Matzoh & Karpas
Karpas – A green vegetable such as parsley, a springtime crop representative of rebirth and redemption is dipped in salt water. The salt water reminds us of the tears our ancestors shed as slaves in Egypt.
Matzoh – We eat matzoh on Passover to remind us that our ancestors left Egypt in such haste, they could not wait for the bread to rise. Additionally, matzoh is the “bread of affliction” – the food of slavery, it reminds us to be humble and to appreciate our freedoms.
OUR SEDER
My brother, Don, is the leader. Everyone participates. We read from the Haggadah. We recite the blessings. We tell the story of the Exodus from Egypt. My nephew, Stone, 7, asks The Four Questions. We sing. We drink. We eat. We laugh. We get teary-eyed. Our story is being retold all over the world on this day.
Here I share our Passover menu and some scenes from the Seder along with the significance of each ritual. And new this year: Come take a peek into our Seder. Watch a 45 second video clip of one of our Seder songs!
Since their marriage, Don and Kristy have been hosting our family’s First Night of Passover. While Kristy sets the most beautiful Passover tables, I have been the cook for all nine years (with lots of help from family and friends).
We have three Seder plates, two for the adult tables and one for the kids’ table.
SEDER PLATES
The Seder Plate Includes:
Roasted Egg
Maror (horseradish)
Shankbone
Haroset (chopped apples, walnuts, cinnamon with red wine)
Chazeret (romaine lettuce)
Karpas (parsley)
HOME VIDEO – A Peek Into Our Seder
In this 45 second video clip we enjoy singing The Ballad of the Four Sons to the tune of “Clementine.”
The song is about telling the story of the Exodus from Egypt to satisfy the needs of four different types of people:
- the wise son, who wants to know the technical details
- the wicked son, who excludes himself (and learns the penalty for doing so)
- the simple son, who needs to know the basics
- the son who is unable to ask, the one who doesn’t even know enough to know what he needs to know
The Ballad of the Four Sons
wriiten by Ben Aronin in 1948
Said the father to his children,
“At the seder you will dine,
You will eat your fill of matzah,
You will drink four cups of wine.”
Now this father had no daughters,
But his sons they numbered four.
One was wise and one was wicked,
One was simple and a bore.
And the fourth was sweet and winsome,
he was young and he was small.
While his brothers asked the questions
he could scarcely speak at all.
Said the wise one to his father
“Would you please explain the laws?
Of the customs of the seder
Will you please explain the cause?”
And the father proudly answered,
“As our fathers ate in speed,
Ate the paschal lamb ‘ere midnight
And from slavery were freed.”
So we follow their example
And ‘ere midnight must complete
All the seder and we should not
After 12 remain to eat.
Then did sneer the son so wicked
“What does all this mean to you?”
And the father’s voice was bitter
As his grief and anger grew.
“If you yourself don’t consider
As son of Israel,
Then for you this has no meaning
You could be a slave as well.”
Then the simple son said simply
“What is this,” and quietly
The good father told his offspring
“We were freed from slavery.”
But the youngest son was silent
For he could not ask at all.
His bright eyes were bright with wonder
As his father told him all.
My dear children, heed the lesson
and remember evermore
What the father told his children
Told his sons that numbered four.
Passover Dinner
March 29, 2010
MENU
Kosher Wines
Olives and Mixed Nuts
STARTERS
Geri’s Gefilte Fish
Davida’s Chopped Liver with Pistachio
Kristy’s Haroset
Vicki’s Beet Salad, Fresh Horseradish & Matzohs
Hard Boiled Eggs
SOUP
Chicken Soup with
Spring Vegetables & Herbed Matzoh Balls
MAIN COURSE
Grilled Chicken, Apricots, Orange Ginger Glaze
Tomato Onion Beef Brisket
Red Bliss Potatoes, Haricots Verts, Cherry Tomatoes, Basil
Roasted Parsnips, Carrots & Shallots, Gremolata
DESSERT
Passover Cakes
Karen’s Matzoh Crisps
Vicki’s Macaroons
Fresh Fruit
Coffee
THREE CHEFS
Lori Lynn, Davida, Allison
“What Happens at the Seder Stays at the Seder!”
SCENES FROM THE SEDER
Jett, Stone & Austin help with Urechatz
Before eating a holiday meal, Jews perform a ritual hand washing and recite a blessing. During the Passover Seder, the hand washing is called urechatz and the blessing is not performed. Another ritual hand washing, complete with a blessing occurs later in the Seder proceedings. Urechatz is considered a preparation for eating karpas, which is the first thing served during the Passover Seder.
Matzoh & Maror
A blessing is recited over a bitter vegetable (horseradish). This symbolizes the bitterness of slavery. The maror is eaten with haroset, a mixture of apples, walnuts, cinnamon and red wine, which symbolizes the mortar used by our ancestors to build structures for Pharaoh.
Please stop by later in the week for some recipes from our Passover dinner!
A special thanks to my dear friend Peggy, for taking wonderful photos while we were busy in the kitchen.
27 comments • Filed in: Entertaining
What beautiful seder (and a fun video!) I had to show this to my husband, saying, “do you think we can clear out the living room and bring in extra tables to fit our whole family someday?” (To get all of them to sit respectfully through the seder is another story, which is why I’m not jumping up and down to do this anyway. My family is a bit split on religious observances.) Truly inspirational!
Your Seder is beautiful, I love the Jewish culture, I think if I would have had children I would have converted.
Looks like a beautiful and special time spent with family. The dishes (as well as the table) are all perfect! Thank you for sharing with us!
There’s barely any Jewish people here and I don’t know anyone personally, so I don’t know what the traditional greeting is for a Seder
Happy Passover, then! (I should really read something on Wikipedia…) But I have no doubt that you had one – just look at that amazing spread!
What a beautiful dinner!!!!Wonderful food and fantastic decorations.
LL,
Your family really knows how to put on a beautiful holiday dinner.
Loved every photo and enjoyed reading about your Pesach.
Stace
Looks like a lovely celebration in a beautiful setting. Like that pistachio crusted chopped liver!
What a heart-warming post, Lori Lynn. I love stories of family meals and traditions like this. And I must say, that table looks exquisite. Thank you for sharing your family and Passover celebration with us.
I am @ a loss for words…(very unusual for me) Especially knowing that the world can read this note! Lori and I have walked this earth together since college…(20 years ago…right??)
And we have shared sooooo many experiences; but participating in this experience, The Seder/Passover ranks at the top!
Don and Kristy are the perfect hosts in every way; beautiful children,
generous hearts, and a warm and inviting home! Thank You for inviting John & I.
The weekend started for Lori & I eating lunch@ Joe’s In chicago…Yummy!
Sunday, Lori included me in the preparation of food for the meal and I met the other
two amazing women (and chefs) Allison & Davita! A Pleasure!!! And then Kristy, the stunning and beautiful Kristy, invited me to the Passover dinner!!! Tremendous…
So, Thank You to all and especially to the greatest friend, Lori Lynn Hirschkovitz….
Happy Birthday Lori! Love you…Engy (Alias Peggy)
wonderful photos… so glad we can re-live the Seder in photo and video..
Happy Birthday LL! What can I say about this post other than you create beautiful memories with all your traditions starting from the table settings, the glorious food, (I want that matzoh ball soup!) but most of all your bond with family and friends.
Hope all is well in your area with the news of the earthquake…
Beautiful design on the table! Love that mauve color and the dishes look so good and traditional. Thanks for sharing your table!
Oh Lori Lynn, this is a fabulous feast! I loved the harmony of the song from that video – thank you so much for sharing! I hope you have a wonderful day!
What a wonderful feast you had! The table looks stunning.
Although I doubt that most tables are as elaborate as Kristy’s (really gorgeous), I love that it doesn’t really matter where we are, if we do our seder in Hebrew or in English, the tradition lives strong.
can i come to your seder next year?!
A belated HappyPassover to you and yours. Growing up I shared such special Passover meals with good friends. Your Passover Table brims over with goodness and shared love. The food is exquisite and its the gathering that elevates it.
I can’t begin to tell you what a wonderful Passover I had. As always everybody did an excellent job. The food, the table setting, the people are all above and beyond what I could expect. I am so greatful that I am part of this family and I want to thank you for making Passover so special for me. Love, Geri
Lori Lynn – I am blown away by this post – it’s inspirational. What a truly special meal and what a wonderful family you have.
I can’t get over how gorgeous the table is!! Especially compared to mine — I had to jerry-rig a table large enough to fit 12 people (my dining room only fits 8, and *that’s* cozy)
And of course, the whole meal looks delicious! Your chopped liver is certainly refined
Oh my !!!!!
What an incredible setting !!! This is better than Martha Stewart’s !!!
Everything is perfect !!!!
Congratulations !!!!
Lori Lyn, what an absolutely stunning seder dinner and setting. As always you have brought elegance and magic to your family gather. Thank you for sharing it all and not keeping everything that happened at the seder , at the seder.
What a lovely table you set for your family and friends. Hope you had a wonderful Passover seder.
Beautiful! Happy Passover to you and your family. Thank you for sharing your wonderfl holiday with your readers.
Awesome event. Sorry I had to miss it…again. We have to separate our high holy days from your high holy days… then I’ll be able to join you. I especially like the video. btw, I’m craving your Matzoh Balls.
lori lynn, thanks for including me in another wonderful seder. peggy did a great job of photo-documenting the event. i think this was the best menu yet. happy birthday, my dear friend! xoxo
Lori Lynn, it’s always a joy to view and relish the dishes you cooked up. Thanks again for sharing your Passover table.