Day Four, and still no matzah brei

Wow! Did I get up so late as a teenager? Prolly. But by the time the guys get up, they're onto lunch. And, being a light-eating grazer by nature, I've been hitting the java and crunching some matzah spread with charoset and I'm pretty much sated.

Until the next little urge...

So as I slurp some coffee ice cream, I'll tell ya that dinner's on the guys tonight: I'm goin out!

Now, if you haven't guessed, even as a Jewish household we're blended - John isn't Jewish, but is incredibly supportive and I didn't grow up in a Kosher home - so our house rules reflect this.

When his parents came to a seder at our house, it invariably fell on Good Friday...so I made fish to go along with the brisket. [Oh, and by the way...No one missed it this year!] When we get candy for Easter which, like Christmas, we do as a secular celebration, it's the stuff without corn syrup.

And while I don't sell or even put away my chametz (levened stuff), it sits untouched throughout Passover. There's no chametz-eating in the house. That's the rule.

But, as independent and free thinkers, my guys have to make their own choices when they're out of the house. (Besides, whoever would think I could monitor them probably doesn't have teenagers!) They've been bar mitzvahed (not really a verb, but you'll let me slide, right?) and need to figure out for themselves how they want it all to work.

Would I like for them to choose to keep Passover? Who wouldn't? But I have to be realistic.

So when I told John I would be hoisting a glass of wine to celebrate a friend's birthday tonight, I reminded him that if they choose chametz for dinner, it can't come into the house. And he was OK with that. "I know you don't want it in the house," he said, "and of course I respect that."

What a guy!

So I'm off to enjoy some birthday bonding with the comforting knowledge that I raised at least one of 'em right!

I think he deserves some matzah brei tomorrow morning!

And it was the best brekkie ever!

Today while the lads were still sleeping, I hard boiled 10 eggs and treated myself to one of my favorite brekkies: Hot hard boiled eggs smashed and 'smothered' in butter with salt and pepper...I even chopped up a little bit of scallion to add and it was a hot morning egg salad...It was divine. Creamy and salty and peppery and, like I said, a treat. (I rarely hard boil eggs...)

When the guys roused from their slumber, I made 'em for them too. Jere licked his plate; Dill asked for pickle relish in it...the thought of which disgusted me...but he agreed to add it later if he still wanted it. He didn't and would've licked his plate if the fork hadn't already done it's job.

Ah...that was brekkie...and now for a no-dinner evening (due to much grazing all day), or so I thought...

Oh well, Dill was out, so it was salad dayz and the leftover potato gnocchi squares pan fried in a little olive oil (OMG! They are divine that way!) for the two Js and leftover chicken soup with matzah balls for me...

...a little break never hurt anyone, right?

With the Exodus done...

...let the 40 years of cleaning begin!

(OK, you got me...I skipped summarizing last night's second seder at my folks...Let me assure you, it was full of warm friends and family...both old and new...lovely food and storytelling.)

To be honest, I was zonked! But I did manage to make a hostess gift after my nap...

I had thought about making this adjustment to the Pecan Farfel Brittle the first time I made it (Monday!), but wanted to see how it came out before I played with it...So I figured I'd do it "next time" which became today after I saw my mom cop a piece or two for her ride home:

Pecan Farfel Brittle, vers. 2...even better than vers. 1, IMHO, 'cuz it gets another dimension: chewy.

Details?

Here goes:

-Heat oven to 350 and toast 2 c matzah farfel (small, cereal-sized, pieces of matzah) on a sheet pan for 25 mins until goldish. Pour into bowl to cool and line pan with Silpat.

-In a heavy pot, combine a half c water with 2 c sugar and a pinch of salt on med-high heat. Stir with wooden spoon until dissolved, then boil - Without stirring, swirl ONLY - until caramel colored. (Don't leave this alone; once it starts to color, it can burn in a flash!)

-While sugar is working, chop 1 and a half c pecans and a half c dried apricots (yay, version 2!) and put into bowl with farfel. Spray wooden spoon with oil.

-When sugar's golden, immediately cut the heat and add farfel, pecans and apricots. Mix to combine and quickly dump onto Silpat, smoothing into one thinish layer.

-Sprinkle on about 1 t (finishing) sea salt and cool completely before you break up into chunks.

Yes, my friends, it's even better...wait, I'm sure there's a chocolate version swimming in my head too...be on the look out...

Meanwhile, I have another load of dishes for the dishwasher...

They tried to kill us. We won. Let's eat!

Ah, the pervasive theme of Jewish holidays...and the food for this one is particularly yummy!

(I think that's because, for us, it's a once-a-year endeavor.)

Whatever the reason, this year's seder was marvelous! We combined wonderful family and friends with delicious food, flowing wine and lively story-telling....the recipe for a successful festival celebration!

-Our Menu-

Noshes:

-Hummus w/Carrots

-Olives

-Deviled Eggs

(Traditional) Starters:

-Gefilte Fish

-Chicken Soup w/homemade Scallion-Dill Knaidlach (aka matzah balls)

Main Attraction and Co-Stars:

-Grilled Greek Lamb

-Deep-fried Artichokes and Lemons

-Potato Gnocchi Squares

-Roasted Asparagus

-Arugula Baby Spinach Salad w/Pignoli and dressed w/homemade Sherry Vinaigrette

Sweet Endings:

-Pecan Farfel Brittle

-Fresh Strawberries

-Candy, Candy, Candy (Assorted boxed Passover specialties that few of us eat, but are as intrinsic to the seder as the matzah...think jellied fruit slices.)

And lotsa wine...

OK, I hope I don't lose ya with all this...

There are a lot of dishes broken down below in varying degrees of detail...

As always, feel free to email me or post a comment if you'd like specifics or have questions.

Details?

Here goes:

Deviled Eggs

-Mash hard boiled egg yolks (about a dozen) with about a half c light mayo, 1 t dijon mustard, seasoned with salt, ground white pepper and a sprinkle of granulated garlic...after filling into their little eggy half shells, sprinkle smoked paprika on top for decoration and hightened yumminess.

Scallion-Dill Knaidlach

-Thinly slice 8 scallions and combine with 6 oz schmaltz (rendered chicken fat...comes frozen in a small 7 oz tub, so use most of it and let it thaw first) in a bowl and micro on high for 25-30 seconds.

-In a med-large bowl, whisk 8 eggs, a half c minced fresh dill, 4 T seltzer, almost 1 T salt, a half t each ground ginger and white pepper, the schmaltz/scallion combo and 2 c matzah meal to form batter.

-Cover and refrigerate overnight.

-When ready to cook, make T-sized dumplings from batter and gently place each into simmering soup...When they float on the top, they're done.

[This makes about 32 soft ones...'cuz I like my matzah balls soft...]

Grilled Greek Lamb

[I doubled this for the 12 of us and had plenty, but not too much, left over...that could be due to the 2 Who Don't Eat Meat at the table...]

-In a 2-lb zip-top bag, marinate ... a 5-lb butterflied leg of lamb, trimmed of fat, in a half c olive oil, juice from a lemon (tossing the lemon into the bag), 4 minced garlic cloves, 1 T dried oregano, 2 t salt and 1 t ground black pepper ... in the fridge over night, up to 24 hours...

-When ready to cook, pitch marinade and on med-high heat, grill (about 8 mins a side depending on thickness) to an internal temp of 125...and let it carry-over cook until 135 for med rare.

Deep-fried Artichokes and Lemons

See the Decisions, decisions entry for the basics on this... (and yes, that's a link over there...cool, huh?) This time I trimmed 5 gigunta artichokes and sliced them rather thinly, stem to tip.

Roasted Asparagus

Easy peasy...and again, I doubled this...

-Heat oven to 375 and spread a trimmed bundle of fresh asparagus in one layer on sheet tray...sprinkle with 2 t olive oil and salt and pepper to taste...roast for 15 mins. C'est tout!

Potato Gnocchi Squares

After the trial...the fixes made this dish Rock! This too I doubled...

-Preheat oven to 400.

-Prepare half sheet pan: Line with parchment paper and lightly coat with olive oil.

-Boil 3 large baking potatoes (about 2 lbs) that have been peeled and cubed in salted water until fork tender.

-Rice them (or mash 'em if you don't have a ricer) into a large bowl.

-Mix in 4 T butter, salt and ground black pepper, minced leaves from 1 sprig fresh rosemary, 2 T minced chives or 1 finely chopped scallion, and 4 beaten eggs.

-Pour mixture on to lined, oiled sheet pan and bake for 25 mins until crusty and brown.

-Cool thoroughly and cut into squares. Can reheat in 350 oven for 10 to 15 mins.

Salad

-Top bag o'arugula/baby spinach mix with a quarter c pignoli (pine nuts) and dress with:

-1 part sherry vinegar to 2 parts olive oil (to make about a third c), salt and ground black pepper to taste...and whisk to combine.

Pecan Farfel Brittle

-Heat oven to 350 and toast 2 c matzah farfel (small, cereal-sized, pieces of matzah) on a sheet pan for 25 mins until goldish. Pour into bowl to cool and line pan with Silpat.

-In a heavy pot, combine a half c water with 2 c sugar and a pinch of salt on med-high heat. Stir with wooden spoon until dissolved, then boil - Without stirring, swirl ONLY - until caramel colored. (Don't leave this alone; once it starts to color, it can burn in a flash!)

-Immediately cut the heat and add farfel and 1 and a half c chopped pecans (you can chop 'em while the sugar is working...and spray spoon with oil). Mix to combine and quickly dump onto Silpat, smoothing into one thinish layer.

-Sprinkle on about 1 t (finishing) sea salt and cool completely before you break up into chunks.

Jewish philosophy seems to always temper the good stuff with a little bitter; the awful stuff with lots of sweet; remember those you've vanquished; and retell the stories so the memories don't die. Works for Passover and life in general...Hope your holidays are as sweet!

"Ready" is subjective

Did you see the markets today??? Packed. Packed I tell you! Sheesh...

OK, maybe it was me: I got a late start...wanted to make brekkie for my guys...and I had to get organized...which for me is NO small feat!...so I wrote list after list (threw out a couple, wrote more)...and finally got on the road.

Stop One: In. Out. And flowers for the table...but only a third of my GPS marked off.

Stop Two: In. Wandering, wandering...slip cover for the family room chair?...too costly and too dark... Out. Didn't have much on the list for that store.

Stops Three, Four and Five: Why am I still looking for another slip cover for a chair we're probably replacing within the year? Out. Out. Ooooo, lovely table cloth. Out.

Stop Six: In. Need mostly produce and Passover provisions...Um, 'scuse me...uh, what genius put the Passover stuff a) in the store's busiest thoroughfare, and b) next to the BREAD???

Not only that, but our friends at Stop Six were out of practically everything! That means Stop Seven...Oy...

Got home and my non-limping men helped unload and put away the groceries while I finished up at Stop Seven.

And John, being the ever-hungry ever-lovin guy he is popped leftovers in the oven for dinner consisting of yesterday's baked pasta and the potato square experiment for tomorrow's seder.

The potato squares - a riff on a potato gnocchi recipe I read in a magazine - tasted great, but didn't exit the pan as I had envisioned. I think I need an additional egg to keep it together. I promise to post the recipe after we taste it tomorrow.

So after I boil the eggs, butterfly and marinate the legs of lamb and make the matzah ball batter we dine on the last of the chametz (not kosher for passover stuff) ... well for me at least for the next 8 days...

Oh, and I treat myself and unwind ... with one last sippa whiskey...

I "think" I'm ready

But probably not.

I have my seder menu planned for 12, including options for my vegan future sister-in-law, and my GPS (aka shopping list) sketched out for tomorrow's schlep to the markets...

And for the first time in about a quarter century, my brisket's taking a holiday. I'm not making it and I'm kinda sad to break with that tradition - I know my mother-in-law would be if she were up here: She's usually not a seconds kind of gal, but she makes an exception for my brisket - overall though, I'm OK with it and hope my guests will be too.

Even without the brisket, I think I've put together a meal befitting a celebration but that'll be in the (taste)buds of the beholders...you're also welcome to add your 2 cents as it unfolds...but that food schpiel might have to wait until Tuesday when things calm down.

Tonight though, as the hockey guys gather and the days of pasta-abstinence loom, I decided a 'clean out the fridge' baked penne would soothe the athlete and the soon-to-be carb-deprived.

Details?

Here goes:

-Preheat oven to 400.

-Put on salted water to boil the pasta.

-Saute a half c diced onion and 3 minced garlic cloves in 2 t olive oil and season with a half t salt and a quarter t ground black pepper.

-When soft, add a half c diced rosemary ham (luncheon meat) and saute to brown meat a little.

-Add 1 c sliced cremini mushrooms, 2 c chopped fresh kale and season with a half t salt, quarter t pepper, 1 t aleppo pepper flakes and a half t nutmeg.

-While the kale wilts and the mushrooms color, start on the cheese mixture.

-In a large bowl, combine 1 15-oz container ricotta, 1 c shredded cheese (I only had a Mexican blend in the house - monterey jack, cheddar, asadero and 'quesadilla' cheeses, thank you Weggies - and the flavors worked fine!), 2 beaten eggs and a half jar (28 oz size) of Trader Joe's bolognese pasta sauce (a little sweet for my taste, but rather good).

-Add the sauteed veg to the cheese mixture, drain the al dente pasta and add it too, mixing thoroughly.

-Put about half the remaining jarred sauce into the bottom of a 12-ish x 8-ish baking dish and pour the pasta/cheese/veg into the baker...top with the rest of the jarred sauce.

-Bake for about 30 mins or until bubbling...

Oh, wondering why there's no parmesan in here? Didn't have any; had to adapt.

And that is the beauty of cooking!

Let the preparations begin

Our annual spring ritual begins weeks in advance while snow still covers the land: My mother calls to see which night of Passover I want to hold the seder.

"The first," I said thinking the boys' spring break would begin the next day.
"Fine," she said, "I'll do the second."

Well, that was before all this happened...unemployment, Dill's dislocated knee, Mom's unfortunate 12-rounder with a tree and another school day added to spring break...but this happens in every family (even if it's not in a kooky clump or as extreme as this) and the story of the Exodus must be told.

So, I'm sitting here, putting fingertip to keyboard thinking about what I will make this year...

There will be some old standards and some soon-to-become standards as old and new friends ring our table. Some will be store-bought - McCaffrey's Supermarket makes a killer Sephardic charoset that's a chunky, rich spread and the soup broth and gefilte fish will come from wonderful independent shops - but all will be homemade, even if it wasn't made in my house.

Right now, my biggest conundrum is the main course: Do we want Chicken Marbella? Are we having brisket at my Mother's? How about grilled leg of lamb? Is this the year to go through with the sushi threat? Or maybe make MY fried chicken using matzah meal...

All I know is tonight's pizza night and I'm grateful for those talented guys in the shop up the street who feed us each Friday night...

I'll make salad, pour wine for my Rock of a husband and me and we'll kibitz over which entree we've wanted to eat since last year.