Day 90 - Passover Popovers

3/31/2010
During Passover bakers don't use regular flour. Matzo meal, which is crushed matzos, is used instead. I have never made popovers before but was inspired by a King Arthur's Flour blog to try these made for Passover by using matzo meal and matzo cake meal. They were really good hot with butter and jelly. The actual recipe I used came from the iVillage web page.

Day 89 - Passover

3/30/2010

During Passover we eat matzoh (unleavened bread) and charoset.

Several of the young people who attended our Seders through out the years have said that charoset is their favorite part of the meal and my husband wants it even if we are not having a seder. This is the recipe I have used (multiplied for many more servings):

1/2 cup finely chopped apples

1/4 cup chopped almonds or walnuts

1 teaspoon cinnamon

cinnamon bark, if desired

Passover red wine or grape juice (concord grape)

Apples must be very finely chopped; add juts and cinnamon with sufficient wine to make a mixture that holds together. Add cinnamon bark, if desired.

I have seen many different recipes for charoset that have other ingredients from dates or raisins to different nuts. There is also a choice of how finely chopped the mixture should be. Some people like it almost paste like and others want it chunky. The apples you use will also change the taste of the mixture. I like using tart or tart-sweet apples such as Granny Smith, Macintosh or Fuji. Never use red or gold delicious. For our seders we always made some with wine and some with grape juice for children or those who didn't want the alcohol.

Day 88 - Passover

3/29/2010

Tonite is the first night of Passover, the Jewish festival that celebrates the Exodus of the Jews out of slavery from Egypt. This is a traditional Passover plate that belonged to my husband, David's family. It is from Israel and made of brass. The plate is used on the Sedar table with traditional foods. These are: bitter herbs (usually horseradish), hard roasted egg, vegetable (usually parsley), a lamb shank, a 2nd bitter herb (such as romaine lettuce) and charoset (a paste made of fruits, nuts and wine).