2nd Seder

So last night was 2^nd Seder, and of course we had a great time.

Dinner was amazing. Possibly even the best one yet! My mom went Bon Appétit on us, and made some fancy schmancy recipes: Roast Chicken with Matzo Stuffing and Cauliflower-Spinach Puree, without bothering to make the stuffing; instead, she made tzimmes, which came out like a dream. The family did not like the puree, but the guests did. The chicken was fragrant, moist, and beautiful. It made me so happy. The shallots and lemons inside really did their job. Individual romaine salad boats for easy serving, with homemade vinaigrette. Of course chicken soup mit knaidlach and store-bought filthy fish. (That's gefilte fish to you.) An hb egg to start it all off.

She enlisted my kitchen skills and asked me to bake Coconut Macaroons with Strawberries and Huckleberry Sauce. I used blackberries instead of huckleberries. Do use ground coconut if you can find it, instead of shredded -- it will be easier to chew. Cream of tartar not necessary. The sauce was amazing, and the macaroons light and tasty. Pipe the meringue/macaroon batter from the outside in.

My mom also made her mandelbrot. And compote. I also dipped dried apricots and prunes halfway into chocolate, and mixed up golden and dark raisins with slivered almonds and coated that with chocolate as well. No one could eat them though, because everyone was so full.

In addition, one of our guests brought a fantastic Passover cake (oxymoron? not this time) which weighed about six pounds. It was rich and dark and fudgy, with a lasting sweet taste, which was... prunes! A lot of them. And prune juice! Which could come in handy, in light of the amount of matzah/matzah balls/other food made matzah meal that one eats during the holiday. We found this out after slices had already been served and eaten. Needless to say, it hit me like a freight train, and had a lasting effect clear through tonight. All I could manage for dinner was some soup. If you are ever served a slice of this, please be careful!!!