The Celebration of a Good Story and Its Power

Passover is my favorite Jewish holiday. What’s not to love? It’s your religious duty to drink 4 brimming glasses of wine (and it no longer needs to be the sickly sweet Manischewitz kind), you eat a huge meal … while reclining and it’s a mitzvah (good deed) to welcome all those who are hungry or don't have a seder to come join in yours. The modern day interpretation of this is inviting those who don’t celebrate Passover into your home to share in the meal and retelling of history. 

Ingredients for ceviche

But more than anything, I love the story of Passover. Sure, it’s the story of triumph over evil, perseverance in the face of insurmountable odds, it’s about faith and a plan that’s bigger than all of us and it’s about community and our place within it. It's about challenging ourselves to think about the 21st century things that enslave us and fight for our freedom. But every year, I discover something new in the unspoken words within the story that stick with me. Recently, I learned that the correct translation of “go in peace” is actually, “go towards peace.” I think essentially this is what G-d and Moses were aiming for with the Israelites - go toward the land of milk and honey that will give you the peace you need to live as you want to live. The year that I learned that Miriam, Moses sister, led the Israelites in the dessert with singing, dancing and a knack for finding water helped me feel closer to the story (up to that point, I had only heard the voices of men in the story). Or last year, when I realized that Moses didn’t just lead the Israelites out of slavery, he organized them, shaping them into a nation. He made them realize their own power, gave them confidence to use their voice and guided them when they were going astray. These are the discoveries that fill your spiritual cup to the brim. 

Salmon Ceviche

But, here’s what I don’t love about Passover … the desserts. For all that is good in baking, ending a meal with a processed coconut macaroon that comes out of a can and has no expiration date, is not satisfying. Come to think of it, I also wasn't that fond of the 1st course. I have distinct memories of gefilte fish coming out of a jar and my grandmother asking for more jelly on her plate. Or, as my brother and I called it, “snot.” Although I like gefilte fish, minus the snot, it’s not my favorite part of a Passover meal.

It wasn’t until we started the “Functional Friends Seder” with dear friends in Washington, DC that I started experimenting with different options at the Passover table. While I started with dessert, my girlfriend who organized the Functional Friends Seder and was on the same quest to re-invent the Seder meal, started with the main dish. She created a delicious Moroccan Pastille – filo dough filled with cinnamon and spice infused shredded chicken, baked then topped with more cinnamon and powdered sugar. Delicious? Yes. Kosher for Passover? Absolutely not. 

My grandmother

I made a rich, decadent and totally satisfying flourless chocolate cake that was kosher for Passover. I also searched for recipes to replace gefilte fish yet stay in the same theme. I found a salmon ceviche recipe in Joan Nathan’s book JewishCooking in America and it was a hit. The spice of the serrano chili’s mixed with avocado, lime and tomatoes reminded me of home and the fresh salmon felt like it belonged on the Seder table.

Several years later, my husband and I spent Passover with my family in Paris. I watched my cousin as she made what was essentially matzo meal beignets drizzled in a fresh orange juice and honey simple syrup. It was a recipe my grandmother made in Algeria for Passover and having lived with my grandmother for several years, my cousin learned it from her. 

When I asked my cousin for the recipe she quickly rattled if off to me ... in French. It was at the moment I realized that as decent as my French is, my ability to understand numbers, measurements in grams and then convert them to ounces was non-existent. I thought the memory of this sweet, yet citrusy, dessert was permanently exiled to the place in my brain reserved for delicious food memories never to be heard from again.

Sfereet

Then, while reading The Book of Jewish Food by Claudia Roden (yes, I read the cookbook, it’s that good of a read), I discovered my grandmothers recipe and in measurements I understood without having to translate. I was thrilled when Roden gave several variations of the recipe from throughout North Africa. In Algeria, the recipe was called “Sfereet.”  The sweetness yet airy and light texture of this dessert mingled with the slightly acidic flavor in the syrup makes this the perfect end to a spiritually and belly filling meal. Until next year.

Salmon Ceviche

6-8 servings (appetizer)

Ingredients:

1 lbs boneless, skinless red salmon

Juice of 3 mimes

1 cup cherry tomatoes, diced

1 fresh serrano chili, chopped

½ cup finely chopped scallion

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 teaspoons chopped fresh cilantro

1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

1 avocado, cut into small cubes

Grated rind of 1 lime

What to do:

Cut the fish into ½ inch cubes. Place in a bowl and add the lime juice, making sure it penetrates through-out.

Cover and refrigerate 12 hours or longer, stirring occasionally.

Add the remaining ingredients, toss, and chill until ready to serve. I prepared this at the same time as the salmon, in a separate bowl, so the dish is ready to toss together once the salmon is fully marinated in the lime juice.

Sfereet (Matzo fritters in syrup)

Makes about 20

Ingredients:

4 eggs, separated

A pinch of salt

Grated zest of 1 lemon

6 tablespoons matzo meal

Oil for frying

For a honey syrup:

¼ cup white sugar

1 ½ cups water

¾ cup honey

Juice of ½ lemon

For an Orange Syrup (what I use):

1 ½ cups freshly squeezed orange juice

½ cup sugar

¾ cup honey (cut down the honey if you want a less sweet dessert)

Rind of ½ an orange for garnish

What to do:

Make the syrup first. Put the sugar, water (or orange juice), honey and lemon juice in a pan and bring to a boil.

For the fritters, beat the egg whites stiff.

Lightly beat the yolks with the salt and lemon zest.

Fold the yolk mixture into the egg whites.

Then, fold in the matzo meal, raining on it lightly.

Drop by the heaping tablespoonful in moderately hot oil and deep fry over medium heat, turning the fritters to brown them all over.

Drain on paper towels and dip, while still hot, in the syrup. The longer you let them soak, the more syrup they absorb and the sweeter they become.

Lift out of the syrup with a slotted spoon.

Serve hot or cold. 

What to do in Photos:

Salmon Ceviche

Diced salmon with limes

Salmon marinating in lime juice

Fresh tomatoes

Serrano chili

1/2 cup of finely diced scallions

Cilantro (on left) and Oregano (on right)

Pit avocado then cut it into a grid shape while it's still
in the peel. All you have to do is turn it inside out once it's cut.

Avocado with tomato mixture and salt/pepper

Finished tomato, herb, and avocado mixture

Ready to eat!

 Sefereet

Orange, sugar, honey simple syrup

Bring syrup to a boil 

Separating the eggs

Yolks with lemon zest 

Whipping egg whites until stiff peaks form

Not quite done

And ... done! 

Folding in the egg yolks and lemon zest 

More folding in of egg yolks

Matzo meal. I didn't have any so I took matzah, pulsed it several
times in the food processor and made matzo meal

Drizzling mazto meal and folding that in

Scooping the tablespoon full of batter into hot oil

Turning over the beignets

Flip over once browned, don't crowd the pot! 

Flipping the beignets

Taking them out with a slotted spoon

Draining on a paper towel 

Draining on a paper towel 

Pouring the syrup over the beignets and ... 

Letting them soak for a few minutes 

After the syrup soak, put beignets into your serving dish.

Add orange zest (or lemon zest) for garnish

And serve

And eat!