Cholent

Yes, I know some of you call it "cholent"; others "chulent." Tomato tomahtowww.

Now, there are all kinds of cholent. There's the classic "cement-mixer" type (my favorite!); there's the soupy kind; dafina, plus other types I probably don't know about.

I can't cook to save my life, but am an expert eater, though. I can't really tell you how to make it (unfortunately), though from what I'm told, you just throw a whole bunch of stuff into a pot. Okay, it's more complicated than that :P.

In my yeshiva in New York, there were a few guys who really knew what they were doing. Every Thursday, they would prepare two giant pots of cholent. Oh, that was good. Friday afternoon, you could always sneak a bowl. Friday night was the best. A few hours after the meal, we'd all go downstairs and help ourselves to giant servings of cholent. I can smell it now. Only the second pot would be saved for Shabbos day. Good times.

Some stores know how to make good cholent too. Deli 52 on Thursday night is supposed to be incredible. I've tried it once or twice, and it was good.

There's a million secrets to cholent success. Many use ketchup, plenty use beer, some even use hot dogs! My sister, who makes a mean cholent (knocks you out for at least six hours) I'm convinced uses peanut butter. She denies it categorically.

And no, I am NOT discussing the aftereffects we all suffer the next day or two in the form of air pollution, or its long-lasting effects on the environment:P.

Now, we have the not-so-simple matter of what to wash it all down with, or even eat together with. Personally, I'll eat it with anything except bread (too heavy). Kichel is good, snacks, etc. Oh, and sunflower seeds or chewing gum etc. do wonders for the digestion.

How do you wash it down? Lots of choices. Soda works. And I LOVE Sprite. A few years ago, they came out with Sprite Remix. I was crazy for it. When they discontinued it, I was probably the saddest guy in the tri-state area:(.

Schnapps works too, or beer (all beer just tastes like pish anyway, who we kiddin'?) But really, cold heineken is okay.

How do you like your cholent?

(Btw) Speaking of food, I love shwarma. Yeah, you can get it in Shmutz La'aretz too, but Israel's best. Let's face it: Israeli pizza sucks, even their falafels aren't all that special, but their shwarma? Ahhh.

Halo Teiman (by knisah l'ir, also in bnei brak) ROCKS. I know, there's tons of awesome shwarma places all over the country. But I know I loved Halo Teiman.

For like 30 shmek, you get an awesome wrap. Plus tons of salads on the side; they let you put them on by yourself.

Out of this world.