Pass it Over!

I have very fond memories of Passover.  My grandparents hosted the Seder every year, with my Grandpa Charlie sitting at the head of the table leading the service.  We would go around the table taking turns reading.  I mostly remember it taking so long because I was always famished by the time we actually got to eat.  And of course, the food was always so delicious.  The minute you walked in the house, the aroma of matzo ball soup and brisket smacked you in the face.  And, food is at the heart of the meaning of Passover with the unleavened bread after all.     

I’m sad to report that I haven’t been to a formal Seder in years.  I hosted a few back in NYC at my Orchard Street studio.  There was no table, no couch.  We sat on the floor with TV trays and brought new meaning to reclining. I did whip up some mean matzo ball soup and even created a mini-seder plate.  

Orchard St Seder Circa 2006

Five years later, a new city and a much, much nicer apt, I decided to host the First Annual Boozy Potluck Passover Party (BPPP).   I invited the five Jews I know (not so many Jews here) and we tore it up Passover Style.   The menu:  homemade chopped liver, gefilte fish (store bought), charoset, egg salad, matzo ball soup, balsamic root vegetables and roasted herb chicken.  For dessert we had matzo brittle and homemade macaroons.  

Apps

I was feeling adventurous and decided to make the chopped liver.  It was so easy and turned out really well.  I was a bit uneasy dealing with the chicken livers, but the minute you start sautéing them in the schmaltz, they already have that rich aroma of chopped liver –it just smells like Passover.  Thanks, Ina for the recipe.

For the side, I made the root veggies in the slow cooker:  baby carrots (the real ones, not the bagged kind), parsnips, red potatoes, pearl onions and a few garlic cloves.  Tossed that with some brown sugar, balsamic and chicken broth and cooked on high for 5 1/2 hours.  

Balsamic glazed root veggies

For my bird, I have to admit I was a bit nervous because I’ve only cooked a whole chicken once.  So, I did a lot of research.  From Mark Bittman, to epicurious.com, to videos on the Food Network, I decided to take a little bit of several recipes.  This was also very easy and it turned out super moist and juicy.  I simply rubbed that six-pounder down with an herb paste made with fresh sage, rosemary, oregano, smashed garlic and really good olive oil.  I stuffed it under the breast skin and put more herbs and a quartered lemon in the cavity.  I even trussed that sucker! Then I placed chicken broth and two bay leaves in the pan and cooked it at 450 for the first 20 min and lowered to 375 for the remaining.  

Chick

Chick slashed

It wouldn’t have been a BPPP without the B, of course.  So, to kick things off, I whipped up some Manischewitinis.  I wish I was the inventive mixologist who created this lovely drink.  I had it years ago at some Latin-Jewish inspired place on Avenue A.  So, I re-created it as best I could:  equal parts Vodka, Manischewitz grape and a few splashes of Angostra bitters.  Yum!  You wouldn’t want to pass this one over…l’chiam! 

Putting the B in the BPPP!