>He sounds ok then - except for the fact that a raisin bagel is usually not really a bagel, but just a bun with a hole in it.

Not around here. I'm in the NorthEast. We get real bagels.

>I do agree that challah is one of the world's great breads. I've made it in the past and I don't care what anyone says, there is no better bread for toasting than a properly braided challah. But please, at least tell me that your challah has poppy seeds on it.

Most of the time, I buy my challahs from a local kosher bakery that makes the best challah I've ever had. It's soft and sweet. They offer plain, raisin and whole wheat. I've never had the wheat, because that just seems wrong. IAC, no poppy seeds in sight, though I do like both poppy and sesame bagels.

Now and then, I make my grandmother's recipe for challah, which is grainier than the ones I buy, but really delicious. Also, an all day job to make.


>>BTW, I made pastrami for Rosh Hashanah. Started with brisket, pickled it for nearly a week, then smoked it and cooked it. To die for.
>>
>>Tamar
>
>And when you slice it, do you keep turning in accordance with the grain? One of the problems with pastrami etc in a restaurant is that they use mechanical cutters and the grain is ignored.

My husband does the slicing. (I'm not safe with sharp objects. <g>) Whatever he's cutting, he watches for the grain.


Tamar