New Traditions

“Why is this night different from all other nights?,” is a question asked during the Passover Seder. This year, our Passover Seders were different for a few reasons. Due to the Allergy Babe’s allergy to wheat, eggs, and dairy, we did not celebrate with our extended families. This would have required travel, and staying in a house where we could not control the food. While our family accommodates us the rest of the year, with the added restrictions during Passover, it would have been too much to ask of them. So that meant for the first time ever, I prepared the Seder meals. We had not one, but two!

Traditionally, we usually start the meal with matza ball soup and hard boiled eggs. The Matza Balls and the eggs were off this years menu. In addition, we tried to eat as little matza as possible so as not to expose the Babe to the wheat. Here’s what I served for the seders:

First Night
Haroset
Chicken soup with vegetables
Turkey Breast
Potato Kugel
Candied Carrots
Steamed Broccoli
Lemon Sorbet
Chocolate covered cranberries

Second Night
Haroset
Chicken soup with vegetables
Brisket
Cooked carrots
Steamed broccoli
Oven Roasted potatoes
Tangerine Sorbet
Chocolate covered cranberries

I enjoyed both meals, and whatever leftovers were to be had. I rediscovered my ice cream maker, and am now in love with making homemade sorbets. It does require squeezing a lot of fruit, but the outcome is worth it. The following is the recipe for the Tangerine Sorbet.

Tangerine Sorbet
2/3 C sugar
½ C water
8 tangerines
2 lemons
1 orange

1. Make a simple syrup of the sugar and water (dissolve sugar completely). Then let the syrup cool.
2. Zest approximately 2 tsp from the tangerines. Juice fruit. Should be at least 3 cups of liquid.
3. Mix the syrup, fruit juices and zest. Chill for about 2 hours.
4. In an ice cream maker, mix liquid for 25-30 minutes. Freeze if not eating immediately.