Passover 2006–

[Gifted Gourmet]

I need a recipe for a chicken main course using boneless chicken cutlets-- I have like 45 people, and it will just be easier to serve...

what about using the apricot and currant recipe with just breasts? any thoughts? has anyone tried it?

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I can envision nothing wrong with using those boneless chicken breasts .. as a matter of fact:

you might even wish to stuff them before glazing with the apricot/currant preserves .. here is one such recipe...

Yet another recipe for Lemon Chicken Cutlets .. replace the dry breadcrumbs called for with matzah meal ...

Passover Chicken Milanese is yet another boneless chicken breast option ...

scroll down to the luscious Chicken Kiev

[LaurelH]

This chocolate espresso torte is a really outstanding dessert for Pesach. I make it year-round and it always meets with rave reviews. In place of the espresso, I just use really strong brewed coffee.

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Thanks to everyone for all the great suggestions, now I just have to pick which one to make. We might have a few cakes and some meringue to pick from this year if I can't decide!

I am feeling very inspired now.

[EliseMF]

I need a recipe for a chicken main course using boneless chicken cutlets-- I have like 45 people, and it will just be easier to serve...

what about using the apricot and currant recipe with just breasts? any thoughts? has anyone tried it?

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I can envision nothing wrong with using those boneless chicken breasts .. as a matter of fact:

you might even wish to stuff them before glazing with the apricot/currant preserves .. here is one such recipe...

Yet another recipe for Lemon Chicken Cutlets .. replace the dry breadcrumbs called for with matzah meal ...

Passover Chicken Milanese is yet another boneless chicken breast option ...

scroll down to the luscious Chicken Kiev

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Breading and sauteeing will have to wait for another opportunity-- but the stuffing is a great touch. i just hope that the chicken breasts will not dry out too much- i got skinless ones. i was thrilled to have just found k-for-p currants, so i'm in great shape. mashed potatoes with fresh chives, roasted garlic, and olive oil. Roasted asparagus. i'm good to go!

Edited April 9, 2006 by EliseMF (log)

[UnConundrum]

Elsie,

If you want to add a different twist to the chicken, you can make a vino cotto, (an Italian cooked wine sauce), which is rather easy. Just get a bottle of Passover wine, concord grape, the sweet stuff, and add some diced dried figs. Reduce the wine until it's thick (remember it will get thicker yet as it cools). When it's at the right thickness, just strain it.... and you have your sauce. It's like a reduced balsamic.... Intense, sweet flavor.. a little goes a long way.

Also, if you can inprovise a sous-vide setup, you could make sure those breasts don't dry out, and save yourself a lot of grief. We're having 17 (only a third of your group), and some don't eat red meat, so I cut two chickens into halves, seasoned them, bageed them in vacuum pouches, and sous-vided them yesterday. I've left them in the bag, and put them in the fridge. Wednesday, I'll throw them back in a water bath (still in the bag) to heat them up. I don't have to worry about them drying out, and I'll toss them under the broiler with some paprika and evo a couple minutes before I want to serve them... All the works done in advance.... If you sauce your breasts, you won't have to worry about browning them (that is if you go the sous-vide way).

[Gifted Gourmet]

I am so pleased with all of the incredible recipes and ideas which have been generated in this thread about how we all observe the food aspects of Passover!

We have our own personal family traditions and observe in many different ways but a common thread runs through all of this: how a family celebration can resonate in all locations, our homes, with our families in how we retell the tale of the exodus from Egypt to freedom .. very much a message for 2006, as we all know ...

Thanking each and every one of you for your input, your recipes and ideas, your warmth and for adding to the beauty of this holiday .. if I forget to say so in the busy days to come, please accept my gratitude!

And, after all of the excitement of the first two days, please post as your observance level permits ...

and a picture or two might be a nice touch as well ... thanks again for this community which we have created through our efforts at this festive holiday season ...

Now I find that I am reallllly tired .. how Pam Reiss does it and blogs at the same time only serves to reinforce my personal belief that women are such terrific multitaskers!! but then you all knew that ...

Hag Sameach to each of you and your loved ones,

Gifted Gourmet

[KatieLoeb]

Last night I roasted fresh beets that will be in tonight's dinner salad and color the horseradish. Tonight - I dig out my ski goggles and make horseradish! Tomorrow - chop all the dry ingredients for enormous batch of charoset. Tuesday -chop fresh fruits for charoset and combine.

How's everyone else doing?

[UnConundrum]

Last night I roasted fresh beets that will be in tonight's dinner salad and color the horseradish. Tonight - I dig out my ski goggles and make horseradish!  Tomorrow - chop all the dry ingredients for enormous batch of charoset.  Tuesday -chop fresh fruits for charoset and combine.

How's everyone else doing?

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Oy!

Yesterday was the big push:

1. Made the stock for the chicken soup

2. Made red beet jam

3. Made the mandel bread

4. Made 4 half chickens sous-vide for the chicken eaters

5. Made the tomato cream soup with zucchini for the vegetarians (vegetable stock)

Today:

1. Made way too much mandel bread and had to finish the 2nd bake today

2. Made the chicken soup

3. Sauteed mushrooms to go with the meal

4. Started looking for a tzimmes recipe (still not decided there).

To do yet:

1. Clean and prep a vegetable (Monday/Tuesday)

2. Buy the fish for the vegetarians (Monday/Tuesday)

3. Make the tzimmes (probably Tuesday... isn't it better sitting a day?)

4. Make the roast (Wednesday)

5. Make a potato kugel (Wednesday)

6. Make the matzoh balls (Wednesday)

7. Relax (Thursday)

[Gifted Gourmet]

Unconundrum, you must fully realize that you now have to post photos and descriptions of all of the aforementioned items ... by law it is considered negligent to merely mention what we are unable to actually see ... we need visuals!

[UnConundrum]

LOL, we'll have the great unveiling on Thursday

I did take a picture of the Mandel bread ... here ya go:

[KatieLoeb]

UnConundrum the Mandelbrot looks delicious!!

Is mandelbrot the same thing as Jewish Biscotti?? I think it might be....

I confess, I get off easy. I'm the constant guest and never the hostess for Passover, but I'm expected, no obligated, to bring the infamous charoset and the fresh horseradish. I love making both and it's an easy way to weasel an invite for Pesach. I've been celebrating Passover with my dear friend/former college roommate and her family for 20 odd years or so. My 2nd night invite is another dear friend who wants me to show up with the goods as well. He always sets a lovely table, so showing up with a pint of horseradish and a few quarts of charoset is hardly a burden and a small tradeoff for what will undoubtedly be one of his usual spectacular dinner parties. I'm very much looking forward to it.

[Pan]

A pint of horseradish for how many people?

[SusanGiff]

Great thread, y'all! I'm already printing out the flourless orange ginger cake recipe (even though I thought I had my menu all set). 2 questions:

1)Has anyone tried the sponge cake with Concord wine recipe that was in Gourmet this month?

2) A friend told me yesterday that she freezes her uncooked matzoh balls and they come out just fine. However...I have not TASTED her matzoh balls, so I don't know her definition of 'just fine'! I'm not gonna mess with it this year--too risky--but does this make sense to you all? Anyone else freeze these babies with success?

Thanks!

Susan

[Pam R]

2) A friend told me yesterday that she freezes her uncooked matzoh balls and they come out just fine. However...I have not TASTED her matzoh balls, so I don't know her definition of 'just fine'! I'm not gonna mess with it this year--too risky--but does this make sense to you all? Anyone else freeze these babies with success?

It's not a standard practice around here - but I've frozen them cooked and couldn't tell the difference when I was eating them. I think freezing them uncooked would be just fine, (but haven't done it).

[Swisskaese]

I freeze my matzah balls uncooked, but I make mine with whole matzah, not matzah meal.

[KatieLoeb]

A pint of horseradish for how many people?

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About 20.

[Gifted Gourmet]

Just finished with today's shopping and cooking and relaxed with my NY Times Magazine to read an incredible article called Ghosts of Passovers Past about an American photographer who is living in Berlin and about her experiences in the newly united city of Berlin on Passover ... recipes included at the end of the article ...

There is no continuum of Jewish life here; no longstanding local traditions remain. The Jews who now live in Berlin are mostly newcomers like me, making things up as we go along. I moved here from New York in 2002, to be with my German husband. Since then I have held yearly Seders with an increasingly large and diverse group of friends.

The Passover meal varies from home to home ... The elements of the Seder plate (parsley, horseradish, egg, haroset, lamb bone) are always the same. And red wine is important, since each person drinks four times throughout the ceremony and more, if they like, during the meal.  You would think it would be easy to pull together a Seder in Berlin, since many typically Jewish foods are mainstream German fare too: potato pancakes with applesauce, poppy-seed cake, rye bread. Sauerbraten looks and tastes a lot like brisket. Even matzo balls bear a striking resemblance to Knödel ...

[Luckylies]

okay ya'll were beck on the passover train (some of us a bit late) I've been suckered into cooking dinner for four...wait! no....eight...for tomorrow. A sinch I've made a menu but as usual, think i've gone overboard. Were totally bad Jews so dietary restrictions are not a concern, but I am trying to be Bub's little angel and get this right. so...the menu

Gefilte fish w/ horseradish

Cheese plate...artisinal shizzy

Chopped liver

Boston lettuce salad with oven roasted tomatoes

Brisket.... I'm making it stuffed cabbage style with cabbage, tomatoes, brown sugar, lemon juice garlic and onions.

Latkes w/ sour cream and apple sauce

Haroset

mashed potaoes

chocolate souffles.

is it terrible that i'm skipping matzoh balls?

The briskets I have are flats trimmed but not too much how does 200 degrees for 10 hrs sound?

[Alchemist]

I'm trying to thicken a cherry compote, and stay kosher. Any suggestions?

[Miriam Kresh]

We checked the house for chametz and all I'm going to do before I quit for the day is marinate lamb in wine, garlic, rosemary blah blah blah...not very inspired, but the lady (pardon the rhyme) is tired. I would like to cook this lamb in my Passover tajine, with apricots; I guess the marinade won't hurt it any if I do decide to go that way.

Today's work:

Rendered the fat off two chickens and made shmaltz (aka Cholesterol Heaven). Well, for Pesach I have to make the matzah balls with shmaltz; the rest of the year I fake it with olive oil. Guilty goody: gribiness!

Made the matzah ball batter; it will sit in the fridge overnight.

Souped the soup with the two chickens. This has to be enough for Seder night and Shabbat too.

Made potato starch noodles - does anyone else make them? I could do without them, but the kids like them better than matzah balls in soup.

Fried small red fish (here they are called "barbunia") in olive oil and put them in a tomatoey sauce out of Claudia Roden's book. Thank Heavens for Keith Jarret; I listened to the Kohln Concert twice as I was frying them fish.

Did the charoset; it came out a little too sweet. Fell back on the traditional recipe of ground walnuts, apples, cinnamon, honey and dates. The smell of the charoset brought back vivid memories of my late Dad, whose speciality it was, and I blended away with a few tears in my eyes. Well, I'm Jewish, after all...what's food cooked without love and memories and a little heartache? Makes everything taste better.

Cooked gefulte fish - I cheated and bought an imported American whitefish loaf, and regret it. My own gefulte fish, made from fresh, ground carp, is better and not much work. Never mind, they'll eat it.

Grated carrots and julienned cabbage for a light, mayo-free coleslaw: just olive oil, lemon juice, salt and a bissel sugar.

Washed lettuce and parsley for the Seder plate.

Tomorrow: fix the Seder plate. Cook the lamb. Pot roast a turkey roll for Yom Tov day. Do something with Swiss chard, spinach and potatoes (a kugel?). Hard-boil eggs...take a nap in the afternoon so I'll be relaxed and happy at the Seder table instead of tired and grouchy. In fact, the rule in the family is that everyone takes a nap right after lunch erev Pesach.

Every year, the cleaning, shopping and cooking are anticipated well in advance: lists made and items checked off, phone calls made, last-minute errands done. By the time I sit down and open the Hagadah, I think I'm ready. And each year, the awareness that the supernatural event which occurred then is still happening. It is a quiet, dark, but live feeling, being poised on the spiral of history. We recite again the ancient words and retell the ancient story once more. I leave all thoughts of food and serving aside and focus on our/my deliverance from slavery and taking leave of Egypt to freedom...as if I myself had been there on that spring midnight, clutching my matzahs wrapped up in a clean cloth, heart full of awe and hope. May our troubles turn their true face, which is redemption, to us this year. Le Shana HaBa B'Yerushalayim HaBn'uyah.

Miriam

[Swisskaese]

I'm trying to thicken a cherry compote, and stay kosher.  Any suggestions?

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Could you cook it a little bit to thicken it. The only thing I can think of is a little ko-jel.

[Swisskaese]

Tapenade finished the Haroset today.

I am baking the Orange and Ginger Cake tonight and drying out Chufi's cookies in the oven. I will bake them in the morning.

I am making the Matzah Balls in the morning. I will take pictures of the process since they are different from matzah meal matzah balls and post them tomorrow.

I am also making the soup tomorrow. We are not going to be having my soup until Thursday because we are going to my cousin's for the seder tomorrow.

[Pam R]

I'm trying to thicken a cherry compote, and stay kosher.  Any suggestions?

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I'd say cook it down some or use a potato starch/water slurry. If you go with the starch, don't go overboard or it will get gummy.

[daisy17]

I'm trying to thicken a cherry compote, and stay kosher.  Any suggestions?

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Mom says potato starch or cake meal.

[Alchemist]

What is cake meal? Does it thicken like a starch? Will it be gummy, or creepy like corn starch?

[daisy17]

What is cake meal?  Does it thicken like a starch?  Will it be gummy, or creepy like corn starch?

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I think you should call my mom.