It wouldn’t be Passover without my mother’s eight-egg sponge cake. These memories are vivid as I make tried-and-true recipes that harken back to my heritage growing up in the Shetland Islands. As I break each egg into a measuring cup before slipping it into the batter, I hear my mother’s voice, “Here’s a blood speck, can’t use this one” as she tossed it down the sink.
I know now that a blood spot indicates that the egg may be fertilized, the beginning of an embryo, and consuming blood is forbidden according to the laws of kashrut. Fear not. Most commercial eggs in the United States are not fertilized. And now, at spiraling prices, discarding an egg seems downright wasteful.
Weeks ahead, markets display everything from mega-packages of matzah to spices and wines, all kosher for Passover. Shopping, changing dishes and cooking for one of the most important holidays can bring back long-forgotten memories. It could be the smell of onions carmelizing that filled Bubbe’s kitchen. Or, as my friend Sandra remembers, “when I was safely married, my mother “abdicated” from making the seders. “Your turn now,” she commanded. With a lot of help from her husband, they muddled through.
She laughs about the experience, saying, “that first seder I’ll never forget.”
The food processor is a fixture on my countertop. But as I blithely chop dried fruits for a Sephardic charoset, I remember back as a student in Basel, Switzerland, how I grated apples on a box grater, trying to keep my fingers from bleeding. We celebrated with another couple, just the four of us. But I was thrilled. It was my first seder as a new bride in another country, where, in limited German, I managed to buy matzah meal and other staples for the eight-day holiday.
Passover memories linger, though sometimes, there can be a flash recollection. Some seders are nostalgic, comical, ridiculous—or a combination of all. Sharing a two-family household, Susan and Len Lodish, and Gloria and Bob Spitz celebrated Passover with 10 little grandchildren. Retelling the story of the Israelites and their Exodus from Egypt, read in the Haggadah, was simply too long for these little ones.
“To hold the kids attention, we wanted it to be fun, too,” said Gloria. Susan created a puppet show for both educational and entertaining purposes. The characters included Pharaoh, Moses, the “wise” child and the “simple” one. Gloria colored supermarket bags green, cut a hole in the top, and the kids jumped around as frogs, one of the Ten Plagues. It was a clever way to instill details and the importance of the holiday.
It doesn’t matter where you are. Oftentimes, you may be far away from family and friends. Studies have shown that Passover is one of, if not the, most widely observed Jewish holidays. According to the Pew Research Center’s report, more than 70% American Jews celebrate by participating in a seder.
After Sheila and David moved to California, their first seder was with a host of new friends. Thrilled to wake up to fine weather every day, the young family rolled up carpets, moved furniture and dragged it all outside to the patio, where cacti of all colors flourished in the dry heat. Indoors, tables were set up for 20.
“It was such fun,” says Sheila. David assigned each guest a job such as share a poem, do a play and sing about the boils to the tune of “Damn Yankees,” all related to Passover. And always on the dessert table, Beacon Hill Cookies were a cherished community recipe passed on from her mother. With a baby in tow, their daughter, Elana, will be traveling from Maryland to Pennsylvania to be with family. But she bubbles as she remembers: “I was 4 or 5 years old. I stood on a chair at the kitchen table, watching mom and Bubbe grate the apples for the charoset, and I would sneak little bits of fruit.”
She said that “we still do everything by hand—grating the apples, chopping the nuts.”
And then there’s the afikomen. Elena’s dad, an outstanding cantor and teacher, asks every year: “Why is the larger piece of matzah the afikomen?”
The answer? “The greater part of life is hidden.”
As we prepare this year’s seder for family and friends, encourage kids and teens to help out, even if it’s making place cards and setting the table—or sharing drawings and stories. Together, we’re creating sweet memories to pass on to future generations.
Chag Pesach Sameach!
Charoseth ‘Oranges’ (Pareve)
Makes 20-24
Cook’s Tips:
*Set each in tiny paper cups.
*Call in kids to help with this.
Ingredients:
14 pitted dates
8 to 10 dried apricots, halved
⅓ cup walnuts
¼ seedless orange, skin on, cut into 1-inch pieces
3 tablespoons fresh squeezed orange juice
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 to 2 tablespoons honey
20 to 24 pistachio halves
Directions:
In the food processor, place all the ingredients except the honey and pistachios. Chop finely.
Add enough honey to hold the mixture together. Refrigerate for 15 minutes. Roll into small balls about an inch in diameter.
Insert a pistachio half in each to resemble an orange stem.
Serve slightly chilled.
Matzah Kebabs (Meat)
Makes 9
Cook’s Tips:
*To soften matzahs: Lay one sheet on a damp paper towel. Spray with cool water. Top with remaining matzos, spraying each with cool water. Cover with damp paper towel. Set for 10 minutes or until soft.
*Rinse wooden skewers under water for a few seconds before using; this prevents scorching.
*Use thin latex gloves to spread the filling.
Ingredients:
18 short wooden skewers
6 sheets of matzah, softened
½ small onion, cut into ½-inch chunks
½ pound ground beef
½ teaspoon each salt and pepper
1½ teaspoons sweet paprika or seasoning of your choice
barbecue sauce to brush
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Spray a large cookie sheet with nonstick baking spray.
Prepare the filling. In the food processor, process the onion until finely chopped. Add the beef and seasonings. Process to blend. Transfer to a small bowl.
Place one soft matzah on a damp paper towel. Place a half-cup of the filling on matzah, spreading to cover the entire sheet. Top with a second matzah, pressing lightly. Repeat with half-cup filling.
Top with another matzah. Press lightly.
With a sharp knife, cut into nine pieces: three across vertically, three horizontally. Spear two, about an inch apart, on a wooden skewer. Repeat with remaining kebabs. Brush the meat filling with barbecue sauce.
Place on a prepared cookie sheet.
Bake in preheated oven for five minutes or until filling has lost its pinkness. For an air fryer, preheat for five minutes, bake for four to five minutes.
Serve hot with extra sauce to dip.
Bob’s Potato Soup (Dairy)
Serves 8 (or two hungry teenagers)
Adapted from Passoverama, compiled by the Sisterhood of Temple Beth Hillel Beth El in Wynnewood, Pa.
Cook’s Tips:
*Substitute margarine instead of butter to make this recipe pareve.
Ingredients:
6 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoon potato starch
6 to 8 large potatoes, peeled and diced
5 cups water
garlic powder
salt to taste
Directions:
Melt the butter in a large pot until it sizzles. Sprinkle in the potato starch. Stir over a low flame until the potato starch becomes brown.
Add a little more potato starch to the mixture to keep the browning starch moist. Add the potatoes and water. Bring to a boil. Let simmer until the soup begins to thicken.
Add the garlic powder and salt to taste.
Serve hot.
Suzi’s Gefilte Fish Pie (Pareve)
Serves 8-10
Adapted from Passoverama, compiled by the Sisterhood of Temple Beth Hillel Beth El in Wynnewood, Pa.
Cook’s Tips:
*Serve with bottled horseradish.
*Kosher-for-Passover spices are available at supermarkets with kashrut offerings (Lieber’s, etc.) or online from companies like Pereg.
Ingredients:
½ small onion, cut-up
2 jars (1½ pounds each) gefilte fish
1 cup jelly from gefilte fish jar
¼ cup margarine, melted
½ cup dill, snipped finely
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1¼ teaspoons salt
1½ teaspoons cumin
1½ teaspoons za’atar or schwarma seasoning
4 eggs
1 cup matzah meal
dill sprigs to garnish (optional)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Spray a 9-inch square casserole with nonstick baking spray. Set aside.
Place the onion in the food processor. Process to chop finely.
Add all the remaining ingredients except the eggs and matzah meal. Process to blend.
Add the eggs and matzah meal. Process to blend to a fairly smooth mixture.
Turn into the prepared baking dish. Bake in preheated oven 1 hour and 10 minutes.
Garnish with dill sprigs.
Serve hot or at room temperature.
Rosemary Roasted Chicken (Meat)
Serves 8-10
Cook’s Tips:
*Remember to remove neck and giblets from chicken cavity.
*Rest chicken for 10 to 15 minutes before carving.
*After 450-degree heat, reduce to 350 degrees, 20 minutes per pound.
Ingredients:
2 large lemons
½ cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon coarsely ground black pepper
1½ teaspoons kosher salt
3 fresh rosemary sprigs, divided
2 cloves garlic, split in half
1 (5 to 6 pounds) roasting chicken, rinsed and patted dry
Directions:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Line a deep baking pan with heavy aluminum foil. Lay the chicken on the foil, breast-side up. Set aside.
Grate enough zest from the lemons to measure 2 tablespoons. Place in a small bowl with the vegetable oil, pepper, salt and leaves stripped and chopped from 1 rosemary sprig. Stir and set aside.
Cut the zested lemons in quarters. Push inside the chicken cavity with the garlic and remaining rosemary sprigs. Smear the vegetable oil mixture over the chicken breast and inside the cavity.
Place in preheated oven for 15 minutes.
Reduce the heat to 350 degrees. Roast for 1 hour and 40 minutes for a five-pound chicken. Baste every 30 minutes. Juices should run clear when inserted in the thickest part of the chicken.
Cover loosely with foil if browning too quickly.
Springtime Kugel (Pareve)
Serves 8-10
Cook’s Tips:
*Don’t be put off by the long list of ingredients. The result is sweet and tangy. Prepare to serve seconds.
*Chop apples and vegetables in a food processor before beginning this recipe.
*Freezes well.
Ingredients:
½ cup matzah meal
½ cup sugar
¾ teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 large apples, cored, unpeeled and coarsely chopped
2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 large baking potato, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 large carrot, peeled and coarsely chopped
¾ cup golden raisins
3 tablespoons frozen orange-juice concentrate, melted
1 stick (4 ounces) of margarine, melted
grated zest and juice of 1 large lemon (optional)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Spray a 9-inch square baking dish with nonstick baking spray.
In a large bowl, combine matzah meal, sugar and spices. Add all the remaining ingredients, stirring well to mix. Transfer to the prepared baking dish.
Bake in preheated oven for 1¼ hours, or until firm and nicely browned. If browning too quickly, cover loosely with foil.
Cool slightly. Cut into squares. Serve warm.
Last-Minute Fruit Casserole (Pareve)
Serves 8-10
Cook’s Tips:
*Use no-sugar added, canned fruit.
*Can sizes vary within a couple of ounces.
Ingredients:
1 can (15 ounces each) sliced peaches, drained
1 can (15 ounces) pears, drained
1½ cups frozen pitted cherries, thawed
15 to 16 macaroon cookies
2 tablespoons sherry
2 tablespoon brown sugar
3 tablespoons margarine, melted
½ cup slivered almonds (optional)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Spray an oven-safe pie dish with nonstick baking spray.
In a medium bowl, gently mix the peaches, pears and cherries. Cut the peach slices in half and the pears into 1-inch chunks.
With your fingers, crumble 10 macaroon cookies into the pie dish, spreading to cover. Top with the fruit mixture. Crumble the remaining cookies over. Sprinkle with sherry, and then scatter the brown sugar and almonds, if using, over top. Drizzle with melted margarine.
Bake in preheated oven 20 minutes or until nicely browned and fruit is just beginning to bubble.
Serve hot or at room temperature.
Beacon Hill Cookies (Pareve)
Makes 30-36
Cook’s Tips:
*Vinegar helps stabilize the meringue.
*Egg whites whip best at room temperature.
*If cookies are sticking, flip parchment paper to release the cookies.
Ingredients:
2 large egg whites
½ cup sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon white vinegar
1 cup (6 ounces) mini dark-chocolate chips
½ cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
½ cup dried cranberries
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Spray lightly with nonstick baking spray.
In a clean, dry bowl, whisk the egg whites until foamy. Gradually add sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, whisking well until the whites peak softly. Continue adding sugar and beating until the meringue forms stiff, glossy peaks.
Gently stir in the vanilla and vinegar. Carefully fold in the chocolate chips, walnuts and cranberries.
Drop rounded teaspoonfuls of the mixture onto the prepared cookie sheet. Leave about one inch of space in between.
Bake in preheated oven 10 minutes or until beginning to pale brown. Immediately remove from the baking sheet with a spatula and cool on a wire rack.
Cookies will be soft but firm up as they cool. They freeze well.
Ethel G. Hofman is a widely syndicated American Jewish food and travel columnist, author and culinary consultant.
