Kevin's Watch

Of the four dishes I made yesterday, I have now been told I can no longer attend our second night seder unless I bring three of them every time (up from the insistance on just the dessert in the past). It's actually all four, if I leave the marinade off of the asparagus next time. It was just way too lemony.

The fish rolls were the surprise hit of the night. Most guests were really skeptical to try them, but once they did they asked if I had made more.

Once I steamed to just barely opaque and flaked the fresh salmon, and then flaked the smoked salmon together to make the salad like filling mixture, it was just so incredibly good. I am not a big zucchini fan myself though, so would like suggestions for other potential k4p wrappers. Would nori work without rice to bind it together? Could I steam some quinoa (which I need to research, but I think I read quinoa is acceptable as a k4p alternative to rice) and use that instead of sushi? Or would the texture be too different for the quinoa, and would the seawood become chewy since it would be made ahead?

Also, while I love the flavor of fresh steamed salmon, since I flaked the steamed salmon and combined it with flaked smoked salmon, chopped dill pickle and the home made dill sauce into a fish salad type of filling, I was wondering if I could get away with using canned salmon instead of steaming fresh. FIL says yes; Paul thinks the taste degredation would be too severe. The price difference, and amount of time saved, would be extensive though, as I can get 14 oz. canned salmon for $1.49/can on sale,or do even better if I buy the canned salmon at Sam's before I head down here, compared to $6.00/lb for fresh salmon down here.

Opinions please?

I guess Albertsons $3.99/lb salmon filets is a better sale price than I realized...

If you have a costco nearby and you are a member, I recommend their fish selections, however 3.99 a pound is pretty darn cheap. I agree with Paul, canned salmon is always mushy, it would absolutely pale in comparison to fresh.

Menolly, I would just love to be helpful and full of advice, but I really don't quite understand most of what you just asked !

(and THIS time I don't think it's the American-isms!)

LOL, OK.

Cut and paste what you don't understand and I'll try to explain it better.

First of all, chag sameach v'kasher pesach!
A very Happy Passover to all who celebrate.

Here are some photos of some of the creations I am making within the dietary minhag (laws/rules) I follow.


I admit this sorta looks like a weird rice krispy treat (definitely *not* K4P!), but assure you it is Syrian Charoses made of dates, golden raisins, sweet concord grape wine, orange juice and zest, chopped walnuts, and various seasonings. I went sephardi instead of ashkenazi for the charoses at the seder this year.


Matzah caramel crunch, sliced in to in order to show some of the layering.


Grandma Bessie's matzah meal rolls. The recipe makes a dozen dinner rolls, but I only made six so I got rolls about the size of hamburger buns for meals.


Today's lunch was a single board of matzah made in to matzah pizza and cut in to four slices. I should have picked up some fresh mushrooms, but just cheese was good.
The Geffen brand pizza sauce actually isn't bad...

Lunch for chol hamoed (intermediary days between the full Holy days at the start and end of the eight. since there are two Holy days at the start, and two at the end, with yizkor on the last day, there are four intermediary days where one could work if they were observant. unless one of those four days falls on Shabbes). With separate containers, would pack easily to bring to work (if I was working).
Start with a large home made matzah meal roll...


As you can see, even doubled in size, the roll is still basically a pop over.


Spread k4p cream cheese on the roll. I found Kraft at QFC, yay


Here's where I'll probably start losing people.
I put white k4p ground horseradish on both sides of the roll. For some people, this stuff is hot. So use an amount that would appeal to your own taste buds.


Slice up one gefilte fish and layer over the bottom of the roll.


Top with some of the gelled gefilte fish broth and serve with a k4p Ba-Tempte pickle, which I found at the Mercer Island kosher Albertson's.


Finish off with home made chocolate egg creams. Fortunately, k4p u-bet's was found as well.

Yum!

Passover breakfast of champions!
There's a little cafe across from the hospital which only serves breakfast and lunch. I made my way over there while Dam-et slept this morning. One of their options was Pacific smoked salmon benedict. I had some of my matzah meal rolls with me to supplement whatever I found to eat. The restaurant made the benedict without a muffin for me, and added some fresh fruit in place of the muffin. I split a matzah meal roll in half and layered the benedict fixings on top.

With the hash browns which came with the meal, it was more than a hearty break fast.

Yum!

one of these years I want to do a Passover meal...

yours looks fantastic.

I am sure SD and Dam-sel would be open to hosting you and Julie for a seder, if y'all are ever in the Seattle area during Pesach, sarge. And I'll be happy to prepare it.

Door is open anytime, Sarge...and I will be sure there is Moxie in the fridge.

The fish rolls look like something I will definitely try myself.

Menolly wrote:I am sure SD and Dam-sel would be open to hosting you and Julie for a seder, if y'all are ever in the Seattle area during Pesach, sarge. And I'll be happy to prepare it.

sounds like a plan, thank you

Seder menus have been planned:

Erev Pesach, Monday, 04/14 this year, which will be SD, Dam-sel, a couple of friends from Game Night, and me. Dam-et has returned to school, yay!

Ritual Foods:
matzah
charoses (ashkenazi and sephardi)
grated white horsetadish
parsley in salt water
wine

Appetizers:
hard boiled egg in salt water
chopped liver/gefilte fish
jewish penicillin with matzah balls

Meal:
Roast turkey
home made gravy
mashed potatoes
"stuffing"
sauteed cabbage

Dessert:
matzah caramel crunch
apricot glazed pears (if I can find some nice pears)

Second night, which as of now is just Dam-sel, SD, and me:

ditto ritual foods
probably just matzah ball soup, if we even want that
matzah lasagna
TBD vegetable, unless the veggies I put in the sauce is enough
whatever is leftover of the desserts, although I'm debating making the following, but I don't have k4p superfine sugar nor k4p brandy...


Italian Meringue Coffee Dacquoise

'Stuffing"???
How are you going to do that? Matzo stuffing?

*ayeup*
Look on the shelf in the garage.

...I'm not guaranteeing it will be good.

Chicken soup base done; eggs hard boiled; matzah caramel crunch done; chopped liver doctored; turkey prepped for Good Eats preparation via a three day dry sage and salt brine.

Am short some ingredients for the two charoses, but will have them in plenty of time and will either prep later tonight or tomorrow morning.

Tomorrow will do turkey, gravy, mashed potatoes, "stuffing," cabbage, matzah balls, dessert pears, as well as finishing off the chicken soup with fresh vegetables, and will roast the egg and shank bone. Ba-Tempte half sours are chilling, along with the gefilte fish.

Wines are awaiting proper handling. Pretty sure I have this covered...

Just make sure you are in good voice tomorrow night, bashert. I will lead most of the English portion of the ritual, but your ability to sing the Hebrew portions will be needed.

There is more to Pesach Success than just the food...although all agree the house smells fantastic!

*yawn*

Now that I'm finally sitting comfortable at the computer, my lower back and shins are starting to hurt...

MsMary shared a recipe for quinoa pudding earlier in the week. I made it tonight. I think I'll cut the amount of quinoa in half next time; it came out more like a sweet porridge rather than a pudding.

Beorn is unable to join me this year, and SD and Dam-sel are going on a trip, so I'm on my own this year.

I decided not to make seder for myself, and am attending the community seder at the shul I attend. However, they are only doing one night, so I was starting to feel a little low regarding second night. Then, some non-Jewish friends decided to host a seder and invited me! They asked me to prepare some food, so I'll be bringing the following:

Quinoa Tabouli
Tsimmis
Matzah Meal Rolls
and Banana and Peach Baked Matzah Brei for dessert.

The rest of the holiday I'll swing as I go, but I do have K4P cream cheese and a couple of jars of gefilte fish to start off with.