Holidays

Fruity Noodle Kugel (Vegan)

~ lisaandfrancescook ~ 1 Comment

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So I think that the world is divided into two kinds of people – those that like potato kugel and those that like noodle (lokshen) kugel. I am clearly Team Noodle Kugel. What is kugel (or kigel, depending on your country of origin) you ask? It is essentially a baked pudding or casserole that is frequently made and eaten for Shabbat and holidays. It can be sweet or savory. And there now exist many, many varieties.

However, most noodle kugels that I have eaten – and in 70+ years, that’s a lotta kugel – I generally find them too rich, too sweet and just too much.

To be honest, I had forgotten about this Fruity Noodle Kugel. I used to make it quite frequently and then somehow it went out of rotation. But since we are in the midst of the Super Bowl of Jewish holidays, I started to look for recipes to make and share with you. Browsing through The New Jewish Holiday Cookbook by Gloria Kaufer Greene for ideas, I came across her Fruity Tofu Lokshen Kugel. Instantly I knew that I would be making it with a few of my own tweaks to make it vegan and more creamy.

This Fruity Noodle Kugel is fruity, creamy (dairy free) and never sacrifices flavor. And if you choose a non-egg noodle, this kugel is vegan. It also is high in protein and low in fat.

I have always been interested in nutrition, but not if it meant sacrificing flavor. And as my husband and I get older, a healthy diet is even more important. Our meals fall clearly into the “blue zone” by both preference and design. I want to make those calories count. But I also want to make Shabbat and other holidays truly special and allow for some splurging.

Tofu replaces the dairy in the meal and is a wonderful vehicle for absorbing all of the delicious flavors in this kugel. I use both a silken tofu and an extra-firm tofu to mimic the desired texture that you would achieve if using eggs, cheese and sour cream. My version makes for a much less fatty kugel with lots of healthy protein. And you won’t feel any regret for having indulged. Left-overs are great eaten at room temperature or gently rewarmed. I even eat this as breakfast.

Since if like me, you are not a purist about being vegan, I also have included two other wonderful lokshen kugels that I have blogged, which I still enjoy making – and eating! And while kugel is considered a quintessential Jewish food, you don’t have to be Jewish to enjoy it.

Jerusalem Kugel

Apple Cinnamon Noodle Kugel

Recipe

Yield: About 8 servings

Ingredients

8 ounces medium-wide noodles

1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce

1/4 cup mild vegetable oil (Canola, Avocado, Safflower or even a fruity EVOO)

1/2 cup maple syrup, agave or brown sugar (I used brown sugar as I like the molasses, caramel taste)

1/4 cup orange or apple juice

2.5 rounded teaspoons of ground cinnamon (or sweet Hawaij, baharat or pumpkin spice mix)

1/2 teaspoon of kosher or fine sea salt

14 ounces extra-firm tofu, well-drained and crumbled

1 pound silken tofu

1 large flavorful baking apple (Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, Jonagold, MacIntosh, Golden Delicious etc.), finely diced or grated. No need to peel the apple first.

1 cup of raisins of choice, softened in warm water for about 10 minutes unless they are fresh and plump (Other dried fruits or a mix of dried fruits, e.g. dates, apricots, prunes, pears could be used instead. Just cut any larger pieces to approximate size of large raisins.)

1/4 cup, coarsely chopped, lightly toasted walnuts

Directions

Heat your oven to 350 degrees F.

Grease (or vegetable spray) a baking dish (about 10 to 11-cup capacity – mine is a 7-inch x 11-inch rectangle). However an equivalent capacity round or square pan works just as well. Make sure that the pan sides are at least 3-inch deep.

Cook the noodles according to the package, but one minute less than the minimum recommended time since these will also bake in the oven. Drain the noodles.

While the noodles are cooking, place the silken tofu, brown sugar, sweet hawaij (or other spice mix), salt and apple sauce in a blender. Whooz it up until smooth. Then add in the oil and OJ and whooz again until the mixture has emulsified. Using a spatula and with the blade removed, add in the raisins and walnuts.

Once the noodles have been drained add them back to the pot. Pour in the mixture from the blender and fold it through the noodles until evenly distributed. Crumble in the extra-firm tofu and mix through.

Pour everything into the prepared baking pan. If you like, you can sprinkle the top lightly with more of the spice you used mixed with a bit of sugar (any kind will do.)

Bake for about 45 minutes or until set. I like the top to darken and the top noodles to get slightly crisp. However, if you prefer the noodle mixture to be lighter and to remain soft, cover the casserole with foil after 25 minutes. This can be served warm or at room temperature. Leftovers should be refrigerated or can be frozen or rewarmed gently.

Harvest Chicken (with Japanese Sweet Potato and Dried Fruits)

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As with many recipes of mine, it started out as one thing and developed as I began rooting through my cupboards and fridge. When I am unable to sleep, which is all-too-often, I grocery shop in my head and make up recipes and menus. And over time and as I actually begin to grocery shop and cook, the dishes morph.

This Harvest Chicken recipe is one such. Delicious, fragrant, fruity and with a bit of tang, it is also perfect for the upcoming Jewish harvest festival of Sukkot. It’s a one-pot meal that can be adapted to the ingredients on hand. And it is prepped in about 30 minutes with the remaining time spent in the oven while you go do other things. And don’t we all have other things to do?

The recipe below is how I made it, with some suggested alternative ingredients. Strict measuring is not essential here – this is home cooking, not baking! Depending on appetites or sides, this recipe would generously feed 4 but could also feed more if you are serving younger children or dieting women. Feel free to increase the amount of chicken but that ultimately might require two pans.

Over the years, I have observed that cuts of meat or poultry and varieties of fruits and vegetables seem to go in and out of fashion and availability. For instance, the “saddle” of chicken was once a quite common cut, easily found in every grocery. But I almost never see it now. So if you cannot find chicken thighs with the legs attached, the “saddle,” then use just thighs or thighs and legs. I do not recommend white meat. It can dry out and birds are bred with enormous breasts these days that I believe are rubbery and generally tasteless.

And while Japanese Sweet Potatoes are flavorful and packed with nutrition, regular sweet potatoes or yams can be used. I am using prunes and dried apples soaked in a combination of prune and orange juice. Why? because that’s what I happened to have. But dried apricots or pears would be lovely too. And if you only have apple juice, pineapple juice or orange juice – well use that.

You don’t see leeks at the store, then use onions or shallots or some combination. The important thing to remember is that we eat with all of our senses. So cook with gusto and use your eyes and nose when creating a dish. And, of course, your tastebuds. But you can tell A LOT about spices and seasonings that would work simply by smelling them. It’s as if you are creating your own food “perfume.”

I hope that you will try this Harvest Chicken recipe soon.

Recipe

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients

About 2.5 pounds of chicken saddles (thigh with leg attached) or thighs and legs with bone in and skin on

4 Tablespoons Canola, Avocado or other neutral oil

1 small onion, peeled and chopped

1 large leek, well washed and thinly sliced – white and light green parts only

8 ounces moist dried fruit (I used prunes and apples, but you could also use apricots, peaches or pears or a combination)

About 1.5 pounds of sweet potatoes or yams (I used Japanese sweet potatoes this time), peeled and cut into pieces (I did this lengthwise, but you also use a large cube, if you prefer. Just try to make the pieces fairly equal in size.) You could also use a butternut squash if you like.

1.5 cups of dry white wine or chicken stock

1 cup of juice (prune, orange or apple)

8 to 10 large cloves of peeled garlic

1 rounded teaspoon of each: kosher salt, freshly cracked black pepper and ground turmeric

Rounded 1.5 teaspoons baharat

About 2 teaspoons of tamarind paste

Chopped flat-leaf parsley for serving

Directions

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Pour the juice over the dried fruit and warm the mixture. Cover and allow to steep for about 30 minutes.

Take chicken out of fridge one hour before you start cooking. Make small deep slits in the meaty part of the chicken. Generously salt and pepper both sides of the chicken parts and also dust with 1 teaspoon of ground turmeric. Gently rub the spice mixture into the skin of the chicken. Set aside.

In the largest, heaviest oven-proof pan you have (or use two, if necessary), heat the 4 Tablespoons of oil until it shimmers. Add the chicken front-side down and brown for 8 minutes at a medium high heat. I like to add a spatter screen at this point, which helps keep clean-up manageable.

Once the chicken has gotten nicely seared, it should release easily from the bottom of the pan. Turn the chicken over and add all of the remaining ingredients, including the soaking liquid from the dried fruit. Scatter the garlic cloves, fruit, sweet potatoes, leek and onion around the chicken. try to push the sweet potatoes into the liquid as much as possible.

Cover the pan and place in the oven. Cook for 40 minutes. Then crank up the oven heat to 375 degrees F. Uncover the pan and continue cooking for another 20 to 30 minutes. You can give a stir to distribute the ingredients into the liquid. Everything should be beautifully browned. That’s it! Garnish and serve.

This can be made ahead and gently rewarmed. There is no need to add a grain because of the sweet potatoes, but if you want to serve this over rice, by all means. You do you.

L’shana tova u’metukah!

Roasted Strawberry Cheesecake

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It is traditional for Jews to eat dairy foods on the holiday of Shavuot (The Feast of Weeks). This Jewish holiday commemorates the giving of the Torah on Mt. Sinai and occurs seven weeks after Passover. It also celebrates the Summer grain harvest and is one of three “Pilgrimage” holidays observed in Judaism. There a number of theories as to how the dairy tradition started, but cheesecake and blintzes are very popular at this time of year. However, you don’t have to be Jewish to make (and love) this Roasted Strawberry Cheesecake which is liberally flecked and perfumed with orange zest.

While I did not make my cheesecake in time to post ahead of the holiday, you can (and should) make this delicious, creamy, berry intense cheesecake anytime. And there is always next year to celebrate the holiday! So keep this Roasted Strawberry Cheesecake at the ready!

In 1973/1974 I lived and worked on Kibbutz Kissufim in the Negev. Yep, that’s me in the photos below. I was in charge of the calves.

When it came time to celebrate the Festival of Shavuot, everyone on the kibbutz went out to the field where children with flower wreaths on their heads, danced among the rows of golden wheat ready to be harvested. It really brought home this holiday to me in a way that was impossible to see living in a city.

Growing up in New York, wonderful cheesecakes were ubiquitous. My mother made a fabulous mocha cheesecake. But the problem with most of these is that they generally are geared to feeding at least 12 people! And while I LOVE a good cheesecake, it is just for me and my husband these days. So this recipe uses a 6-inch springform pan and makes 6 generous portions – enough for us or a small group of family or friends to enjoy without more left-overs than we want.

The recipe may seem long, but it is actually quite simple to make. And as for the Roasted Strawberry topping, I make a big batch of this ahead of time and store the unused portion in my fridge for weeks. It will turn any simple cake or ice cream into a special dessert. It can even be spread on toast in place of jam.

A note about the photos this time. They simply don’t do justice to the finished cheesecake. I was rushing, doing several other things at once, and as a consequence made a couple of esthetic mistakes. The taste was fabulous but my cake looked a little raggedy. If you follow the instructions, yours should turn out beautifully.

For other cheesecake options, I have created three additional variations on this recipe and they are all wonderful. You can’t go wrong with any one of these. And as an extra bonus, these cheesecakes do not require any eggs! Given the price of eggs these days, that’s a plus.

Blueberry Cheesecake

Chocolate Truffle Cheesecake

Coconut Macadamia Cheesecake

Recipe

Yield: About 6 servings

Ingredients

Crust (This is the amount in the original recipe which makes a delicious but fairly thick crust)

200 g of crushed biscuits (Digestive, Oreos, Biscoff or graham crackers)

5 Tablespoons melted butter (salted or unsalted) (You might need 1 Tablespoon more if using a plain biscuit rather than an Oreo cookie.)

Filling

8 oz. (225 g) full-fat cream cheese in a block, softened

1/2 cup (120 g) heavy or double cream

1/4 teaspoon kosher or fine sea salt

2 Tablespoons cornstarch

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1/4 cup (10g) freeze-dried strawberries, pulverized into a powder

Zest of one large orange

14 oz. can (396 g) of Sweetened Condensed Milk

Directions

NOTE: If you want to serve the cake completely off of the springform pan, lightly oil the bottom of the pan and line it with parchment paper. Once the cake has cooled and you break the suction with the bottom of the springform, the cake should release easily. This time, I was rushing and chose to serve it directly on the bottom section of the pan.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F or 160 C.

Blitz the biscuits in a food processor or with a rolling pin until you have fine crumbs. Pour the melted butter over the crumbs and mix through so that all of the crumbs are moistened. If you use a plain biscuit, the crumbs should resemble wet sand. If you are using Oreos, which have a cream filling, the mixture will be wetter than if you use a plain biscuit. I liked that it made for a lighter, less compacted base, but a traditional Graham Cracker or Digestive Biscuit are also great. Press the mixture into the bottom and slightly up the sides of the 6-inch springform pan. Refrigerate for at least 15 minutes.

Using a hand beater or the food processor beat the cream cheese and salt until light and fluffy.

In a smallish bowl or measuring glass, whisk the heavy cream and corn starch until smooth. Add this to the cream cheese. Add the vanilla, sweetened condensed milk, freeze-dried strawberry powder and citrus zest. Blitz until the batter is completely smooth and a lovely pale shade of pink. Pour the batter into the pan over the crumb base.

Wrap the bottom of the pan in two layers of aluminum foil to prevent any leakage. Set the pan in a baking dish large enough to hold it. I used a 9-inch square pan. Carefully add hot tap water to the pan until it comes up about half-way up the sides of the springform mold.

Place in the oven and bake for about 1 hour or until the center just slightly jiggles. Turn off the oven and leave the door ajar with the cheesecake inside. Keep the pan in there until your oven fan turns off or the cheesecake cools down. This prevents the cheesecake from cracking and will finish off the baking. If it does crack, don’t worry. The topping will cover it and it will taste just as great!

Completely cool the cheesecake on a wire rack. Then add the cooled slow-roasted strawberry mixture to the top of the cheesecake while still in the mold. Allow the cake to be refrigerated for at least 4 to 6 hours. but longer is even better if you have the time.

When you are ready to serve, run a thin sharp knife around the inner rim of the mold. Carefully unlock the springform and remove the ring. I leave the cake on the bottom and place the whole thing on a serving platter. Now enjoy!

Michelle Polzine’s Slow-Roasted Strawberries

Yield: About 1.5 cups (450 gr.)

Ingredients

2 pounds (900 gr.) of fresh, ripe strawberries (I double the recipe because it is THAT good)

1/2 cup (100 gr.) of granulated sugar (You can add 2 additional Tablespoons if the strawberries are not especially sweet on their own.)

Directions

  1. Heat the oven to 250 degrees F. Rinse and hull the berries. Leave any tiny ones whole and either quarter or halve the rest so the pieces are all about the same size.
  2. In a non-reactive pan (I used a stoneware baking dish) that will hold all of the berries closely packed in a single layer, gently toss the strawberries with the sugar.
  3. Roast slowly in the oven, uncovered for 3 to 6 hours, gently moving them around occasionally with a wide spatula. Mine took 5 hours. They are done when the juices have reduced to a syrup but not darkened into caramel and the berries are jammy. They can be stored in the fridge in an airtight jar or container for at least two weeks.

Matboucha

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Matboucha

Due to the unprovoked, and seemingly endless brutal war of annihilation against Ukrainian civilians by Vladimir Putin and his army and the worsening humanitarian crisis, please consider helping by following the link below. There are a number of reputable aid agencies from which to choose. Many of these agencies will also help victims suffering the devastating effects of natural disasters such as the recent earthquake in Turkey and Syria.

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Matboucha is to Morocco and the Middle East what ketchup is to Americans. But OH SO MUCH MORE interesting! This compote of tomatoes, garlic and peppers can be fiery, but you get to control the heat. My husband and I like a fairly mild heat, but you do you.

Matboucha is often served as part of an appetizer platter and as a complement to couscous. However, only your imagination will limit your uses. My husband loves it on sandwiches and it often appears on our Shabbat table to be lapped up with challah. Matboucha will brighten up chicken, meat, tofu, or fish and is great with roasted vegetables and hummus. If you like hot sauce on your eggs (or matza brei), give Matboucha a try instead.

Matboucha

And if you love tomato achaar next time try matboucha with your Indian food!

I like to prepare a large batch and then I freeze half so it is always fresh. It will hold up in your fridge for about a week – if it lasts that long. There are many, many variations for this wonderful condiment but they mostly differ in ingredient quantities or how much you chop up your ingredients. This particular version comes from Shuk, From Market to Table. the Heart of Israeli Home Cooking by Einat Admony and Janna Gur. Sweet and smoked Paprika were added by me after reading other recipes that included it.

Plum tomatoes are easy to find and are perfect for this recipe. However, if they are not available where you live, canned tomatoes can be used. But make sure that they are best quality Italian plum tomatoes!

Matboucha

Recipe

Yield: About 10 to 12 servings

Matboucha

Ingredients

1/4 cup neutral vegetable oil (I used olive, but avocado or any other good quality neutral oil will do)

15 to 20 cloves of garlic, peeled and thinly sliced

4 red bell peppers, cored, seeded and cut into smallish dice

2 to 4 jalapeno or Fresno chiles, cored, seeded and thinly sliced (I actually used dried arbol chiles since my fresh peppers had gone bad)

12 ripe plum tomatoes, cut into quarters (OR a 28 ounce can of Italian plum tomatoes)

1.5 to 2 teaspoons sweet or smoked (or a mix) paprika

kosher salt

Matboucha

Directions

Heat oil in a large, flat-bottomed pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute until fragrant. Do NOT allow the garlic to burn!

Add in the peppers and chiles, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring frequently, until the peppers have softened – about 15 minutes.

Matboucha

Add the tomatoes, season with a teaspoon of salt and 1.5 teaspoons of sweet paprika to start. You can always add more. Sauté for another minute, mixing everything through.

Matboucha

Reduce the heat to low. Cover the pan and simmer for 1.5 to 3 hours or until the matboucha is thick, shiny and bright red. Give a stir every so often so that nothing sticks or burns. If your tomatoes are dry, add a tablespoon or two of water to the pan. Depending on how juicy the tomatoes are, this could take longer. I uncovered my pan after 1.5 hours to cook off some of the liquid from a batch of particularly large, juicy tomatoes.

Taste at the end and add more salt if your tastebuds require it. Serve at room temperature.

Shallot Mushroom Tarte Tatin

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Shallot Mushroom Tarte Tatin

Due to the unprovoked, and seemingly endless brutal war of annihilation against Ukrainian civilians by Vladimir Putin and his army and the worsening humanitarian crisis, please consider helping by following the link below. There are a number of reputable aid agencies from which to choose. Many of these agencies will also help victims suffering the devastating effects of natural disasters.

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I wanted to make something a little special to ring in the New Year with my husband. But while I was looking for something new to make, I didn’t want it to be overly complicated. And I wanted a dish that would look and taste rich, but not actually be rich. This Shallot Mushroom Tarte Tatin was everything that I was looking for – once I had made a few tweaks.

Full disclosure – I didn’t actually make the Shallot Mushroom Tarte Tatin for New Year’s Eve – or at all. We ended up eating left-overs and ultimately my husband made the tarte with my suggested changes for New Year’s Day dinner. However, this riff on a Tarte Tatin did not disappoint. Originally devised as an accompaniment with drinks, it makes a perfect romantic dinner for two with a lovely, crisp white wine and accompanying arugula and fennel salad. So if you are looking for a Valentine’s Day dinner to share with that special someone, definitely consider this Shallot Mushroom Tarte Tatin.

Don’t be put off by the number of shallots in the recipe. The way they are bathed in the balsamic reduction results in a sweetly caramelized shallot that simply melts in your mouth.

While we did use an all-butter puff pastry (from the freezer section of our grocery), there are vegan puff pastry options. And except for the small amount of cheese added just before serving, the tarte is also vegan. The cheese could be skipped but a vegan cheese option is also possible – and frankly, desirable, in my opinion. The original recipe called for burrata, a cheese that always seems unappetizing to me. I feel the same way about burrata as I do about undercooked egg whites. Ewwww. In any event, I thought the slight tang of a creamy goat cheese was a better foil for the richness of the caramelized shallots. But you do you.

Recipe

Yield: 2 servings as dinner

Ingredients

1 tablespoon pine nuts or slivered blanched almonds

6 to 8 shallots, peeled and halved lengthwise

2 teaspoons vegetable oil

¼ Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper

¼ cup balsamic vinegar

1 teaspoon sugar

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided (Use a vegan buttery solid if you are keeping this vegan.)

1 package frozen puff pastry, thawed according to the instructions on the box (I used Dufours brand which is all butter)

All-purpose flour (for surface)

8 ounces mixed mushrooms (such as maitake, oyster, and/or shiitake), torn into bite-size pieces. [While any mushroom would taste good, these mushrooms tend to not hold as much moisture as button, baby bella, cremini or Portobello mushrooms and, therefore are less likely to lead to a soggy bottom.]

1 garlic clove, crushed or grated

2 to 3 ounces of a creamy goat cheese (the kind found in a log), crumbled

2 Tablespoons grated parmesan or pecorino cheese

1 Tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, plus more for garnish

Sprinkling of flaked Maldon Sea Salt for garnish (Optional)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place the pine nuts or almonds on a rimmed baking sheet. Toast the nuts until golden, about 4 minutes. Transfer the nuts to a small bowl and set aside. Do NOT turn off the oven.

Roll out the thawed puff pastry on lightly floured parchment paper to smooth out any creases. The Dufours puff pastry came in one large sheet. If the pastry was in two sheets, place them on top of one another and roll the sheets out together. Cut out a circle that is one inch larger than the top of your skillet. [So my skillet was a Lodge cast iron skillet that measured 10-inches across the top and 9-inches across the bottom. Therefore, my pastry was rolled out to 11-inches.] Once the desired circle is cut out, prick the pastry all over with a fork. Cover the pastry round with another sheet of parchment or plastic wrap and stick it in the refrigerator while you prepare everything else. Using cold pastry will help prevent shrinkage.

Toss the shallots in the vegetable oil on the same baking sheet that you used to toast the nuts. Season the nuts with kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Roast the shallots until tender and with some browned spots – 20 to 25 minutes. Allow the shallots to cool.

While the shallots are roasting, bring the vinegar and sugar to a simmer in a 9 or 10-inch ovenproof skillet. Swirl the pan occasionally until the vinegar has reduced some and become syrupy, about 5 minutes. Stir in 1 Tablespoon of unsalted butter and remove the pan from the heat. Arrange the roasted shallots, cut side up, in the skillet with the vinegar syrup, overlapping them slightly, if needed. Set aside.

Using a medium skillet, melt the remaining 2 Tablespoons of the butter over medium-high heat. Cook the mushrooms and garlic, tossing often, until the mushrooms are tender and browned, 5 to 8 minutes. Season with salt and freshly cracked black pepper and 1 Tablespoon of the thyme leaves.

Add the cooked mushroom mixture, nuts and grated parmesan to the pan with the shallots, filling in any gaps between the shallots. Any extra mushrooms can just be scattered evenly on top of the shallots. Up to here, this can all be done ahead, if desired. Just don’t forget to preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. before the next step!

When you are ready to bake the tarte, take the pastry out of the fridge and drape it over the shallots and mushrooms, tucking the edges down inside the skillet. Bake until the pastry is golden brown, puffed and will not sink if gently pressed with your finger – 25 to 30 minutes. Ovens vary so it could even take a bit longer.

Allow the tarte to sit outside the oven for 10 minutes. Take a plate or cutting board that is larger than the pan and carefully invert the skillet onto the plate. It should release from the pan without any trouble. Scatter the goat cheese, a few more thyme leaves and the Maldon Sea Salt, if using, over the top. Serve with a lovely, crunchy green salad with a slightly acidic dressing and some crisp bread. Now enjoy!

Chocolate Orange Pistachio Shortbread

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Chocolate Orange Pistachio Shortbread

Due to the unprovoked, continuing brutal war of annihilation against Ukrainian civilians by Vladimir Putin and his army and the worsening humanitarian crisis, please consider helping by following the link below. There are a number of reputable aid agencies from which to choose. Many of these agencies will also help flood and tornado victims suffering the effects of climate change.

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Buttery rich with bittersweet chocolate, candied orange and pistachios! Chocolate Orange Pistachio Shortbread is one great cookie. Not too sweet, and with melt-in-your-mouth goodness, these lovely shortbread cookies are perfect to adorn any holiday table.

I love a good shortbread cookie. [See below for links to other shortbread options.] These surprisingly sturdy cookies are naturally festive. They come decked out with green from the pistachios, orange from the candied peel, with chocolate chunks all embedded in a golden cookie. Chocolate Orange Pistachio Shortbread are wonderful on their own, but also make a perfect counterpoint to other sweeter cookies that may make up your holiday cookie box.

One of the first things I ever baked on my own were cookies. I would send them to brother in college to share with his roommates. And one holiday I baked about 100 gingerbread men/women to share with the doctors and nurses in the recovery room where I volunteered. I still find it difficult to believe, but I actually stayed up late lovingly decorating them to resemble the different hospital staff. And maybe that’s what pushed me over the edge! But I didn’t make cookies for years after that.

Since the pandemic, though, I have gotten back into making cookies. If you are doing them all by yourself, there is no getting around that it can get a bit tedious. If, however, you can break up the task, it’s not too bad. So I prepared the dough for five different cookies over a single day. Then I refrigerated them and am now baking them up over a couple of days.

Even though I may not make certain things, I’m always on the lookout for new recipes. It’s a wonderful antidote to the relentless bombardment of bad news! I came across the recipe for Orange, Pistachio and Chocolate Shortbread and knew immediately that this was one recipe I would actually make. Of course, I made a few tweaks to “improve it” as my maternal grandmother would have said.

My version of Chocolate Orange Pistachio Shortbread follows. Shortbread keeps very well in an airtight tin, so are perfect for gifting. These are soooooooooooo good that you should be sure to save a bunch for yourself!

But as we are starting the Festival of Lights (Hanukkah) Sunday night, I will likely take a break from cookie baking in order to make latkes, sfenji, sufganiyot and beignets. Of course, I will need to give most of these away or my husband and I won’t fit through our front door!

As I have discovered rather late in my cooking game, doing all of your measuring and setting of your ingredients out before actually assembling (known as mise en place) makes for a much less stressful baking experience.

Try these other wonderful shortbread options:

Lavender Mint Shortbread Cookies

Tehina Shortbread Cookies

Gateau Breton – French Shortbread Cake

Recipe

Yield: About 40 cookies, depending on how you form and cut them

Chocolate Orange Pistachio Shortbread

Ingredients

3 cups/419 grams all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)

1¼ cups/284 grams unsalted butter, at room temperature

¾ cup/175 grams granulated sugar

1 large egg yolk (save the white for a different cookie or to add to an omelette)

1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract

2 teaspoons orange blossom water (readily available online and in Middle Eastern grocery stores)

½ cup/76 grams roughly chopped candied orange peel

½ cup/76 grams shelled unsalted pistachios, roughly chopped

4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

Directions

Step 1

Whisk together flour and salt in a medium bowl. Combine butter and sugar in a large bowl, or in the bowl of a stand mixer. Using an electric mixer (fitted with the paddle attachment if using a stand mixer), beat at medium-high speed until the mixture is pale in color, about 3 minutes, scraping down the sides with a rubber spatula, as needed. Add egg yolk, almond extract and orange blossom water and blend until combined.

Chocolate Orange Pistachio Shortbread

Step 2

Add flour mixture in two batches and mix on low until barely combined. Use a rubber spatula to fold in the orange peel, pistachios, chopped chocolate and remaining bits of flour. The dough may appear crumbly. If necessary, gently need the mixture with your hands until you have a smooth dough with everything well distributed.

Step 3

To form the cookies, cut the dough into 3 even portions. Roll each portion into a log with a flat bottom, top and ends. This can be pretty easily handled if you roll the dough using plastic wrap and a dough scraper pushed up against the sides to even out your log. Chill the dough 8 hours or for up to 3 days before cutting and baking. When you are ready to bake, remove the logs, one at a time from the fridge for about 15 minutes before cutting. If the dough is too hard, the pieces will break and too soft and they will just squish. Dough can always be remolded into a new log, so don’t worry if the first slices aren’t perfect!

Step 4

To bake the cookies, heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Place one log at a time on a cutting board and using a sharp, large knife, cut slices about 3/8-inches thick. Any pieces that aren’t perfect can be mushed together and rerolled.

The cookies do not spread much so you can place them about 1.5 inches apart on the cookie sheet. Ovens vary, as will the thickness of dough etc. Mine took about 18 minutes to bake, but just watch them after 15 minutes until you see how they are baking in your oven. You can always add time but once they are overbaked, there isn’t much you can do.

If you don’t have a convection oven (I DON’T) turn the trays once halfway for more even baking. And if some are darker than others, remove those to a cooling rack and put the others back until the desired golden color. These cookies are pretty forgiving.

Step 6

Remove from the oven, allow cookies to cool completely on cooling racks. The cookies will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for at least 1 week.

Italian Apple Cake

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Italian Apple Cake

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Autumn and the Jewish New Year always mean sweet/tart/crisp, juicy apples and cinnamon to me. I can’t get enough of them in every and any iteration. My blog has several apple cake examples and you could be excused in thinking that are many more really needed.

But when I came across this recipe for an Italian Apple Cake, I knew I would try it right away. Of course, I tweaked it a bit! The result is a beautiful, fragrant, appley cake that is even better the second day. Every time I lift the lid on the cake plate, I am hit with a waft of apple scent. It’s delicious before I even taste a bite!

Most of the ingredients are always on hand so I was able to pull it together without a trip to the grocery store. There is nothing fancy here or cloyingly sweet. Every bite is chock full of apple chunks and the flavor is clean and apple-forward with a hint of lemon and cinnamon.

While I did use a hand mixer for beating the eggs with the sugar until airy and light, this cake can be made by hand if you have a strong arm. Other than that one task, no special equipment is required. And while I chose to lay some additional apples on top, dotted with butter and sprinkled with Demerara sugar, you could opt to leave that off and simply dust the cooled cake with confectioner’s sugar for presentation. I did also brush the finished cake top with a light coating of apple jelly for a bit of shine.

Italian Apple Cake

With so many varieties of apples available, choose one (or a variety) that is tart/sweet and will hold its shape when baked. No applesauce here!

The holiday of Sukkot begins Sunday night and lasts all week. This is a perfect treat for the coming 8 days. But you don’t have to be Jewish to enjoy this Italian Apple Cake. Perfect as is, a dollop of freshly whipped cream or crème fraîche would not go amiss, however. And the cake cuts beautifully.

And if you are like me, and can’t get enough of apples, consider some of these other delicious recipes:

Italian Apple Cake

Apple Cake – Take 2

Whole Wheat Apple Cake

Vegan Dessert to die for – Apple Frangipane Tart

Apple Bread Pudding

Tarte Aux Pommes – Apple Tart

Apple Walnut Bread with Rum-Soaked Raisins

Caramelized Apple Pancake

Apple Pecan Bourbon Bundt Cake

Apple Cinnamon Noodle Kugel

Spiced Apple Cake

Amish Apple Pie

Plum (or Apple)and Almond Paste Tart

Vegan Apple Raisin Cake with Applejack Sauce

Apple Tarte Tatin

Apple Crumble

Apple pie with cheddar cheese crust and hard sauce

Recipe

Italian Apple Cake

Yield: One 9-inch cake

Ingredients

Italian Apple Cake

2.5 to 3 medium apples, peeled, cored and cut into small chunks (I used 2.5, but I could have even had a few more chunks)

1 large apple if using the decorative topping, peeled, cored and thinly sliced

Zest of one small lemon

2 cups (240 g) unbleached, all-purpose flour

3 teaspoons (14 g) double acting baking powder

1 rounded teaspoon ground cinnamon

3/4 teaspoon kosher or fine sea salt

1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar

1 cup (245 g) whole milk plain yogurt

1/2 cup (113 g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

2 large eggs at room temperature

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 tablespoon unsalted butter for dotting apples on decorative top, if using

A light sprinkling of Demerara or sanding sugar for decorative top, if using

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a non-stick 9-inch spring form pan with a vegetable spray.

Rub the lemon zest into the sugar and set aside while you measure out your other ingredients.

In a medium bowl, mix together the dry ingredients and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, using a hand mixer, cream the lemon/sugar and eggs until they are light in color and VERY fluffy. This takes between 5 and 8 minutes.

Stir in the yogurt, butter and vanilla extract until smooth. Do this by hand with a spatula. Do NOT use the hand mixer.

Add the dry ingredients and stir through gently until everything is well combined. Then add in the apples and gently stir through.

If you are using the optional decorative topping, layer the apple slices in an attractive over-lapping pattern. Then sprinkle the apple slices with the sugar and dot with the butter.

Place the spring form pan on top of a baking pan to catch any oozing from the bottom of the pan. Bake until nicely browned. Ovens vary as do apples. So start checking after 45 minutes but don’t be surprised if the cake takes at least an hour. I always then turn off my oven, leaving the door ajar with the cake inside. This will ensure that the cake really is done and won’t sink. The apples and yogurt will keep the cake moist.

Allow the cake to cool on a wire rack for about 15 minutes. Using a thin spatula, carefully run it around the inside of the pan’s rim to make sure that nothing stuck anywhere. Then you can open the ring and remove it. Cool the cake fully. The cake should easily come off of the bottom of the spring form pan. However, you could also leave it on it and serve from there, just being careful not to cut into your pan.

Place the cooled cake in a covered cake plate. Italian Apple Cake is even better the next day, making it a great do-ahead recipe. Now enjoy!

Perfect French Walnut Tart

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Perfect French Walnut Tart

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Are you looking for something new for Rosh Hashanah? This luscious French Walnut Tart is perfect. A short bread cookie-like pastry shell gets filled with toasted walnuts, each piece coated in a honey, buttery caramel. It is a perfect balance of sweet and salty with the earthy richness of walnuts. Yes, please!

Try this Perfect French Walnut Tart with a glass of Montbazillac for a taste of the Perigord. This region of France in the Dordogne is known for its truffles, foie gras, Montbazillac and walnut tarts. While I have never visited this region of France, I have become an armchair traveler there though the books of Martin Walker. I love the Chef Bruno, Chief of Police books because they spend as much time on food as they do on the mysteries to be solved.

The recipe calls for crème fraîche, a naturally soured cream. It can be purchased in many grocery stores these days. However, it is so simple to make your own crème fraîche. You just need to plan one day ahead of using it. My husband loves it on so many desserts that I almost always have a jar in my fridge. I love homemade whipped cream, but crème fraîche adds a certain umph to what might be an otherwise overly-sweet or blah dessert – neither of which this is.

While this recipe calls for unsweetened crème fraîche, I often add some confectioners sugar and vanilla when I am serving it with a simple cake. Crème fraîche is incredibly easy to produce. All that is required is a glass container, 1 cup of cream and 2 to 3 Tablespoons of buttermilk or whole milk kefir. Mix them together and leave the jar covered in a warm place for 24 hours and Voila! If you plan on adding sugar or vanilla to the crème fraîche, only add it after the mixture has soured and thickened.

The cookie-like crust is a dough that anyone can work with. It’s not fussy to make, comes together quickly and there is no need to roll out any pastry!

The Perfect French Walnut Tart is a cousin of my beloved Bourbon Pecan Pie and is a lovely dessert any time. But nuts and honey? Perfect as a High Holiday treat. The ratio of nuts to filling is very high, giving it an almost toffee-like texture. Total, unadulterated yumminess!

Perfect French Walnut Tart

Recipe

Yield: One 9-inch tart; 8 to 10 servings

Ingredients

For the tart shell

87 grams (2⁄3 cup) all-purpose flour

46 grams (1⁄3 cup) whole-wheat flour

40 grams (3 tablespoons) white sugar

1⁄2 teaspoon kosher salt

6 tablespoons (3⁄4 stick) salted butter, cut into 1⁄2-inch cubes (You could use a non-dairy “butter” if you wanted to eat this with meat on the holiday.)

1 large egg yolk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the filling

107 grams (1⁄2 cup) white sugar

1⁄4 cup honey

1⁄3 cup crème fraîche (If you need to keep this non-dairy, there are non-dairy sour “creams” on the market.)

4 tablespoons (1⁄2 stick) salted butter (Or a good quality non-dairy “butter” like Earth Balance)

1 tablespoon cider vinegar

1⁄4 teaspoon kosher salt

1 Tablespoon cornstarch, sifted

3 large egg yolks [You can save the whites for a meringue or to add to an omelette.]

230 grams (2.5 cups) walnuts, roughly chopped and lightly toasted

A sprinkle of Maldon Sea Salt as a garnish

Directions

Heat the oven to 325°F with a rack in the lower-middle position. Mist a 9- inch tart pan with removable bottom with cooking spray.

To make the tart shell, in a food processor, process until combined both flours, the sugar and salt, about 5 seconds. Scatter the butter over the mixture and pulse until it resembles coarse sand, 10 to 12 pulses. Add the egg yolk and vanilla, then process until the mixture is evenly moistened and cohesive, 20 to 30 seconds or until the dough just starts to come together. Do not wait for it to form a ball.

Crumble the dough into the prepared tart pan, evenly covering the surface. Using the bottom of a dry measuring cup, press into an even layer over the bottom and up the sides; the edge of the dough should be flush with the rim. Use a fork to prick (dock) all over the bottom, then freeze until the dough is firm, 15 to 30 minutes. You can also refrigerate the dough for at least one hour or up to overnight.

While the dough chills, make the filling. Pour 1⁄4 cup water into a medium saucepan. Add the sugar and honey into the center, avoiding contact with the sides. Cook over medium, swirling the pan frequently, until the mixture is amber in color, about 8 to 10 minutes. Off heat, add the crème fraîche, egg yolks, butter, vinegar, cornstarch and salt, then whisk until the butter is melted and the mixture is well combined. Then add the nuts and stir until evenly coated. Let cool until just warm, about 30 minutes.

While the caramel cools, you want to blind bake the dough before adding the filling. (Because this is essentially a short bread crust, there is no need to line the pan or to use weights.) Bake for 30 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on a wire rack for about 15 minutes.

Pour the filling into the warm tart shell, then gently spread in an even layer. Bake until the edges of the filling begin to puff and the center jiggles only slightly when gently shaken, 25 to 35 minutes. Then turn off the heat, open the oven door slightly and leave the tart in the oven for 10 more minutes. You might want to put some foil or a baking sheet under the pan to catch any spill-over. (Do NOT be alarmed when you first see the baked tart coming out of the oven. It will bubble up and look kind of messy at first. Trust me – it settles down as it cools.)

Let the tart cool on a wire rack for about 1 hour. Remove the pan sides. Serve warm or at room temperature with a sprinkling of Maldon Sea Salt. The tart is superb accompanied by lightly sweetened crème fraîche or whipped cream.

Notes: Don’t overcook the caramel. Aim for an amber hue; if it gets much darker than that, the finished tart will taste bitter.

Whole-wheat flour in the crust plays up the earthiness of the walnuts. To toast the walnuts, spread them in an even layer on a rimmed baking sheet and bake at 325°F until fragrant and just starting to brown, about 8 to 12 minutes, stirring just once or twice; do not over toast them or they will taste bitter. The dough-lined tart pan can be prepared in advance; after the dough is firm, wrap tightly in plastic and freeze for up to two weeks.

Libyan-Style Fish (Chraimeh)

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Libyan-Style Fish

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Libyan-Style Fish (Chraimeh) is to Libyan Jews – and many Israelis – what gefilte fish is to Eastern European Jews. And while my family origins are strictly the Pale of Settlement, I am a bigger fan of chraimeh than gefilte fish. This sweet and savory (sometimes fiery) dish is bound to become a tradition in your house too.

Normally made with a firm-fleshed non-oily white fish such as sea bass or amberjack, salmon steaks are more readily available where I live and also more affordable. You can also make this with thicker fillets of a white fish with the skin still on. I have even eaten made from catfish.

There are as many recipes for Libyan-Style Fish as there are people who originated from Libya. And each family prides itself on its version. While comparing recipes (and I must have looked at at least 6) it seems that all have in common: garlic; paprika, caraway seeds, cumin and chiles. The recipe I finally landed on comes from Jerusalem a Cookbook by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi. But, of course, with a few tweaks by me.

Whether you choose to use this recipe or some other, just be sure to have plenty of good bread on hand for dipping into the sauce. The sauce is what this dish is all about! While normally served as a starter to the Shabbat or holiday meal, my husband and I ate it as our main course on Shabbat.

Serve Libyan-Style Fish (Chraimeh) warm or at room temperature. I did tone down the heat a bit to suit our tastes. This can get pretty fiery in some versions. But the beauty of making these foods at home is that you are the boss. YOU control the heat. Because the spices make the dish, I encourage you to only use the freshest dried spices. Better yet – grind your own. And the end product should be a perfect balance of sweet and savory.

Libyan-Style Fish (Chraimeh) is a great make-ahead dish and can easily be doubled or tripled to serve a crowd. Fish cooked in a sweet or savory tomato-based sauce is ubiquitous across the Mediterranean and North Africa. The Moroccan version is a bit more subtle in its flavorings but not terribly dissimilar. While served year-round, it is a perfect summer make-ahead meal. Add some rice or couscous and you have dinner!

For another great Shabbat and holiday fish starter, try my Egyptian Ground Fish Balls in a tomato-based sauce. My family loves these for Passover. And if you truly cannot live without gefilte fish (And who says you have to choose?!) try my Gefilte Fish Loaf.

Recipe

Yield: 3 to 4 servings as dinner. About 6 servings as a starter

Ingredients

Libyan-Style Fish

About 5 Tablespoons of neutral oil (I use canola)

2 medium vine-ripened tomatoes, coarsely chopped OR 1 15 oz. can of diced tomatoes

3 to 4 salmon steaks (about 1.5 to 2 pounds), rinsed and patted dry

6 large cloves of garlic, peeled and coarsely chopped

2 teaspoons sweet paprika

1 Tablespoon of caraway seeds, dry toasted in a pan and then ground

rounded 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1.5 teaspoons of ground cumin

rounded 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon (preferably Ceylon cinnamon)

1 green chile, coarsely chopped with or without seeds depending on the level of heat you are looking for

About 2/3 cup of water

3 Tablespoons of tomato paste

2 teaspoons of granulated sugar (I actually used Demerara)

1/3 cup diced roasted peppers ( I had homemade, but jarred are fine)

Juice of 1/2 of a lemon plus 1 lemon cut into 4 wedges

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro or flat-leafed parsley

kosher salt and Aleppo pepper (or freshly cracked black pepper) to taste

Directions

Place the garlic, spices, 2 Tablespoons of oil and chile in a blender or food processor (Mortar and pestle would also work) and blitz to a thick paste. I needed to add another Tablespoon of oil to get the right consistency.

Libyan-Style Fish

In a large, heavy, flat-bottomed pan with a cover, add remaining 2 Tablespoons of oil and heat to shimmering. Add in the garlic spice mixture and stir for 30 seconds until fragrant.

Garlic Spice Mixture

Immediately add the chopped tomatoes, tomato paste, roasted peppers, fresh lemon juice, water and sugar and stir well. Bring to a simmer and cook partially covered for about 10 minutes or until the tomatoes have softened and the sauce has thickened some. Taste and add more salt as needed and Aleppo or black pepper.

In the meantime, rinse and dry your fish. Liberally salt and pepper both sides of the fish and set aside.

When the sauce has melded, add the fish steaks, pushing them gently into the sauce. The sauce will not cover them. My salmon steaks were quite thick, so I simmered them for 9 minutes on the first side, spooning sauce over them occasionally and then turned them over to cook for another 8 to 9 minutes. Depending on the thickness of your fish you may not need to turn the pieces over. You want to cook the fish to the flake stage. Spoon sauce over the fish.

Allow the fish and sauce to cool down to warm before serving. Garnish with chopped fresh herbs. Libyan-Style Fish can be served warm or at room temperature. Serve over rice or with LOTS of delicious bread like fresh challah. Left-overs can be refrigerated and gently reheated.

Lemon Ricotta Almond Cake for Passover

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Lemon Ricotta Almond Cake for Passover

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Every year for decades I hosted Passover, the Jewish holiday commemorating the redemption of the Jewish People from slavery. And while it was a lot of work, I loved having family and friends around to join in the seders. There have been many wonderful desserts, including a few that are vegan. (They are linked below.) But I always tried to make at least one new dessert each year. This Lemon Ricotta Almond Cake for Passover would have been this year’s entry in that category. Unfortunately, between my niece’s family having moved away and the pandemic, it has been a few years since I hosted any family holiday gathering.

Pesach this year will be spent with Matthew, Frances and Juliana in San Francisco. Perhaps I can convince Frances to make this Lemon Ricotta Almond Cake for Passover.

Light, moist and lemony, this flourless cake uses almond flour to replace all-purpose or cake flour. Between the almond flour and the ricotta, this is a cake that it is impossible to dry out. It may get slightly custardy over time, with the flavors only intensifying. Delicious on its own, adding either fresh berries and a dusting of icing sugar or a berry compote would kick it up to the next level. Michelle Polzine’s Slow-Roasted Strawberries would be a great option. However, for my money, true perfection was achieved when I served this luscious cake with a good dollop of lightly sweetened home-made creme fraiche and a few raspberries. No matter how you choose to eat this cake, you cannot go wrong.

Lemon Ricotta Almond Cake for Passover

But you don’t have to make this just for Passover. It’s a lovely, light dessert any time of the year. The recipe originated from the Donna Hay Magazine via the Nosher website and has been slightly tweaked by me. And while there are volume measurements included, I strongly recommend weighing your ingredients when baking.

Lemon Ricotta Almond Cake for Passover

For Other Great Passover Desserts:

Passover Florentine Cookies

Death by Chocolate Vegan Passover Cake

Passover Sephardic Wine Cookies

Chocolate Chip Vegan Meringue Buttons for Passover

Passover Almond Coconut Macaroons

Passover Orange Ginger Spice Cookies

French Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Glaze

Chocolate Amaretti Torte – make with kosher for Passover amaretti cookies

Tarte Citron Mama – just substitute 1 Tablespoon of Matzah Cake Meal for the 1 T of flour

Recipe

Yield: One 8-inch cake

Ingredients

120 grams (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
275 grams (1 1/3 cups) granulated or caster sugar
1 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped or 1 generous teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract (Optional to use only if you wish to have a more pronounced almond flavor)
1/4 cup loosely packed lemon zest (2 to 3 lemons, depending on size)
4 large eggs, separated and at room temperature
240 grams (2 1/2 cups) almond meal or almond flour
300 grams (1 1/3 cups) ricotta, at room temperature
About 2 Tablespoons flaked (sliced) natural almonds
Icing sugar, for dusting

Directions

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly butter or PAM an 8-inch (20 cm) springform pan. Line the bottom with a parchment round and lightly sugar the sides and bottom.

Lemon Ricotta Almond Cake for Passover

Place the butter, granulated sugar, vanilla seeds or extract, almond extract and lemon zest in a stand mixer. Beat for 8 to 10 minutes (REALLY) until, pale, creamy and very fluffy. Scrape down the sides as needed.

Gradually add the egg yolks one at a time, while continuing to beat the mixture.

Add the almond meal and beat to combine. Fold the ricotta through the mixture.

In a separate, clean bowl, beat the egg whites until you have stiff peaks.

Gently mix through about 1/3 of the egg whites in to the main batter to loosen it up. Then carefully fold in the remaining egg whites in 2 parts until most of the white bits are no longer visible. Be careful to not deflate the mixture since there is no other leavening in the cake.

Pour the mixture into the cake tin and smooth out the top with a spatula. Decorate the top with the sliced almonds.

Lemon Ricotta Almond Cake for Passover

Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or longer, depending on your oven. The top should be golden and there shouldn’t be any wobble. If it appears that your cake isn’t done, but you don’t want it to brown anymore, cover it lightly with aluminum foil. Allow the cake to cool completely on a wire rack. Carefully run a thin knife or spatula around the cake in the pan to be sure that it isn’t sticking anywhere. Then you can loosen the ring of the springform pan and remove the cake. Do not apply icing sugar until the cake is completely cooled.

Lemon Ricotta Almond Cake for Passover