Passover: The Things I Crave

[Pam R]

Though Pesach lasts only 8 days, I find that I start craving things that I am oftem fine without. I tend to favour things that are crispy over doughy - but after 1/2 a piece of matzah I want pizza and pasta.

In the last few years companies have been selling all sorts of 'kosher for passover' items that I would have never imagined possible. Baking ingredients are more plentiful and I find that I bake some pretty decent stuff. I've seen passover pasta, but never tried it ... and I don't intend to.

My question is: What do you find yourself craving the most? What has you counting the hours and the days so that you can eat it again?

Question #2: What interesting and innovative recipes do you prepare for Passover - and do they stop you from wanting that slice of pizza?

Question #3: Are you totally good with the matzah and don't crave any chometz?

[cakewalk]

When we were kids my grandmother and my aunt always stayed at our place for Passover. What I really miss more and more, especially as I get older, is having my grandmother there to make breakfast for us. Kremslech, matzah brei, even just a piece of matzoh with butter (she would always wet the matzoh first), nothing tastes quite the same.

Aside from that, I can't really say I await anything. I'm not really a big matzoh fan. And my mother was not exactly the best cook in the world (sorry Mom.) These days on Passover I do a lot with vegetables, since I only have Milcheg dishes for Passover. But I still find vegetables to be a treat, Passover or not, because the only veggies we ate growing up were canned carrots and peas and corn. I still marvel at asparagus and I'm amazed that I was an adult before I ever tasted it. I love making vegetable quiches with grated potato crust instead of regular crust.

But towards the end of Passover, I do crave some good fresh bread. With butter.

[bloviatrix]

I begin to miss good bread after about the fourth day. Otherwise, there's really nothing I crave. It was different when I was a kid because there were fewer products available.

[ladyyoung98]

while im not jewish myself....my ex husband definitley was and there were things i learned to make...while i never did acquire the taste for lox..i did acquire the taste for chopped liver as well as chicken soup and maza balls...also the potato pancakes...i dont keep track of the jewish holidays and really have not since he and i divorced sixteen years ago...but the things i learned to love..i do crave every now and then..though the one thing i really really did love is one thing i cant have anymore...those wonderful wonderful blintzes that u can only get at the jewish deli....sometimes its hell being diabetic but until i can get a decnt conversion that diabetic friendly they r off my list.....

[Jason Perlow]

It was different when I was a kid because there were fewer products available.

Oh yeah. When we were kids, there were very few decent KFP products. There was basically Manischewitz (click) products, and well... Horowitz Margareten, Goodman's and Season (which are also now owned by the big M)

When I was 12, when I was enrolled in Hebrew school and preparing for my Bar Mitzvah, I went to a YMHA (Jewish version of the YMCA) "Passover Camp" up in the mountains, we were lucky to have Matzah and cold cuts. And tinned macaroons -- which I hate, no matter how many "new" flavors of them they come out with. I think when I got home the first thing I did was make a huge PBJ sandwich on Wonder!

Nowadays, its a totally different ballgame. I was utterly blown away today with the selection of stuff in the Passover section of the Englewood NJ Shop Rite -- granted, its one of the best stocked Kosher supermarkets in the entire country, but still, the variety of stuff out there -- and that includes all kinds of junk food, snacks, baking goods, etc, is quite impressive compared to what it used to be. I bought all kinds of KFP junk food today, just for the sake of trying them. Even the big M has lots of new products as well. If I had to be observant to the letter for a week, I could totally get by these days without losing my mind. Maybe.

Oh, and BTW Bloviatrix, I spoke to the kosher section manager today at Shop Rite -- he's got a -huge- shipment of KFP Coca Cola, Pepsi and other sodas coming in next week. I had a heck of a time trying to find some last year, but apparently he got the lions share of it this time.

[NancyH]

I love indulging in those special Passover foods - some of which I only eat once a year. There is a sweet farfel pudding from the East Northport Jewish Center's sisterhood cookbook of my youth, Elegant Essen; potato kugel, matzoh balls, gefilte fish from scratch, matzoh pancakes and brei. I do miss bread a little by the end of the week, but I am usually too stuffed on the Passover goodies - the last few years, I made too much and the leftovers lasted past the end of the holiday!

[Gifted Gourmet]

Actually, I have enjoyed Passover more and more with the extreme volume of new foods introduced yearly ... I still enjoy the things that I make for Passover because it only happens once a year and I never make them after those eight days. I use my special heavy blue and white speckled Passover pots and pans from my husband's grandmother and that alone makes the entire process almost pleasurable .. sort of ... still lots of work ...

The only thing I dislike about Passover is that we don't eat in restaurants for those eight days ...

But, as for missing things from my youth? My parents did nothing about the holiday when I grew up and we ate ham sandwiches with great abandon ... of course, we were Reform Jews and thought that was just fine!

[Pam R]

I bought all kinds of KFP junk food today, just for the sake of trying them. Even the big M has lots of new products as well. If I had to be observant to the letter for a week, I could totally get by these days without losing my mind. Maybe.

Oh, and BTW Bloviatrix, I spoke to the kosher section manager today at Shop Rite -- he's got a -huge- shipment of KFP Coca Cola, Pepsi and other sodas coming in next week. I had a heck of a time trying to find some last year, but apparently he got the lions share of it this time.

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Jason,

Could you (and everybody else out there) let me know which new products are great and which you'd never want to eat again? Living where I do, it's our company and another two that bring in kfp products. We are very apprehensive about bringing in cases of stuff we've never tried because it often means being stuck with it after the holiday. I'd love some opinions so I can start compiling a list of what to bring in for next year (it's too late for this year).

re: kfp pop (soda) I love that Passover means getting in cases of Dr. Brown's - not something easily found in the Canadian Prairies.

[JFLinLA]

Growing up in California, the things I missed during Passover were a really good black & white cookie from a good Jewish bakery. The thing I still miss during Passover, and always as I wrestle with weight, is some great, crusty, sourdough.

PS - Grew up and still am a committed reform Jew but always observed the holidays and chametz during Passover. My grandparents (the ones on this coast) were more observant and it was a thrill as a kid the few times I got to go with the candle and feather searching for the chametz and helping Grandpa burn it in the backyard.

[bloviatrix]

Oh, and BTW Bloviatrix, I spoke to the kosher section manager today at Shop Rite -- he's got a -huge- shipment of KFP Coca Cola, Pepsi and other sodas coming in next week. I had a heck of a time trying to find some last year, but apparently he got the lions share of it this time.

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I'll keep that in mind. It so happens we're car sitting this week. Not sure if I'll have access to wheels going forward. The only carbonated stuff we drink on a regualr basis is seltzer, but I would love to stock up for the "just in case" moments.

I really hope they have good soda at the hotel we'll be staying at.

[gestalt768]

It's funny, years I would spend hours traipsing from place to place looking for new and different pessach foods...Recently I have found that if for those eight days I pretty much stick to foods that don't need substitutes we're all much happier. The Kosher for Pessach necessities in my house are of course, matzoh meal, KP Diet Pepsi, the sugars, oils and vinegars...salt, pepper and oregano, spagetti sauce and cheeses...otherwise I find that using fresh fruits and vegetables and fish (totally non-meat house.)

In interest of full-disclosure for seder I serve on paper plates with plastic flatware and order honey baked chicken from a local KP caterer...my extended family cannot fathom a veggie seder.

The real favorite meal in my house is eggplant parmigina...

That being said I certainly crave fresh bagette from the wonderful bakery across the street...

[Pam R]

.... sushi (rice and soy) and popcorn

[bloviatrix]

.... sushi (rice and soy) and popcorn 

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Loooks like you're going to have to find a nice Sephardi boy to marry.

[Pam R]

.... sushi (rice and soy) and popcorn 

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Loooks like you're going to have to find a nice Sephardi boy to marry.

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I'll work on it