Passover 2002–2005

[bloviatrix]

Pea shoots are problematic if you're strictly ashkenaz -- yet another food in the legume family.

Edited March 19, 2004 by bloviatrix (log)

[KatieLoeb]

Hi Ali girlfriend!

I've edited above answer to include two questions.

Are you sure that maybe one of the Lebanese markets down at 9th or 10th and Federal don't have preserved lemons? Chef tells me Assouline & Ting has them. The Bass used to purchase them from there. We have some housemade ones here and could spare a bit, but I don't know how much you need.

Call me...

[aliwaks]

darn, i thought becasue they were the stems and not the beans they would be ok, I'm not that strict but do want to authentic for my all girl mostly shiksa seder. I believe I will be the only Jew.

Slightly off teh food topic what haggadah do you all use, I'm writing my own mixing in bits from different ones, used to use the old Maxwell House ones from the 60's that I got from my grandparents.

[Gifted Gourmet]

We use a set of ArtScroll Haggadot which are beautifully illustrated and easy for both Hebrew and non-Hebrew readers to follow .... they are soft covered and probably not very expensive to purchase.

http://www.artscroll.com/haggadahs.html

specifically, this one, which is $2.25 a copy

http://www.artscroll.com/Books/hafp.html

Edited March 19, 2004 by Gifted Gourmet (log)

[KatieLoeb]

darn,  i thought becasue they were the stems and not the beans they would be ok, I'm not that strict but do want to authentic for my all girl mostly shiksa seder. I believe I will be the only Jew.

Slightly off teh food topic what haggadah do you all use, I'm writing my own mixing in bits from different ones, used to use the old Maxwell House ones from the 60's that I got from my grandparents.

Ali:

Check out THIS LINK. It's the Freedom Seder by Rabbi Arthur Waskow. It's a little more udated, modern and a tad radical by comparison with the hagaddah most of us are accustomed to. But there's some really great writing in there. I think you'll enjoy it.

[Gifted Gourmet]

Thank you, Katie .. it inspired me to look further into the life and times of Rabbi Waskow ... a very interesting man with an unusual "take" on Judaism and the holiday from a thoroughly modern, social action perspective. This link from the Jerusalem Post has more depth and further insight on Rabbi Waskow, should you wish to better understand his background in writing the Freedom Seder Haggadah :

http://www.jpost.com/Editions/2000/08/31/F...ures.11605.html

Edited March 20, 2004 by Gifted Gourmet (log)

[afoodnut]

Todah rabbah Katie, (Thank you so much, with poetic license for spelling and meaning.)

The mishboche (family/friends) with whom we always observe Pesach (Passover) at our home, are a truly mixed bunch. We struggle to find the way to read from the mixed messages of the haggadahs where nobody is ever on the same page. The best of the haggadahs we have are the Maxwell House Haggadahs that I have preserved from the early '50's. But we're never on the same page, at the same time, in the same language. And the "modern" ones we've found seem to lose Judaism to Ecumenicalism (is that a real word? If not, I'm sure you know what I mean). While I've not yet had the time to look at the Haggadah from your link with careful scrutiny, I already know that it's better than anything else I've seen!

Edited March 20, 2004 by afoodnut (log)

[Gifted Gourmet]

And the "modern" ones we've found seem to lose Judaism to Ecumenicalism (is that a real word? If not, I'm sure you know what I mean).

Actually, ecumenicism works too ... in looking back to the meaning of the word, I especially liked the phrase "aimed at universal Christian unity" in the definition ... I understand the concept, but thinking it over in the context of haggadahs, it made me chuckle ...

Agree with you completely that some do stray far from the traditional Jewish Passover seders we all remember from our respective childhoods ...

[bloviatrix]

We use a set of ArtScroll Haggadot which are beautifully illustrated and easy for both Hebrew and non-Hebrew readers to follow .... they are soft covered and probably not very expensive to purchase.

http://www.artscroll.com/haggadahs.html

specifically, this one, which is $2.25 a copy

http://www.artscroll.com/Books/hafp.html

That's my preferred Haggadah as well. I love all the commentary it includes. (I'm a big fan of ArtScroll's books in general).

Scholastic has just published a stunning Passover campanion - a friend of mine worked on it and showed me an advanced copy. Look at it here.

[Gifted Gourmet]

We use a set of ArtScroll Haggadot which are beautifully illustrated and easy for both Hebrew and non-Hebrew readers to follow .... they are soft covered and probably not very expensive to purchase.

http://www.artscroll.com/haggadahs.html

specifically, this one, which is $2.25 a copy

http://www.artscroll.com/Books/hafp.html

That's my preferred Haggadah as well. I love all the commentary it includes. (I'm a big fan of ArtScroll's books in general).

Scholastic has just published a stunning Passover campanion - a friend of mine worked on it and showed me an advanced copy. Look at it here.

I also am a very big Artscroll admirer .. my prayerbooks for all of the holidays are from Artscroll ... the illustrations and text are quite beautiful ...

Thanks, bloviatrix, for the Scholastic Haggadah which looks terrific for kids and teens ... wish it had been available when my child was growing up!

[bloviatrix]

I was wandering the aisle (the place is long and narrow) of my local kosher market this afternoon, and although they didn't have what I wanted (fresh sausages), I found something very intriguing for Pesach.

Sitting on one of the shelves filled with Passover cookies and cakes I noticed a box. It's color was a golden yellow with brown text. In one corner I saw the familiar scripted "P" that identifies the pastries of Francois Payard. Now I love Payard - his desserts are one of my weaknesses, but his shop is definitely not certified kosher. So, I was curious. I pulled the box off the shelf and sure enough it was a chocolate-almond flourless cake from the PC himself. There's was even a photo of him on the box. It seems he's doing a line of Passover cakes - the other one available was a lemon-almond flourless cake. The cakes are manufactured in France and have French kosher certification. Based on the size of the box, the cakes look very small. And the price was $27 which is about 150% more than other pre-made cakes (granted, you can't compare Schick's Bakery to Payard, but still).

There's a small part of me that wants to buy one but I'll try to restrain myself.

[JFLinLA]

There's a small part of me that wants to buy one but I'll try to restrain myself.

Aw shucks, c'mon. I think you owe it to yourself and to us to check this out. Clearly it is pure research, right?

[bloviatrix]

I told Blovie I'm curious about the cakes. I gave me one of those "don't even think about it" looks.

[Stone]

Is tofu kosher for passover?

[cakewalk]

Is tofu kosher for passover?

I think it's considered "kitniot" (legumes). Traditionally, Ashkenzi Jews don't eat kitniot, Sephardi Jews do.

[alacarte]

While it may appears that I am utilizing excessive levity about this

That's OK, just so long as you are not using excessive leavening!

(hey, it's a Passover joke!)

[Gifted Gourmet]

While it may appear that I am utilizing excessive levity about this

That's OK, just so long as you are not using excessive leavening!

(hey, it's a Passover joke!)

How can you even think of humor at a time like this!? We are only days from the Big Event and the stress level has been elevated exponentially as the holiday looms large on the horizon!

elevated exponentially, hmmmmm... I like the way in which I have left myself some wiggle room for a topical thought: what is the Terror Warning Level for Passover (according to Tom Ridge)?

Code Beige .... matzo (broken dentures)

Code Ruby-red .. charain (extreme pain and tears)

Code Yellow ...12 egg spongecake (arteries closing down)

Code Green ... spring greens (light and cheery)

Code Black ... roasted bone/egg (Bobby Flay would love this symbol!)

I know, sacrilege supreme ... like I said, permit me a little levity at this season, s'il vous plait ....

more humor as my meds kick in .... did someone say afikomen is the ultimate low carb when hidden??

[cakewalk]

We are only days from the Big Event and the stress level has been elevated exponentially as the holiday looms large on the horizon!

Code brown -- chocolate covered matzah. I could put up with that for eight days.

Hey, if I-95 is still closed by the time Passover rolls around, the stress level is REALLY gonna reach serious proportions!

[bloviatrix]

Right about now I need an "aargh!!!" emoticon. Spoke with the mil last night and the woman shot down every single one of my ideas.

Why do I bother?

[Gifted Gourmet]

Right about now I need an "aargh!!!" emoticon.  Spoke with the mil last night and the woman shot down every single one of my ideas.

Why do I bother?

Who is doing the cooking here, you or the mil? Perhaps even more basic, who is in charge of the Seder itself? How does Bloviator deal with who's on first here??

Life is short, and these are annoying, yet insignificant "speedbumps" in the grand scheme of things ... end of rant ...

My second Seder buddies have this year opted for doing this in a hotel in Arizona which caters to the needs of the observant ... their daughter called me to announce that she'd be coming home after the first two nights ... she says "I won't sit in the Arizona desert for nine days" ... to which I abruptly shot back, " the Israelites who fled Egypt spent some forty years wandering in the desert. Lighten up!"

Holiday prep has begun to erode my exterior calm and "together" personality ... Thinking I might need an exorcist to remove my Pesach dybbuks ....

[Marlene]

Are latkes only made for Hanukah, or are they made at Passover as well?

[Gifted Gourmet]

Are latkes only made for Hanukah, or are they made at Passover as well?

Matzo meal latkes a positive treat .. also potato latkes equally fine for use!!

It is just that potato latkes are so very Maccabee-ish!!

Edited March 26, 2004 by Gifted Gourmet (log)

[bloviatrix]

We go to my in-laws for the first and last days. In past years, my mil and I have worked together to develop menus and I go there on eruv-eruv pesach to help cook. The reason for this is that she is a very uninspired cook and is "low energy." By my helping I make sure that we get something other than boiled flanken. And I reduce some of her burden. But for whatever reason, this year she is not interested.

I'm going to starve!!!

[Gifted Gourmet]

It would be a shame to stop that for passover, so I am going to just eat vegetarian food for the holiday.

DrewS, if you are still checking in here occasionally before Passover, take a look at:

http://www.jewishfood-list.com/recipes/pes...vegn_index.html

http://www.cyber-kitchen.com/rfcj/category...SACH-vegetarian

Edited March 27, 2004 by Gifted Gourmet (log)

[Gifted Gourmet]

We go to my in-laws for the first and last days.  In past years, my mil and I have worked together to  develop menus and I go there on eruv-eruv pesach to help cook.  The reason for this is that she is a very uninspired cook and is "low energy."  By my helping I make sure that we get something other than boiled flanken.  And I reduce some of her burden.  But for whatever reason, this year she is not interested. 

I'm going to starve!!!

Bloviatrix, since your mil is "low energy", "very uninspired", and, now, "not interested", might this not be a sign from G-d (or, more likely, her) that you now have the opportunity to take charge, assume control, facilitate some changes, and even, give new direction and vitality, to Pesach in the future? Perhaps this is a good omen ... You are truly an inspired, creative, imaginative cook, from your posts here, and I think you will be perfect in the role!! Yasher koach!!

a good time for a hearty "carpe diem"?? which, as you know only too well, has nothing whatsoever to do with that animal swimming in the bathtub!!