The Countdown to Passover Begins!

Culinary landmarks are no different from any other momentous occasion, they're kinda a big deal. I will be hosting my first Jewish holiday for family (read: In-laws) this Saturday. Of course I had to choose the most difficult one -- PASSOVER! For those of you who don't know, Passover equates to dietary restrictions. Leavened food cannot be consumed for eight gut wrenching days, which is kicked off with two nights of seders.

Josh and I will be hosting night two, since I always go to my Bubbe's for the first seder. Let's just stop right there. Bubbe set the bar high, she works magic in the kitchen. You will never see a jar of that grayish looking gefilte fish in her fridge because she makes it down to the fish grinding. Then you bring my mom into the equation with her should-be world famous brisket. Yeah...the bar is set high. Luckily, they will always share their secrets with me, even though I can barely get Bubbe to write down a recipe. I guess that was passed down in the blood to me? Writing actual measurements are almost impossible, I prefer "enough" and "some" as my guidelines.

Anyway, I digress. So here is what is on the menu so far:

Seder Plate: sephardic charoset and handmade horseradish (and the rest of the normal stuff)

Matzoball soup

Brisket

Red skin potatoes with some kind of herbs most likely

String beans

Roasted asparagus

Chocolate fudge walnut cookies

Almond macaroons - non-coconut variety

Also, the MIL is bringing chopped liver and Carla is bringing another dessert.

For night one, I'm going to try making a Chocolate Pavlova with homemade whipped cream and raspberries.

I'm playing it safe this year for seder to get my feet wet. But, during the week I will try and create some more inventive Pesach dishes.  I swear it can't be that hard...at least for a Reformed Jew :)