Passover has come and gone, but we still can't get over some of the delicious treats and dishes we had over the holiday. Our contributors show us there are so many ways to dress up matzah, create variations of charoset, and even delve into an amazing meringue dessert. So, tuck in and enjoy!
PAVLOVA
This was the year my parents told me I hosted the “best seder they’d ever been to.” I like to think it was a wholistic compliment, but realistically they were probably talking about my dessert. After a long and heavy meal, the usual dry macaroons and rich flourless chocolate cake I kept serving out of sense of tradition were clearly not meeting needs, so a few years back I made the switch to Passover Pavlovas. Light as a cloud, tangy and just sweet enough, the layered meringue, curd and whip cream satisfies the yen for something sweet without pushing dinner guests over the edge. This year we went a Yuzu curd in a nod to our family’s Japanese heritage, with lots of red berries and pomegranates seeds for drama.
— Lauren Schreiber Sasaki
MATZAH THREE WAYS
I love many Passover foods but my very favourite is matzah. And the funny thing is, even though I love matzah, and even though I always seem to have a box of it in the cupboard, I only eat it at Passover. I have three favourite ways to eat it:
- My all time favourite way to eat matzah is with butter and salt. So uninspiring I know but so true.
- I also love matzah brie (fried matzah) and make it the same way my mother did. Memories can be delicious.
- The third way is Caramelized Matzah Crunch. I have been making it for 25 years (invented by Marcy Goldman a well-known baker from Montreal) and although it goes by different names and has many different toppings it is a small but delicious Passover blessing.
— Bonnie Stern
CHAROSETS
My wildest Passover food experience was when I passed out green onions to my guests to gently beat each other as a reminder of the trials of slavery as is the custom in some Jewish communities and my sons and nephews spent the entire Seder whipping each other.
My favorite Passover food experience is introducing my guests to new charosets I’ve either researched or concocted. Some of these, such as the Iraqi date syrup and nut version have become tradition at our table. (Although I skipped trying the recipe that included actual brick dust to better symbolize the mortar used to build the pyramids.) Pretty much any charoset is also a favorite Pesach food of mine and I always make extra to enjoy on matzah and other dishes.
Dishes: Charoset truffles around the outside, pyramid is of tradition Ashkenazi apple charoset, and the cup is an Iragi date syrup and (almond) nut charoset.
You can enjoy the charoset recipes shown in the photo in this article from my j, the Jewish News of Northern California archive.
— Faith Kramer
GESHMIRTA MATZAH
Geshmirta Matzah is a family favourite! Geshmirta means "to spread' in Yiddish. You cut matzah into small squares and soak them in milk to soften. You then make a "cheesecake-like" filling to spread on top. The final touch is sprinkled cinnamon sugar. You bake it for around 12 minutes and you've got a delicious makeshift cheesecake. Popularized by the eastern European Jews who moved to South Africa, this is one of my families most prized Jewish South African dishes. You need to try it!
— Clarrie Feinstein
Passover has come and gone, but we still can't get over some of the delicious treats and dishes we had over the holiday. Our contributors show us there are so many ways to dress up matzah, create variations of charoset, and even delve into an amazing meringue dessert. So, tuck in and enjoy!
PAVLOVA
This was the year my parents told me I hosted the “best seder they’d ever been to.” I like to think it was a wholistic compliment, but realistically they were probably talking about my dessert. After a long and heavy meal, the usual dry macaroons and rich flourless chocolate cake I kept serving out of sense of tradition were clearly not meeting needs, so a few years back I made the switch to Passover Pavlovas. Light as a cloud, tangy and just sweet enough, the layered meringue, curd and whip cream satisfies the yen for something sweet without pushing dinner guests over the edge. This year we went a Yuzu curd in a nod to our family’s Japanese heritage, with lots of red berries and pomegranates seeds for drama.
— Lauren Schreiber Sasaki
MATZAH THREE WAYS
I love many Passover foods but my very favourite is matzah. And the funny thing is, even though I love matzah, and even though I always seem to have a box of it in the cupboard, I only eat it at Passover. I have three favourite ways to eat it:
- My all time favourite way to eat matzah is with butter and salt. So uninspiring I know but so true.
- I also love matzah brie (fried matzah) and make it the same way my mother did. Memories can be delicious.
- The third way is Caramelized Matzah Crunch. I have been making it for 25 years (invented by Marcy Goldman a well-known baker from Montreal) and although it goes by different names and has many different toppings it is a small but delicious Passover blessing.
— Bonnie Stern
CHAROSETS
My wildest Passover food experience was when I passed out green onions to my guests to gently beat each other as a reminder of the trials of slavery as is the custom in some Jewish communities and my sons and nephews spent the entire Seder whipping each other.
My favorite Passover food experience is introducing my guests to new charosets I’ve either researched or concocted. Some of these, such as the Iraqi date syrup and nut version have become tradition at our table. (Although I skipped trying the recipe that included actual brick dust to better symbolize the mortar used to build the pyramids.) Pretty much any charoset is also a favorite Pesach food of mine and I always make extra to enjoy on matzah and other dishes.
Dishes: Charoset truffles around the outside, pyramid is of tradition Ashkenazi apple charoset, and the cup is an Iragi date syrup and (almond) nut charoset.
You can enjoy the charoset recipes shown in the photo in this article from my j, the Jewish News of Northern California archive.
— Faith Kramer
GESHMIRTA MATZAH
Geshmirta Matzah is a family favourite! Geshmirta means "to spread' in Yiddish. You cut matzah into small squares and soak them in milk to soften. You then make a "cheesecake-like" filling to spread on top. The final touch is sprinkled cinnamon sugar. You bake it for around 12 minutes and you've got a delicious makeshift cheesecake. Popularized by the eastern European Jews who moved to South Africa, this is one of my families most prized Jewish South African dishes. You need to try it!
— Clarrie Feinstein