Passover dessert last year, at my dear friend Karen's house. Passover always officially marks the beginning of Spring in my year. To me, the holiday is about remembering slavery and oppression, as well as trying to recognize it in our daily lives and the lives of those elsewhere on our planet. It is also about hope for future liberation, and in recognizing another year to do the work of making the world a better place. In that respect, I also find it very compatible with my feelings about being a vegetarian and working for equality and social justice. The awesome feast doesn't hurt, either.
Since Passover is so special to me, I think being in another country is no reason not to celebrate it. Sure, I have no idea where to find kosher wine or matzoh flour here in Belgium... but its gotta be available somewhere, and I will find it by Tuesday, when 7 people descend on my tiny cramped apartment demanding matzoh ball soup. Until then, I am scouring the internet for awesome recipes that can be made with my limited funds, space, and ingredients.
Here's some of the great stuff I've found for those of you hosting your own seder, or just wanting to contribute a vegan dish to one you might be going to. (Nicely, since vegan food contains no dairy, you are safe bringing these dishes to a Seder regardless of whether its a meat or dairy one!)
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The Times has a Mark Bittman recipe for... wait for it... making your own matzoh! Not quite sure my kitchen can handle it (500 degrees on a glorified toaster oven?) but I'm very tempted to try.
Over at Tofu Mom's site she has a recipe for vegan matzoh balls (
At Not Derby Pie (non-vegan) there are a few nice veganizable recipes, and I am eying this Crisp Potato Eggplant Tart.
Epicurious has a Passover guide, like every year, and there are some great and multi-cultural ideas to be culled from it. I have tried their different versions of charoset every year, but the traditional apple and walnut version always wins. I should also mention that Epicurious has a lot of info on the Passover traditions, as well as videos of how to make a perfect matzoh ball. :)
Even PETA has a Passover guide, with a number of surprisingly appealing recipes, including tsimmes. (I don't mean to be snarky, but I've seen one too many nude models in lettuce leaves to be a huge PETA fan.)
...And naturally you are free to peruse the recipes I posted last year, including Coconut Macaroons, Cauliflower Leek Kugel, and Roasted Beets in Walnut Dressing.
I'll be sure to post what I eventually went with. Wish me luck!
BONUS: Jewschool always has thought-provoking posts this time of year, and here's a touching old Times article about Passover in Berlin.
8 comments:
You don't necessarily need to leave out the leavening on the vegan matzoh balls. It is possible to get kosher for passover baking powder and baking soda (they're minerals, not chametz). The NYT had an article about this a couple of years ago.
Thanks for the tip!
i almost forgot about the passover spread you had last year, T - i bet this year is going to be just as awesome and i can't wait to see it and read all about it! yay! thanks for all the links - i don't partake/celebrate passover, as i don't know much about it - but i'm gonna have to do some research to see what it's all about. i feel kinda silly not knowing much about it and i really feel like i should be more informed. :) thanks again for the links, have a gloriously great gathering, and happy friday!
Looks delish!
Debra @ Vegan Family Style
PS There is a giveaway on my blog- ends in a few days.. check it out!
happy passover!
wow..i like the table setting..we just had our moments stored in a dvd media...everyone ha a good time during the passover
Wow, I don't even know where to start, so many great links. Thank you very much!
Kosher things are really easy to find in France, I'm sure they are available there, too. I have a friend from Bruxelles and she's Jewish, so if you need a hand email me & I can ask her!
I just celebrate Spring - but happy Passover to you!
such a nice post! I've never celebrated passover, but I would like to... Many of my friends have told me that it's a thought-provoking and yummy holiday. Great combo! :) Maybe I can get myself invited to a seder one of these years. :)
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