Passover

Homemade Matzoh Brittle

My kids were craving something sweet. Normally, we always have fresh, baked goodies in the house. With Passover, we eliminate from our diet, anything made from the five major grains (wheat, rye, barley, oats and spelt). Some traditional Jews avoid rice, corn, peanuts and legumes. All of these items have been used to make bread. I am not super strict (I have let the kids have chips and a family member gave them some gummy bears which have corn syrup) and I don’t clean out my house of all grains nor do I change out my dishes.

Personally, I want my children to have an understanding of what the holiday means and have some sort of discipline. With that said, they are missing the baked treats that normally adorn our home. I haven’t made this particular recipe in a few years and felt that this was the perfect solution to their sweet craving. Sometimes I toast some pecans or almonds and sprinkle them on the top, but this time I opted to chop up some of the homemde candied orange peels I had in the freezer. The scent and the taste of the orange made all the difference in the world.

Reflections on Easter and Passover

As a secular Jew married to a Catholic, I guess you could say that religion for me has always been a spectator sport. I do know that Easter is upon us, so my catholic friends (yes, I mean those who embrace all things) celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ with a holiday, whose name is derived from the name of a goddess associated with spring, hence all the chocolate fertility symbols (a patriarchal holiday with something for everyone). And this Christian holiday normally coincides with Passover because the Last Supper was a Passover meal, and we all know how that went.

Flourless Chocolate Cake

flourlesschocolatecake Most everyone loves chocolate cake. It's just one of those classic desserts that no one can refuse. A good chocolate cake is moist and tender, sweet but not saccharine, and very chocolaty, of course. Melted chocolate—not cocoa powder—separates an excellent chocolate cake from a mediocre one. The best quality chocolate will always yield excellent results. But what about a chocolate cake made without flour? You would think it would be horrible. But it actually works, with just two ingredients: chocolate and eggs.

The best way to describe it would be to call it a baked mousse, because basically that's what it is. Melted chocolate is first combined with a mixture of beaten egg yolks and sugar, then egg whites are folded in. I choose to flavor this cake with instant espresso powder and vanilla, both of which help heighten the chocolate flavor. The final product is a dense yet moist and tender cake just right for chocolate lovers. It also makes a great dessert for Passover since there's no flour at all.

Pesach

Waking up at 5am really worked for me this morning. I got to Fairfax at 8:15 am, expecting to avoid the long lines and empty shelves typical of pre-Passover. Apparently, so thought all the other conscientious Jewish hausfraus.

First, I run into Melissa between the tomatoes and avocados in the vegetable store. We know each other from when our children were in elementary school. Her cart was already piled full with onions, carrots, celery, etc… each item meticulously checked off on the list in her hand. Seeing her reminds me of old times, a sweet, sad longing for when our children were young. We hug. I’m a little embarrassed because Melissa, as always, looks beautiful and put together, while I look like a schmata (rag) in an old sweatshirt and sweatpants.

One for the Table's Brisket Extravaganza

Kbell's Perfect Brisket
by Joy Horowitz

My friend KBell makes socks for a living. But it’s what comes out of her kitchen that’ll really knock your socks off – the world’s most perfect brisket.

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