Passover Seder Foods

There are a number of foods eaten during the ritual Seder family meal partaken on the first two nights of Passover. Family customs may vary the items served at the Seder, but the following food items traditionally appear on the Seder plate:

• Matzoh: Three unleavened matzohs are placed within the folds of a napkin as a reminder of the haste with which the Israelites fled Egypt, leaving no time for dough to rise. Two are consumed during the service, and one (the Aftkomen), is spirited away and hidden during the ceremony to be later found as a prize.

• Maror: bitter herbs, usually horseradish or romaine lettuce, used to symbolize the bitterness of slavery.

• Charoses: a mixture of apples, nuts, wine, and cinnamon, as a reminder of the mortar used by the Jews in the construction of buildings as slaves

• Beitzah: a roasted egg, as a symbol of life and the perpetuation of existence.

• Karpas: a vegetable, preferably parsley or celery, representing hope and redemption; served with a bowl of salted water to represent the tears shed.

• Zeroah: traditionally a piece of roasted lamb shankbone, symbolizing the paschal sacrificial offering

• Wine: four glasses of wine are consumed during the service to represent the four-fold promise of redemption, with a special glass left for Elijah the prophet. Further Passover References:

• Passover Seder History
• Passover Recipes

Apple Varieties

• Baldwin Apple: An all-purpose red-skinned apple, mottled and streaked with yellow, with a mildly sweet-tart flavor, fairly crisp texture, from the New York region, available from October to April.

• Cortland Apple: All-purpose red apple with crisp, juicy, sweet-tart flesh that resists browning, smooth shiny red skin, a Northwest favorite good for cooking and hand-eating.

• Crabapple: Small, rosy red, hard tart flesh, too sour for hand-eating, makes great jellies, jams and good with pork and poultry, available during the fall months.

• Criterion Apple: Slightly tart, bright red skin with green highlights, good for baking and hand-eating.

• Gala Apple: Brilliant rosy red skin. Firm and crisp, sweet and juicy, the Gala apple is good for pies as well as eating out of hand. Available September through June.

• Golden Delicious Apple: Yellow to yellow-green, sweet/bland flavor, juicy and crisp flesh that resists browning, all-purpose but do lose some flavor when cooked, available September through June. Refrigerated storage time: 150 days.

• Granny Smith Apple: Crisp, juicy, freckled green skin, sweetly tart flesh, excellent for hand-eating and cooking, grown in New Zealand, Australia, California and Arizona so usually available year-round. Refrigerated storage time: 240 days.

• Gravenstein Apple: Crisp, juice, sweet-tart, green-skin streaked with red, all-purpose for cooking but not whole, available mainly on the U.S. West coast from August to late September.

• Jonathan Apple: Spicy and fragrant, juicy, sweet-tart, all-purpose cooking except for whole, good for hand-eating, available September through February. Refrigerated storage time: 120 days.

• Lady Apple: Tiny, ranging from brilliant red to yellow with red blushing, sweet-tart, good for hand-eating or cooking, available canned, used for garnishes, available fresh during winter months.

• Macoun Apple: Small to medium-sized, wine red in color, crisp, juicy, sweet-tart, all-purpose but best for hand-eating, a U.S. East coast favorite.

• McIntosh Apple: Medium-sized, crisp, tart-sweet, bright red skin sometimes tinged with green, all-purpose but doesn't hold up to lengthy cooking, discovered in the late 1700's by Canadian John McIntosh, available September through March.

• Northern Spy Apple: Large, sweet-tart apple, red skin with yellow streaking, all-purpose, available October through March, also called spy apple.

• Pippin Apple: All-purpose, good for hand-eating and cooking, greenish-yellow skin, juicy, crisp flesh, slightly tart, also called Newton pippin or yellow pippin, available winter through mid-spring.

• Red Delicious Apple: Large, brilliant red, sometimes streaked with green, elongated shape with five distinctive knobs at its base, juicy, sweet, no distinguishable tartness, recommended for hand-eating but not for cooking, available from September through April. Refrigerated storage time: 160 days.

• Rhode Island Greening Apple: Medium-sized, green to yellow in color, sweet-tart flavor which intensifies with cooking, good for hand-eating, mostly sold as a commercial crop for applesauce, pies etc., since both flavor and texture hold up well to heat, available October to April primarily in the eastern and central U.S. The western variant is known as Northwest Greening.

• Rome Beauty Apple: Deep red skin with some yellow speckling, off-white flesh ranging from tender to mealy, mildly tart to sweet and bland, holds its shape well when cooked and as such is good for baked apples or cooked dishes, available November through May. Refrigerated storage time: 220 days.

• Stayman Apple: Striped, dull red color, off-white flesh, juicy, crisp, tart, good for hand-eating and cooking, available from October to April.

• Winesap Apple: Juicy, tart, crisp yellowish flesh with a deep red skin, all-purpose, stores well, available from November through May. Refrigerated storage time: 220 days.

• York Imperial Apple: Medium to large in size, firm flesh, tartly sweet, red with yellowish streaks, off-white flesh, excellent for cooking whole as it keeps its shape, available October through April.

• Kendall Apple: Cross between McIntosh and Zusoff
• Spartan Apple: McIntosh and Yellow Newtown mix
• Idared Apple: Jonathan and Wagner mix. Refrigerated storage time: 200 days.
• Jondel Apple: Jonathan and Delicious mix

For a helpful description of other varieties, visit Apple Variety Evaluations from the Virginia Cooperative Extension.

• Apple Selection and Storage
• Apple Varieties
• Apple Equivalents, Measures, and Substitutions
• Apple History
• Apples and Health
• Apple Recipes
Apples Photo © 2006 Peggy Trowbridge Filippone, licensed to About.com, Inc.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups

These taste similar to the commercial peanut butter cups, but better! Great for gifts.Place 1-inch mini-muffin or candy papers in a mini-muffin tin.

In a double boiler, melt 4 ounces chocolate bar, peanut butter, and 1/4 cup butter, mixing until smooth. Gently mix in graham cracker crumbs.

Place about 1 teaspoon chocolate graham cracker mixture in bottom of paper cups. Chill 15 to 30 minutes to harden.

Place 3/4 cup peanut butter in a bowl over hot water to soften. Mix in powdered sugar and graham cracker crumbs. Place 1 teaspoon peanut butter mixture on top of hardened chocolate cracker layer. Chill 15 to 30 minutes.

Melt 6 ounces chocolate bar with butter and paraffin wax. Top the peanut butter layer with about 1 teaspoon chocolate mixture. Chill to harden. Refrigerate leftovers.

Yield: 3 dozen peanut butter cups

Homemade Peanut Butter Cups Recipe Photo © 2007 Peggy Trowbridge Filippone, licensed to About.com, Inc.

Choco-Dipped Crescent Hearts

These pretty little crescent heart cookies are fast, easy, colorful and tasty. I am partial to dark chocolate with these cookies, but use your favorite. Perfect for Valentine's Day or any special occasion. Let the kids help.Sprinkle have of the red sugar on the cutting board. Unroll crescent roll dough, separate into 4 rectangles, and place on top of the sugared board. Press the perforations to seal, then gently press dough into the sugar. Brush rectangles with half of the melted butter. Sprinkle with all of the cinnamon and remaining red sugar.

From the long side, roll one rectangle jelly-roll fashion up to the center of the dough. Then roll the top side down to meet the bottom in the center. Repeat with remaining dough rectangles. Wrap each log in plastic wrap and refrigerate about 30 minutes to firm up.

Preheat oven to 375 F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silpats.

Remove dough, unwrap and place on cutting board. Slice each roll into 8 pieces and place cut-side down about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking tray. Press down to 1/2-inch thickness and pinch the bottom of each slice to a point to form a heart shape. Brush with remaining melted butter.

Bake 9 to 13 minutes until golden. Reshape cookies if necessary and let cool.

Melt chocolate and paraffin wax together, stirring until smooth. Dip crescent heart cookies halfway into melted chocolate. Place dipped cookies on waxed or freezer paper. Refrigerate to harden chocolate if necessary.

Yield: 32 cookies

Strawberry Pie Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 stick butter
• 1 1/2 tablespoon shortening
• 1/8 cup ice water
• For the filling:
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 tablespoon corn starch
• 1 pint strawberries
• 1 12 ounce can 7-up
• Whipped cream

Directions

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1. 1.Put flour and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Cut the butter, and shortening into the flour. Process a few seconds until the mixture resembles a coarse meal.
2. 2.Drop by drop add the water, processing briefly. The whole process should take about 20 to 30 seconds. Wrap and chill for an hour.
3. 3.Remove from refrigerator, and let stand 15 minutes before rolling. You can double this up for a top and bottom crust.
4. 4.In a medium sized sauce pan combine sugar, cornstarch, and 7-UP until creamy. Cook over a medium to a medium-high heat until the mixture becomes thick.
5. 5.When this mixture becomes thick, cool to room temperature, and add a couple of drops of red food coloring.
6. 6.Wash, and cut strawberries into quarters, or smaller depending on how large they are. Sprinkle a teaspoon or two of sugar on the strawberries, and place them into the shell.
7. 7.Pour the cooled 7-Up mixture over the strawberries. Allow this to set for a few minutes. Serve with plenty of Whipped Cream.

Homemade Yogurt

It is easy to make your own at home with one of the many yogurt machines currently on the market, but a machine is not necessary.

You will need a candy thermometer to measure the temperature, a large container for mixing, a whisk and sterilized glass or porcelain containers for storage.

Sterilization is important. Undesirable bacteria could ruin your yogurt. Run your clean equipment through the rinse cycle of the dishwater or boil for one minute in a large pot. Heat source options include a wide-mouthed Thermos container, oven, heating pad, crockpot or hot sun.

Check these recipes for full details:

• Homemade Basic Yogurt
• Homemade Flavored Yogurt
• Making Yogurt Without a Yogurt Maker

If your yogurt is not thickening properly, it could be due to a number of reasons. If using a starter yogurt, be sure it is still active and enough is used. The temperature should be 100 to 110 degrees F. Too high heat or too low will ruin it.

The utensils must be clean and once the milk mixture is set to incubate, it should not be moved. If the result is too tart for your tastebuds, then let it incubate for less time. If the whey is separating from the yogurt, it most likely has incubated too long or it was stirred or moved during incubation.

No need to worry about spoilage if you watch the timing. The lactic acid that causes fermentation attacks the perishable protein in milk. The longer it sits souring, the more lactic acid is produced. It can rest at 100 degrees F. for a good 8 to 10 hours with no danger. However, beyond that time limit, mold becomes a distinct possibility. Mold will feed on that protective lactic acid rendering the yogurt defenseless. The optional addition of sugar should be done after your yogurt has ripened. Sugar helps preserve fruit added to yogurt and lengthens its storage period.

• Yogurt Cooking Tips, Measures, and Substitutions
• What is yogurt? FAQ
• Homemade Yogurt
• Homemade Yogurt Cheese
• Yogurt Storage
• Yogurt History
• Yogurt Recipes
Yogurt Photo © 2008 Peggy Trowbridge Filippone, licensed to About.com, Inc.

Lentil Storage

Lentils are only available dried. They are not used fresh.

Select lentils that are dry, firm, clean, and unshriveled. The color of lentils you choose will depend on your usage, but in general, the color should be fairly uniform. Canned lentils are also available, but it is just as easy to cook your own.

If your recipe calls for a lentil that will retain its shape when done, common brown lentils are the usual choice. Brown lentils still have their seed coat and have not been split. Most red, yellow, and orange lentils tend to disintegrate with long cooking because the hulls have been removed. Slightly sweet in flavor, these are best reserved for pureed soups or stew thickeners.

Other choices include French lentils which are olive-green and slate-colored. These will cook up the firmest. Persian green lentils will turn brown as they cook and become nice and tender while still retaining their shape. Considered the most flavorful (and most expensive) are the French Puy lentils, which also retain their shape.

You may be able to find lentil flour in some specialty markets. It is used in India to make a fermented dough for breadmaking.

Dried lentils have an indefinite shelf-life, yet another reason why our ancestors kept them as a staple food. With age, the color may fade a bit, but the flavor will not noticeably deteriorate. Store lentils in a sealed package or airtight container in a cool, dry place. For best flavor and presentation, use dried lentils within one year.

Cooked lentils may be refrigerated up to one week in a sealed container. Cooked lentils may also be frozen up to six months. However, they may fall apart when reheated if not handled gently.

• Lentil Selection and Storage
• Lentil Cooking Tips and Preparation
• Lentil Equivalents
• Lentil History
• Lentil Recipes
Lentil Photo © 2007 Peggy Trowbridge Filippone, licensed to About.com, Inc.