the Sabbath isn't considered work, being that it would be the equivalent of putting food on a fire that had been lit since the previous day...
But I'm really just a silly goy whose only going on the various explanations I have received over the years.
The funniest bit of "Sabbath-Tech" I heard about was apparently in Israel some of the hotels will put the elevators into a floor-by-floor mode on the Sabbath, meaning that the elevator will briefly stop on every floor bottom to top (then express back to the bottom) so an observant Jew could board the elevator in the lobby then just wait for the elevator to arrive on their floor without having to press any buttons to call the elevator to the lobby or indicate which floor they were going to. That seems to be kind of bending the rules from the other explanations I have heard, but hey, it came from a reliable source, and I'm no expert...
@skrunchy: Sorry, in the future I'll be sure to fact check my second hand, anecdotal stories in which technical details have little to no bearing on the point of the story.
Damn, if only I had checked that, I wouldn't have to re-write my entire doctoral dissertation on Jewish elevator technology; I would have thought that one of my reviewers would have caught that...
kosher has nothing to do with being blessed.... it has to do with the supervision when the food is made and the ingredients. The reason that the machine doesn't work on shabbos is because the owner is jewish an in jewish law it is forbidden to do business on shabbos and even forbidden for you animals to do work. it is questionable wether you machines can do work but the owner obviously believes that it is forbidden. another example is B&H, their website does not process credit cards from orders made on shabbos until after shabbos@1350ft.in.a.Concorde.blow*ng.up.balloons:
@LeslieNerps: I realized after I posted that food doesn't need a blessing but that many Jews say blessings over food. oops I understand what Shabbos is aka Sabbath as many Christians also recognize this day, and also bless their food. What my real questions is is how can this machine also be kosher? I say it can't. Because they are serving the food hot, what ever the food comes in contact with would need to be kosher too. The inside of the (small) container would be but not the outside? That leaves a lot of room for error. I would have to see how it's packaged to know for sure.
@1350ft.in.a.Concorde.blow*ng.up.balloons: Each package is likely fully sealed and kept in either refrig or frozen storage until it is nuked when you order it, so that being the case, so long as the packaging facility and the food itself are Kosher then there is no issue.
And furthermore calling something Kosher is not taken lightly, it's not like calling something "Low-Fat" or "Low Sodium", if the company is calling it Kosher you can bet you Lox that it actually is.
@bpapa9013: *Calling* something Kosher is actually taken absurdly lightly. Just look at the number of places that call themselves a Kosher Deli and serve a wide variety of non-Kosher food.
Actually getting a Kosher *certification* is another matter entirely. The Chaf K (that's the backward C with a K inside it on the top right of the machine, for those who don't know) is considered an extremely reliable certification, so I don't think anyone needs to worry about these machines.
@anonymousryan: There are 39 things you are not allowed to do on the Sabbath. Completing something is one of them.
Buying a knish involves, in essence, completing an electrical circuit which is a no-no. Also, you can't be buying movie tickets and seeing movies on the Sabbath.
If anything, the vending machine proves why cell-phones need good cameras. If I'm out and about and I see something absurd, I take a picture of it. This is an iPhone picture (as was the eeePC with the Apple sticker). The iPhone takes great photos.
12/19/08
People can be complete idiots sometimes....
12/19/08
12/19/08
12/19/08
I just tried some Morningstar Farms faux bacon. How close is that to the real thing? Because, heated cardboard. Either I'm not doing it right, or Morningstar Farms is perpetuating a fraud of mammoth proportions on the naive and ignorant.
Is there any faux bacon that will finally let me understand what people mean when they say "mmmm, bacon," with that faraway look in their eyes? Or am I doomed to eating only chopped liver forever?
12/19/08
12/19/08
Until then, I'm gonna look for some more rugs to pee on
12/19/08
12/19/08
12/18/08
I had to take a picture of this mechanical monstrosity for a multitude of reasons.
This vendible machine is 24/6. In theory, the machine cannot work on the Sabbath. It is in a movie theatre. If you are Shomer Shabbos, you are not at the movies.
Moreover, if you are Shomer Shabbos, you cannot complete things - like sales. Purchasing thing on Shabbos is off-limits. Which means if you care enough for your vending machine knish to be kosher, you're not buying movie tickets and you're not buying things from vending machines.
The machine does not have to be Shomer Shabbos. I have gone to the E-Walk (pronounced like the teddy bear abomination from Return of the Jedi) dozens of times. It is fair to assume that none of the staff observes the Sabbath on a Saturday.
The idea of a Shomer Shabbos vending machine is absurd. Finally, the iPhone's camera is surprisingly good. That is what I used to take the picture. "Quantum of Solace" not so good.
12/18/08
12/19/08
12/19/08
Laggy UI, 3G that is not infrequently slower than EDGE, inability to sync with my job's Exchange server, crashy applications - those irk me.
The camera - surprisingly good.
12/22/08
Not necessarily. The owner of the machine in all likelihood is an observant Jew. Sure, the Shomer Shabbos Jews won't ever go to the movies and buy any food from the machine, but there are plenty of Jews who would be going to the movies anyway (and may want to try some Kosher nosh). If the machine accommodated these individuals, essentially the machine is contributing to "sins" of the not-so-observant Jews in the vicinity. And yes, most observant Jews are of the opinion that anyone not as "religious" is sinning on Shabbos.
It's better in their opinion to not serve ANYONE during the 25 hour period of Shabbos than to serve Jews inadvertently. You don't want to ever benefit off the sins of a brother.
12/18/08
Does the machine dispense Babka?????
(Disemvoweling worthy comment edited here)
I loves me some bacon. I am one naughty Jew. But hey, I'm not 100% Jewish so I guess it comes from the Catholic part.
Ok. So ya. I had a Bat Mitzvah, but it was a Star Trek:TNG themed Bat Miztvah!
And oh. I've always had such a spectacular Birthmas Tree. Ya know, cause I'm born on Christmas. And I have so many of those ST:TNG and SW Hallmark ornaments.
Oh and Ponies, or OMG (whatevaa), all you addictive insanity makes so much more sense knowing that you to are Jewish. Ever been to Sammy's Roumanian on the lower east side? Kettle One served in a block of ice? Check. schmaltz on the table? Check. The best chopped chicken liver in the world? Check.
Now I'm so hungry!
12/18/08
12/18/08
12/18/08
12/18/08
"but it was a Star Trek:TNG themed Bat Miztvah!"
Ah, but did you get a Bat'leth...?
12/18/08
12/18/08
The Hannukah Bush is decked. The menorah will be lit (one for the passers-by on the street, the other in the entry room). There are latkes and lox and sour cream for eating. For drinking, a recipe of my own making - the Bacon Mary. Did I mention that it's kosher?
Kaiser and SteveDave will be there, as will Girlie (the greatest shikse ever).
So if you can make it to NYC this weekend, Casa di Ponies is open to you.
12/19/08
12/19/08
...and while her computer is into s & m, I feel like both religions do it equally well, though role-play and costumes in catholocism are hotter imo...nuns are just sexy.
Hey Lindsay, is your mom catholic or jewish, and did you go to catholic or hebrew school?
Also, do you prefer to wear plaid skirts or a headscarf? just wondering ;)
12/19/08
damn ponies, shoot me a private msg with more info if you feel so inclined
12/19/08
12/19/08
Per Judaism --my mother's mother was Jewish but her father was Catholic, also Italian (her first and middle name is Anna Marie). Per Judaism I'm covered on my father's side, mostly Austrian.
Didn't go to Hebrew or Catholic School, memorized my Haftorah.
As for Babka, who doesn't like Babka? you don't have to have to be Polish, thats for sure!
12/19/08
Details to come later. I will see if I can scan my album...
12/18/08
12/18/08
12/18/08
12/18/08
No "work". No writing, no driving, no using electricity (complicated, I know, since your stove has the Shabbat setting. But it's more about turning on and/or off the flow of sweet, sweet power.)
12/18/08
12/19/08
12/19/08
12/19/08
12/18/08
12/19/08
If you just leave your oven on (or activate the Sabbath Mode the day before), then putting cold food in it to warm up on the Sabbath isn't considered work, being that it would be the equivalent of putting food on a fire that had been lit since the previous day...
But I'm really just a silly goy whose only going on the various explanations I have received over the years.
The funniest bit of "Sabbath-Tech" I heard about was apparently in Israel some of the hotels will put the elevators into a floor-by-floor mode on the Sabbath, meaning that the elevator will briefly stop on every floor bottom to top (then express back to the bottom) so an observant Jew could board the elevator in the lobby then just wait for the elevator to arrive on their floor without having to press any buttons to call the elevator to the lobby or indicate which floor they were going to. That seems to be kind of bending the rules from the other explanations I have heard, but hey, it came from a reliable source, and I'm no expert...
12/19/08
12/19/08
Damn, if only I had checked that, I wouldn't have to re-write my entire doctoral dissertation on Jewish elevator technology; I would have thought that one of my reviewers would have caught that...
12/18/08
12/18/08
12/19/08
12/19/08
And furthermore calling something Kosher is not taken lightly, it's not like calling something "Low-Fat" or "Low Sodium", if the company is calling it Kosher you can bet you Lox that it actually is.
12/19/08
Actually getting a Kosher *certification* is another matter entirely. The Chaf K (that's the backward C with a K inside it on the top right of the machine, for those who don't know) is considered an extremely reliable certification, so I don't think anyone needs to worry about these machines.
12/19/08
Of course my ham&cheese from the kosher deli isn't Kosher...
12/18/08
12/18/08
12/18/08
12/18/08
Buying a knish involves, in essence, completing an electrical circuit which is a no-no. Also, you can't be buying movie tickets and seeing movies on the Sabbath.
If anything, the vending machine proves why cell-phones need good cameras. If I'm out and about and I see something absurd, I take a picture of it. This is an iPhone picture (as was the eeePC with the Apple sticker). The iPhone takes great photos.
12/18/08
12/18/08
12/19/08
you said it man