Passover:New And Traditional Foods

Passover is starting soon and with it the special recipes that have been handed down. The holiday is celebrated all over the wold and with that come international recipes.Cooks , well versed in the tradition can change It up a bit. Novice ones can fall back on the traditional but traditional with a twist.

Both Elaine Scolino and Melissa Clark touched on this yesterday in Wednesday's New York Times Dining section.Ms. Sciolino lives in Paris and creates a French styled seder for her husband (she is Sicilian and Catholic) Instead of the usual chicken fat or schmaltz she uses duck fat. The matzoh is  infused with orange and wine ,w hile the noodles are made from potato and egg. She is able to buy ground almonds because the French sell them in their marketplaces.. Here she makes ossobucco and a Sephardic Jew tradition rice (the Ashkenazis ban it completely from the Passover table.)If you;re not too much into tradition, you can try this as well.

Melissa Clark goes for the traditional by making use of Manishcwitz Wine, a jammy port like brew. The wine has been standard for generations here in the States. It is primarily used in haroseth , a loose paste  made with chopped apples, walnuts and cinnamon, She takes it  a step further with an endive salad with relatively the same ingredients. To this she adds the walnuts but coats them with a bath of egg white and cayenne mixed with the Manischewitz for bite and sweetness..

Passover seders have always relied on the traditional. However it's nice to experiment or add from other tables, It makes for an interesting meal , not to mention an interesting palate.