PESAH
Hamets
The restriction is solely hamets. Flour is not hamets! Sefaradim have always made fresh matzot during every day of Pesah. The humrot of the Ashkenazim has corrupted our thinking. Those unnecessary restrictions that were totally unknown to our tradition and were totally unknown to our sages should not be given any consideration whatsoever.
"Sweet Challah" is an Ashkenazi practice. Sweet breads are considered cake according to Torah law and should not be used in place of regular bread, which is made of dough with only flour, water, salt and leaven mixed into it, for Shabbat meals according to Sefaradic tradition.
SEFARADIM FOLLOW THE SHULHAN ARUKH WHICH PRESCRIBES HANGING THE MEZUZAH VERTICALLY.
The Ashkenazi Rashi agrees with Sefaradim that the mezuzah should be oriented vertically. While Rashi's grandson the Rabbeinu Tam disagreed and stated that the mezuzah should be oriented horizontally. Ashkenazim follow the Rema who tried to compromise between those two other positions and ruled that the mezuzah should be oriented diagonally so as to supposedly "honor" both of those other Ashkenazi rabbis' conflicting opinions. The result seems nonsensical because you cannot "honor" conflicting opinions with a position that satisfies neither opinion. Sefaradim should not give any consideration whatsover to those Ashkenazi rulings that were totally unknown to our tradition and totally unknown to our sages.
WHISKEY FINISHED IN WINE/SHERRY BARRELS IS KASHER
Our sages declared non-kasher wine is nullified six-to-one.
Talmud Avodah Zarah 74: Terumah wine is Batel besheish (nullified six parts to one).
The Shulhan Arukh and the Rema agree.
The Shulhan Arukh (134.5) and the Rema (128.8) both rule that non-kasher wine is batel besheish (nullified in a ratio of six-to-one). So the Ashkenazim cannot really take issue with this topic, after all they follow the rulings of the Rema!
Bitul issur lekhathila (intentional nullification) does not apply.
There is no concern for ein mevattelin issur lekhathila (it is forbidden to intentionally dilute issur so that the laws of bitul will apply) because most of the wine is for non-Jewish use. Whiskies which are finished with such wines are produced by a gentile and primarily for the gentile market. So it will be batel bedieved (already nullified after the fact) when purchased by a Jew.
Unfortunately, there is rampant misinformation about finished whiskies.
There is the concept of taking on a humra for oneself, but one is not permitted to espouse as if it was actually the halakha.
KASHERING SINKS
Humrot are not Halakhot
Some Ashkenazim have humrot [voluntary stringencies not required by the halakha], due to their adherence to the rulings of the Rema. Nonetheless, a Posek is not allowed to rule strictly for Sepharadim who follow the rulings of Maran. Even if the Posek wishes to be stringent, he may only do so for himself. [Hazan Ovadia, Pesah p. 109-110 and note 31 at length]
No kashering of sinks between milk and meat and no separate sinks for meat and dairy
According to Maran Bet Yosef [Shulhan Arukh Yoreh Deah 95.4], Sinks do not need to be kashered between meat and milk since the sink is used to wash dishes with soap, and thus separate sinks are unnecessary.
Kashering of sinks is very basic
Hacham HaRav Ovadia [Yalkut Yosef 451.42] says a kitchen sink can be kashered by pouring boiling water onto its surfaces three times, even if the sink is made of earthenware (porcelain).
Sink liners are totally unnecessary
Hacham HaRav Ovadia [Yalkut Yosef 451.42] calls the practice of lining the sink [such as with aluminum foil, or with a dishpan] a stringency beyond the halakha. It is a humra of the Ashkenazim.
Those unnecessary restrictions that were totally unknown to our tradition and were totally unknown to our sages should not be given any consideration whatsoever.
BREAD BAKED BY A NON-JEW
The mishna prohibits eating bread that was baked by a non-Jew. In the talmud the rabbis permitted one to eat the bread of a non-Jewish baker (pat palter) but not of a private individual, that is, the bread that was baked by a non-Jew for his personal use, is forbidden. Pat palter is permitted but privately baked bread is prohibited.
Maran, z"l, writes in the Shulhan Arukh, that one may eat pat palter, obviously assuming the ingredients are kasher, when there is no Pat Yisrael available or if the bread from the non-Jewish bakery is superior in quality to that of the Pat Yisrael.
The overwhelming custom, followed by many, however, is that bread baked in a non-Jewish bakery is permitted, even where there is Jewish baked bread available, since the problem of intermarriage between the baker and those who are purchasing the bread from him, does not apply in such a case.
[Citing Mishna Avodah Zarah 35b, Talmud Avodah Zarah 2, Shulhan Arukh Yoreh Deah 112, Ben Ish Hai Parashat Huqqat Ot 2,3]
SWORDFISH IS KASHER
Please visit Swordfish is kasher!