Passover is less than two weeks away and for those who are hosting a Seder, attending a Seder, or observing Passover at all, the time has come to get things in gear (or at least lay in some matzoh and other supplies). I have included some thoughts on being a great Seder guest, some thoughts and ideas for hosting, and the brisket recipe which is as close to grandma's (the gold standard) as I have found (click here to jump to that).
Attending a Seder? Lucky you! You likely already know that the host(ess) is taking on a big task, so be a good guest and ask what, if anything, you can bring. Please don't be offended if the answer is nothing and please don't show up with food for the Seder anyway! If you don't want to show up empty-handed, bring some (kosher for Passover) wine, some chocolates (which can be eaten later or put out), flowers or a plant/ bouquet (preferably already in a vase as last-minute prep can be frenzied and trimming flowers and finding a vase can be stressful). And if you've been paying attention, you already know I also always think fun cocktail napkins make an appropriate gift.
Hosting a Seder? If you are like I am at all, there are not too many things which change year over year. However, depending on my mood, the guest list, the date (really!), I do like try at least one new thing each year. Some of these stick and live on for all future Seders (like my Seder Boxes -- more on that below) and some are just nice little changes which may or may not be repeated (like a new dessert or two). Regardless, I am always looking for inspiration to improve and keep my Seder fresh. Other than looking at pictures and reading ideas from friends, I typically look through cookbooks for inspiration as well. My historic go-to cookbook is the New York Times Passover Cookbook, available in The Store (click here if interested). However, I have recently learned about a new cookbook, entitled Honey Cakes & Latkes, which I am sure has Passover foods and am dying to check out -- click here to learn more.
My Menu
By now people hosting a Seder likely already have a head count for the Seder. (If not, now's the time to get on that!). The menu is the next (and arguably) most important part of hosting a Seder. You need to have everything for the Seder plate, of course, but aside from that, and copious amounts to of matzoh, every family has their own traditions and so the food items vary greatly since Seder is, more than almost all else, about tradition.
I'm sharing with you my Seder menu (for 8-10 people), and while it's fine with me if you copy it, I'm doing so more for ideas should you (like me) always be looking for something new to try!
On Table:
Seder plate -- roasted egg, shank bone, horseradish, lettuce or celery, parsley, charoseth
Salt water -- in which to dip parsley
Charoset -- I like Mimi Sheraton's Ashkenazic Haroseth from the NY Times Passover Cookbook.
Matzoh
White and red horseradish
To Start:
Gefilte fish (I do a salmon one, from The NY Times Passover Cookbook). It's amazing and a great substitute if the traditional version is not your cup of tea.
Chopped liver (adapted from Ina Garten's recipe in her Barefoot Contessa Parties! cookbook)
Hard-boiled egg in salt water
Carrots & celery
Then: matzoh ball soup. My recipe for the chicken soup is already on the Donnarama Dishes website, here.
Main Course:
Brisket with carrots (or braised short ribs) -- recipe discussion below.
Salmon with dill mustard sauce
Maple-glazed carrots
Asparagus and/or another green vegetable
Roasted potatoes and/or potato kugel and/or Passover Knishes
Dessert:
Flourless chocolate cake with berries -- you've seen this recipe so many times already, but here is the blog post (with link to the recipe itself).
Matzoh crack -- named because it is so, so addictive. I make a slight variation on Marcy Golman's, published in Epicurious in 1998, which I may share next week.
Something with meringue (changes every year)
Almond cakelets (made in a Madeline pan), some dipped in chocolate
Fruit/ fruit salad -- recipe for my favorite (and easiest) fruit salad has already shared, here.
Now, with all of that food, it is imperative you seriously consider HOW you're going to be able to serve it. My best and most ingenious hack for avoiding at least SOME of those plates is to use a bento box for the starters. That way, each person gets a cool box to open when it's time (see picture above) and there is just one piece of serving ware for however many separate foods you serve before soup! I fill them in advance and keep them stacked in the fridge until just before we sit down (and place the Haggadah on top of it). That way, I don't need to get up until it's time to clear them and get the soup out. Sadly, the ones I use are no longer available at a low price, but there are some nice ones available and you or your kids can be all crafty and make the tops feel Passover-like if desired. (If I can do it, anyone can!). And, while I cannot in good conscience condone single-use serving ware, many families opt for that for Passover (for a number of reasons), and, so, if that's the way your family rolls, then stock up on the kind used by take-out places but then definitely make a decorative cover to tape or paste onto it. If you can swing it, though, try to find ones which can be used year after year (I bought a case, which had 12 back in the day) -- Google is your friend here as tastes and budgets vary too much for me to recommend one which is appropriate for anyone else (search criteria to start: Japanese adult bento boxes with lids).
I'd also like to suggest that it is not too early to set the table for Seder if you don't have guests coming before then. The last thing you want to be stressing over is which plates, glasses, platters, and serving utensils you'll be using for which courses. I take all of it out and put notes on each serving item so I know what goes in what. I have recently learned that if you have more than one of the same tablecloth, you can have multiple tables end-to-end and layer the tablecloths over them all to achieve a unified and lovely table. Good to know, I think.
Plus, I always like to think of new things to discuss or do at the Seder table. This year I am planning to intersperse printed-out slips with Passover jokes in the haggadahs (if your turn to read is on a page with an inserted joke, you must read the joke out loud) -- there won't be any kids at the Seder table this year, so it should be fine. (Here's my source for them should you be interested: https://aish.com/worlds-greatest-passover-jokes.) Other things I've had on-hand/ done include finger puppets and plague-related doodads, as well as discussing some updated (modern) plagues -- sadly there's no shortage. It seems to me that by adding just a little something outside of the haggadah helps keep the participants engaged.
Now, about the brisket... My recipe yields a super tender, onion-y brisket with plenty of gravy for everyone. And, the carrots which are roasted with it are perennial favorites in my family (even though they don't look great). It took me years to hone this recipe and I hope you and your family will enjoy it as much as mine does. Sometimes I make more than one if I can't find a big enough piece of meat, or if I am limited by my pot size. Here's the link to the recipe: https://www.donnaramadishes.com/recipes/grandma's-brisket.
Hosting a Passover Seder is quite an endeavor, but with lots of planning (and cooking and freezing in advance), you can pull it off and even enjoy the dinner with your guests. So far, I have in my freezer: the matzoh balls (do not freeze them in the soup and defrost them before adding them to the soup), the chicken soup, and the brisket. I'll be making the matzoh crack soon as that freezes well, as does the flourless chocolate cake. If you have any time-saving, serving, or hosting ideas, please feel free to share.
Happy Passover prep to all who host!
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