Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, April 7, 1993 TAG: 9304070133
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: ALMENA HUGHES STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
MORE THAN SUSTENANCE
IF you don't know from matzo and haroset, you may be missing out on treats.They're among foods eaten this week during Passover - the commemoration of the exodus of the Jews from slavery in Egypt.
As symbols and sustenance, the unleavened matzot and fruity haroset will appear in Jewish rituals and on Jewish tables. But you needn't be Jewish to enjoy them or other Passover and kosher products available at grocers.
Here's what some are:
\ Matzo is unleavened bread, made of wheat, oats, rye, barley or millet flour. It is a central ingredient of many foods eaten at Passover, during which observers may not eat or have in their possession leavened or fermented products.
Matzo dough is mixed, shaped and placed into an 800-degree oven all within 18 minutes to ensure that the grains do not begin to ferment. Matzot labeled "kosher for Passover" additionally had a piece of dough from each batch pinched off and burned as a symbol of offerings made at temples in ancient times.
During intricate, ritual Seder ceremonies held on the first and second nights of Passover, three cakes of matzot wrapped in a napkin are used to symbolize the three classes of ancient Israelites (the Kohanim or priests, the Levites and the ordinary Israelites).
For everyday use, the bread may be eaten as is or in any of its various forms, including flour, meal or dumpling-like balls often used in soups.
\ Haroset - a tangy fruit paste usually made of apples and nuts or dates and nuts - probably has as many variations as there are cooks.
It too has a role in the Seder ceremony, representing the mortar used by the Jews to make bricks for Pharoah's building projects. But spread on matzot or eaten as a side dish or even dessert, the combinations of fruits and nuts have universal appeal.
Other symbolic foods included in the Seder are:
\ Horseradish - called bitter herbs - ground up or cut into small pieces and symbolizing the bitterness of slavery.
A\ bone - which may be a roasted lamb shank or turkey neck, symbolizing the paschal lamb sacrifice.
An\ egg - roasted in its shell symbolizing a special festival offering; and
\ Lettuce, celery and\ parsley - greens symbolizing spring time and renewed life.
\ Gefilte fish has no role in the Seder, but makes a tasty and popular appetizer. One cook described it as "sort of a meatloaf of ground-up whitefish, pike and carp." It's often served cold, with horseradish, at the beginning of a meal.
\ Borscht also does not have any ritual value. But the Russian beet soup, served hot or cold, makes a colorful and tasty addition at most tables.
The Passover-foods section and kosher-foods section of larger grocers carry products from dairy-optional quiches to microwave cake mixes, designed for mass appeal.
A recent report said that of approximately 6.5 million people shopping for kosher foods annually in the U.S., only 1.5 million are Jews. The rest follow religions that forbid meat or pork; are vegetarians; are allergic to milk or wheat; or believe the processing of kosher foods is stricter and that kosher foods are healthier.
Now that you know from matzo and haroset, here's how to use and make them:
This tasty almond bread is a favorite of June Goffen of Beth Israel Synagogue in Roanoke. Passover Mandelbrot 2 cups sugar 1/2-pound margarine 6 eggs 2 3/4 cups cake meal matzo 3/4-cup potato starch 1/2-tsp. salt 1 cup raisins 1 cup slivered almonds 2 3-oz. bars bittersweet chocolate, crumbled 1 tsp. cinnamon plus 2 tsp. sugar, combined Heat oven to 350 degrees.
Cream together sugar and margarine.
Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition.
Sift together meal, starch and salt. Add to egg mixture and beat well.
Fold in raisins, almonds and chocolate.
Separate into four loaves, each approximately 2-inches wide. Place on greased cookie sheet.
Sprinkle loaves with cinnamon-sugar mixture.
Bake approximately 45 minutes.
Cut while warm into 12-14 slices per loaf. Cool slices on rack.
Tina Loebl of Temple Emanuel in Roanoke said these light, airy bagels are a lot like making cream puffs. Passover Bagels 1 cups water -cup oil 2 Tbsp. sugar 1 tsp. salt 2 cups matzo meal 6 eggs Extra water for dipping Heat oven to 375 degrees.
Bring to a boil, oil, 1 cup water, sugar and salt.
Stir in matzo meal and mix rapidly just until the mixture leaves sides of pan.
Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.
Beat in eggs one at a time until dough is smooth.
Grease hands and roll dough into balls. Place on lightly greased cookie sheet.
Dip finger into extra water and poke hole in center of each ball.
Bake for about one hour. (Yield depends on size of dough balls. 2-inch balls yield about one dozen 4-inch bagels.)
Staff photographer Stephanie Klein-Davis adapted this Eastern European haroset, shown on matzo in the photograph accompanying this story. Ashkenazic recipes usually use apples as a main ingredient. Ashkenazic Haroset 1pound tart apples, peeled and cored 4 oz. walnut halves 4 oz. golden raisins 3/4-Tbsp. cinnamon\ -tsp. grated fresh ginger 3-5 Tbsps. sweet wine or grape juice Finely chop the apples and walnuts.
Add raisins, cinnamon and ginger and mix together in a bowl.
Add enough wine or juice to moisten mixture and create a paste-like texture.
Adjust spices as desired.
Makes about 4 cups.
Dates are a primary ingredient in this Sephardic recipe, which probably originated in Portugal or Spain. It is from "The Jewish-American Kitchen" cookbook, with recipes by Susan R. Firedland, authored by Raymond Sokolov. Sephardic Haroset 1/2 pound pitted dates (1 cup packed) 1/2 cup raisins 1 medium apple, peeled, cored and chopped 1/2-cup walnut pieces 1 tsp freshly grated ginger\ -cup sweet wine or grape juice
Combine all ingredients except wine and chop fine. Stir in wine until mixture reaches paste-like consistency.
Makes about 2 cups. - Some of the information for this story was provided by Associated Press.