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eG Foodblog: Pam R - or Pam's Passover Plotz (Part 2)


Pam R

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Wow Pam, I am exhausted just reading your list.

You and the rest of your family definitely deserve a rest this weekend.

I wish you had catered my cousin's affair last night. It was not very good this year. Oh, well, the guests made up for the food.

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As we know from the Exodus story, the Israelites spent a long time wandering around the dessert. For those of you who haven't been to that region, let me assure you that's it's hot - and dry.

Just a few days into the journey, the nation was traipsing through the parted Red Sea. They were all terribly thirsty and uncomfortable, but the adults were most concerned about their children and begged Moses to do something about the lack of fluids. Moses thought their concerns were valid and grasped at straws trying to come up with a solution. There he sat on the bottom of the now split sea looking around at all the salt water that would do nothing to quench their thirst. Eventually looking into the salty water he became aware of all of the fish swimming around in the sea - all filtering the water naturally.

Moses called on the head-fish and made a request. "Please - our children are thirsty - I beg you to help us. You're already filtering all the salt water, would you please spit the clean water out so that we have something to drink?"

The spokesman for the fish thought it over. Eventually he said to Moses "Tell ya what. We'll do this for you - we'll help you survive your time in the desert - but you have to make us a promise."

Moses - "Please - whatever it is, we will do."

Fish - "I want the future generations to always remember what we, the fish, have done to help the Israelites. From this day on, every year when you remember the Exodus of Egypt, you will have a feast - let's call it a seder. At this seder, you will eat something to remember us by."

Moses responded quickly - "Of course! Every year at our seders we will remember you - now, Go Filter Fish." **

And thus, we have this:

Whitefish - whatever variety you like. Some people are very finicky about which fish to use - we're less finicky.

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Ground up:

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With matzo meal, onions, eggs and seasonings:

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Scooped, ready to be rolled into balls and boiled:

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Boiling:

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And pulled out of the pot, draining:

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** based loosely on something I was told last year

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Wow Pam, I am exhausted just reading your list.

You and the rest of your family definitely deserve a rest this weekend.

OK. I have to admit that I didn't make it to a seder last night. For those of you who don't know, Winnipeg is located quite north (well.. it is Canada). This means that the sun didn't set last night until after 8 PM. Last night's seder was being hosted by the religious members of my family - starting at 9 PM. I just couldn't physically do it. In fact - when I got home from work, I decided to take a nap and didn't wake up until almost 9. Back to sleep again at about 10:30. This is the first year I haven't made it to both seders. I truly enjoy holidays - the traditions and spending time with family - it's a little sad that I didn't make it.

But, I'm leaving now for a family seder (dad's side) - and tomorrow will be Shabbat dinner with other family (mom's side). So I'll make up for missing last nights. :wink:

Back later.

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Moses responded quickly - "Of course! Every year at our seders we will remember you - now, Go Filter Fish."

:laugh: Bravo! That one's definitely a keeper! And what aspect of Jewish culture is complete without a little bit (or a whole hunk) of humor?:laugh:

Hag Sameach, Pam!

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Moses responded quickly - "Of course! Every year at our seders we will remember you - now, Go Filter Fish."

:laugh: Bravo! That one's definitely a keeper! And what aspect of Jewish culture is complete without a little bit (or a whole hunk) of humor?:laugh:

Hag Sameach, Pam!

When I told it at dinner tonight it didn't go over that well - apparently I draw the joke out too much :wink:

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Some random photos from the last few days:

We had boxes everywhere. One shipment weighed 7000 lbs. I'll try to get a picture on Sunday so you can see what's left. But this picture was taken in the middle of it all:

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My cake and matzo meal pouches. Most people get theirs in 1 or 2 lb. containers - mine come in 25 lb. (cake/matzo meal) or 20 kilo (potato starch):

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Brownies anyone?

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Sometimes the mixer gets away from me and I'm left with a mess:

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I seem to bake mandelbroit on a daily basis:

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Kichel (raw and baked) - new oven caused major problems - had to make thse 3 times before they turned out well:

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Making chicken and veal schnitzel:

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Turkeys just out of the oven:

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Rolls waiting to be bagged:

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Kugles - vegetable and sweet:

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Assorted meringues being packaged (coconut, chocolate and chocolate chip):

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Vegetables waiting to be mixed together and seasoned:

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Brisket sliced, waiting to be weighed and juiced:

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Just a few of the 1200 blintzes that went out:

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Berries washed, drying and on call for decorating flans:

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Our tasting table - so people can decide which matzo they want:

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Boxes folded, waiting for the cakes to go out yesterday:

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I didn't get any food pictures tonight. Too much talking and eating and playing. (and not enough energy) But these two seemed to have a good time and enjoyed dinner:

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Tomorrow is another family dinner - I will try to make something to take with. I also need to work on 2 columns that must be completed by Sunday. All recipes but one are complete - but I need to type them all up and then write out some intros. I'll have to see what I feel like cooking tomorrow.

Plans for Saturday include (at the moment) smoking a turkey roast (boneless double-breast, rolls in the skin and then netted). Everything else will be decided later. I accidently threw those brisket pieces into the freezer - not sure if I'll pull them out or not.

Are there any traditional foods anybody wants to see?

goodnight!

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Beautiful children - thanks!

Food - Im still staggering under the photos above. Oh my! So delicious looking, and so much!

"You dont know everything in the world! You just know how to read!" -an ah-hah! moment for 6-yr old Miss O.

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Good Morning. And Good Friday to those who celebrate it.

Breakfast this morning was Fried Matzo, or Matzo Brei.

First I break up some matzo, and pour water from the kettle over it. Let it sit and soften up a bit (about 1 minute). Drain the water off, then add a pinch of salt and a couple of whisked eggs. (1 egg should be enough for 1 board of matzo):

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Pan over medium-high heat. Butter. Single layer of matzo/egg mix:

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And onto a plate with syrup - served with mango juice:

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How do you like your matzo brei?

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I referred to some Buffalo meat a couple of days ago. I have a few samples of kosher buffalo brisket and stewing meat - and I wanted to try preparing the brisket the same way we prepare our beef briskets. The price of beef briskets here is astronomical - there is a source for buffalo (and lamb) in South Dakota that we've been on contact with. Their prices are potentially quite a bit less than beef and our currant, erratic supply of lamb. I wouldn't expect to replace beef with buffalo across the board - but I think the ability to offer both has a lot of potential. I've talked to several customers about it, and they'd love to try the buffalo.

Just over an hour ago I put this together:

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A small piece of brisket, slathered in fresh garlic, secret spices :wink: and some oil. Wrapped in a double layer of foil and into a 300 degree oven. I'll check it in a half hour or so.

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How do you like your matzo brei?

When we were growing up, my mom served it with sugar and jam. I know use some sugar free syrup. I definatly prefer sweet over savory.

Btw, I picked up a box of Matza farfel and I'm going to make that for Easter dinner with Robin's family. That will be a new experience for them.

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Oh my, Pam, so much food! So much of everything! You must be really, really tired.

Your blog got me in the mood for matzes today, but my supermarket was all out :angry: I hope to find some tomorrow! Wish I had access to your matzo tasting table!!

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I just realized that I completely forgot about the radio show today. :angry: I'm trying to find it online - but none of the links are working right now. Should I find it, I'll post the link. Anybody hear me rambling on this morning?

The brisket cooked for about 2 hours - I was surprised at how much it shrunk. It's very lean and I figured the yield would be better than beef. I'm holding off my review of the meat. I wasn't really in the mood to eat it earlier today - so I only had a small bite.

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For lunch I wanted something light and fresh (too much junk food on the run recently). I had a salad I really enjoyed. Romaine, papiya, blueberries, red onion and toasted almonds. Dressing was fresh ginger, lime juice, s&p and olive oil.

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Off for Shabbat dinner at my uncles.

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Pam. Oh. My. Goodness.

jawdrop.gif

I am awed by the sight of all that lovely food you've so lovingly prepared. I didn't even realize that matzoh meal and potato starch came in such big sacks! Truly amazing. No wonder you're exhausted. Get some rest, girlfriend. You have most certainly earned it.

I discovered today that leftover charoset makes a pretty good breakfast with vanilla yogurt. :smile:

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Author: Shake, Stir, Pour:Fresh Homegrown Cocktails

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Pam- you are AMAZING!!! The amount and variety of pesach food you prepared is an inspiration. A couple of questions.... what is shmoo? And, can you please post your matzo meal muffin recipe, the sandwich cravings have begun. Five more days of this never ending meal- oy!!

Helen Kimmel

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Btw, I picked up a box of Matza farfel and I'm going to make that for Easter dinner with Robin's family.    That will be a new experience for them.

Speaking of matzo farfel :wink: .. my contribution to dinner tonight was 'fried farfel'.

Farfel is what we call matzo that's been broken up into little pieces. You can actually buy it in this form - and they charge more for it :wink: . Different brands vary greatly - some are uniform small pieces, some are a mix of large chunks and lots of sawdust. I made my own farfel today by breaking up pieces of spelt matzo.

I know it doesn't look all that different from this morning's matzo brei - but it will. Small pieces of matzo, eggs whisked with salt. Toss together and add more eggs or farfel so that all the pieces are lightly coated in egg.

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Then lay the farfel out on a tray - lined with parchment - in as much of a single layer as possible. Into the oven at 375 until dry and starting to brown slightly:

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I'm not sure if you can tell in the picture - but this was taken after the farfel was taken out of the oven - and it's in one solid sheet. Now you have to break all the pieces up again. Some of them will still be moist - so it goes back into the oven until all the farfel is dry and toasty. Set aside.

Get all the vegetables ready (bad picture - sorry) - red onion, orange peppers, celery and mushrooms. You'll also need garlic and chicken broth. Saute the vegetables in olive oil for several minutes, until they start to soften - add garlic, salt, black pepper - it was a little lifeless, so I added a little onion and garlic powder. Cook another minute and add some broth.

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I like to simmer this for a couple of minutes before adding the farfel:

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This should all cook together for a few minutes. When it's finished the farfel should be soft and moist, without being soupy - so add broth if it needs it.

Ready to go:

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There were 19 of us at dinner tonight. We contributed some of the meal as did my aunt and uncle - so it was quite a mish mash. Chicken soup with matzo balls, salad, cole slaw, fried farfel, matzo meal pancakes, mixed veg, brisket, chicken, cornish hen and bbq short ribs. Fruit, brownies, cake and cookies for dessert.

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Oh my, Pam, so much food! So much of everything! You must be really, really tired.

Your blog got me in the mood for matzes today, but my supermarket was all out  :angry: I hope to find some tomorrow! Wish I had access to your matzo tasting table!!

hehe.. I am really tired. I don't remember being this tired last year - but then, this year was soooooo much busier than last year. There were more catering orders and the store is all new. I cannot believe how much work it is to stock everything! I had help the last week or so - but next year I'll get in some extra work earlier.

Is there a large Jewish population in Amsterdam? I really don't know anything about the community there - are kosher foods easily available?

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That brisket and salad look delicious.

I am addicted to the mango juice. I also mix the mango juice with pomegranate juice and add a little rum for a spring/summer cocktail.  :wub:

Verdict is still out on the brisket - but the salad was exactly what I wanted. Crisp, tart and refreshing.

Does Prigat make pomegranate juice? Or is it another brand? I must have your cocktail!

I do love the mango.. but at the moment my favorite is Spring Lemonana :wub: . And I'm into the pear juices too.

When I was in Israel last (long long time ago) I drank watermelon juice everywhere I went. A friend was there in December and said she couldn't find it (she was mostly in Haifa). Is it hard to find now?

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I didn't even realize that matzoh meal and potato starch came in such big sacks!  Truly amazing.  No wonder you're exhausted.  Get some rest, girlfriend.  You have most certainly earned it.

I realized this year that I use more potato starch than most people. It's the one thing we have loads of leftover in the retail size. I will get some rest - promise. I may even take a few days off next week :wink:

I discovered today that leftover charoset makes a pretty good breakfast with vanilla yogurt.  :smile:

Charoset is just good! Mixing it with yogurt is brilliant.

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A couple of questions.... what is shmoo?  And, can you please post your matzo meal muffin recipe, the sandwich cravings have begun.  Five more days of this never ending meal- oy!!

:biggrin: Shmoo. A Shmoo is a cake that I believe originated here in Winnipeg. I've never seen it outside of the city, but it's at every bar/bat mitzvah and wedding - as well as several restaurants in the city. It's a pecan chiffon (see? perfect for Passover), with caramel sauce and whipped cream/topping. Simple but loved by many.

Here's the recipe for the rolls - they are basically a choux recipe. In fact - if you replace the matzo meal with cake meal, you can make Kosher for Passover cream puffs or eclairs.

Passover Rolls

Combine:

8 cups matzoh meal

1 T. salt

¼ C. sugar

Bring to a boil:

4 C. water 2 C. oil

16 eggs

-add boiling mixture into dry ingredients – blend well

-beat in 1 egg at a time

-shape and bake at 375 for 50 minutes (I use convection oven) - Make sure they are golden brown before removing from the oven or they will collapse.

This batch makes about 27 LARGE Rolls... obviously you can make a smaller batch - divide it by 4

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Does Prigat make pomegranate juice?  Or is it another brand? I must have your cocktail!

I do love the mango.. but at the moment my favorite is Spring Lemonana  :wub: .  And I'm into the pear juices too.

When I was in Israel last (long long time ago) I drank watermelon juice everywhere I went.  A friend was there in December and said she couldn't find it (she was mostly in Haifa).  Is it hard to find now?

Spring makes Pomegranate juice. They started offering it last year for Rosh Hashanah.

Lemonana is also very nice. I also like Summer Fruit. It has plum, pear, apricot, peach, apple and forest fruit juice.

I prefer Spring over Prigat.

Watermelon juice is not as popular as it used to be. You can find it at some of the juice kiosks.

It is so strange. I have known all these years years, but know after seeing all the things you make for Passover, I realize how little I know about Ashkenazi food. My family didn't make all of these things. I didn't have Matzah Brei until I went to university, we always had rice during Passover and we didn't eat gefilte fish. I found out that they didn't know what gefilte fish was in the part of Germany that my grandparents are from.

I also didn't know what farfel was and I still don't know what you use it for.

We didn't have sponge cake for dessert. My grandmother made matzah schalet with lemon sauce or made the mixture into patties and fried them in a pan.

I didn't know you could make crepe batter from potato starch. How do you do that?

Edited by Swisskaese (log)
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