Beyond Matzah & Marror...

This year Ramadan, Passover and Easter fall in the same calendar month. I learnt this happens roughly every 30 years! Besides celebrating holy days I would like to take this opportunity to think about our relationships with one another, to find ways for acts of kindness and love to heal the world (tikkun olam), to nourish our souls and to find connection with life's deeper meanings.

Passover is the time of the year when Jewish people don't eat leavened foods for 8 days to commemorate the Exodus of enslaved Jews from Egypt. But not only...

In my memories Passover is so full of colorful moments: family gatherings, remembering, sharing, learning, discussing, eating, enjoying... My Grandma Elisa's house, the week-long cleaning of the kitchen, the shopping of fresh ingredients at the local farmers' market, the preparation of special and delicious food...

On top of the traditional Sephardic Seder plate filled with symbolic food (unleaved bread 'matzah', bitter herbes 'marror', vegetable 'karpas', shank bone, slow and long cooked eggs and haroset), there are so many tasty dishes that we prepare and share during this holiday.

One of my favorite dishes for Passover is fritada/frittata. Use any vegetables and leaves you have in your fridge! The result is a perfect no waste, upcycled dish. And I love to serve the fritada with long cooked eggs 'huevos haminados'

I wish you all a month of inner celebration!

Both recipes are from my cookbook:

'KASHKARIKAS: WASTELESS KITCHEN

A Turkish-Sephardi Chef's Recipess and Stories' (November 2021)

VEGGIE FRITADA

· 2 leeks, thinly sliced

· 1 zucchini/courgette, grated

· 250 gr spinach, chopped

· 3 garlic cloves, minced

· 3 spring onions, thinly sliced

· 3 tbsps. matzo meal (if needed)

· 4 eggs, lightly beaten

· 1 potato, grated

· A pinch of turmeric

· Fresh dill or parsley or radish leaves

· Salt, pepper

· Olive oil

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C.

2. Heat some olive oil in a pan, add the leeks and sauté them. Add spinach and continue to sauté. Add grated zucchini, sauté a few more minutes. Add the grated potatoes, stir well to combine. Remove from heat. If there is any excess liquid get rid of it.

3. Add garlic, spring onions, turmeric, salt, pepper and dill. Add some matzo meal (if needed) to give a thicker consistency and add the beaten eggs.

4. Pour the mixture into a skillet, stir, and cook just until the edges start to pull away from the pan, about 5-7 minutes. Transfer skillet to the oven and bake until golden and firm, 20-30 minutes.

Huevos Haminados

HUEVOS HAMINADOS

· 4 eggs, at room temperature

· Brown and/or red onion peels (from 4-5 big onions)

· Water to cover

· 1 tbsp. olive oil

· 1 tbsp. Turkish coffee (gives a unique flavor) or any other ground coffee

· 1 tbsp. red wine vinegar

· Salt, pepper

Method:

1. Put the onion peels into a deep pan. Arrange the eggs on top of the onion peels and cover with water.

2. Add the olive oil, vinegar, coffee and salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Then reduce heat to very low, cover the pan and simmer gently for a few hours. I love it when the shells crack as you get a better marble pattern on the egg.

3. Always check the water level and add more water to maintain the original level.

4. When the eggs are ready put them under cold water to cool. Crack the shells and cut in half to serve. The texture will be creamy and the look will be incredibly spectacular.