Look Back on Seder

Preparing Passover really wasn't that bad. I spent most of my non-working hours in the kitchen the week before seder, but that's a-okay with me. If you plan out what to make each night, most things can be refrigerated ahead of time, in fact, some should.

Here's a rundown of some of the most popular items I made:

Matzo Balls

1 cup matzo meal
4 large eggs
2 tablespoons schmaltz (rendered seasoned chicken fat, sold at butcher shops) at room temperature
1 tablespoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ cup seltzer

Bring the schmaltz to room temperature in a bowl. Add the dry ingredients and mix together. Separate your eggs and add them to the bowl, mix. Add seltzer and mix until it all comes together: DON'T OVER MIX!

Cover your bowl and put it in the fridge for at least one hour.

Fill a large pot with water and bring to a simmer. With wet hands, roll out 1-ounce balls (about the size of a walnut). Add balls to water and simmer until tender, light and fluffy in the center, 45 to 60 minutes. (To test centers, insert a toothpick, which should slide easily all the way through.) Drain and cool in a baking dish and then cover and put it in the freezer. Don't ask me why, it's just better that way.

Sephardic Charoset

If you like bland food, this recipe isn't for you. As a child I had very fond memories of a charoset my Iranian grandmother made. So this year, I was determined to make my own with a faint memory of what it tasted like.

2/3 cup hazelnuts
2 cups whole pitted dates
1/3 cup whole blanched almonds
1/3 cup walnuts
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup golden raisins
4 tablespoons sweet red wine
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves (you may want less if you don't like cloves that much)
2 shredded Granny Smith Apples
2/3 cup sliced banana

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and toast your nuts in a pie plate (about 10 minutes). You will want to stir them around a couple of times to make sure they don't burn.

Combine nuts, dates, raisins, and golden raisins in a food processor. Process until ground, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. (Mixture will be thick and crumbly but will hold together when pressed.) Add wine, ginger, cardamom, cinnamon, and cloves; pulse 4 times or until combined. Add apple and banana; pulse 4 times or until combined. Transfer mixture to a bowl. Cover and refrigerate for a couple of days. The flavors will combine and mellow out. Trust me with this one, let it sit and taste it a day or so later, that will give you a true feeling for how it will sit on the palate during seder. If you need to make adjustments you will know at this point.

Chocolate Raspberry Pavlova

6 large egg whites
2 cups superfine sugar
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
1 teaspoon balsamic
2 ounces Trader Joe's dark chocolate, finely chopped

Topping:
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 container raspberries
1 1/2 ounces Trader Joe's dark chocolate

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a flat cookie sheet with parchment paper. Trace a 9-inch cake pan on the paper and turn the paper over. You should still be able to see the circle.

Make the meringue: Beat the egg whites in a stand mixer until satiny peaks form, and then beat in the sugar a spoonful at a time until the meringue is stiff and shiny.

Add the chocolate: Sprinkle the cocoa, vinegar and then the chopped chocolate over the egg whites. Gently fold everything with a rubber spatula until the cocoa is thoroughly mixed in. DO NOT MIX, FOLD! You want to keep it fluffy.

Put a dab of meringue under each corner to secure the parchment paper. To shape the meringue pour a mound in the middle. Then with a large frosting spatula, create a cake shape in the circle you drew. Smooth the tops and the sides.

Place in the oven, then immediately turn the temperature down to 300 degrees and cook for one hour. When it's ready, it should look crisp and dry on top, and squishy in the middle.

Turn off the oven and open the door slightly; let the meringue cool completely in the oven.

Ready for the hard part? You will most likely need two people. Put a large serving platter on top so it is just touching, but not actually putting any pressure. In a coordinated fashion flip the meringue onto the plate. Remember, this thing falls apart easily! After your heart slows down and the meringue is safely flipped, peel off the parchment.

Now it's time to decorate!!!

Whisk the cream till thick but still soft and pile it on top of the meringue, then scatter the raspberries on top. Now take your chocolate and a peeler and make chocolate curls. Collect in a container and sprinkle over the top. Voila!