Passover
I didn’t grow up celebrating Passover, but luckily I’ve been invited to enough holidays to appreciate recipes like this. Here are two recipes friends have shared with me, which I’ve enjoyed recreating at home.
My friend, Jenny Blumberg, made this soup for us one afternoon for Mah Jongg. Have I mentioned Joy Luck Club yet?? It was light and delicious and I’m so happy that she was willing to share the recipe with us. I’m sure every family has an heirloom recipe they treasure, but you may want to give this one a try too. I won’t tell mom!
Tips:
You need to eat the soup the night you make the matzo balls, so if you want to break up the steps, make the chicken soup one day and the night you are serving, prepare the matzo balls. Soup is better the next day anyway!
When preparing I doubled the chicken, cause the package came with 2 breasts, so I increased the stock to 10 cups.
This quick recipe calls for chicken broth that you buy. You may have a favorite already, but my opinion is Better Than Bouillon, chicken flavored. Just dilute the recipe they give because it’s salty.
Don’t forget the dill. It’s amazing in the soup.
Matzo Ball Soup
Recipe by Jenny Blumberg
Serves 4-6
PREP 20 minutes
COOK 60 minutes
INGREDIENTS
1 T vegetable oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 yellow onion, diced
3 carrots, diced
3 stalks celery, diced
1 chicken breast (3/4 lb.)
6 cups chicken stock
2 cups water
Freshly cracked pepper
Few sprigs fresh dill, plus more for garnish
MATZO BALLS
3 large eggs
3 T vegetable oil
3/4 cup matzo meal
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
Freshly cracked pepper
3 T unflavored seltzer
INSTRUCTIONS
Sauté mirepoix (onion, carrot, celery) with garlic in vegetable oil in a large pot over medium heat unit the veggies are soft and the onions are translucent, about 5 minutes.
Add chicken breast, stock, water, pepper and 1-2 dill sprigs to the pot and bring it to a boil. Lower heat and simmer soup for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile make the matzo balls; whisk eggs and vegetable oil in a bowl. Add matzo meal, salt, baking powder and pepper, stirring until combined. Add seltzer and gently mix to incorporate. Refrigerate the mixture for 30 minutes while the soup cooks, allowing the matzo meal time to absorb the moisture.
Carefully remove the chicken breast from the soup and using two forks, shred it. Return chicken to pot and season the soup with salt and pepper.
Once the matzo has stiffened, begin to form ping-pong sized matzo balls. Drop the matzo balls into the simmering soup and cover the pot after each one. Once all the matzo balls have been added, simmer the soup for another 20 minutes with the lid still on.
Ladle soup into bowls, with one or two matzo balls in each bowl and a few sprigs of dill. Serve immediately.
Flourless Mocha Truffle Cake
When I approached my friends for dessert ideas, my friends Frank and Hilary, offered me this cake recipe. Lucky for my family, the test cake was a hit. The addition of coffee is great in chocolate recipes, because it brings out the chocolate flavor, rather than taste like coffee.
Tips:
The cake is a very rich, decadent cake, so serve small pieces.
Flourless Mocha Truffle Cake
Recipe from Frank and Hilary Suher
PREP 3 1/2 hours (includes time in the refrigerator)
COOK 55 minutes
INGREDIENTS
12 oz semi sweet chocolate
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 cup hot espresso or strong coffee
3/4 lb unsalted butter at room temperature
6 large eggs at room temp
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
INSTRUCTIONS
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter bottom and sides of 9” Springform pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper.
In a cuisinart, grind the chocolate with the sugar. Leave the motor running and pour the coffee in. Process until the chocolate is melted. Scrape the sides with a spatula.
Add the butter and process. Add the eggs and vanilla, then process. Pour mixture into the pan & smooth the top.
Bake in the middle of the oven for 55 minutes.
Cool in the pan for 30 min on a wire rack.
Cover and refrigerate for 3 hours.
Serve with fresh whipped cream.