---------- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.03
  
       Title: GELFILTE FISH STORY
  Categories: Information, Passover
       Yield: 1 servings
  
            -LAWRENCE SHERRY   (HXGP67A)
  
    Many times I have been upset by people who seem to
   think that gefilte fish is some kind of mixture you
   make in the kitchen rather than one of Hashem’s
   creatures.  This has led me to explain exactly what a
   gefilte fish is. So once again> here goes.
    Each year as soon as the frost on the Great Gefilte
   Lakes (located Upatate New York somewhere in the
   Catskill Mountains) is thin enough to break the
   surface, Frum fishermen set out to “catch” gefilte
   fish. Now unlike your normal fish, gefilte fish can
   not be caught with a rod and a reel or your standard
   bait.
    The art of catching gefilte fish was handed down for
   hundreds, maybe thousands of years.  For all I know
   Moses used to go gefilte fish catching. I'm sure that
   the Great Rambam (Maimonides) when he wasn't busy
   playing doctor> spent his leisure time G/F fishing.
    Enough already, you say, so how is it done?  Well you
   go up to the edge of lake with some Matzoh.  Now this
   is very important!! It has to be Shmurah Matzoh or the
   fish will not be attracted. You stand at the edge of
   the lake and whistle and say “here boy”, “here boy”.
   The fish just can't resist the smell of the Matzoh
   They come in mass to the edge of the lake where they
   jump into the jars and are bottled on the spot.
    Again you must remember that there are two kinds of
   gefilte fish. The strong and the weak.  The weak are
   your> standard fish which are in a loose “broth” (it
   is actually the lake water). Now the strong are
   special. They seem to be in a “jell”. These fish are
   actually imported from the Middle East where they are
   caught in the dead sea. They have to be strong to be
   able to swim through that “jell”.
    Last year a well meaning gentleman tried to correct
   me by stating, “Reb, shouldn't they be saying Here
   Boychic”. I didn't have the heart to tell him, Boychic
   is a Yiddish word and Gefilte Fish don't understand
   Yiddish! Only Hebrew and surprisingly, English! There
   has been a big debate as to whether to use the Hebrew
   or English in the US. With a big break from tradition,
   shockingly the English is accepted by almost all G/F
   fishermen. Some still insist on using the Hebrew and
   consider the use of “Here Boy” as Reform and not
   Halachicly acceptable. However the Congress of OU
   Rabbis (who have to be present at the lakes when the
   fish are bottled) uniformly accept “here boy”! The
   time of the catch is very important! The fish can not
   be caught before Purim is over or the fish are
   considered Chametz! Besides the fish know when Pesach
   is coming and will not respond to the Matzoh before
   the proper> time.
    I am still a little bothered by which end of the fish
   is the head and which the tail (not to mention that I
   am not sure where their eyes are). This is a small
   price to pay the luxury of eating this delicacy.
    Have you ever had the baby G/F?  Oy, they are so cute
   that I feel a little guilty eating them! Have a great
   Pesach and hope that the Matzoh doesn't affect you
   like Pepto Bismol or worse yet, prunes! Shalom, Reb
   Sherry MORE STORY Oy,I forgot to mention about the
   fish swimming up stream. I didn't think it was that
   important, but I have got this Yenta sitting next to
   me that is married to some machugina dentist from some
   hick town that keeps hocking me in chinic “they swim
   up stream , they swim up stream”.
    Alright so I had to get her off mine cup.  Go away >
   Yenta and mind your own business.  If you don't like
   the way I tell the story, tell it yourself.
    You know I think that I just discovered the
   definition of a Jewish wife. It’s someone that nudges
   you to do something and then when you finally do it
   just to get them off your back, they become mavins and
   tell you how you should have done it! OK not all
   Jewish wives just the one who has been sitting next to
   me for almost 23 years! Shalom, Reb Sherry
  
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