Ready or not here it comes! (Yes, it’s Pesach)

Although I woke up to heavily falling snow, and it still feels like winter, Pesach is actually less than two weeks away. It’s crunch time … pun intended.

Get your engines started. Whether you’re making Pesach, jetting off to some five-star hotel in paradise, or slumming it in a hotel in New York, there is too little time and so much to do.

For those going away, airline tickets have to be confirmed, car services arranged to whisk you to the airport, shopping for clothes and the dreaded packing. Not that I know first hand but I’m told it’s torture.

For those going to relatives, there is packing, but not the three change a day times eight that those at hotels have to endure. There is also the one or two dishes you have to prepare if you offered them to your host. Then there’s the complaining to your spouse about how he or she got to go to their family while you’ll have to wait till next year. And let’s not forget the complaints about having to sleep in a cramped room in bed not your own and someone else’s kids interrupting your sleep. Wow, you get to sleep? Not so for most of us staying at home. For the weeks leading up to Pesach we are busy scrubbing, kashering and shopping for groceries.

The week of, we are cooking, shopping for more groceries, baking, buying some last minute items, setting up the guest rooms and making sure we have one or two outfits should we actually get to leave the house between cleaning up after one meal and preparing for the next.

A few years back when my niece, nephew and children were in from Israel, my niece and nephew held up a clear shower curtain with waves and fish printed on it. My nephew’s kids dressed as Bnei Yisroel, while Jerry, my kids and I were reduced to be mitzrim.

My niece and nephews got to walk through unscathed.

When it was our turn, we, the mitzrim, were sprayed with water and “drowned.” It was actually a lot of fun and now, as I think back on it, the same way we recreated that, wouldn’t it be fun for those staying home to make believe we’re at a hotel. Women would have to make sure they wear gloves during all cleaning and food preps so that their hands aren’t chapped and cracked.

We would make sure we all have two outfits for each day. We can make our own rules and not dress for breakfast, after all it is our fantasy. Once all dressed up, we can wait in the living room till the “dining room” is opened for each meal. Or we can walk around the block first and mingle with the other “guests” ala Grossinger’s. After all, we have to be seen in our outfits, don’t we? Once in the dining room, I guess I would act as the waiter and take everyone’s orders and then serve them, clear the table and set up the tea room with a variety of cookies, cakes, fruits and tea and coffee. After everyone is done, I would do the dishes. …Wait a minute, this fairy tale is turning into Cinderella but I’m not getting to the ball. Funny how art does seems to imitate life. So much for that idea.

For those of you at home, each year there are more and more kosher for Passover products. And if you can’t find an item, there is usually a substitution for it.

I find myself using more and more of my chametz recipes and just substituting cake meal for the flour. Just remember that 1 cup of flour = 7/8 cup of cake meal.

Following is a recipe for a delightfully sweet carrot soufflé that can be served in individual ramekins.

Passover Carrot Soufflé side dish

Ten 6-ounce ramekins

Ingredients:

2 lbs cooked and drained carrots

1 cup white sugar

1/3 cup cake meal

1 Tbs vanilla sugar

1/2 cup oil

6 eggs lightly beaten

No stick cooking spray

Garnish:

10 narrow strips of orange peel

10 thin slices of orange

20 small cinnamon sticks

Directions:

In a blender, in two batches, blend all ingredients till smooth.

Pour into 8 greased ramekins and bake until center is set.

This recipe works well in a 9 x 13 dish as well.

Garnish with cinnamon sticks wrapped in orange peal, a slice of orange and a sprinkle of ground cinnamon (see photo). This recipe can be made up to three days in advance and freezes very well.

judy.soiree@gmail.com