>>>>Kosher food in supermarkets? Unknown to me. In the Netherlands you have to live in one of the few jewish neighboorhoods to get kosher food. I guess that's one of the main reasons why orthodox jews live together in a jewish neighboorhood.
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>>>Yes, I actually wanted to tell the same to Ed. In NY, where he lives, there are many kosher stores and some supermarkets have kosher sections. In Milwaukee, there is only one kosher store (quite small) and with not very convenient hours of operation. Some supermarkets have sections of kosher food - in some of them these sections are bigger (there more Jews live), in some smaller or no at all. So, to find kosher food in a such place may become a challenge. I'm sure in some states / places it's almost impossible.
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>>I apologize. Being non-observant person I can hardly judge this kind of inconveniences.
>>However, it is my understanding that kosher principles are not made in supermarkets, it's more of willingness to follow, i.e. you may not get glatt kosher food, but you could still be able to get 'rudimentary kosher' by buying in regular supermarket and applying common kosher rules.
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>You would not be able to buy any meat products.
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>With cheese I have to check for the special kosher sign.
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>I think you can safely buy fish (kosher fish, of course). And in some products (eggs, for example) you don't have to worry.
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>But if you would want to stay kosher where you can not guarantee kosher food, you would need to stay vegetarian + eggs/fish.

I am not observant, but I am quite familiar with rules :). My point was that one may still stick to some rules, i.e. not quite kosher in orthodox sense of the word, but still could be better (for that person) than nothing. After all, trying is already an achievement, and road to self-improvement never ends.