Happy Passover!

We do Passover traditionally in our household, if not to the letter of the law. On the first night, we go, as we have for the past 15 years(!) to the Lovely Wife's Aunt and Uncle's house on the Upper East Side. The trip across the park is always a bit scary! There is a large crowd, including her Aunt and Uncles extended family, friends, and the occasional straggler. In recent years we have started off the Seder with pre-dinner margaritas and the lovely wife's Uncle's near perfect chopped liver (any more perfect and would be foie!). This is always followed by a family photo. Then the Seder begins. In addition to a spirited telling of the story of Passover (although somewhat quiet this year, those frogs in the picture are NOT just table decorations), we get to eat traditional, yet tasty, classics. This year there was a change, as instead of brisket, we had short ribs. Although I doubt I will be able to, I am going to try to get the recipe! The lovely wife's uncle also makes an excellent Matzoh, made of sour dough. If you are a more religious type, you may want to skip the sentence you just read. For dessert this year, we had excellent macaroons (photos on flickr). These were small round, light macaroon sandwiches with filling in between. The macaroons came in a variety of flavors, including chocolate, green tea, berry, pistachio and sesame. I am not sure if they are available at Eli's Manhattan or EAT or at some other store, but I will try to find out.

For the fourth time, the Lovely Wife and I did the second seder for the immediate family. We made Texas style Jewish brisket this year, which worked well. I will give the recipe tomorrow. Using my favorite cookbook, Julia Child's "The Way to Cook," I made two other dishes, which in my humble opinion, rocked. The first is her Stove-Top Anna, a sliced potato dish that mostly kept its shape and good flavor despite warming in the oven for a good hour and a half after cooking. This was the first time I made this particular potato dish, and it makes an excellent side dish if you are cooking for 6 to 12 people. The second was Julia's chocolate mousse. Her mousse recipe has a lot of steps, but if you can seperate eggs they are easy to follow and the result is a fluffy mousse that hits your mouth like floating silk. Photos are available on Flickr.

I must give props to the lovely mother in law, who made her famous matzo ball soup and strawberry shortcake, and to my brother in law, who consistently makes the most beautiful vegetable dishes ever seen on a home table. I wish I had his patience and skill with a knife!


PHOTOS OF FOOD FROM SEDERS: on Flickr