I typically shop forPassoverat 11 o’clock at night. Why? If I go shopping for my Pesach necessities during the day, I find myself deluged with questions about cooking as I power-walk the aisles of the supermarket!
One year, I was at home when I received a call from an acquaintance who was standing in the aisle of her local grocery store. She overheard two women talking, and one said, “Well, Tina says not to double your matzah ball recipe in one bowl.” (She’s right: The weight of a double or triple mixture will deflate the batter and cause the balls to be heavier.) My friend’s panicked voice implored me for clarification, as she usually doubled her recipe.
Throughout the years, I've received tons and tons ofPassover-related cooking questions like these, and I’ve even presented workshops on the topic. I like to take folks through the many steps ofPassover preparations, then I answer whatever questions they may have. Here, I've gathered some of the most popular questions for you– along with their answers, of course!I hope you find a helpful tidbit or two foryour own seder.
1. Buy plenty of plain matzah.
Egg matzah is fine to eat before the start of Passover and during the seder meal, but plain matzah must be the matzah of choice for all ceremonial ingestion.
2. Make the best matzah balls.
Far be it from me to tell you which kind ofmatzah ballsare better, light-as-air or sinkers; usually, whatever Mama made is what you love.If you like heavier matzah balls, just add more matzah meal to the mix, and always allow the mixture to sit for 15 minutes or longer to absorb the moisture.
Either outcome is achieved if you do one thing:Don’t peek! If you think the water is boiling too fast, lower the temperature butdon’t lift the lid. The matzah balls are actually steaming in the pot, and if you open the lid, cold air comes in and the balls will immediately sink. You can always tell if the cook peeked by looking at the center of the ball; if the center is translucent and dark, they peeked (and didn’t read this advice!).
3. Achieve easy-to-peel eggs.
Here are my tried-and-true tips for the perfect hard-boiled eggs:
- Always hard boil your egg before you roast it. Otherwise, the egg will explode and make the smell of cooking gefilte fish seem pleasant.
- Buy Grade A (not AA) eggs and buy them a week or so before Pesach. As the white breaks down, it pulls away from the membrane and will make peeling the egg easier.
- Another trick is to let someone else bring the hard-boiled, peeled eggs so you don’t have to deal with it. You have enough to do! (The same goes for farming out the fruit salad or any other dish that seems like too much work for a busy host.)
4. Reuse your shank bone.
roasted shank boneevery year so I know I have it. Don’t have a shank bone? Don’t worry; plenty of households roast the leg bone from the soup chicken as a stand-in.
5. Provide some seder nibbles.
After you dip greens in salt water, you can nibble on foods before the meal begins. On my seder table, you’ll often find celery, carrot sticks,chopped liver,eggplant dips, and/orPersiankuku. I find that guests pay more attention to theHaggadahand the reason for the seder when their stomachs aren’t growling!
6. Spruce up your gefilte fish.
No time or inclination tomake your own gefilte fish? No problem. Empty the contents of jarred gefilte fish into a saucepan, then add some fresh onion and carrot and simmer for 20 minutes. It will taste just like Auntie Ida’s, and I promise not to tell your guests otherwise.
7. Go for easy entrées.
Make whatever you want for your entrée, but on this holiday, you may want to include prunes (for digestive reasons!) in yourtagine, your favorite brisket, or yourtzimmes recipe.
I make three different entrées so that everyone is happy, but if you are overwhelmed with cooking, smear some Gold’s Duck Sauce on chicken or make an easy baked for surefire crowd-pleasers in terms of effort to satisfaction quotient.
8. Take sides.
Side dishes are up to you, but remember that quinoa is not a grain and is gluten-free, so all guests can partake. (Want some reassurance?Read this explanation from a Reform rabbi.)
Hint: When you cook quinoa, put a cinnamon stick and a bay leaf in the water for a subtle but delicious addition.
9. Don't forget dessert.
If your guests aren’t stuffed by the time dessert comes around, we need to talk! Take a look at this long list ofPassover dessert recipes, and pick your fancy
Instead of big cakes, make mini, muffin-sized treats. Have a fruit compote or cookies or fresh-cut fruit (that your guest made…remember?) so people can try many options. I always follow this rule; the exception is myLinzer Torte.
10. Enjoy your leftovers!
When the seder ends, don’t think you have to eat leftovers all week to adhere toPassover’s food restrictions. Think outside of the box! Many of your favorite recipes can be made as-is or slightly tweaked to accommodate the holiday.
- Migas and Matzah:This traditional Spanish.Portuguese dish is made of scrambled eggs mixed with sautéed onions and pepper and crushed tortilla strips. Substitute matzah farfel for the tortilla chips for a delicious Passover-friendly orpost-holiday version.
- Chicken Salad Veronique:The best secondary benefit of the seder meal is the soup chicken. This fall-off-the-bone meat from the soup makes thevery best chicken saladin the world.
- Passover Granola:In Dallas, where I live, there’s always a run on farfel because everyone seems to make at least two batches ofPassover Granola. You won’t find any packaged Pesach cereal that’s worth the money, and the granola can be eaten with milk for breakfast, snacked on loose for an afternoon snack, or mixed with melted chocolate to make the equivalent of a Passover candy bar.
Enjoy preparing for Passover knowing that you are creating wonderful gustatory memories for everyone you love – and eat in good health!
Hosting a Passover seder?Use this shopping checklist to prepare.
