Photo by Su-Lin/Flickr

Wait a second. You don’t say k-nife when you talk about your utensils. Why do you say k-nish when you’re talking about a delicious goody filled piece of dough? As far as I can tell, that is one of life’s mysteries. I’m sure it is related to the way some language in Eastern Europe pronounces words, though.

The important thing is that a knish is a delicious little starchy thing and I try not to indulge in them too often! You can bake them instead of going with the unhealthier fried version, but it is kind of like baked versus fried French fries…

Originally, knishes were simply mashed potatoes in some dough, but you know we couldn’t leave it at that. No, now you can get your little potato dumpling packed with an assortment of delicious fillings, like cheese, spinach, or meat.

You can eat them any time, but they are particularly popular during Passover and, if you’re in New York city right now, quite a few street vendors will be serving them. Don’t have any street vendors or restaurants near you serving these tasty dumplings? Try this recipe for Passover knishes. (If you are not worried about a Kosher table, just substitute eggs for the egg substitute.) Or, try this Phyllo dough version that is sure to have your cholesterol screaming “uncle” by the third helping!

(I’m thinking to try the Phyllo dough version for Easter dinner, but if you are planning a Passover meal, you may want to take a close look at the ingredients. I’m pretty sure dairy and meat can’t mix. Does anyone know if you can have butter and chicken broth in the same dish and still be Kosher?)

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Holiday Definition of the Week – Knish

Photo: K. Thomas

I don’t know why, but daffodils always remind me of Easter. My mom prefers Easter lilies and my sister thinks of hyacinths. Isn’t it strange how something symbolizes a holiday to one person and not another?

Do you associate a specific flower with Easter, Passover, or another Spring holiday you celebrate?

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Wordy Wednesday – Spring Flowers Are Here

Epicurious has some great ideas from table settings to recipes, various menu inspirations and kosher wines.  You could even give your meal a twist with a South-of-the-Border Seder.  They also have recipes for the perfect Matzoh balls, Gefilte fish and Passover sweets. 

I am told that usually Passover sweets have little desirability but Marcy Goldman came up with several recipes and I love her thoughts on the matter, “”If you put a dessert on the table and have to shrug and say, ‘What do you want, it’s a Passover dessert,’ then you shouldn’t serve it at all.”

My Trademark, Most Requested, Absolutely Magnificent Caramel Matzoh Crunch

Ingredients:

4-6 unsalted matzohs
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter or unsalted Passover margarine
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
3/4 cup coarsely chopped chocolate chips or semi-sweet chocolate

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a large (or two smaller) cookie sheet completely with foil. Cover the bottom of the sheet with baking parchment — on top of the foil. This is very important since the mixture becomes sticky during baking.

Line the bottom of the cookie sheet evenly with the matzohs, cutting extra pieces, as required, to fit any spaces.

In a 3-quart, heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine the butter or margarine and the brown sugar. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture comes to a boil (about 2 to 4 minutes). Boil for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat and pour over the matzoh, covering completely.

Place the baking sheet in the oven and immediately reduce the heat to 350°. Bake for 15 minutes, checking every few minutes to make sure the mixture is not burning (if it seems to be browning too quickly, remove the pan from the oven, lower the heat to 325°, and replace the pan).

Remove from the oven and sprinkle immediately with the chopped chocolate or chips. Let stand for 5 minutes, then spread the melted chocolate over the matzoh. While still warm, break into squares or odd shapes. Chill, still in the pan, in the freezer until set.

This makes a good gift.

Variation:
You can also use coarsely chopped white chocolate (or a combination of white and dark), and chopped or slivered toasted almonds (sprinkled on top as the chocolate sets). You can also omit the chocolate for a caramel-alone buttercrunch.

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Passover, Seder and a Modern Twist

With Passover only a couple of days a way, many are planning out there finishing touches for their Seder.

If you are looking for some great kosher wine for this special occasion or just for daily life, there is emerging better, stronger and less sweet wines for the pallet.

Epicurious has helped by eliminating some of the guess work, so you can get down to business and purchase your wine:

Banish all visions of sweet sickly wine: Manischewitz is old school. Now there’s a kosher new school. And the quality is impressive. They’re not just emerging from Israel and the U.S., either. International adaptations of familiar grapes have entered the equation. In fact, many of the great new kosher wines are coming from France, Italy, Spain, Chile, Argentina, New Zealand, and Australia. With the increased focus in the vineyard, many kosher wines are now comfortably competing with their nonkosher cousins. These four kosher wines are well worth checking out — regardless of whether you’re hosting a seder.

They have given suggestions for both white and red wine lovers.  Click here to read further and get more information regarding their suggestions for Kosher Wines to enjoy this Passover or go to Kosher Wines, a website with lots of information and sales of kosher wines. 

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Kosher Wines for Your Passover