A year ago, my neighbor, Lois Baron, said she had to leave a party early to make schmaltz, as the High Holy days of the Jewish year approached and she was the cook in the family. Long having wanted to explore this oft-maligned fat, I asked for Lois's help in understanding its history and use. (Almost everyone refers to it as "heart attack food," but it's not. It's good for you! In moderation. Lois is in her 70s and cooks like a banshee, her husband Russell is in his 80s and still practices law, and Lois's mom cooked schmaltz well into her 90s, though she wouldn't admit it.) Schmaltz, rendered chicken fat flavored with onion, was such an odd topic, and so focused, it didn't seem like a ...

Click to Continue Reading