Pesach menu
Once again, I find myself in disagreement with Dov Bear that the only things you need at a festive meal are a hunk of meat and some veggies. For one thing, the point of a festive meal is to have a lot of delicious foods in large quantities which you can use as leftovers all freaking week. For another, it's supposed to be a big, memorable, exciting occasion that the kids remember and want to replicate even when they're grown up.
Here's our planned menu for the first night. Note that 3 of the eaters are under 3 years old.
UPDATE: Some time with recipe books and discussion with Bad Cohen have slightly altered the menu. For one thing, he doesn't want to share the trifle with all the first night guests. For another, if we make the gefilte fish before Pesach starts, it won't still be good by the time we need to serve it to the relatives on the second Saturday.
During the seder:
hard-boiled eggs
veggies cut into fun shapes with dip (maybe some babaganoush)
matzah/chrain/charoset
Enough grape juice and wine to get both the kids and the parents a little high
Shulchan orech:
homemade gefilte fish
matzah ball soup (yuck! ptu ptu!)
Not-quite-bstila d'jej (sweet cinnamon/saffron/almond chicken not in pastry)
Moroccan slow-cookedchicken lamb
Israeli salad - and yes, that's tomato, cucumber, onion, garlic, lemon and lots of fresh herbs
Dessert:
Strawberry-lemon trifle
Pareve caramel matzah crunch
Fruit
Afikomen
For the second night:
Leftover charoset
homemade gefilte fish
Spaghetti squash with basil and butter
Vegetarian stuffed cabbage*
Caramel matzah crunch Strawberry-lemon trifle with real whipped cream for dessert
I haven't decided yet on the filling for the stuffed cabbage. Torn between green filling (Spinach, peas, artichokes, feta, matzah, onion, garlic, etc.), Italian-style (Matzah, onion, mushrooms, cooked bell peppers, garlic) and Shepherd's pie (mashed potato, corn, peas, matzah farfel cooked with seasonings and veggies).
Since Bad Cohen is both Hungarian and Sephardi, we do kitniotbut not AND rice. And lots of paprika anywhere he can sneak it in. New policy decision, since we've never been official on this one. We can have rice. I probably won't, but we can, says BC.
Here's our planned menu for the first night. Note that 3 of the eaters are under 3 years old.
UPDATE: Some time with recipe books and discussion with Bad Cohen have slightly altered the menu. For one thing, he doesn't want to share the trifle with all the first night guests. For another, if we make the gefilte fish before Pesach starts, it won't still be good by the time we need to serve it to the relatives on the second Saturday.
During the seder:
hard-boiled eggs
veggies cut into fun shapes with dip (maybe some babaganoush)
matzah/chrain/charoset
Enough grape juice and wine to get both the kids and the parents a little high
Shulchan orech:
matzah ball soup (yuck! ptu ptu!)
Not-quite-bstila d'jej (sweet cinnamon/saffron/almond chicken not in pastry)
Moroccan slow-cooked
Israeli salad - and yes, that's tomato, cucumber, onion, garlic, lemon and lots of fresh herbs
Dessert:
Pareve caramel matzah crunch
Fruit
Afikomen
For the second night:
Leftover charoset
homemade gefilte fish
Spaghetti squash with basil and butter
Vegetarian stuffed cabbage*
I haven't decided yet on the filling for the stuffed cabbage. Torn between green filling (Spinach, peas, artichokes, feta, matzah, onion, garlic, etc.), Italian-style (Matzah, onion, mushrooms, cooked bell peppers, garlic) and Shepherd's pie (mashed potato, corn, peas, matzah farfel cooked with seasonings and veggies).
Since Bad Cohen is both Hungarian and Sephardi, we do kitniot
posted by Tzipporah at 1:02 PM
5 Comments:
That's more like it. DB is not disputing this on pure "have pity on my poor wife" grounds.
His is a blodless passionless Judaism. He has no interest in creating moments that sear and burn and memories that last a lifetime.
He is interested in pro forma compliance and getting things over with with the least fuss possible so that he can get on to the REALLY important things in life. Things tah he DOES feel deeply and emote passionately about...like bashing Republicans.
And now for something completely different.
Manok Mapuog - Chicken and hard-boiled eggs cooked in coconut milk till the liquid has reduced and thickened, but the oil has not come out yet. Spices: some coriander and ginger. This dish is not made with turmeric (as that has unsuitable religious use connotations) and it is therefore quite appropriate to non-animistic ritual.
Asinan Pareya - Bitter melon (trust me, maror to da max) salted, drained, dressed as a salad. A celebratory meal without pareya just ain't right.
Nasip - Boiled white rice. A meal is not a meal without rice, and the kitnios issue is much overdreven.
Saltsa Idjo - Hot green chilies and fresh herbs smashed and mixed with lime juice and a touch salt.
Tjao Daon Sawi - Stirfried mustard greens with a touch ginger and garlic.
Raw veggies as appropriate.
Maybe Sarundeng (toasted coconut shreds, nuts, spices) to remind one of some of the people on Dovbear's blog, and thus to symbolically include them.
A steamed sweet made with glutinous rice flour, palm sugar, and eggs - Sarikaya.
Not so much a seder, as a zeicher of the seder.
eelu hayah sham lo hayah nigal= had he been there he would not have been redeemed.
Unless, that is, as a member of the Eruv Rav! :)
Tayere Bray,
You know of course that the erev rav were far too busy rigging poker games and shooting craps to be sidetracked by that whoel eigel hazahav business?
That thing with the fire-pans? Pre-occupied by dice and cards, still.
Forty years later, they were the only ones who looked up surprised and said "what, we're there already? How did that happen?"
The souls of all the erev rav in existence were present at Sinai. It isn't till we drop the loaded dice that we become Jewish.
Fond regards,
LOL - The Eruv Rav, huh? Bray, whatsamatta, you don't think the Israelites could have come up with a Golden Calf idea on their own?
Sounds a lot like Metzger's comment about the Baal Teshuvah to me...
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