Gifted Gourmet’s 2007 Passover Challenges

Melissa Goodman, AKA Gifted Gourmet, Jedi Master of all food things Jewish on Flickr, has Passover angst and wanted to share it with us.

– Jason

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So what are today’s challenges for my annual seder for this holiday? My daughter has recently announced that she has adopted a vegan lifestyle … “Please, Mom, nothing difficult for you to make for ME!” .. I just don’t eat anything which contains meat or fish, eggs, or dairy products … so, you see how simple your food can be now?

In response I had to admit that it seemed simple enough but, after a few minutes of thought, I saw how impossible it is to make matzo balls without eggs, a cake without eggs, and the main course could not be made of anything with soy because that is considered kitniyot which are forbidden on Passover) ….

From www.Aish.com:

“kitniyot.” Sometimes referred to generically as “legumes,” this includes rice, corn, soy beans, string beans, peas, lentils, mustard, sesame seeds and poppy seeds. Even though kitniyot cannot technically become chametz, Ashkenazi Jews do not eat them on Passover. Why? Rabbi Yitzchak of Korbol explains that products of kitniyot appear like chametz products. For example, it can be hard to distinguish between rice flour (kitniyot) and wheat flour (chametz). Therefore, to prevent confusion, all kitniyot was prohibited.

So that took care of the vegans who can eat less than anyone on Passover .. and my mother? the 95 year old dowager empress of the family? She doesn’t eat anything with nuts or onions or anything her dentures will resist so very mushy soft is her only requirement, or so she says … eating a softened matzo? yuck! Charoses without nuts? applesauce! and chicken soup without onions? heresy!!

My husband swears that his cholesterol is too high and can’t eat fats .. or eggs … or brisket .. or my Twelve Egg Spongecake, a recipe that I have always loved creating … He screams in a panic “twelve eggs!? are you planning to murder me??!”

And then there is me .. I have no restrictions which will hold me back from enjoying the nostalgic (or is that noshtalgic?) foods of the past … oh, I have acquiesced to the ban on chopped chicken liver oozing schmaltz (chicken fat), a special favorite slathered on my matzo … but my soup with be made with a fat, healthy pullet … my main course will be the breast of veal stuffed with matzo farfel, kosher sausage, onions, and peppers … my sponge cake will tower over the sweetened strawberries that accompany it … asparagus will be as thick as a grown man’s Viagra-filled erection … and I will, no, must enjoy this ancient holiday as God desired for me … tomorrow I will once again live my dietetic and properly healthy existence .. but today? Let my calories go!

Be sure to see Melissa’s Passover and Jewish Cuisine photo groups on Flickr.

Other Cool Passover Links:

Baroness Tapuzina: A very cool and beautifully photographed cooking and food blog from an Israeli foodblogger. Be sure to check out her posts on Matzo Ball Soup and Passover Desserts.

Katie Loeb’s Sephardic Charoset: If you’re tired of the usual “mortar” and are looking for a fruity and nutty Charoset that everyone is guaranteed to love, you’ll want to commit this one to memory.

Rachel’s Golden Potato Kugel: Rachel adapted this recipe from Melissa’s already excellent original, but tweaked it out with lots of caramelized onions. Don’t hesitate to make this one — you might need to make a few pans worth, because it disappears fast.