Beyond matzo: creative Passover cooking Beyond matzo: creative Passover cooking (March 03, 2004)

By Rebecca Wallace
Almanac Staff Writer

Some children suffer over having their birthday on Christmas, but as a Jewish kid, I felt my tragedy was far greater.

Most of the time my birthday fell during Passover. That meant my cake options were severely limited.

During the eight-day holiday, which begins this year at sundown on April 5 and commemorates the Jews' biblical exodus from slavery in Egypt, Jews traditionally do not eat leavened foods or anything made from wheat, oats, barley and rye. Many also temporarily give up rice, peanuts, corn and beans.

As an adult, I enjoy observing these dietary laws, or "keeping Passover." They make me think of the Passover story -- leavened bread is not eaten because the escaping Jews didn't have time to let their bread rise -- and they remind me of who I am.

But when I was younger, Passover just meant that I couldn't have my mother's pudding cake for my birthday. A gummy pseudo-pound cake held together with finely ground matzo (cracker-like unleavened bread) didn't exactly have that festive air.

Over the years, the options have expanded. Local bakeries make tasty Passover cakes out of matzo flour, and even I can't quibble with a rich flourless chocolate torte.

It's still, of course, a challenge to eat well and feed a family during Passover. Despite the current hoopla over low-carb diets, breads and other grain-rich foods still are staples for many. So cooks have to be creative.

Suzanne Gruber of Menlo Park uses a variety of recipes to get out of "the monotony of eating matzos and egg salad," including a frittata filled with mushrooms, spinach and artichoke hearts.

"It's good at room temperature, so it's good to take for lunches," she says.

Potato dishes such as potato pancakes or kugel (pudding) are also popular during Passover because they provide the missed starchy substance.

Eaten alone, the humble, crumbly matzo can get dull, so many cooks add spreads or dips with ingredients as diverse as kalamata olives, melted chocolate, or apple butter. Ms. Gruber says one of her family's favorites is a Moroccan eggplant spread.

Many Passover recipes simply provide a new take on an everyday dish by replacing bread, pasta or pastry with matzo or matzo flour. Typically drier than the original ingredient, matzo often needs to be soaked first.

For example, my friend Linda Pomeranz makes a mean Passover lasagna by using matzo for pasta. Her one caveat: "Use plenty of sauce."

Andrea Julian of Menlo Park makes a meat pie by mixing sauteed onion and ground beef with spinach, pine nuts, eggs and spices, then baking it with matzos on the top and bottom for crusts.

Most Jews have a favorite family variation of matzo brei, a simple egg dish often eaten for breakfast. I like the way my mother makes it: Break matzo into pieces and soak it briefly in water, then squeeze out the water. Beat one egg for every matzo, add salt, pepper and a little milk, then add the matzo and mix. Throw the whole thing in a pan with a little butter and cook it until brown, then eat it with jam.

My mother also makes a "no-fuss" Passover dessert that, in true mom fashion, has no set recipe.

"You take a random amount of soaked broken-up matzo and egg and cinnamon and sugar and vanilla. Layer it with sliced apple and bake it," she says. For how long? "Until it looks nice," she says, chuckling.

Recipe or no, I admit I almost like it better than the pudding cake.

Recipes

Frittata

(from Suzanne Gruber of Menlo Park)
1/2 lb. fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 10-oz. package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained well
2 6-oz. jars marinated artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 large onions, chopped
5 eggs, well beaten
1-1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Oil a two-quart baking dish and set it aside.

In a large frying pan, saute onions in oil until slightly brown. Add the mushrooms and saute a few minutes more. Remove from heat. Add the drained spinach, artichokes and cheese. Fold in the beaten eggs and mix well. Pour into the baking dish, smoothing evenly. Bake for 45 minutes or until the edges are brown.

Moroccan Eggplant

(from Sunset magazine's "Appetizers" cookbook)
3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 to 1-1/2 eggplant, diced (do not peel)
1 8-oz can tomato sauce
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 large green pepper, chopped
1 Tbsp ground cumin
2 tsp. Sugar
2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add all of the ingredients except the cilantro. Mix well, cover and cook for 20 minutes over medium heat. Uncover, bring mixture to a boil, stirring constantly, for about five minutes, or until reduced to about 3 cups.

Transfer the mixture to a large bowl, cool, then cover and refrigerate for at least three hours (can be made one day ahead). Just before serving, stir in the cilantro. Great on matzo!

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