Just a few years ago, I had virtually no knowledge of Jewish customs. I've learned a lot since then, and Passover is always one of the biggest opportunities to do so. During Passover, the tradition is to rid the house of chametz, or leavened grain products, replacing them with matzo. Historically, Ashkenazi Jews also avoid beans, corn, and rice (kitniyot). In an apparently controversial move, the rabbis lifted the ban on these items this year. I'll leave commentary on this issue to those who know more.
Our seder plate, pictured above, features (clockwise from top) horseradish, charoset (a fruit and nut mixture), parsley (the bitter herbs), an egg, orange, and bone in the center. Usually, it is a lamb bone to represent a sacrificial lamb. Ironically, I ate some lamb shank for lunch that day, leftover from dinner the previous night. Not thinking, I threw the bone away, so we used a chicken leg instead.
The passover feast commenced with matzo ball soup, pictured with the blood of the firstborn. Ten drops of wine signify the ten plagues in Egypt.
Like last year, I made chopped liver, but this time with a twist. Instead of schmaltz, I used bacon fat, which I had on hand. I couldn't resist adding some heathen flair to my version, and it was just as tasty. We also had gefilte fish, shown above sliced with some horseradish. If you can get gefilte fish as a frozen log, it is recommended over the jarred kind.
I hope to continue the Passover tradition on No Free Lunch in the coming years. Maybe I'll eventually be allowed to make a brisket!
Bacon fat???
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