12/6/10

The Segerman Scale

The Segerman Scale




Your Men’s Club makes a science out of frying latkes for the annual Hanukkah Dinner, which arrives Dec. 5.

First, we gather volunteers in the shul kitchen on Thursday night, and Chef Gary Gillett breaks out the provisions and recipes. Then, we start peeling and grating and slicing and dicing potatoes and onions and a little garlic.

We combine the vegetables and add eggs and spices and matzo meal in huge bowls.

Then the cooking teams, led by Michael Miller, heat oil in broad skillets and start frying the latkes.

But, we would have no idea when each latke was ready if it weren’t for the Segerman Scale.

The Segerman Scale was created by our former president, Douglas Segerman, as a way to determine doneness. It consists of five levels: barely warm, rare on the inside, beginning to crisp, crispy and golden, and – Segerman No. 5 – the color and consistency of bronze shavings left out to weather.

Men’s Club cooks work very hard to maintain a consistent Segerman No. 4; we even have a photographic array for comparing the product in the pan with the most desirable level of doneness.

Come out for the Hanukkah Dinner, and see how well we did this year.

As well as the dinner, Men’s Club will sponsor a brunch at 10:30 a.m. Dec. 12 featuring congregant Barry Adelman talking about year-end tax and investment strategies.

Poker night is scheduled for Dec. 9.

Please don’t forget that, cold and gray though it might be, Men’s Club keeps the activities coming in January.

The third annual Men's Club Quiz Night will be Saturday, Jan. 8. Anyone interested in helping to arrange either food or prizes, please let Mike Sobul know.

The Men’s Club Brunch is Jan. 9, and Poker Night is scheduled Jan. 13.

And the Men’s Club/Women of Tifereth Israel Shabbat is coming up Jan. 29. Greg Margulies – even though he won’t be present for the event – will be wrangling volunteers for the various parts, so please get in touch with him or me to line up your piece today.

Always happy to be of service,

Bill Chronister, Men’s Club President

It's been a busy month for Men's Club

We've been involved in a lot of activities in the last few weeks -- you might have seen some of the officers and members in activities ranging from the library book sale to Buil-A-Pair and including the B'nei Mitzvah program and the blood drive.
Here are a few pictures of officers and members in action:


Dr. Dale Levy and Build-a-Pair

From left, facing camera, Jon Foreman, Douglas Segerman and Matt Marx work the Men's Club Cafe on a Sunday morning.

Bill Chronister shows Dr. Ted Borkan an unusual pamphlet available for purchase at the recent library book sale.