The Passover Thread - Or Pass the Matzah!

[Lisa F]

Oh Kay!, I will dig them all up. I ask pretty much every year because I keep losing them but DH might have them around. The kugel recipe is a very famous one (I saw Martha do it once on a special) and the health salad is good pretty much all summer long. I will post when I find them.

cheryl, I'm glad you didn't think I was putting down people who are more strict. I just have some friends who have recently gotten into passover themselves and this is how I approach it when they ask questions... not that I am an expert but I get a lot of "is it ok if I do this?" kind of a thing and I try to approach it from the angle of "what does it mean if you do it that way?" I love answering a question with a question!

 

[rubyslipperlover]

Lisa -- I'm Conservative -- which ideologically is halfway between Orthodox and Reform.

I don't buy the "cheerios" and etc. simply because they're just not good! we eat a lot of salads and potatoes and veggies with our meals since we can't have pasta or rice.

interesting bit of info from my rabbi --

since Passover begins on a saturday night, the house must be made kosher for Passover by friday afternoon. if you're Shomer Shabbat, and you plan to make a motzi friday night, technically you're allowed to have challah, but this poses a problem -- do you serve the challah outside the house? he opines that egg matzah is appropriate for use friday night.

 

[Lisa F]

My grandma was orthodox (I hate how that sounds, she is still alive but a lot less strict now that she is relying on my parents to take care of her and they are certainly not kosher! The only thing is that she won't eat non-kosher meat or mix it with dairy but other than that she is not too fussy... she said at the age of 87, if G-d doesn't know what kind of Jew she is he'll never know, ha!) but my husband is reform. My father is catholic, and my mom was pretty much rejected by the orthodox community when she married him so I'm sort of re-learning my jewish roots. My childhood memories are all of orthodox traditions from my grandmother but I'm much more comfortable in the world of reform with my husband (at least among those that accept that people can have traditions from various parts of their family).

Still, passover is a HUGE thing at my inlaws and it's great. We always leave with so many leftovers I don't really need to cook for a week. My MIL makes the best brisket ever and one of these years I will learn how to make it myself rather than mooching off of her all the time. They're also nice enough to invite my family too and my grandmother loves the seders there. Next year we are hoping to have one at our house (I wanted to this year but my schedule will absolutely not permit it, I can barely attend them!)

My inlaws were just talking about the shabbat issue the other night (more as academic though). I wonder what their rabbi came up with? I will have to ask.

 

[rubyslipperlover]

my synagogue has a monthly bulletin, and the rabbi published his "response" in the bulletin.

my rabbi loves to make the seder interesting.

if you promise to keep it a "secret" I'll teach you how to turn water into blood for the first plague.


get some kosher for Passover ko-jel in one of the red flavors, and put a spoonful of powder into the bottom of a wine goblet. hold the goblet so that no one can see the red powder, and pour in water -- it will turn red.

want to "part the Red Sea"? sprinkle pepper on the surface of a bowl of water. when you stick your finger into the bowl, th pepper wil "part".

throw marshmellows at each other for "hail".

 

[robinb]

What a great thread! As many of you know, I am an atheist married to a Jew. It's DH's job to raise our child in a religion and I support him in that effort 100%. I have always loved Passover. I love the food, I love the "community" at our table and I love the Passover story.

This year, our Passover table is stuffed! Many of our Christian friends cannot make it to Madison for our Seders since they are almost always over Easter weekend. We have a "usual crowd" of local folks who make it every year, plus we invite an extra couple or two each year. Well, I know of at least 4 extra people coming up from Chicago, plus all our "regulars" plus extra folks too. {{sigh}} I don't think I'm going to like our lamb bill this year!

We usually have the same food every year. Hard boiled eggs, chopped chicken liver (my DH makes it from A Treasure For My Daughter cookbook), matzo ball soup (I make the broth from scratch), gefilte fish (sometimes made fresh!), rack of lamb, chicken (for those non-lamb eaters ), asparagus, and potatoes. One long-time "regular" always brings the best desserts! Oh yeah, lots of wine .

Any ideas on "shaking up" my menu a bit would be welcome. I think I'm stuck in a (yummy) rut.

 

[rubyslipperlover]

we don't eat plain hard boiled eggs -- we slice the eggs, slice up some onions, and serve the eggs and onions in salted water.

 

[cherylp3]

Regarding recipes: I've got 2 seders this year and I'll be planning both nites. This year I'm bringing back the following


BAKED STUFFED ZUCCHINI
http://euler.ecs.umass.edu/pass-veg/#Zucchini
Ingredients:

* 2 zucchini, cut in half lengthwise
* small onion, finely chopped
* 4 Tbsp tomato sauce
* 1/2 tsp parsley
* 1 clove garlic, chopped
* 2 Tbsp matzo meal

Scoop out pulp of zucchini halves. Heat pulp, onion, sauce and spices in a pan for 5 minutes. Add matzo meal to mixture and mix well. Restuff zucchini with mixture. Place in a baking dish with a little water on bottom. Bake at 450F for 30 minutes until zucchini shells are soft.

 

[DisDuck]

This thread has been great folks. We may have as many as 21 over Saturday night. My wife is the Turkey/Brisket cooker but we also have to figure out something for the 3-4 vegetarians that might be coming (at least 2 will be there as my children). We tried the passover 'pasta' one year but tasted like cardboard.

Besides the zucchini any other ideas for the veggie contigent. My wife does make 2 separate soups, one with chicken broth and one without.

cheryl.. I sent your note about Jo-els to my daughter in Tampa. Can you give me an idea where it is? She can get a ride to downtown Tampa and the Dale-Malbry area but not to South or North Tampa.

 

[ILUVDXL]

We're Catholic, but I thought this year making a passover meal would be interesting. We love matzo and I'll be buying a fresh brisket (never had it, never cooked it) What else can tou suggest to go with the meal?

 

[cherylp3]

Here's what I coud find:

2619 23rd Ave N
St Petersburg, FL 33713
727-321-3847

(Not sure about this one )

Tampa Kosher Meat
3005 Morrison Ave.
(813) 253-5993

 

[rubyslipperlover]

I was lucky, I went to State university of NY at Albany -- along with half of Long Island. our school provided us with a kosher kitchen year round, and a Passover meal plan.

 

[rubyslipperlover]

Pasover info

 

[rubyslipperlover]

Pasover info

 

[Lisa F]

My inlaws sometimes have a vegetarian or two and they generally just load up on the sides, which are many. Here is the "health salad" aka Claremont salad from my MIL:

Health Salad (variably known as Claremont Salad)

1 head shredded cabbage
2 cucumbers, sliced thin
3 carrots, sliced or shredded
1 red or Bermuda onion, sliced thin
(other vegetables if desired, multi colored peppers are nice)
Mix together in large bowl. Add dressing which has been
mixed:
3/4 cup vinager
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup oil
4 Tbs. water
black pepper

Cover and refrigerate several days, mixing occasionally. It's best after at least 48 hours and lasts for 3-4 days after that.

 

[Lisa F]

Passover Kugel (with MIL's and my commentary, this is a big hit among the vegetarians, it's pretty filling but not at all meat-like).

(Originally titled 'vegetable kugel', I think it needs a better name.
Any ideas? This definitely works best if you have a food processor for
Passover use. And note that, according to the orthodox rebbizen who
originally published this recipe, baking soda is a pure, natural product
and not a leavening agent and it can be used for Passover.)

Veggies:
1 cup grated raw apple (1 large apple, peeled and seeded or 2 small apples)
1 cup grated raw carrot (2 large carrots)
1 cup grated raw sweet potato (1/2 large sweet potato)

Note: we just throw these in the food processor to shred them, so fast and easy. Do the apples last as they brown. Yes, I know apples are not veggies... We generally at LEAST double this recipe and put it into a 9x13 pan if for no other reason than to use up an entire sweet potato!

3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon (or more, for a double recipe I use 1 TBLSP)
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 cup matzah cake meal
1/2 cup pareve margarine (originally 1 cup but cut it back)


1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease a 10" casserole or line muffin tins.

2. Mix all ingredients together well. (Usually works best putting shreeded veggies into a big bowl, mixing in sugar and salt, letting it sit for a few minutes to draw out the moisture in the veggies, then adding in spices and cake meal, finally adding margarine last.)

3. Pour into baking dish (acutally, it doesn't really pour). Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 45 minutes. If made as muffins, bake for 30 minutes.

4. Raise oven temp to 350 degrees. Remove cover and bake an additional 15 minutes.

Slice and eat hot (or warm, it's really best made early in the day and kept warm for the meal, it holds its heat pretty well if you keep it covered) as a vegetable with meat. Recipe doubles well.

 

[Lisa F]

Just one more recipe... My FIL's cousin made this torte one year and it was a TOTAL knockout. I have never made it myself but she said it was Martha Stewart's Recipe the year she made it and I recognized it from the magazine (yes, I used to subscribe, geez). I dug it up from the website (here is a picture):

Chocolate Torte with Passover Fudge Glaze

Makes one 9-inch round cake
Make the nut milk for the Passover Fudge Glaze first; the leftover purée keeps this cake moist and tender.

1 1/3 cups whole hazelnuts
3/4 cup margarine, melted, plus more for pan
3/4 cup cocoa powder, plus more for pan
1/3 cup matzo cake meal
6 large eggs, separated
1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar
Passover Fudge Glaze
Pinch of salt
1/2 cup superfine sugar

1. Heat oven to 350º. Line a baking pan with parchment, and spread hazelnuts on top. Bake until fragrant and toasted, about 10 minutes. Place nuts in a clean kitchen towel, and rub to remove loose skins. Place 1/3 cup nuts in bowl of food processor, and pulse until finely ground; reserve. Roughly chop remaining 1 cup nuts, and set aside.

2. Grease a 9-inch round cake pan with margarine; dust with cocoa powder. Whisk together remaining 3/4 cup cocoa powder, ground hazelnuts, and matzo meal; set aside.

3. In a bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat yolks and brown sugar on medium-high speed until mixture holds a ribbonlike trail for 3 seconds when you raise the whisk, about 45 seconds. Fold in 1 cup nut purée from fudge glaze recipe. Transfer to a large bowl; wash and dry mixer bowl and attachment. Place egg whites and salt in mixer bowl; beat with whisk attachment on medium-high speed until soft peaks form, about 1 minute. With mixer running, slowly add superfine sugar; beat until stiff and glossy. Fold egg whites and ground-hazelnut mixture into egg-yolk mixture. Fold in melted margarine. Transfer batter to prepared pan; smooth top with an offset spatula.

4. Transfer to oven; bake until a wooden skewer inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool, about 1 1/2 hours.

5. Invert pan, and remove cake. Using a serrated knife, slice cake into two layers. Place a 9-inch cake round on a wire rack set on a baking sheet. Place bottom layer of cake on round; spread 1/2 cup fudge glaze on top. Place second layer on bottom layer. Pour remaining glaze over cake, using the offset spatula to cover sides. Refrigerate 30 minutes.

6. When ready to serve, press chopped hazelnuts onto sides.

Passover Fudge Glaze

Makes 1 3/4 cups
This recipe uses a vegan cooking technique: pureeing nuts and water, then straining the liquid to make a milk substitute. This glaze was developed for our Chocolate Torte.

1 1/2 cups whole blanched hazelnuts
2 cups sugar
2/3 cup cocoa powder
Seeds of 1 vanilla bean
8 tablespoons unsalted (1 stick) margarine
Pinch of salt

1. Place hazelnuts and 1 1/2 cups water in blender. Blend until fine, 30 seconds. Set a fine sieve over a small bowl, and pour blended mixture through. Reserve purée left in sieve for Chocolate Torte. In another bowl, whisk together 1 cup sugar and cocoa powder; set aside.

2. Place 1 cup nut liquid in saucepan with vanilla seeds, margarine, remaining 1 cup sugar, and salt. Bring to full boil. Whisk in cocoa mixture; return to boil. Remove from heat; let cool 30 minutes. Store in airtight container; refrigerate.


Looks like a pita to make but oh so good.

 

[cherylp3]

2 weeks left!

Cheryl

 

[rubyslipperlover]

my father always tells a story at Passover time --

there was a non-Jewish bakery in a Jewish neighborhood. there was also a kosher bakery in the neighborhood. all year long people from the neighborhood would buy cakes from either bakery, as the mood struck them. but the owner of the non-Jewish bakery noticed that every time there was a Jewish holiday, all the Jewish people in the neighborhood would go to the kosher bakery, not his bakery, so that they could buy challah as well as cake.

so the next time there was a Jewish holiday, the non-Jewish baker made a ton of challah.

and didn't sell a single one.

 

[DisDuck]

Thanks for the recipes. I will print them off at home and show them to my Nutritionist daughter. Ugh, sometimes I wish she didn't become a Registered Dietician. Oh well, she at least is a healthy eater.

Thanks cheryl for the addresses however, St. Pete's is definitely to far from U of Tampa. I don't know about the other but will ask if she knows where Morrison Ave. is in relation to UT.

 

[rubyslipperlover]

we bought our Passover wines but haven't done any grocery shopping yet.