Chulent crisis. | Imamother

amother

Mint

Fri, Oct 27 2017, 8:19 am

2 weeks ago we invited a family that had just moved into the neighborhood. It was shabbos afternoon lunch and her husband mentioned that he loves my chulent. A minute or so later he said it again and casually asked if I made or bought it. I froze for a half second and responded that I made it. In fact, it was bought. I figured that was the end of it. Anyway it turns out that the husband has a PhD in chulent recipes and he is the one who makes it every week. The conversation shifted to chulent and the ingredients, crockpot vs pot, how high a flame, can different meats go in chulent, ect. Anyway, the wife has texted me several times asking me to give her my secret recipe. I don't think I can backtrack at this point since I was going along with it for 2 weeks already. I need advice!

watergirl

Fri, Oct 27 2017, 8:42 am

Just say that it comes out different each week, you buy what looks good that week at the store (which is true, the store bought cholent looked good!) and you are embarrassed to admit that you just set it and forget it, didnt measure anything and have no idea about the flame, sorry! None of those are lies. Tell him he lucked out and came on a good cholent week, good thing it wasnt the week before, it was a bust. If they push for the meat, just repeat, I’m sorry, I really didnt pay attention. I just grabbed something. I was in a rush. And leave it.

pond user

Fri, Oct 27 2017, 9:11 am

Lying is ****. But under the circumstances you could always call the store and tell them you need their recipe. Obviously not how long they cook it, but maybe just the ingredients because you have a kid who reacted to it? Then tell the couple, here's the ingredients, I chuck it all in and cook it different times and heat each week.
To tell them the truth now you would definitely be outed as a liar

simba

Fri, Oct 27 2017, 9:12 am

watergirl wrote:

This is funny!

isrmss91

Fri, Oct 27 2017, 9:42 am

She asked you a few times for your "secret recipe" ? Feel like she is on to you. At this point, just fess up and tell the truth. You felt cornered and somehow you felt embrassed you purchased chulent instead of making it. yourself.

Zehava

Fri, Oct 27 2017, 9:48 am

Na I’d just give them a basic chulent recipe and if it doesn’t come out like yours they’ll probably think it’s their problem. Or you can always blame it on the pot. Don’t give them measurements just basic ingredients.

mommy3b2c

Fri, Oct 27 2017, 9:55 am

Zehava wrote:

Agree with this. Cholent comes out different every week anyway.

observer

Fri, Oct 27 2017, 10:38 am

pond user wrote:

That's just lying again...

SixOfWands

Fri, Oct 27 2017, 11:06 am

I would lie again.

You know, I usually make an amazing cholent, but I was so pressed for time that week, I picked some up at Ye Olde Kosher Market. It didn't really even occur to me until after you left, and I was a little embarrassed to admit my mistake.

simba

Fri, Oct 27 2017, 11:06 am

respond.. "That is so funny, I went to ask my DH for the recipe as he usually makes the cholent and he told me that the week you were over he actaully picked up a cholent!!! haha! jokes on me. Anyways we usually put in beans, potatoes, cheek meat, a drop of ketchup etcc...and it comes out great. Sorry I cant replicate that cholent recipe for you!"

amother

cornflower

Fri, Oct 27 2017, 12:59 pm

Say you don't have a recipe. Seriously, I make cholent every week. People seem to love and devour my cholent. I have never used a recipe. I don't even understand how cholent needs a recipe. People ask me all the time for my recipe and I am dumbfounded. I just throw stuff in a pot. Flanken, potatoes, onions, garlic, barley, beans, salt, liquid (water or beer or chicken broth or some combination). Sometimes there's kishka. Sometimes there's marrow bones. Often I will sprinkle in some paprika or cayenne. That's it. Nothing is measured or weighed or counted. This needs a recipe? So really, just say you threw it in the pot not even paying attention (which is true, right?) and leave it at that.

octopus

Fri, Oct 27 2017, 2:10 pm

isrmss91 wrote:

If they were on to her, and they kept on asking for recipe, than that's super obnoxious.

Shoshana37

Fri, Oct 27 2017, 2:50 pm

amother wrote:

I agree with this post I never measure anything and each week my ingredients are different so it never comes out same but delicious 😋

giselle

Fri, Oct 27 2017, 3:14 pm

Agreed about “recipe”. Never get that. It’s freakin cholent. Put in whatever you’re in the mood of. If you want I can give you some creative ideas to tell them just for fun. They deserve it for making you crazy over such a ridiculous thing.

amother

Mint

Fri, Oct 27 2017, 5:00 pm

watergirl wrote:

Could it be that he is the one who made the cholent for the store and thought it tasted familiar? Put his PhD to work?

Lol, I doubt that. I like your idea you mentioned above.....This guy was just fanatically passionate about chulent. He's new in the community, and my husband and I thought it was hilarious that when discussing various shuls he could choose from, the first thing he said was that he would never daven at a shul that does not have meat in their chulent.

JoyInTheMorning

Sat, Oct 28 2017, 10:37 pm

They might be on to you. If this man cares so much about different shuls' cholent, I can see him going around to various stores buying their cholent, and it might taste familiar to him.

But he can't really know for sure. And I don't think it makes sense to admit it now, if you've been denying it for the past two weeks.

For what it's worth, you can give them the secret ingredient in my cholent: a good, dry red wine. I always brown meat for my cholent in my nice Farberware skillet, and then deglaze the pan with dry red wine. Then I put the deglazed liquid in the Crockpot, and add another dash or two of red wine for good measure. I really like the rich umami flavor it gives my cholent.

The reason that it's a good idea to say that you put in wine, is that really, wine adds such a different taste to cholent, so it really is different each time. Every type of wine is different, even every batch is different. So if they say the cholent didn't come out, you can reasonably lay the blame on the wine.

I think the husband is weird for making cholent a sine qua non for joining a shul, and I think the wife is weird for repeatedly texting you for the recipe. I often ask people for recipes and often they seem resistant to giving them out. If I don't get it after one try, I drop it.