Why do my matzo balls look like shriveled testicles?

[PrettyCandles]

And why does my chicken soup need stock cubes, despite being made with raw chicken (bones and skin, too) and all the trimmings?

And, while I'm at it, why did I - or should it be how did I - manage to pour most of the cabbage down the drain while straining it?

And why bother in any case - seeing as this one won't eat that and that one won't eat this, and the only thing they all eat is the cabbage. Of which there is barely one portion left.

And why am I on MN right now?

Probably because I would strangle somebody if I didn't hide here. Lovely start to the Sabbath.

When I make matzoh balls, I separate the eggs, and beat the whites til very frothy but still liquid. Then I gently fold them into the other ingredients (including yolks) and chill for a bit before adding to soup. They come out wonderfully light and fluffy.

Make sure you use plenty of celery, carrot and onion as well as chicken for your stock. I also use salt and white pepper and it comes out perfect. Maybe you're just using too much water for the amount of chicken and veg you use.

They look like that because they should. And the traditional way to make them is to use Rak's mix anyway...

And chicken soup always needs stock cubes, even after using lots of real chicken (ime). Although it tastes better when made in a pressure cooker. Bythesea is right, white pepper is critical

Cabbage? Red or white?

And shabbat shalom...I shouldn't be on here any more either...

i never,ever used stock when i made it!!!

did you boil it long enough?

do you still put all the innards etc in with the chicken....i'm not Jewish,but worked for a Jewish family in their home for many years....had Polish granny and Russian granny both telling me different ways and confusing me....but got it right in the end!!

how i miss the chicken soup...and dumplings (cant spell the proper word for them)
...oh,and lokshun pudding

Chicken soup is much nicer when made with the carcass and leftovers of roast chicken! Preferably two left over roast chickens.

That's interesting, Bonsoir, as my husband always refuses to let me keep the carcasses of roast chickens for soup...he's convinced that you need raw for that purpose! Of course, in our case the carcass is stripped entirely bare, so I'm not convinced even two would add that much flavour...

Shabbat Shalom. Calm is restored. The unbelievable happened, and everyone ate everything. Definitely [ smile].

My kneidlach never normally come out shriveled-looking. What normally happens is that I forget to make them early enough to chill them sufficiently, so they are light and fluffy on the outside - and leaden in the middle. This time I let the pot go off the boil by accident, so maybe that's what shriveled them.

As for the soup, I think ByTheSea is right - not enough veg and too much water. The chilled soup is usually jelly-like, but wasn't this time. Hence also serving green cabbage with it - guess who totally bollixed up her shopping this week?

Roast chicken carcasses, even apparently completely stripped, do mke good soup, but for real heimische chicken soup like mama used to make you need raw chicken. Preferably with giblets, but they're like gold dust these days. I haven't seen a chicken with giblets since I was a kid. Ducks come with giblets, which I usually freeze for soup, but had none.

Glad it went well No problem getting giblets round here...all our chickens come with them - I should freeze them but I usually end up with too many and never get around to 'souping' them, so they dh tends to chuck them out when preparing the chicken for roasting on a friday (his job!). I wonder why chicken soup is the only heimishe thing I never ever cook? Probably cos its never as good as my mums !