Passover 2002–2005

[Gifted Gourmet]

thanks!

that's what my mom always said: if you have a self cleaning oven, it kashers itself.

Correct! There is still plenty of stuff to do for Passover that does not do itself ... oy!

[bloviatrix]

Clothier -- from what I know, it's easier to go out and buy a new oven.

While on the subject of kashering - how many of you have mother's who hide the treyfed up cutlery in pots of dirt?

My theory on the dirt is that back in the old country, they stuck the stuff in the dirt in order to minimize the possibility of mix-up. And somehow it got co-opted.

[Gifted Gourmet]

Clothier -- from what I know, it's easier to go out and buy a new oven.

While on the subject of kashering - how many of you have mother's who hide the treyfed up cutlery in pots of dirt?

My theory on the dirt is that back in the old country, they stuck the stuff in the dirt in order to minimize the possibility of mix-up. And somehow it got co-opted.

My rabbi says it was a form of cleaning the treyfed up pots and pans and plates .. the action of physically shoving it into the ground acted to "cleanse" it ..

today, of course, we have come a long way since then .. it is a bubbemeissah actually ...

hey, time for me to apply for my smicha!!

I know a woman who had an entire set of silverware buried in her backyard so when she sold the house and moved ....

[bloviatrix]

I know a woman who had an entire set of silverware buried in her backyard so when she sold the house and moved ....

Can you imagine the look on the new owner's face when they were digging up the flower beds?

My mom doesn't have plants. She sprouts knives and forks and......

[Gifted Gourmet]

I know a woman who had an entire set of silverware buried in her backyard so when she sold the house and moved ....

Can you imagine the look on the new owner's face when they were digging up the flower beds?

My mom doesn't have plants. She sprouts knives and forks and......

Actually, an entire set of Limoges makes a nice garden! ooops, sorry, forgot Flora Danica by Royal Copenhagen .. very floral and festive .. never needs fertilizer!!!

Edited April 14, 2004 by Gifted Gourmet (log)

[cakewalk]

So, how many of you actually go in and clean out every single crumb of chometz/chametz from your house and go and give it away to your friends?

Not I, that's for sure. Although I used to be a lot more thorough than I am these days.

I remember one year cleaning out the kitchen and finding a bottle of Beefeaters gin in one of the cabinets. Liquor is chametz, and I hate to throw things out, and I was living in Jerusalem at the time so I couldn't give it to any of my friends there. So what's a girl to do?

You simply "sell" your chometz for the holiday through your rabbi .. he makes the transaction and then when Passover ends, he sells it back to you for your use ...

my understanding of this is that while it( chometz) may stay on your premises, hidden frm view and use, you may not use it in any way for your own personal gain during the eight days ....

more ....

http://www.aish.com/passlaw/passlawdefault...ing_Chametz.asp

Yes, I know, but I went through this stage of actually getting rid of all my chametz, I didn't like the "fiction" of selling it and then buying it back. Drinking the gin was not a problem, BTW.

Re sticking knives, etc. into plants, what I heard once was this:

there was actually a method of kashering knives by stabbing them into very hard, packed earth (like what you find in Israel during the summer) several times. The scraping of the knife that would result from sticking it into the hard earth and then pulling it out was seen to be a method of "kashering" it. This eventually evolved into just burying things in the ground. Ah, evolution!

[hillvalley]

So, how many of you actually go in and clean out every single crumb of chometz/chametz from your house and go and give it away to your friends?

Not I, that's for sure. Although I used to be a lot more thorough than I am these days.

Me neither. My degrees of how strictly I follow are very situational. Three years ago I had just moved into a new apartment and followed pretty strictly. The past few years I was away on spring break and was more lenient.

[JFLinLA]

In case you haven't looked at a Jewish calendar for next year.... Passover will be the latest I can ever remember. First seder will be on April 25th which is a saturday night. This means Passover will end in the month of May!

Oy vey! Do you know how much that messes me up?

2 years ago, my son's Bar Mitzvah was the beginning of June and I made everything for the Friday oneg, the dessert bar at the Saturday night party, the challot (plural of challah) for Saturday, and baked and decorated large torah shaped cookies as party favors. Being a working girl, much of this got done and frozen ahead. That year, I started baking immediatley after Pesach and easily had a full 2 months . . . probably more.

2005, the Bat Mitzvah is in mid-June. I do way more than most Reform Jews for Pesach but I don't get rid of all my chametz, change dishes or clean the house from top to bottom (not that it couldn't use it).** So, I think I will of necessity begin Bat Mitzvah baking before Pesach. What's in the freezer will just stay in the freezer. Although much of the stuff will be in the freezers of friends and family around town who helped out for the prior simcha.

** To answer the other question further, we try to consume most of the chametz pre-Pesach. Any obviously chametz pantry items -- package cookies, crackers, breakfast cereal, etc. -- get put in large bags and moved to the back room of the house. Uneaten frozen items just stay in the freezer. Flour and other baking supplies, as well as booze, stay in their regular cabinets, in their regular containers untouched for the week. The sourdough starter stayed in the fridge. I'm sorry, I'm not throwing that out. (Note to self -- refresh the starter this week, even if you don't bake bread!!) I used to eat trayf but not chametz on the holiday but stopped that several years ago. The kids and Mr. L were aghast this year when, for the first time, I told them no peanut butter for the week. We'll see what new changes we make next year.

A much more observant Reform Jew than I (daily prayers, keeps Kosher, etc.) that I used to know once said, I don't choose which mitzvot to follow, they seem to choose me.

[bloviatrix]

Well, I finally figured out why it's been damned near impossible to find kosher l'pesach Coke Classic the past 2 years.

Passover Produces a Real Coke Classic.

[Jason Perlow]

So Passover has come and gone, but Rachel made a hell of a batch of Matzo Ball Soup today for me, as I am recovering from a nasty flu-like illness:

Personally, I can eat Matzo Ball any time of the year, not just Passover.

The Matzo balls have parsley in them, as does the soup. The pasta is egg noodles. I prefer to have the long thin egg noodles, but this is what we had on hand.

Some purists would say that you don't put noodles in matzo ball soup since you already got the matzo balls. But this is how my grandmother served it. I like having it for the contrasting texture.

Note the copious amount of black pepper added during serving, which I think is necessary.

[Gifted Gourmet]

Personally, I can eat Matzo Ball any time of the year, not just Passover.

Some purists would say that you don't put noodles in matzo ball soup since you already got the matzo balls. But this is how my grandmother served it. I like having it for the contrasting texture.

I have to go with your grandmother on this one! Tonight we are finishing our Passover chicken soup as well and since we downed those "sinkers" and "floaters" (the matzoh balls) last week, I have added egg noodles for tonight .... thick and curly ones at that!

Are there any diehards out there who will attest to the pure pleasures of quaffing a steaming bowl of chicken soup with all of the attendant "trimmings"??

[Rachel Perlow]

I like having the veggies in it. Especially ones that have been cooked specifically for serving, not for flavoring the soup. Funniest comment as Jason was eating his Jewish Penicillin? "Hey, these carrots taste like carrots!"

[Gifted Gourmet]

I like having the veggies in it. Especially ones that have been cooked specifically for serving, not for flavoring the soup. Funniest comment as Jason was eating his Jewish Penicillin? "Hey, these carrots taste like carrots!"

Sounds as if he has made a complete recovery after all!! It is the soup and the love you bring to it that works every time, Rachel!!

The picture was delightful .. almost like actually being there! Virtual recovery by digital camera! Take two snapshots and call me in the morning ....

[Gifted Gourmet]

One final, and it is final this time, note on this holiday ...

From this morning's Garrison Keillor show on NPR ...

"Mommy, today at school we ate square crackers and celebrated the Jewish holiday of Pass Out!"

[Pan]

That's hilarious! "Pass Out" might work, too, for those who drink a lot of wine on the holiday...

[Gifted Gourmet]

That's hilarious! "Pass Out" might work, too, for those who drink a lot of wine on the holiday...

Precisely why I posted it!! It has various hidden, and not-so-hidden meanings, depending upon one's age, I rather imagine!!

[Pam R]

Being in the business, I realize I may be ahead of things (especially this year), but has anybody else started planning for Passover?

Are there any new and interesting things you are going to try for the Seders?

We always do the same things at work (when we take things off the list people order them anyhow - and rarely do they order any new menu items, so what's the point in shaking things up?) but at home I like to try new things.

Last year, the sedar I cooked for was very different (for my family at least) - I don't know what to do this year.

[JFLinLA]

Last year, the sedar I cooked for was very different (for my family at least) - I don't know what to do this year.

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Can you share last year's family menu as a start.

[Pam R]

Can you share last year's family menu as a start.

Of course!

(If you happen to be Canadian, all of the recipes should be in next month's Candian Living Magazine)

Carrot Dill soup (The first time in my life it wasn't Chicken soup)

No Fish Course (another first!)

Strawberry Pecan Salad with Balsamic Dressing

Barb¹s Holiday Rib Roast

DP Passover Chicken (chicken breast, dredged in cake meal, sauteed with mushrooms, onions, peppers , white wine - optional lemon)

Roasted Rosemary Garlic Potatoes

Grilled Vegetables

Glazed Fruit Flan - with a lemon chiffon 'flan' base

More typically, chichen soup with matzoh balls, gefilte fish (sometimes 'breaded' pickeral), some kind of 'garden' salad,

any combo of (2-3) of the following: garlic brisket, roast turkey, sweet and sour meatballs, apricot honey chicken, cornish hens of some type- sometimes stuffed, sometimes not, in the last few years lamb shanks have appeared

and usually a sweet kugel and a savory, potato blintzes, a cooked vegetable of some type - often a mix of broc. cauli. peppers etc. (with lots of fresh garlic!)

The one thing we've always had that may be 'different' for some are desserts. Whatever we're making for customers, we make extra for us - so it could be a Chocolate Mousse torte, Shmoo Torte, Pavlova, brownies, komish, nothings...and for some reason ALWAYS a chocolate chip chiffon cake. It's a family favorite

[bloviatrix]

Let me do a happy dance!! I don't have to worry about Pesach this year. We're going away for the whole thing. The reservations have been made. Whoo-hoo!!!!

[Pam R]

Let me do a happy dance!! I don't have to worry about Pesach this year.  We're going away for the whole thing.  The reservations have been made.  Whoo-hoo!!!!

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buh humbug.

[Pam R]

I've been putting together the Passover order forms at work this week and it got me thinking. When I was growing up, my grandmother made everything from scratch. No way would she have had anything 'catered' and even if she wanted to, I don't know if there was anywhere for her to order from.

These days, we get about 150 orders each year and cater for around 1000 people for the two seders. (depending on the year our restaurant has been open for parts of the holiday - when it is open, it's always the busiest time in the restaurant)

So let me ask:

Do you (or family members) do everything from scratch or do you have your your holidays (or part) catered?

[Barbara Moss]

I've been putting together the Passover order forms at work this week and it got me thinking.  When I was growing up, my grandmother made everything from scratch.  No way would she have had anything 'catered' and even if she wanted to, I don't know if there was anywhere for her to order from.

These days, we get about 150 orders each year and cater for around 1000 people for the two seders.  (depending on the year our restaurant has been open for parts of the holiday - when it is open, it's always the busiest time in the restaurant)

So let me ask:

Do you (or family members) do everything from scratch or do you have your your holidays (or part) catered?

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My MIL used to get every thing catered and I must admit it was not great BUT it was better than her cooking. Everyone was extremely happy when I took over but i still hate doing all those dishes. This year I am splitting the cooking with a friend and she is having it at her house which she loves to do. i love to cook so it works for me. We were trying to think of some new desserts and side dishes. It does get boring to do the same stuff over and over. I don't think our group would do carrot soup. I happen to love the fish so I don't want to give that up. I am doing low carb so i would like to do some stuff that is not sweet. I may do my brisket with 36 cloves of garlic for the second night. Fabulous. Any ideas? it will be here before you know it.

[bloviatrix]

Catering??? What's catering? If we're home everything gets done from scratch. Neither my mom or my mil believes in ordering in. Of course, it's easy for my mil since I do most of the cooking.

Now, I will admit that during chol hamoed Blovie and I pick up prepared food but that's because we're home for so few days it doesn't pay to switch the kitchen over.

Of course, we're going away this year for the whole thing (I love saying that ) so I guess it's a type of catering.

[Pam R]

My MIL used to get every thing catered and I must admit it was not great BUT it was better than her cooking. Everyone was extremely happy when I took over but i still hate doing all those dishes. This year I am splitting the cooking with a friend and she is having it at her house which she loves to do. i love to cook so it works for me. We were trying to think of some new desserts and side dishes. It does get boring to do the same stuff over and over. I don't think our group would do carrot soup. I happen to love the fish so I don't want to give that up. I am doing low carb so i would like to do some stuff that is not sweet. I may do my brisket with 36 cloves of garlic for the second night. Fabulous. Any ideas? it will be here before you know it.

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First of all - if you do all the cooking - somebody else should do the dishes!

We sell garlic brisket too - we tried to take it off the menu a couple of years ago because it is so expensive but the people demanded it! So we returned it to the menu and have to charge over $30/lb for it. We don't count the cloves, all I know is it takes me at least an hour to get the garlic prepped for it! (we usually do between 4-6 15 lb. double briskets each holiday)

Did you want ideas on desserts? Or just on menu items?

Edited March 11, 2005 by Pam R (log)