[Avodah] Hot Cheese for Shabbat Lunch

[Micha Berger]

On Wed, February 13, 2008 3:54 pm, R Jonathan Baker wrote:
: A friend mentioned that they do mac & cheese for Shabbat lunch.  With
: the stipulation that one may reheat (I know many don't) dry food, is
: mac-and-cheese considered dry or wet for reheating purposes?  Pointers
: to sources?  If it's reasonable, we may try it.

A more common example that I think would parallel the bishul issue...
Would you reheat chicken in a pan which also contains the congealed
chicken fat, or does the fact that it will melt when reheated make it
a daver lach?

The MB and Shemiras Shabbos keHilkhasah prohibit.

Another question would be the definition of liquid. Is the melted
cheese lach even once melted? There seems to be two definitions
current: wet to the touch and will drip off on its own. (I use the
latter definition WRT choosing toothpastes for Shabbos. The newer gels
that are too thin for traditional toothpaste tubes and instead come in
a squeeze bottle drip off the brush.)

Here one might be able to distinguish between mac and cheese and
chicken fat. Melted cheese is gooey, not wet to the touch. And some
cheeses won't simply fall off the noodles. Think of mozzarella making
strings to your fork...

Last, I leave as an exercise to the reader exactly how much you have
to enjoy mac-n-cheese more than fleishig to overrule ein simchah ela
bebasar.

SheTir'u baTov!
-micha

-- 
Micha Berger             "Man wants to achieve greatness overnight,
micha at aishdas.org        and he wants to sleep well that night too."
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