Earlier today, I came across this recipe for Mandelbread that uses matzo meal and is kosher for Passover. I thought about throwing it together after work today for a potluck I'm heading to later tonight. One of the things that makes this recipe appropriate for this time of year is that is uses kosher-for-Passover margarine (admittedly, I would probably cheat and use regular old butter since I'm not worried about staying kosher).

However, there are lots of Jews out there for whom keeping kosher for Passover is deeply important and this year it's a little bit harder, because there's currently a shortage of that kosher-for-Passover margarine that the recipe calls for. This margarine is essential for Passover baking, because it can go with either milk or dairy meals, making the resulting baked goods far more flexible than they would be if they are baked with butter (made from dairy, you cannot serve anything with butter if it's a meat meal).

Part of the shortage has to do with the fact that this margarine can only be made with cottonseed or palm oil. Currently, there is a shortage of cottonseed oil, driving the price to an all-time high. Also, several kosher-for-Passover margarine manufacturers have recently gotten out of the business, increasing the scarcity.

So, if you planned on baking with kosher-for-Passover margarine this holiday season, you may well in be in for something of a challenge.

[via WSJ]

At That's Fit, they're always up on the latest dieting and health news, so it's no surprise that they were the first ones to mention that an ex-contestant from Donald Trump's The Apprentice is promoting a new all-bagel diet. Brent Buckman (not to be confused with Bren, from season 3) from season 5 says that he lost 110-lbs on his diet, which involved eating 4 bagels a day, each toasted and spread with low fat margarine, and a few slices of deli meat at dinner. Once a month, you are allowed to have a "cheat" day and eat non-bagel foods. Exercise is recommended, but optional

If you restrict your calorie intake, you can eat virtually anything you want and still lose weight. It might not be a healthy diet, but it will probably be a diet that works.

Brent is an attorney in Florida and you would think that he would, at some point, have been informed of the value of eating fruits and vegetables in addition to bagels. The daily calorie count on this diet is in the 1200-1800 range, but if you want to lose weight, there are far more interesting foods that you can eat than bagels alone.

Last Sunday, the Opinion section of the Boston Globe featured a rather passionate piece by Christopher Kimball, founder of Cook's Illustrated. Kimball rails against processed foods, saying that the often expensive and unhealthy products have infiltrated the food industry "like a cancer." The main points of Kimball's piece--trans fats, relentless marketing and the economic impact of obesity in America--won't come as a shock to most of us. Still, Cook's fans should appreciate hearing Kimball speak his mind about something a little more controversial than Dutch process cocoa. (Registration with Boston.com maybe required.)

[Via The Ethicurean]

Some people have to avoid butter in their diets and to the die-hard butter fans, this seems like a sad thing. There are many valid reasons to do this, though, such as a doctor's orders to reduce cholesterol intake. There are also some people who simply prefer the taste of margarine, but though it might make an acceptable substitute on toast, margarine can't really compare to butter in baked goods - particularly in a butter cookie. Or can it? The Wall Street Journal baked up a few batches to find out.

The butter cookies made with real butter, the Land O'Lakes Ultra Creamy, came out on top. Land O' Lakes stick margarine came in second place, with a reasonable approximation of the taste and appearance of the real cookie. Unfortunately, the Land O' Lakes tub margarine did not fare as well, and though it had a similar texture to butter, the taste was nowhere near the real thing. Promise stick margarine did not do well, either, producing a cookie with little butter flavor.

I have actually had good results using Earth Balance "buttery spread" when baking, but the clear the solution is to stick to butter - not margarine - when it comes to baking.