This Wednesday marks the first day of Passover — or Pesach — which is the annual Jewish festivity that celebrates the Israelites escape from slavery in ancient Egypt. The holiday will be observed for eight days, starting April 5 to April 13.
On the first and second nights of Passover, families and friends traditionally enjoy a ceremonial dinner called seder, which means "order." The meal itself is conducted in a specific order that retells the story of liberation from slavery to freedom. There's also plenty of songs, readings, rituals and, of course, spreads of good food.
A typical seder plate includes six distinct items that have special significance to the story of the Exodus from Egypt. Zeroah, a roasted lamb or goat bone, symbolizes the ancient Passover sacrifice. Beitzah, a roasted egg (usually a hard-boiled egg), symbolizes the festival sacrifice that was offered in the Temple in Jerusalem. Haroset (or charoset), a paste of fruits and nuts, symbolizes the mortar used by Jewish slaves to build the pyramid of the pharaohs. Mar'or, a bitter herb, symbolizes the bitterness and harshness of the slavery. Karpas, a green vegetable (usually parsley or celery) dipped in salt water or vinegar, symbolizes spring. And chazeret, a second bitter herb (usually endive or horseradish), symbolizes fulfillment.
Alongside the plate are three matzos — or unleavened flatbread — that symbolize Jewish resistance and faith. The bread is wrapped in cloth or covered and broken and eaten throughout the evening.
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Whether you're attending your very first Passover seder as a guest or hosting your first dinner, seeking out kosher foods can be a daunting task. That's why Trader Joe's is here to help with their selection of Passover-ready menu items!
From TJs chicken truffle paté to TJ's mirepoix, here are six tasty products to grab from the store before seder:
A typical seder meal will include several protein dishes, including gefilte fish (poached fish dumplings) or brisket or roast chicken.
If you're looking to try a new meat option, look no further than TJ's All Natural Glatt Kosher Young Turkey. Per TJ's, their Kosher turkeys are soaked and salted with a kosher-certified method. They're also priced at just $2.99 per pound!
For Passover, enjoy your turkey with a homemade garlic schmaltz, courtesy of this recipe from Jamie Geller. The schmaltz calls for three heads of roasted garlic (squeezed and mashed), extra virgin olive oil, kosher salt, rendered chicken or turkey fat, sprigs of fresh rosemary, sage leaves, flat leaf parsley and sprigs of thyme.
Recommended by the Kitchn's Julie Levine, TJ's mirepoix is a simple mix of onions, carrots and celery that can be used in sauces and marinades. It's quick. It's simple. It's tasty. And, it's just the thing you need when preparing roast lamb for seder!
Levine suggests using the mirepoix in braised lamb shanks with shelled peas and lettuce. Of course, you can also make your own mirepoix from scratch. Simply mince a cup of raw carrots, a cup of onions (red and white both work) and a cup of celery. Sauté the cut ingredients in olive oil until they soften. Then add garlic and fresh thyme and sauté until fragrant.
No Passover foods list is complete without mentioning matzo. And luckily, TJ's now has its own brand of the unleavened flatbread, which is made in Israel and certified kosher. As of March 20, the matzo in question hasn't appeared on TJ's shelves, according to Forward. But a representative for the store confirmed that it exists and will be available soon.
Whether you like your matzo sweet or savory, there's plenty of recipes to choose from this Passover. There's a matzo pizza topped with bagged arugula or romaine lettuce, olive oil and TJ's Israeli Feta. There's also matzo toffee, courtesy of this recipe from Food 52's Emma Laperruque. To make the toffee, combine butter and brown sugar in a saucepan over medium heat and then melt until the mixture is slightly thick, like caramel sauce. Evenly pour the toffee on top of the salted matzos and bake for 10 to 15 minutes. Sprinkle the toffee-coated matzos with chocolate and let cool before enjoying.
An important part of seder is dessert, which can include chocolate-matzo layer cake, flourless chocolate cake, chocolate sorbet and chocolate-covered fruits. There's also TJ's Slightly Coated Dark Chocolate Almonds, which are made from dry-roasted California Almonds, dark chocolate, cocoa powder, nonfat dry milk, sea salt and maple sugar.
Enjoy the almonds on their own or top them on tricolor chocolate mousse, Torta Caprese (chocolate and almond flourless cake) and Passover ice cream ("Roca of Affliction").
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