Quick, hide the afikomen

Perhaps my favorite of all the Jewish holidays—better than Chanukah, more fun than Rosh Hashanah—is Passover, which starts Wednesday (April 8) and lasts eight days. Yes, it’s the one during which we can’t eat bread. But it’s so much more about celebrating our freedom than depriving ourselves.

I’ve had so many non-Jewish friends over the years who have had such a rudimentary knowledge of Jewish culture that I’ve developed a little lesson plan, and it begins with Passover. Last year I even cooked an entire Passover Seder meal for my boyfriend’s family.

Passover is generally the celebration of freedom, specifically remembering how the enslaved Israelites were freed from Egypt. When they got word that they could leave, they dropped everything and went, many of them bringing the bread from their ovens that had not yet had time to rise. To commemorate this, during the week of Passover, we don’t eat leavened bread.

One of the traditions most people ask about Passover is the special Seder plate. Many Jews do this differently, but this is how I’ve laid it out: horseradish (to symbolize the bitterness of slavery); parsley and salt-water (tears); charoset, a mixture of nuts, apples and red wine (mortar used by slaves in Egypt); a hard-boiled egg (mourning); and a lamb shankbone (sacrifice).

Matzo (pronounced “mah-tsah”) is an unleavened bread, like a cracker, and is also a Seder-table centerpiece. One piece is set aside in a special napkin and called the “afikomen.” As a child, I remember searching high and low in my grandparents’ house for the piece of matzo—hidden after the meal—the Jewish equivalent to hunting for Easter eggs.

During the Seder, we say prayers, remember our past and drink wine. (We’re even encouraged to recline while eating, rather than sit up straight.) Then it’s time for the feast. Jewish foods—especially some of the dishes served during Passover—are some of the yummiest on this planet. Can you get much better than a hot, juicy brisket served with veggies, matzo ball soup and egg-noodle kugel? Not in my book.

Another of my favorites is a dessert called matzo brickle. (Matzo can be found at most supermarkets in the Jewish-foods section.) My all-time favorite matzo concoction, though, has to be matzo-meal rolls, just like my mom made growing up.

4 pieces matzo
1 cup salted butter
1 cup brown sugar
2 cups chocolate chips
nuts, if desired

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with tin foil, lay out matzo in single layer, breaking when necessary. In a pan, melt butter and brown sugar. Stir frequently just until boiling. Remove from heat, pour over matzo. Put matzo in oven for two minutes. Remove, cover with chocolate chips (milk or dark—mix it up with white!). Back into the oven for one minute, or until chocolate melts. Remove and spread chocolate with a spatula. Add nuts if you so desire. Freeze half an hour or so and serve! Keep leftovers in the freezer.

Matzo-meal rolls

2/3 cup water
1/3 cup oil
1 tbsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup matzo meal (can be found in supermarket)
3 eggs, beaten

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In saucepan, bring oil, water, sugar and salt to a boil. Stir in matzo meal. Boil a second more and remove from heat. Mix thoroughly and, when cooled a little, beat in eggs a little at a time. Grease hands and roll into 2-inch balls. Place on a greased baking sheet. Bake 40 minutes to an hour, or until golden brown. (At 40 minutes, the inside should be moist and spongy—I love them this way. At an hour they start to become hollow.)