A Very Pretty Quinoa

pretty quinoa

Quinoa with Fresh Mango & Pomegranate Arils
Red Onion, Jalapeño, Basil, Cilantro, Lime

We tried a new dish for Passover this year. Quinoa. Anyone who’s cooked Passover dinner knows the challenge of serving the crowd (33 in ours) immediately after the Seder which lasts about 1 1/2 hours. How to get the food to the table, timely and hot? This year we were short one chef (we sure missed you Allison) so we simplified our menu to make prep and service easier.

Continue reading “A Very Pretty Quinoa”

Passover Seder Table 2012 and Our Beloved Frog Collection

passover seder table

Passover Seder Table 2012 and Our Beloved Frog Collection

My dear sister-in-law Kristy and I gleefully agonize over the color scheme for the Passover Table every year. When our guests arrive just before sundown, they are always surprised and delighted by Kristy’s table.

And of course, by then, I’ve photographed the table from every angle for Taste With The Eyes. In addition to the striking turquoise & yellow color scheme of 2012, some of the color combinations from our past Seders include:

  • Gold & Raspberry
  • Gold & White
  • Eggplant & Sky Blue
  • Lavender & White
  • Tangerine & Hot Pink

Continue reading “Passover Seder Table 2012 and Our Beloved Frog Collection”

Passover Potluck: Saffron Matzoh Balls

saffron matzo ball passover soup, passover chicken soup, saffron matzah balls

Saffron Matzoh Ball Soup for Passover

Passover Potluck? Count me in Tori! It is my absolute pleasure and such an honor to be invited to contribute a Guest Post for my favorite Jewish holiday, Pesach, on my favorite Jewish cooking blog, The Shiksa in the Kitchen. I’ll bring the Matzoh Ball Soup. See you at Sundown!

Choosing a Passover dish to share with The Shiksa was easy. After rolling over a thousand matzoh balls between my palms over the last decade, it is this fluffy beloved dumpling of Passover that I must share at the Potluck.

But mine is not an ordinary matzoh ball, this one is infused with saffron. Lots of saffron. So beyond their beautiful rich color, these matzoh balls taste exotic, mysterious. Perfect for the retelling of our ancient story…

saffron matzo ball, chicken soup saffron matzah balls, matzoh cracker soup

Links
My Saffron Matzoh Ball recipe is now posted at The Shiksa’s Passover Potluck here,
plus a peek at Our Beautiful Passover Seder Table too.

Try The Shiksa’s fabulous made-from-scratch “Sinker” Matzo Balls and “Floater” Matzo Balls,
now you’ll know the difference!

My recipe for the best Chicken Soup here,
how to get a crystal clear soup, chicken meat with flavor, elegant carrots, and more.

Wishing You a Holiday Full of Love, and Bright with Tradition!
Lori Lynn

Why is this night different from all other nights?

passover meal

Why is this night different from all other nights?

The eight-day Passover holiday concludes today at nightfall.

The story we tell at Passover isn’t a fairy tale that happened “once upon a time.” It is a true story. Each year at Passover we retell the story of our ancestors and go on a journey in our hearts from slavery to freedom, from sadness to joy, from darkness to light.

On this holiday God commands us to light candles. May each of us help kindle the flames of hope and freedom in our lives and the lives of others. As we light the candles we thank God who has given us life, kept us in life, and enabled us to reach this season of joy.

Blessed are You, Eternal God, Creator of the universe, who makes our lives holy with Your commandments, and commands us to kindle these holiday lights.

Continue reading “Why is this night different from all other nights?”

Our Beautiful Passover Seder Table, and Frogs!

passover, passover table, seder table, seder, table setting

Our Beautiful Passover Seder Table, and Frogs!

Extending warm wishes for a wonderful Passover from our family to yours…

This post is the second in a series highlighting our Passover customs and traditions.

passover table

Kristy & Stone

The Passover Seder Table is not simply a place to tell the story of the Exodus and to eat dinner. The Table is symbolic in and of itself. It is a place where memories are made and traditions are taught. It is where we gather with family and friends, and perhaps strangers too, to celebrate our freedoms. The care with which my sister-in-law Kristy sets her Table reflects the solemnness and seriousness of this holiday. The vibrancy and beauty of the Table reflect our gratitude to God for taking us from slavery to freedom, from sadness to happiness, from pain to joy, from darkness to light. Fresh flower arrangements make the table especially spring-like and festive.

Newcomers to the Seder ask, “What can I bring?” We say bring a frog…and we have built up quite a collection over these past ten years!

Why a Frog?

God told Moses, “Behold, I hear the cry of the children of Israel. I have surely remembered you and seen what is done to you. And now I will put forth my hand and smite Egypt with signs and with wonders. Go tell Pharaoh, Let My people go!”

Continue reading “Our Beautiful Passover Seder Table, and Frogs!”