Passover 2002–2005

[EJRothman]

Anyway, my point was, does anyone know of any acceptable Ashkenazi grain recipes (barley, quinoa, spelt, etc.)  There's got to be something!

Well, unfortunately, there isn't. For Ashkenazis observing the rituals, all grains are out, as are legumes such as peas and beans, as well as corn. Anything fermented. And, btw, olives are out as well. And only pickles specially prepared for Passover are permitted. Yup, the list is long.... I have seen Passover noodles, but I don't know what they are made of, and I don't know how they taste. Frankly, if it's not a real noodle, I'm not interested.

If you bake, take a look at this recipe for Marcy Goldman's Matzoh Buttercrunch which I discussed on the other Passover thread. Trust me, if you bring it to the dinner, everyone will be thrilled.

http://www.arthurschwartz.com/diary/archiv...s/00000102.html

I'm disapponted about the no grains, etc. rule. The buttercrunch sounds good, but I don't eat desserts, so it's not really my thing. It's quite inane - if you think about it - that grains and legumes aren't allowed but sugar is. They are all carbohydrates, and there is nothing remotely leavened about grain. I guess I'm just bitter,

-Eric

[Jason Perlow]

I like chocolate covered matzah.

Hmm... we do have a lot of valrhona and scharffenberger lying around...

[Pan]

For those who are considering Sephardic seders, you might consider an Italki seder - that is, one with traditional dishes of the Italian Jewish community, many of whom were neither Ashkenazic nor Sephardic, but came to Italy directly from Israel after the destruction of the Temple. One year, my mother and I cooked recipes from Edda Servi-Macklin's cookbook of recipes from Pitigliano, the walled hill town just over the border with Lazio in Tuscany where an ancient Jewish community lived until WW II (the survivors moved mostly to Florence and Rome, I believe). The charoses we made from the cookbook had dates and oranges in it, and we made a delicious, lemony meatloaf and accompanied it with rosemary roasted potato slices in a casserole with tomato slices. The meal was a great success.

[Pan]

I detest Passover macaroons, and Passover cookies are only marginally better.

My local kosher bakery, Moishe's, on 7th St. and 2nd Av. in Manhattan, makes excellent Passover macaroons. But the passover sweet I always liked best was the pesadicher cake made with marzipan and apricot and raspberry jam. Yum!

Edited March 31, 2003 by Pan (log)

[Rachel Perlow]

The calendar I looked at says Passover is on April 17th, that means the first Sedar is on the 16th, right?  Jason wants to do a Sephardic Sedar, what should we serve?

Yes, the first seder is on the 16th. If you are going Sephardic, you are permitted to serve rice, couscous or other similar grains, which Sephardic Jews do eat during Passover but which are verboten for Ashkenazi Jews. Lamb and couscous are an excellent combination. So, perhaps you might do a braised lamb shanks recipe.

Couscous isn't a grain, it's a form of pasta. Are you sure it is passadich? Actually, even though I'm thinking of a Sephardic sedar, I'm thinking that way more in terms of flavors of dishes (so that we don't have the same exact meal two nights in a row), more than avoiding Ashkenazic limitations.

[VivreManger]

Even for Sefardim, couscous is not considered kosher for Passover.

The source of the difference between Sefardi and Ashkenazi Passover food norms is perhaps worth a separate thread, but it is a fascinating culinary problem which illustrates the way in which the social-religious context (Christian Easter versus no comparable Muslim holy day) determines dietary restrictions.

[hensonville]

Gumbo..."old fashioned", "real", "traditional" gefilte fish is just what it says i.e., stuffed fish. The contemporary balls or ovals are what the stuffing used to be. The old version is labor intensive and very decorative. You cut off the head and tail and saved them with some of the bones. You took out the insides and with some of the fish, eggs, onion, and matzoh meal you made a stuffing which you stuffed into the skin which had a little fish still attached. You then poached this in broth made from the head, etc. and soup vegetables. It was served whole. When sliced, it looks very nice because you have the stuffing surrounded by the outside of the fish. I made this once, and it took all day.

[rozrapp]

VivreManger Posted on Mar 31 2003, 11:21 AM

Even for Sefardim, couscous is not considered kosher for Passover.

Oops! You're right. But rice is o.k. Here's a link to a list of what's kosher for Pesach for Sephardim.

http://jsor.org/pfoods5762.html

Jason Perlow Posted on Mar 30 2003, 10:56 PM

I like chocolate covered matzah.

Jason, I've tasted ordinary chocolate covered matzoh, and this Buttercrunch is in a category all its own!

[Stephanie]

Anyway, my point was, does anyone know of any acceptable Ashkenazi grain recipes (barley, quinoa, spelt, etc.)  There's got to be something!

Well, unfortunately, there isn't. For Ashkenazis observing the rituals, all grains are out, as are legumes such as peas and beans, as well as corn. Anything fermented. And, btw, olives are out as well. And only pickles specially prepared for Passover are permitted. Yup, the list is long.... I have seen Passover noodles, but I don't know what they are made of, and I don't know how they taste. Frankly, if it's not a real noodle, I'm not interested.

I have read on several sites that quinoa is OK for Passover. I don't know how strictly observant the people hosting the seder are, so if you make something with quinoa in it you may want to bring printouts from the Web as backup!

Barley is always out. I think spelt is very iffy.

Edited March 31, 2003 by Stephanie (log)

[Liza]

Jonathan and Nina White are offering home made matzoh:

http://shop.cowsoutside.com/product.asp?0=...=203&1=217&3=25

(Though not made under the supervision of a rabbi).

[knews9]

i've really enjoyed reading these posts. i am making a seder the second night, probably for about 10 people. i will be returning from vacation on wednesday and so will be short on time--any recommendations for some freezable passover dishes would be greatly appreciated.

(note: i am pretty committed to the ashkenazi-style seder).

kn

[mrsqft]

i have done Passover for various groups for the last 30 or so years. i think I have tried every branch of cooking. However, I do not serve any grains since I am not Italian although I love to do a Sephardic fish or chicken. So for the person that is interested in do ahead dishes here goes...

kugel-can be frozen and I do.

Matzo balls- can be flash frozen or frozen in the soup. I have done it both ways for different reasons.

Brisket-made ahead, sliced and frozen.

Prunes poached in red wine- at least a couple of days before

Gefilte Fish-the day before.I made it in loaf pans in a bain marie and slice it like a terrine. It is very pretty and a little different.

Chopped liver-the day before.

Lots of desserts can be frozen.

I tend to stick to the tried and true on holidays since people expect and look forward to them. I find it boring but no one else does.

[mrsqft]

You now have to subscribe to Better baking to get the recipes. she is a wonderful Jewish baker. Actually, she is a great baker,period.

[JFLinLA]

So, we've got two Passover threads going and I don't know which one to respond to.

I love cookies and always need something small for the kids lunch boxes and have made it sort of a hobby to gather up recipes over the years.

First of all, don't ever eat those crappy macaroons from a can. Real macaroons are not that hard to make. I don't personally like coconut but I make almond ones. All it takes some almonds, sugar, egg whites and maybe some almond extract . . . or you can start with almond paste. If you love coconut macaroons, the recipes are fairly straightforward as well. I also make a "non-traditional" type macaroon with brown sugar and pecans (out of Nick Malgieri's book).

I also make a "mini-brownie" type thing made, again, starting with almond paste.

Meringue "kisses" in a variety of flavors work well. Bake them less time to keep a chewy center, more for crunchy and holding up better in lunch boxes.

I also make a "matzah brittle" that sounds similar to something mentioned elsewhere.

Oh yes, and my grandmother's traditional matzah farfel muffins.

[EJRothman]

Anyway, my point was, does anyone know of any acceptable Ashkenazi grain recipes (barley, quinoa, spelt, etc.)  There's got to be something!

Well, unfortunately, there isn't. For Ashkenazis observing the rituals, all grains are out, as are legumes such as peas and beans, as well as corn. Anything fermented. And, btw, olives are out as well. And only pickles specially prepared for Passover are permitted. Yup, the list is long.... I have seen Passover noodles, but I don't know what they are made of, and I don't know how they taste. Frankly, if it's not a real noodle, I'm not interested.

I have read on several sites that quinoa is OK for Passover. I don't know how strictly observant the people hosting the seder are, so if you make something with quinoa in it you may want to bring printouts from the Web as backup!

Barley is always out. I think spelt is very iffy.

I checked out the "quinoa question" and it turns out that quinoa is ok for passover. Thanks for the tip, Stephanie!!

-Eric

[Stone]

How kosher to you get for Passover? Obviously, I don't keep kosher, and neither do most (almost all) of my friends. Yet when Passover comes around, not only do they keep "Kosher for Passover", they also get Kosher-Kosher. That is, they want my brisket to be kosher, not just wheat free. I always found this illogical. If I eat bacon and eggs the week before Passover, why can't I eat bacon and eggs during Passover, as long as I eat them with Matzoh? Passover is about no leavening, not about the other Kosher rules.

[cakewalk]

You're funny, Stone. Kashrut has nothing to do with logic. At Passover time, the lack of logic gets heavier than usual. Just enjoy it.

I used to make this Sephardi haroset all the time, but I haven't done it since I got back to the States. I remember that it would go very fast, and in truth I think it puts the Ashkenazi haroset to shame. A friend gave me the recipe, I have no idea where she got it from. I used to double it, and make it 24 hours before the seder so the flavors do whatever they're supposed to do:

1/2 lb. pitted dates

1/2 lb. large raisins

3/4 glass sweet red wine (I think I used to use 3/4 cup, but the recipe says "glass")

2 oz. walnuts, chopped

Finely chop dates and raisins, place in bowl with one cup of water (or to cover) and let soak overnight. Next day, bring to boil in the same water (you might have to add a bit more) and simmer on very low heat for about 15 minutes, stirring constantly to prevent burning (I definitely used to cheat on the "stirring constantly" part; just keep an eye on it.) Mash it into a thick paste. The recipe says to add the wine just before serving, but I used to add the wine after it had cooled and then stick it in the fridge overnight. Add the walnuts just before serving. There are a lot of variations of this type of recipe. It's great on matzoh.

[Suzanne F]

That haroset recipe reminds me: for that same Italian-Jewish seder, I made haroset with a combination of fresh and dried fruit, and used a half-bottle of dessert wine we had received as a gift from our non-Jewish brother-in-law. I forget what all exactly went into it, and what the wine was, but it was sensational! When I mentioned what wine I'd used, the bro-in-law turned pale. Turns out this was super-duper wine, that retailed at something like $35 for the half. Well, yeah, it WAS great!

Foodie52: I hope those Manischewitz jello shots were made with Ko-jel. Actually, sounds like a pretty good use to me.

[macrosan]

If I eat bacon and eggs the week before Passover, why can't I eat bacon and eggs during Passover, as long as I eat them with Matzoh?  Passover is about no leavening, not about the other Kosher rules.

Very droll, Stone I also have a friend who has bacon on matzo for breakfast As cakewalk says, all these issues have nothing to do with logic, they're just about how you feel. And whatever you feel is right for you is right for you.

Passover is an interesting festival, and it seems to have this ability to make all Jews, of all levels of observance, remember their religion and their roots. Yom Kippur is another holy day that has a similar effect. It's noteworthy that observance of both festivals is primarily related to food --- not eating it in one case, and heavy restrictions in the other.

In fact, probably the reason that Passover resonates with all Jews is its reminder of enslavement and prejudice, and its restatement of confidence that we will be free in the future. That's the message of Passover, and as long as you relate to the message, the ritual that goes with it is relatively unimportant. I have to admit that I find the Passover week tiresome, mainly because it seriously restricts my ability to eat at restauarants but somehow I look forward to it each year, and then equally look forward to it being over

[shilly]

Hi there

We're about to host our first ever Seder and we're making a Sephardi chicken soup mentioned in Claudia Roden's "The Book of Jewish Food". Does anyone have a recommendation on making the chicken stock? I was thinking of using a standard stock a la Raymond Blanc etc, but I wonder if there are more specifically Jewish methods that produce type B chicken soup (Type B = delicious, Type A = horrible watery grease, and I can't seem to get one rather than the other consistently ).

Thanks in advance

Steve

[rozrapp]

Passover is an interesting festival, and it seems to have this ability to make all Jews, of all levels of observance, remember their religion and their roots. Yom Kippur is another holy day that has a similar effect. It's noteworthy that observance of both festivals is primarily related to food  --- not eating it in one case, and heavy restrictions in the other.

I'm not sure that the term "festival" is quite the appropriate one for Passover. Since the first two days and the final two days of its 8-day length are holy days with the same restrictions as the Sabbath, I think "holiday" suits it better. Chanukah is a minor "festival"; indeed, it is often called "The Festival of Lights."

As for Yom Kippur, while it's true that fasting is one of the important elements, the taking in of food does play an important role: the meal prior to the start of the fast and, of course, the breaking of the fast. Many people observe certain "rituals" when putting together these meals. For example, for the meal before the fast, my father always wanted very bland foods (e.g., plain boiled chicken, no spices, etc.) because he found it made him less thirsty. And he always broke the fast with soft-boiled eggs which he felt were easy on the stomach. This was then followed by a dairy meal of appetizing, cheeses, etc. For most of the families I know, this is the "traditional" break the fast meal.

[Chazzy]

Gourmet has an interesting Passover menu that you can find here.

Edited April 1, 2003 by Chazzy (log)

[KatieLoeb]

I've been making a sort of improvised Sephardic charoset for the past several years that is always a hit and much tastier than the "standard" mortar.

2 or 3 apples - cubed

2 or 3 pears - cubed

1/2 cup each walnuts, almonds, filberts and pistachios, finely chopped

1 handful each dried apricots, golden raisins, and dates, finely chopped

Ground Cinnamon

Ground Ginger

Pinch ground Nutmeg

Kosher White Concord wine

1/3 cup Honey

Mix together fruits and nuts. Moisten with enough wine and honey to create "mortar-like-texture" and season to taste with ground spices. This is delicious and particularly easy since I cheat and pulse everything through the food processor and then dump it in a big bowl. I get the fruit stickyness out of the bowl with the wine and honey and mix the spices into the liquids in the processor as well. Makes for a very evenly flavored mixture. Voila! Couldn't be easier. This seems to be particularly popular with children and is a great way to get them to eat something half good for them.

[Jason Perlow]

Here is a recipe for Sephardic Charoset.

Please share your Passover Recipes on the eGullet Recipe Archive

[sagestrat]

Sandra - Thanks for that recipe. I think its close to my mother's except I dont remember any oil and vanilla.  My mother had several different tube pans for these cakes and some were a bit smaller so she had leftover batter and would make jelly rolls with it. She used kosher jam which I always thought was horrible and too sweet - then she rolled it in, or sprinkled granulated sugar over it - she was a great cook but this was not my favorite and it definitely tasted like "Passover".

Rachel - we had those rolls but she must have put a little sugar in them because they weren't savory to me - I could have put cream cheese on them but I never thought I'd like them with tuna or egg salad.  I always ate them plain.  I hated dry matzo, so anything resembling a bread product was heaven sent.

My mother also made something she called a "bagel".  The only thing that they had in common with a bagel was the shape and hole in the center. I remember it had a lot of oil in it and it also had a bit of sugar in it.  It was very very moist and I remember greasy fingers and napkins eating them. I thought these were better than the rolls but I always ate them plain - I knew it was the closest thing to bread I was going to see that week, and all things considered in those days - it wasnt bad:-)

My mother had this old fashioned flat mesh type whisk that she used to whip her egg whites for her matzo brei. The foamy egg whites made it come out high and thick which everyone liked.

Julliana

I was thinking of doing "Aunt Ida's Sponge Cake" jelly roll style. (I have some nice homemade strawberry jam from my mom--not Kosher but should be ok for this crowd.) What other ways have people served it?