What you need to know about Passover

Published 6:17 pm Tuesday, April 8, 2008

To a newcomer, the numerous rules and traditions can be overwhelming.

Even veteran Seder-goers can find them confusing, particularly since the diversity of American Jews results in many different ways of celebrating.

Passover this year begins April 20.

Here’s what you need to know:

The basics

All Seders include a few basic elements, such as kosher wine, matzo (unleavened bread), a Seder plate (a special plate that displays symbolic foods) and a reading of a Haggadah, the book that serves as a guide to the ceremony.

Beyond that, family traditions generally dictate.

Some families will dress formally and spend hours before the meal reading the Haggadah in Hebrew. Others are decidedly more casual, zip through the rituals in English and make the food the main event.

Many families create their own Haggadah, incorporating contemporary readings. Those who use published Haggadahs have hundreds to choose from, including books that embrace vegetarianism, feminism and other causes.

Some families conclude with dessert, while others continue into the night with singing, readings and prayers.

The four questions

Early in the Seder the youngest participant typically will ask “The Four Questions.”

These are:

Why one eats matzo (to remember their ancestors, who fled Egypt in a hurry and did not have time to let their bread rise before the journey).

Why one eats bitter herbs (a reminder for the bitterness of slavery).

Why one dips parsley in salt water (a symbol for the tears shed by slaves) and bitter herbs in charoseth, a sweet fruit paste (the texture evokes the mortar slaves used when making bricks).

Why one leans on a pillow or reclines during the meal (to symbolize the comforts of freedom).

The food

Passover lasts eight days and begins with two nights of Seders. Traditions vary greatly depending on a family’s background. While many Ashkenazi Jews won’t eat legumes, corn, rice, most other grains or products made from them, Sephardic Jews are more lenient.

Most Jews eschew the “the five species of grains” — wheat, rye, oats, barley and spelt, all of which contain gluten.

The exception is matzo, which is made from wheat, but has not been allowed to ferment. Matzo must be baked within 18 minutes of the flour being combined with water.

Legumes also are forbidden, though Sephardic and Conservative Jews consume rice and legumes.

So what is allowed? Fruit is always a safe bet, as are potatoes and other root vegetables, leafy greens, nuts, eggs, fish, dairy and meat (although, in accordance with kosher laws, meat and dairy must be served separately).

If, like most American Jews, your hosts are of Ashkenazi (Eastern European) descent, you are likely to start the meal with chicken-matzo ball soup, as well as gefilte fish, ground fish mixed with matzo meal, eggs and seasonings.

Other Passover favorites include brisket, roast lamb and side dishes such as potato kugel, tzimmes (sweet potatoes and carrots) and casseroles bound together with eggs and matzo meal.

For dessert, expect macaroons, fruit compote, or candy and cakes and tortes made with ground nuts or other kosher-for-Passover flours. Beer and most liquor is not allowed, but wine generally flows freely.

The rituals

The Seder consists of 15 rituals, most of which occur before the meal is served. They include lighting candles, blessing wine, washing hands, breaking the matzo, dipping vegetables and telling the story of the exodus from Egypt.

Usually, one of the hosts serves as the leader, but guests take turns reading sections from the Haggadah.

Interspersed are various traditional songs. Many Seders also feature contemporary readings on the themes of slavery and liberation.

Other tips

Don’t touch the food on the Seder plate, a large dish that holds a shank bone, parsley, bitter herbs, a hard-boiled egg, charoseth and matzo.

If you bring wine or prepared food, make sure it is labeled “Kosher for Passover” or that your host approves it in advance.

If you want to bring a gift, consider flowers or a book of Jewish interest instead.

Potato kugel

3pounds russet potatoes

12eggs

2medium yellow onions, peeled and cut into chunks

2/3cup matzo meal

1tablespoon salt

3/4-1teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

3tablespoons kosher for Passover vegetable oil

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Peel and cut the potatoes into small chunks. Place them in a bowl of water and set aside.

In a very large bowl, beat the eggs. Set aside.

In a food processor, pulse the onions until finely chopped. Transfer the onions to the bowl with the eggs and mix them in. Stir in the matzo meal.

Drain the potatoes, then set a strainer over a bowl or in the sink.

In the same processor bowl (no need to clean), process the potatoes in three batches, until very finely chopped. The pieces should be smaller than a grain of rice.

As each batch of potatoes is processed, immediately scrape it into the strainer. With a rubber spatula or the back of a spoon, press out the moisture so it drains into the bowl or sink.

Immediately stir all of the pressed potatoes into the egg mixture. Season with salt and pepper.

Use 2 tablespoons of the oil to coat the bottom and sides of a 13-by-9-inch baking dish. Warm the baking dish in the oven for 5 minutes.

Remove the baking dish from the oven and transfer the potato mixture into it. Drizzle the surface with the remaining tablespoon of oil. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until lightly browned.

Let rest for at least 15 minutes before cutting and serving. Serve hot or warm. The kugel can be reheated, uncovered, in the oven at 350 degrees.

Makes 12 servings.

Recipe from “Arthur Schwartz’s Jewish Home Cooking”

Greek garlic chicken

2whole chickens, cut into eighths

2yellow onions, cut into large chunks

2lemons

12-16 sprigs fresh oregano

8cloves fresh garlic, halved

Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1/2cup olive oil

1cup kosher white wine

2cups pitted Kalamata olives

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Arrange the chicken pieces in single layers, skin-side-up, into two 9-by-13-inch baking pans. Add the onion chunks.

Slice the lemons in half lengthwise. Squeeze the lemon halves over the chicken, then cut each half into 4 pieces and add to the pans.

Set aside 4 sprigs of oregano, then strip the leaves from the rest. Scatter the leaves and the stripped sprigs over the chicken.

Scatter the garlic between the chicken parts, then season with salt and pepper. Drizzle with the oil and wine. Coarsely chop about 11/2 cups of the olives, then sprinkle them over the chicken.

Bake, uncovered, for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until the chicken is fully cooked and no longer pink, or a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh reads 180 degrees.

Transfer to a platter and garnish with remaining whole olives and reserved oregano sprigs.

Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Recipe from Susie Fishbein’s “Passover by Design”

Sauteed carrots with mint and shallots

8medium carrots, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices on the diagonal

2tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2large shallots, chopped (about 1/4 cup)

2medium garlic cloves, minced

2tablespoons minced fresh mint

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

In a medium saucepan, bring several inches of lightly salted water to a simmer. Add the carrots, return to a simmer and cook until the carrots are tender but firm, about 5 minutes.

Drain the carrots under cold water and set aside.

In a large skillet over medium, heat the olive oil. Add the shallots and saute 1 to 2 minutes, or until slightly softened. Add the garlic and saute briefly.

Add the carrots, mint, and salt and pepper. Saute for about 2 minutes, or until the carrots are hot and slightly crispy on the surface.

Makes 4 servings.

Recipe from Ronnie Fein’s “Hip Kosher”