Last night Mr. Scrumptious and I went to our first Passover Seder and how I regret not having my camera with me. I'll just have to leave the images up to your own imagination.
It was truly a memorable and wonderful evening, learning about the traditions and religious significance of each ritual in the "Order", sharing delicious food and drink, enjoying the company of the other guests and lounging in the warm and welcoming hospitality of our host and hostess. They are also accomplished and enthusiastic cooks and wow, did we eat well!!
Upon arrival we started with thick, rustic homemade potato chips and caviar served with a well-chilled tiny glass of vodka. Once the seder began, we moved to the table and settled in. After washing each hand twice, we began with the food.
The salted hard-boiled egg soup started the feast, signifying both fertility and the tears of the Jewish people during their servitude in Ancient Egypt. This dish was an interesting combination for the undoctrinated: the hard boiled egg was simply sliced and floating in a very salty egg broth. While I wouldn't likely choose to eat it outside this holiday, the significance is the point of the soup and that somehow made it even more interesting to me.
Next, we had the tastes of the bitter herbs: parsley dipped in saltwater, fresh horseradish dipped in charoset (yowza, yes, whooee, the tears and burning reminds that slavery is not pleasure) and then a "sandwich" of matzoh and romaine lettuce. Now, we were ready to eat....
Out came matzoh ball soup, loaded with chicken and carrots. They made a special version of the matzoh balls with cinammon and cloves that was truly exotic and flavorful. Following the soup, we had a wonderful cold salmon fillet served with two sauces: wasabi dressing and an herb-cream sauce. The combination of the meaty, rich salmon and the wasabi was simply perfect. It's amazing how well the two flavors complement each other.
The main event was a flurry of tastes and textures, colors and spices. There was Veal stewed with artichokes and lemon, bison brisket roasted with root vegetables, spinach salad with oranges, grapefruit and lemon vinaigrette dressing, roasted potatoes and Syrian stuffed prunes. Oh my, the prunes!! They had been stuffed with a single walnut, sauteed for a few minutes in a pan and then macerated in madras wine, lemon and pomegranate molasses. They were truly spectacular. A rich and juicy combination of sweet, tart and tangy that was perfectly balanced and so very complex. These, I will surely make at Scrumptious Street. As one guest put it, it was "the best meat dish I've had in my entire life". Huge compliment, indeed! The host just posted his recipes for the veal with artichokes and the prunes on his blog, Able Brains.
As if that weren't enough, we were of course drinking the ritual four cups of wine throughout the meal and when I thought we were finally done stuffing ourselves, what did our hosts do? Brought out desserts. Plural. Endless quantities of mocha cake, brownies, macaroons, dark chocolate macaroons, citrus sorbet and cookies (I confess I didn't get the name or the wine erased it if I did hear the name) tea and coffee. Amazing! Yes, a true feast signifying the grief of any kind of oppression as well as freedom and celebrating our tremendous blessings.
Thank you so much, Steve, Susan and Justin, for inviting us to your home for a spectacular evening of reflection, sanctity, friendship, thoughtfulness, kindness, hospitality and incredible food and wine. We will never forget it.
P.S. Is everyone usually nursing a Seder headache the day after or is it just me?
