An Aussie Passover.  There is not much difference between American and an Australian Passover recipes, but I am The Aussie Gourmet and these are my favorite Passover recipes.

Passover is a busy holiday for me.  Enjoy some of the most requested Passover dishes from my home to yours.

This is my mother Miriam Stein’s recipe, all the way from Sydney, Australia. She is famous for this fabulous dip. When I asked her for the recipe, she could only tell me, “shitz arein.” A little of this, a little of that—you know the expression. I reconstructed the recipe and I think mum would be proud.

Marinated Eggplant Salad
Olive-Pepper Dip
Matbucha

I was introduced to quinoa by my cousin, Shelly Serber of West Hempstead (also formerly of Sydney, Australia). Shelley has an intolerance for wheat and is always looking for great gluten-free recipes. She makes this quinoa tabouli; I had to add it to my repertoire and it’s also quite perfect for Pesach.

Quinoa Tabouli (Not Pictured)
Pomegranate Salad
Nut Crusted Salmon with Berry Vinaigrette with Creamy Chrain Sauce

Roasted Zucchini and Asparagus
Melt-Away Short Ribs

Pavlova with Grilled Pineapple
Frozen Lemon Meringue Pie

In Main Image -

Silver Tip Roast with Fragrant Red Wine Sauce

Bella Topped Salad with Balsamic Reduction

Roasted Sweet Potatoes

As seen in the Joy of Kosher with Jamie Geller Magazine Passover 2012 – Subscribe Now

I was talking to a friend about a some fun new Passover seder ideas and we started to talk about an idea for edible makot or plagues.  What better way to liven things up and have some fun with the kids then to make the ten plagues into edible sweets.  I haven’t quite figured them all out, so I am going to share my list and hope you will chime in, in the comments with your ideas.

Blood – Red Jello

Make red jello from a package and cut into cubes or put into clear classes to symbolize the water that turned to blood.

Frogs 

Get a frog cookie cutter and make everything from Sugar Coated Marshmallows to frog kiwi or honeydew cut outs.

Lice -

Buy some dark chocolate Nonpareils to symbolize lice.

Wild animals -  you could buy some wild animal cookie cutters and make Passover cookies or you could get these super cool Plague of Animal Sour Jellies from Oh!Nuts, even gummy bears would do.

Disease on livestock – I am lost on this one, my kids said to make the animal cookies and splatter with red icing, anyone got anything better?

Incurable boils – Try some boiling tea in a glass pitcher or drops of dark vinegar in light oil like the picture above.

Hail – Ice Cubes with a red Strawberry inside them to symbolize the fire in ice that was the 8 plague.

Locusts – this one is easy, thanks to Zelda’s, just get their chocolate marshmallow locusts.

Chocolate Mousse with Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Darkness – Make a chocolate pudding or mousse or anything dark.
Death of the first born -  I am totally stumped on this one, please let me know your suggestions.

If eating your plagues is not your thing don’t miss our Makot Matching Game

Passover is my gastronomic week.

Luscious spring vegetables and fruit all around us; the best dairy products, fish, meat, poultry, wines.  You call that challenges, restrictions?

I call it a spring thanksgiving feast!

So long blintzes, cereal, rice, pasta, pizza! See you next week, I know you’ll still be there!

So, how can we cope? Brilliantly! Deliciously!

Moroccan Cuisine is my first and most enduring culinary love.  Although, I give cooking demos and write my cookbooks on every imaginable theme (all-natural across the board, of course), there is a simple reason Moroccan cuisine is my first and most enduring culinary love. The ingredients are simple, affordable and wholesome, and their integrity always shines through: no gimmicks whatsoever; the preparation steps sometimes so simple as to appear deceptively naïve; the finished dish much more glorious than the modest sum of its parts. Such is the magic of our flavors: bold, assertive, fragrant, guileless: how can you miss?

All the following dishes are excerpted from my latest cookbook, The Whole Foods Kosher Kitchen (except the artichoke and carrot dish, which is excerpted from my first cookbook, Levana’s Table).

Menu

Fish Soup

Main Image – Lamb & Dried Fruit Tajine with Almonds

Roasted Chicken in Dry Spice Rub

Artichoke & Carrots in Lemon Sauce
Tomato Salad
Cabbage, Fennel, Radish & Orange Salad

Spicy Nut Truffles
Minted Fruit Salad
Pecan Brownies

Photography by Ruvi Leider

As seen in Joy of Kosher with Jamie Geller Magazine (Bitayavon Spring 2012) – Subscribe Now

More behind the scenes video.  This time on the set of my Temp Tee Whipped Cream Cheese shoot.  Oooooh am I having a blast with this little flip cam of mine!.=

We were on set for 12 hours today (not including prep!).  Oy — I can’t feel my feet!  But the cause is a worthy one.  We are  putting an end to #matzah fatigue with our Creamy Colorful Coleslaw, Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting, Passover Pineapple Kugel and Creative Cream Cheese-Mix Ins.  The super-duper-easy-as-pie-how-to videos will be posted over the next few days.  In the meantime check out or collection of Delightfully Different Dairy Recipes  – say cheese!

And watch this quick little ditty about how I found the kitchen we shot in today.

The next kitchen could be YOURS!

Let me know in the comments if your up for it!

We’re already on our 26th year of hosting Passover hotels in Israel, and each year we pinch ourselves because it’s hard to believe how lucky we are to be doing this with our amazing guests. Not that you need to be convinced, but here are our favorite reasons for being in Israel for Passover. We’d love to hear yours in the comments below!

10. Seven days instead of eight days. One seder instead of two. ‘Nuff said.

9. While in most countries Jewish communities set up discrete locations to burn the last crumbs of chametz on the day before Passover, in Israel it’s a series of street parties. Just follow your nose to that bonfire-like smell. You’re bound to find more than a few in every neighborhood.

8. Passover in Israel features gorgeous spring weather, which is why it’s also named “Chag Ha’aviv”. The trees sing; the flowers bloom. It’s the perfect time to enjoy the hills and valleys which are now painted with flowers in every color of the rainbow, as you breathe in fresh air and enjoy Israel’s great outdoors.

7. With practically the entire country on vacation for the week of Passover, a myriad of entertainment options are available – including free museum days and fun festivals. See our Chol Hamoed activity list for ideas.

6. Bananagrams in Hebrew for your seder, as per Laura Ben-David’s article in the Times of Israel on making the seder fun and interactive. That, and other Israeli inventions to make the seder more exciting for the kids (and some grownups, too).

5. The current conversion rate for Israeli currency is 1 dollar to 3.73 shekels. That means you get more bang for your buck on food, hotels and everything you need for a fantastic family holiday.

4. Not only do you get a good conversion rate, but spending time in Israel means directly supporting Israel’s economy. With boycotts galore and tourism being one of Israel’s major sources of income, the money you anyway spend on Passover is better spent here than anywhere else.

3. Kosher for Passover restaurants spring up throughout the country, giving everyoen a much-needed break from all that seder cooking. It’s a unique adventure to go restaurant-hopping and see the creative dishes that can be produced on the limited kosher-for-Passover diet.

2. Think restaurants are an unusual perk of Passover in Israel? Wait until you see the luxury Passover hotels. They will blow you away with their amenities and warm chag atmosphere. Families and friends look forward all year to relax at these spas and resorts as their children and grandchildren spend quality time together.

And finally,

1. This year in Jerusalem. We’ve said this before, but there’s really nothing like celebrating the festival of our freedom in our homeland. Imagine recounting the narratives of the haggadah – Avraham being gifted with Canaan; the birth of Yitzchak; the journey of Yaakov going down to Egypt; the sages in Bnei Brak and many others – on the very land in which the stories took place. Let this be the year you get to witness the miracle of our survival firsthand, together with you family and all the pleasures of modern-day Israel, in the Holy Land.

What are your favorite reasons to celebrate Passover in Israel?

Potatoes are an inevitable part of Pesach. You’ll be happy they are when you whip up these fresh and flavorful dishes. These recipes use minimal ingredients so that everyone, no matter what their Pesach customs are, can enjoy them. You can use either the non-Gebrokts potato dough and the Gebrokts version, with either the pesto or the orange sauce.

Gnocchi – Non-Gebrokts
Gnocchi, pronounced “nyo-key”, are thick soft Italian dumplings, most commonly made with potatoes. Gnocchi is usually served as an appetizer, but works as a side or main dish as well. Classic accompaniments of gnocchi include pesto, tomato-based sauces, and melted butter with cheese.

Shlishkes – Gebrokts
Shlishkes are small potato-based dumplings, popular in Ashkenazic Eastern European cooking. These soft dumplings are traditionally rolled in browned and flavored crumbs. Make this dish non-Gebrokts by using the gnocchi potato dough for the shlishkes, and by replacing the matzo meal with more ground almonds for the crumbs. Or just save this special recipe for the last day of Pesach like I do!

Zuppa Arancione
Zuppa Arancione literally means “orange soup” in Italian. Use this thick, delicious, sweet and savory, hearty soup as a base for gnocchi. As with all my recipes, if you are using regular table salt, cut back the salt amount by one-third.

Pesto
Who can resist classic hand rolled gnocchi accompanied by fresh homemade pesto? If your Pesach customs allow for the use of pesto ingredients, go for it! A little goes a long way with this flavor-packed sauce.

Click here for an explanation of Gebrokts and other Passover kosher information.

Here are 10 Non Gebrokts recipes.

So Hubby has been on my back. Not just about cleaning up after myself in the kitchen but about vlogging more. You see the whole thing was his idea.

So I was testing recipes for the Shavuos issue of the Magazine – yes SHAVUOS!!! – and he grabbed the flip cam and started shooting me. I was a little camera shy without my hair and makeup but the steak had non of the same reservations.

And today I shot a video for the lightest, fluffiest, most perfect Passover and year round matzo balls… and I still didn’t have on my hair but at least I had on my makeup. Here’s a little behind-the-scenes set tour.

Check back next week for the actual how-to-matzah-ball-video and recipe.

Do you like my vlogs? What do you want to see?

As we approach the Passover holiday and plan our seder menu, it’s a good idea to take an inventory of your kitchen equipment.  Do you have everything you need for Passover?  If you don’t have a hand blender, you’re probably working too hard.  I recently tested the KitchenAid 5-Speed Hand Blender and this dynamo is like having my very own sous chef in a box.

The powerful 5-speed motor and 8 inch removable blending arm provide exceptional control to mix all your ingredients with ease.  You can blend, puree, chop, shred, mince, froth/mix, and whisk/emulsify and aerate.  From breakfast smoothies, chopped nuts for charoset, dicing bitter herbs for maror, shredding vegetables for salad and stir fry, or whisking egg whites for meringues or macaroons  – you can do everything you used to do by hand in a fraction of the time with the KitchenAid blender.  So instead of buying a food processor, a blender and a mixer you can do it all with just this hand blender.

With the removable bending arm (always wished I had one of those) you can work with deep bowls, pots (including those industrial size soup pots that can feed the army of guests you have coming for seder), or pitchers of most any size.  It also comes with a 1-liter, BPA free pitcher with a no-splash lid so yo don’t need multiple measuring cups or mixing bowls.  The five foot power cord can navigate a large kitchen with ease.  A removable pan guard will prevent scratching on expensive cookware.  All the equipment is dishwasher safe or will clean up easily with soap and water.  The other feature I really liked was the storage case, it’s sleek and stylish, but most importantly, it keeps all your equipment organized in one place and all for under $100.

Here are a few recipes I have tried with my KitchenAid 5-Speed Hand Blender, what would you make if you had one?

Creamy Cucumber Gazpacho

Creamy Wild Mushroom Soup

Watermelon Mango Cooler

****Giveaway****  Win your own KitchenAid Hand Blender right now.  Just enter with Rafflcopter below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I actually look forward to Passover food…really, I do. It’s the one single holiday I actually feel lighter after. I totally embrace the opportunity to eat lots of light fresh food and as always try my hardest not to overdo it – my guests actually thank me for keeping things on the lighter side. Love these cool salads and starters; after tasting them your guests will love you!

Balsamic Carrot and Cucumber Ribbon Salad

Balsamic Carrot & Cucumber Ribbon Salad
Pretty, pretty, pretty. And it doesn’t take much. If you own a vegetable peeler you’re in business.

Avocado Egg Salad - Deconstructed Guacamole

Avocado Egg Salad
I should have named this “My Sister’s Mother-in-Law’s Israeli Guacamole.” But that seemed like a mouthful (plus it didn’t fit). I have made a ton of good guacs in my short cooking career but I never thought to add egg until I saw her do it. Sometimes you just need someone else to give you the simplest idea.

Pink Rimmed Gefilte Fish
How many ways can you reinvent this staple? Lots! I like to look at it as a blank canvas and say to myself, the fish, and anyone listening “nu, so now what?” This Pesach, dress it up in pink!

Grapefruit Brulee

Grapefruit Brulée
Crème brulée is my favorite dessert and this starter is inspired by its sweet caramel-like top. Fruity, refreshing, and sweet—the kiddies and I were eating the juicy slices right off the pan.

Fit for Royalty

There is no greater sense of satisfaction than that felt at the start of the Pesach Seder. Inside, the house and all its contents are positively gleaming. And outside the first hints of Spring are emerging. Celebrate the Jewish people’s deliverance from slavery to royalty with a palette of white, shimmering gold, and accents of black and green.

Start with…
Keep It Classic

Your Pesach dinnerware gets used for just one week per year so it should last a lifetime. For the major purchases, choose quality pieces with a classic motif. Formal white china sets the tone and can always be accessorized to suit the latest look.

Gold beaded charger plates (JAF Gifts, $21, amazon.com)

Lurex napkins in green or gold ($4 each, pier1.com)

SPLURGE: Concentric circles of gold, platinum, and black (Raynaud’s Attraction, $113 each dinner plate, bloomingdales.com)

Four Cups…
Set the table with a drinking glass to suit every guest

A goblet fit for royalty for the leader of the seder (Quest Collections’ Star of David Kiddush Cup Set, $220 , email info@questgift.com for a
local retailer)

SAVE: Goblets of green ($9, amazon.com)

Green acrylic stacking glasses are perfect for the younger set and also a space-saver to pack away (set of 4 for $20, amazon.com)

SPLURGE: Dramatic black wine glasses (Villeroy & Boch’s Cascara, $30, amazon.com)

Keep it going…
Black & Gold

On all other nights of the year, we set the table with pared down elegance but on this night of Pesach we fully embrace our royal status. Go all out with accents of gold to add the ultimate regal touch. Allude to the midnight drama of the Exodus with touches of black.

SPLURGE: Gold flatware is all the rage (Diane von Furstenberg’s Night, $105 per place setting).

Add pop to a stark white tablecloth with Chilewich’s Lattice Gold Runner ($55)

China with monochrome blooms offset by a glossy black charger plate (Lenox’s Moonlit Garden and Jay Imports’ Starburst Glass Charger Plate, $21)

For marror and charoset by night, desserts by day (Libbey Selene 4¼” Trifle Bowls, set of 4, $15, bedbathandbeyond.com, Wild Eye Designs Champagne Appetizer Spoons, set of 4, $17, artcraftgifts.com)

Frog salt & pepper shakers allude to the children’s favorite theme of the Ten Plagues ($100, email info@questgift.com for a local
retailer).

Ravi napkin rings ($4 each, crateandbarrel.com)

Fill in the blanks…
Spring Is in the Air

Accessorize with green glassware and table linens. Use greenery in place of flowers.

The essential seder centerpiece. Annie Glass’ seder plate with 24k gold rim ($213, amazon.com)

As seen in Joy of Kosher with Jamie Geller Magazine Passover 2012 Issue – Subscribe Now

You’ve all heard about the butterfly effect — the idea that one small event or change can have a large effect somewhere else.  In classic theory, a butterfly flapping its wings can create a hurricane or tsunami halfway around the world.  You don’t go into Passover expecting to lose weight.  It’s a holiday and we are surrounded by delicious foods and wine all week long.  Your best hope is damage control.  And to be honest, after all the work cooking, cleaning and koshering a little indulgence is well deserved and need not induce any (more) Jewish guilt.

However, it’s the little decisions we make along the way that will tip the scales, one way or another.  During Passover, I love matzo and cream cheese, especially the fluffy white stuff from Temp Tee.  It’s comfort food.  It’s not going on a cookbook cover, but it doesn’t have to go on my thighs either.

Here’s my secret…

Temp Tee whipped cream cheese has 80 calories and 8g fat in a single serving.  Made with only 5 simple ingredients and no artificial preservatives.  A leading brand brick cream cheese has 100 calories and 9g fat in a single serving.  That’s 25% more calories!  Whipped cream cheese has more air which means fewer calories.  Plus, whipped cream cheese is very spreadable and makes it easier to spread less.  So take it easy on your matzo and take less calories every day.

A little whipped cream cheese can add lots of creaminess to dozens of Passover recipes.  You can cut down on higher fat hard cheeses, heavy cream and other high calorie, high fat dairy products.

I think I hear a butterfly flapping its wings somewhere…

Creamy Stuffed Mushrooms

I love stuffed mushrooms.  I also love cream of mushroom soup.  So why not combine the two for a deliciously creamy, bite-size appetizer.  And munch on this, it’s only 60 calories a serving!

Crustless Quiche with Asparagus and Oven Roasted Tomatoes

A crustless quiche is a Passover classic.  It can be part of light lunch or a grab and go breakfast.  I brought together the smoky sweetness of oven roasted tomatoes, the tang of whipped cream cheese and asparagus for a marvelous mouthful made in a muffin pan.  150 calories never tasted so good!

Passover Sweet Potato Gnocchi

A week without pasta isn’t easy.  No wonder gnocchi is one of the hottest Passover food trends.  You can hardly tell the difference and this Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Brown Butter and Sage recipe is so good, you’ll be making it year round.  With this on your menu, eight days of Passover might not be enough.

Strawberry Cream Cheese Ice Cream

We can’t forget dessert.  The whipped cream cheese replaces heavy cream and eggs in traditional recipes so that you can whip this together in 30 minutes.  There won’t be any time for your kids to scream for this ice cream.

You know they’re in there. Amongst the row of bottles that you can only see but not taste, in every price category there are the best of the bunch—the corked favorite you’re waiting to discover. This is the unadulterated, objective list of the best wine picks for every budget. I’ve tasted all of these wines and I’m only recommending the picks I’d drink myself.

Under $10

BARKAN CLASSIC PINOT NOIR. Inexpensive wines are not going to be complex and oaky, but like this one, it will be fruity. The lower alcohol content makes this easy to drink.

WEINSTOCK RED BY W. This is the crowd-pleaser. Another easy to drink fruit-driven wines. I’m recommending it for the Seder because it’s 12% alcohol instead of 14%. That 2% makes a big difference—the wine will take much longer to go to your head. People who don’t usually drink wine try this and say, “This is actually pretty good.” The White by W is also a lovely wine. It has a little hint of sweetness; it’s easy drinking and refreshing—most people don’t think of wine as a refreshing beverage but it is.

BARTENURA ROSSO TOSCANO. Like the Red by W, this is another crowd-pleaser and a crazy value. It sold out when the masses caught on.

Under $15

BARON HERZOG “OLD VINE” ZINFANDEL This richly flavored zin with ripe fruit characteristics is an award winner and a steal in the low teens.

Under $20

WEINSTOCK CELLAR SELECT CABERNET SAUVIGNON. The best cab under $20

CHATEUX LE PETIT CHABAN. A nice, French Bordeaux

Under $25

CHATEUX THENAC. Another lovely French Merlot-based Bordeaux. Unlike the Chaban, this one is earthy, common of French wines. (To compare, California wines are fruitier while Israeli wines have a herbaceous nature which I find interesting).

BINYAMINA RESERVES (SHIRAZ OR CARIGNAN). The Carignan is a brand new wine from Israel. The vine is originally from France, but it was planted in Israel back in the 1960s and 1970s because the vines give off a lot of fruit, making a great grape to use for mass-producing Kiddush wine. As the vines began producing less fruit, they were left alone—but older vines produce grapes with a more concentrated and interesting flavor. So, today, there is a revival of Carignan and great wines are coming out of that grape. The Binyamina Reserves Shiraz was just awarded 90 points by Wine Enthusiast.

GAMLA CABERNET SAUVIGNON RESERVE. This was also awarded 90 points by Wine Enthusiast and it received the Editor’s Choice. That’s the most exciting—it means it’s a wine they would pick to have on their own tables. That’s real value for the money.

PSAGOT MERLOT. An awesome wine under $25

Under $30

HAGAFEN MERLOT. My “aha” wine. I ordered this in a restaurant last week, and the sommelier said he didn’t think I would like it. He didn’t know what I did for a living. When he tasted it—he nodded his head. He was proven wrong.

ELVI “HERENZA” CRIANZA RIOJA.  Rioja wines are made primarily from the Spanish Tempranillo grape. The wines are fruity, spicy & delicious!

Under $40

HERZOG SPECIAL RESERVE ALEXANDER VALLEY CABERNET SAUVIGNON

SEGAL’S “DISHON” VINEYARD CABERNET SAUVIGNON

SHILOH “SECRET” CABERNET SAUVIGNON.  A newer wine I’m very pleased with.

VIP’s

The best of the best—for holiday drinking when there aren’t too many glasses to fill.  Save these for a time when you can savor and appreciate them.
$60, CARMEL MEDITERRANEAN
$60, CELLAR DE CAPCANES, PERAJ HA-ABIB
$75, DOMAINE DU CASTEL GRAND VIN
$80, YATIR FOREST

THE SWEETS

Since the natural sugars in grapes are converted into alcohol during the fermentation process, sweet wine is made by fermenting only some of the grape juice, leaving the wine with some of its natural (AKA “residual”) sugar.  Here’s my sweet picks: Ben Ami “Zemora”, Alfasi Mistico,
and the whole Jeunesse line.

THE BEST TEMP

Most people think that room temperature is best for serving dry red wine, but in the “old country” room temperature was much closer to 60°F than today’s 70°F. Served at this temperature, the alcohol taste is hidden a bit, making the wine a more refreshing sipper. When wine comes out of a cellar or wine refrigerator, it’s a cool 55°F to 60°F. In the absence of professional wine storage, pop it into the refrigerator for 30 to 45 minutes for the same effect.

Source: Gary Landsman from Royal Wine Corp.  As seen in Joy of Kosher with Jamie Geller Magazine Passover 2012 – Subscribe Now.

How many people have cooked for years or are newly married but really never learned the secrets of cooking and not getting frazzled or despondent when a recipe doesn’t turn out like it says in the book.

Cookbook recipes are only a guideline.

But cooking is always from the heart giving you the ability to play and experiment.

In the months to come I will be giving you the tricks of how to cook learning all the tricks and secrets of the trade.

Today I will teach you How to Cook Finger Licking Chicken.

Chicken has always been one of my favourite foods and is always on our table on Shabbos.

Regardless of the time of year, there’s always a great way to cook chicken. Chicken on the barbecue, skewered, marinated in teriyaki sauce for the summer. And that first roast chicken in the fall – with mashed potatoes, peas, and carrots – always feels like an extra special treat.

But… you need to know how to cook chicken if you want it to be delicious.

Knowledge… It’s the difference between ending up with burnt, dry chicken, and ending up with a perfectly seared, juicy chicken breast.

And hey! It’s a lot more fun to spend time in the kitchen when you know you’ll end up with a fantastic meal.

How to cook Chicken

There’s a lot to know about cooking chicken. How to prepare baked chicken breasts, barbecued chicken wings, whole roasted chicken. How to fry chicken, how to braise it, how to grill it. There are endless possibilities.

Not sure what the best way to cook a particular piece of chicken is?

So….Let’s get started on the basic way of roasting a chicken to perfection.

Roasting a chicken well is actually a very simply task and here is my recipe for a  Simple Market Roasted Chicken. 

The third annual vegetarian food festival will be hosted this weekend in NYC.  This festival features a whole range of vegetarian food companies,  restaurants, and health and wellness vendors including some that are kosher certified.  Even if you don’t go for the food, you will want to go for the entertainment.  There will be three stages at the event, one for speakers talking about a variety of topics, one for amazing food demos and one for kids.

You don’t have to be a vegetarian to enjoy this festival.  If you simply want to find out more about living a healthy, sustainable lifestyle, you should attend.  It has never been a better time to see for yourself what the vegetarian buzz is about.  There is still time to get your VIP ticket, which gets you express entry into the festival (you avoid the long general admission lines we’ve had in the past and are guaranteed admission) plus 5 raffle tickets per day pass. The raffle benefits For The Animals Sanctuary.  Click here to get your tickets.  \

Based on previous years and the line up for events and vendors this year, we expect the festival to be a lot of fun.  Lots to experience and lots to learn.  Let us know if you will be there.