Happy Passover!

[Dror]

Sometimes I wonder why we LDS don't celebrate Passover. Most of the holidays we observe are not scriptural, but this one is. There is nothing about it that is incompatible with LDS teachings or practices. It has great symbolism and a spiritual message. And... it's fun!

Actually, a few LDS do celebrate Passover. We're having a little seder at the Institute on Friday--I'll be sure to attend. A former bishop of mine also celebrates Passover. I am tempted to go to the local Hillel for their chocolate seder!

Anyway, enjoy Passover and Easter!

Dror

[Winnie G]

A few years back I taught seminary and the same age group for Sunday school.

We were taking the Old Testament, we held a Sader inviting the parents of the students.

The class learned to cook a Seder meal as well as other dietary laws that came with cooking Kosher.

I drew from my upbringing and taught them some Hebrew so they could answer the question in Hebrew. That was hard for them, but they did it.

The food as well as the meal was a resounding success.

The next spring the Young Women’s decided to do the same thing inviting their parents.

The YW president invited a friend who was a Rabi to perform the Seder. He was so pleased and excited.

A week after all this work was put in to this evening, I received a phone call from the YW president.

She wanted me to hear it from her first and hoped I would not have my feelings hurt.

A sister in the ward took offence and complained to the stake president, witch is kind of funny since his wife was the YW president and he was one of the parents who was percent at the first Seder the seminary students and Sunday school students did the year before.

This sister felt it was inapposite for Saints to barrow from another’s faith and to Celebrate Passover in anyway even to participate in a Seder.

It was canceled just to make one member happy.

They opened a can of worms after that. Notes started to be shoved under the YW room door complaining about the Halloween activities proper dress and so on.

She was one of the most up tight sister I have ever meet. She makes Sandy UT look like a Jerry Speringer show.

I am lucky I grow up in a part Jewish family.

She could not ruin my small Seder that year were we invited the YW leadership and their families and the YW’s families. Oh well the food was bought so I paid the YW president for the food and she helped with the invitations. My home my Seder or should I say Gods.

From what I hear it has become part of the families that participated that first year each family takes a turn.

They do it only in the years the Old Testament is taught. It is a grate teaching tool.

My sister left for LA last week for Passover so she could be there for the 8 days.

FYI

Passover is the 8 day observance commemorating the freedom and exodus of the Israelites from Egypt during the reign of the Pharaoh Ramses II. This is a time of family gatherings and lavish meals called Seders, the story of Passover is retold through the reading of the Haggadah. With its special foods, songs, and customs, the Seder is the focal point of the Passover celebration. Passover begins on the 15th day of the Jewish month of Nissan. As the Jewish day begins at sundown the night before, for the year 2006, the first night of Passover will be April 12th. Witch is Today!

Leading up to the first night of Passover, the home is cleaned and cleared of all yeast foods, called hametz. All hametz is either eaten before Passover begins or "sold" to non-Jewish neighbors and friends.

The rules surrounding Passover are strict and many, with only special foods, utensils, and dishware allowed

Kitchen utensils and dishware normally used in the home are not be used during Passover. Special dishes and utensils for the Passover holiday are taken out of storage, cleaned and used

Only foods that are "Kosher for Passover" are allowed. No leavened (containing yeast) foods or grains are eaten. In their place matzoh and foods containing matzoh are eaten. This is to commemorate the Israelites who fled quickly into the desert with no time for their breads to rise and were forced to bake the dough into hard crackers in the desert sun. All foods prohibited during Passover must be disposed of the morning of the first night of Passover . With its Passover dishware and silverware, the Seder table is different than the regular dinner table. The centerpiece of which is the Seder plate, a special plate containing the 5 foods that remind us of the struggle of the Israelites in their quest and journey to freedom

Three pieces of matzoh are placed in a Matzoh Cover (a cloth sleeve or envelope) and placed in the center of the Seder table. Before the meal begins the middle matzoh is removed and broken in half. One-half is returned to the Matzoh Cover, the other - the Afikomen - is hidden, to be hunted by the children at the end of the Seder meal. The child who finds the Afikomen wins a special prize. Some homes break the Afikomen in to many pieces assuring that each child present can find a piece and receive a prize.

The prizes when I was young were special sweet treats that were never made at any other time of the year.

[pushka]

Thanks for that information about the Passover meal, Winnie. It really does sound interesting and enjoyable and is one of the things about Judaism that I find fascinating.

Can you tell us a little more about the actual food that is consumed that week? (specific dishes for example, and what their ingredients are?)

[shanstress70]

Yes Winnie, great post! I was wondering about the foods as well. I'm always looking for some new traditions to share with my family!

[Dror]

Great post, Winnie! I'm glad you've been able to do those things.

I guess the seders I had in mind were simplified versions of the traditional Jewish seder. Most of the ones I've attended were done by LDS people, and didn't follow all the rules the Jews have. However, the one time I did go to a Jewish Passover seder, at one of the local synagogues, they followed the dietary rules, of course, but didn't go through the whole program! They skipped a lot of the stuff from the haggadah, and I was disappointed. And the meal was pricey, though they did have an incredible dessert bar!

It kills me that one sister in your ward complained about borrowing from other faiths. If we claim to be the 21st-century version of the same religion practiced in the Old Testament, and we do, then the argument could be made that Passover is part of our religion (though we obviously don't)--there's no borrowing about it!

Thanks again, Winnie.

Dror

[Winnie G]

These are the ones we used BUT my favorite is potato pancakes.

You use shredded potatoes mix with flour and egg, garlic onion powder salt and pepper to your taste. You can leave the potatoes in cold water with a couple caps full of vinegar to stop them from turning red. I do this up until I mix them. You can do it is small batches or large if you have a large griddle. Fry them just like pancakes serve with apple sauce, if you are not kosher use sour cream.

The one main trick to kosher cooking is meat and milk produces NEVER mix. A very strict Jewish home has two refrigerators and freezers.

TRADITIONAL CHAROSET

Makes 20 1/2-teaspoon servings

Keeps 3 days under refrigeration

Ingredients:

• 3 ounces (75g/3/4-cup) walnuts

• 1/4 large cooking apple

• Kosher wine to moisten

• 2 level teaspoons cinnamon

• 2 level teaspoons sugar

Mince the walnuts and the apple. (You can use the food processor for this.) Moisten with the kosher wine and flavor with cinnamon and sugar. The consistency should be that of mortar.

MATZO BRIE

• 1 sheet of Matza

• 1 egg - scrambled

• warm running water

Break the Matza into 3 equal pieces. "Sandwich" them together, run them under the running water. Dip the wet sandwich into the egg. Then fry the sandwich as you would for french toast. Put sugar or jelly on it and it will be gone almost before the plate hits the table.

Grandpa's Geshmirte Matzo

1. In large bowl place

16 ozs. large curd cream cottage cheese

3 heaping Tbsp. sour cream

3 heaping tsp. sugar

3 shakes of cinnamon

and mix well

2. Beat one egg with fork and stir in 1 Tbsp. matzo meal.

Mix until all is smooth

3. Spread mixture on top of 5 matzos that have milk patted on top.

Line pan with kitchen parchment.

4. Bake 400 degrees for about 30 to 35 minutes.

As soon as removed from oven, sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon mixture.

Eat warm.

MATZOH BALLS (KNAIDLECH)

• 3 eggs

• 3 tablespoons chicken fat

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 3 tablespoons hot water or chicken soup

• 3/4 cup matzoh meal

Separate the eggs

Beat the yolks until light colored and thick.

Add the chicken fat, which should be at room temperature, and the salt and water or soup.

Beat the whites until stiff but not too dry. Fold in.

Fold in the matzo meal.

Refrigerate the batter for about I hour, or until batter is thick enough to form balls.

Drop the balls carefully into 2 quarts of boiling salted water or hot soup. Cover and cook for 25 minutes.

Add Matzoh Balls to soup.

Cook for another 15 or 20 minutes in the soup.

CHICKEN SOUP

• 4 to 5 pound chicken

• 3 quarts cold water

• 1 cup carrots, cut into chunks

• 4 celery ribs

• I onion, quartered

• 2 cloves, whole

• 2 peppercorns

• 1 bay leaf

• Salt to taste

• Few springs fresh dill

Wipe or rinse chicken.

Cut the chicken into two or four pieces depending on the size of the pot.

Cover with water and bring to a boil.

Add carrots, celery, onion, cloves, pepper corns, bay leaf, and salt. Simmer for 2 hours, skimming occasionally.

Strain the soup and cool. Refrigerate until yhe fat rises to teh top and can be seperated from the stock.

Bring the stock to a simmer again (add knaidlech/matzoh balls if desired) and heat for 15 or 20 minutes.

Season to taste.

To serve, pour soup into individual bowls, garnish with snipped dill.

PASSOVER TURKEY STUFFING

Here is a method for making Pesach turkey stuffing. It's much like my regular stuffing, but with Matzo Farfel instead of bread chunks. I call it method rather than recipe, as it is quite free form.

Ingredients----quantities depend on your preference--I use mostly vegetables with Farfel for a binder to reduce the caloric density.

• large diced onions - a mixture of regular and spanish is nice

• Celery, at least 3 stalks

• Mushrooms, chunked, not sliced - some Portobellos in large chunks would be nice

• Flat Leaf Italian parsley cut up stems included

• Fresh Dill or Basil, chopped

• Pepper

• Salt (optional) or chicken soup powder

• dried Ginger- this gives a Pesach flavor - to taste

• oil

• Matzo Farfel - up to a one pound box

• Rendered Chicken Fat-1 or 2 Tbs- If cooking outside the bird See below

Method

Soft saute the onions, celery and mushfooms in a *Small* amount of oil. Use the microwave,5-7 min at 100% power is you want to reduce the oil needed add parsley, dill or basil, pepper, salt or soup powder, ginger and Matzo Farfel. Mix well with a big fork. (I use the 2 tined jobby that you lift roasts and steaks with.

Now you have 2 options:

Regular - Stuff the bird with the mixture and roast right away-don't let the stuffing sit in the raw bird for any length of time.

Lower fat (and quicker cooking bird) Put the stuffing( now called Dressing?) in a sprayed or oiled cassarole, or oven proof dish, dot with the chicken fat, cover and roast along side the Turkey. Do not let is cook the whole time, as it will burn. Taste, and add more freshor dried herbs as needed. If you don't want to bother with the chicken fat, you can baste it with a *little* of the turkey pan fat.

Rendered chicken fat - to render chicken fat take fat pulled from the chicken and fatty skin and slowly melt it in an open pan, or covered in the microwave. When it is mostly melted, but not browned, puor off most of the fat into a glass jar. to the pan, And this part must be done in a pan, not a microwave, add thinly sliced onions and salt (optional) continue cooking until all is quite brown, but not burned (careful here) Drain off all the flavorful fat into the jar. What's left is grivenes (Sp?) which is wickedly rich and hard to resist. It can be used to flavor lots of things, like Matzo balls. I make this special fat once a year for Matzo balls and turkey stuffing. It is also terrific in that high cholestorol treat, Chopped Liver.

Brisket in Marinade

A nice variation on the traditional brisket, it does require a little advance preparation.

• 1/2 cup (125 ml) lemon juice

• 1/2 tsp. black pepper

• 1 tsp. finely chopped fresh parsley

• 1/2 tsp. finely chopped fresh marjoram

• 4 lbs. (2 kilos) brisket

• 2 cups (500 ml) finely diced onion

• 2 cups (500 ml) red wine

Mix the lemon juice, pepper, parsley and marjoram together. Coat the brisket with the mixture and let marinate overnight in the refrigerator. Next day brown the meat on all sides and return to the marinade. Add the onion and red wine over the top of the brisket and cover with foil. Roast in oven at 325 degrees F (160 degrees C) for 2 and 1/2 to 3 hours.

[pushka]

Thanks for those recipes Winnie...they sound delicious even to me..a vegetarian!! :)