To clarify why new_here mentioned keeping kosher (for those who don't know--if you do, just skip this): there are many instances when margarine (a vegetable based product) can be used in a meal where butter cannot be. As an example: you want to have mock mashed potatoes with your steak. If you keep kosher, you cannot use butter, cream, cream cheese, cheese or sour cream in those mock mashed potatoes. You COULD use IMO (instead of sour cream) and margarine. Otherwise you are "seething the kid in the mother's milk"--which is forbidden. Or, with that steak you want some onions (or mushrooms). Again, you could not use butter to cook them in, though in this case you could use oil.

In addition, a completely kosher kitchen will have at least 2 complete sets of cookware (or use glass cookware) and at least 2 sets of everyday dishes. One set of each is reserved for meat dishes; the other, for dairy dishes.

Jude