Beer and most liquor is not allowed, but wine flows freely.Sauteed Carrots with Mint and ShallotsThese simple, speedy carrots get a fresh taste from the mint. Legumes also are forbidden, though Sephardic and Conservative Jews consume rice and legumes.So what is allowed? Fruit is always a safe bet, as are potatoes and other root vegetables, leafy greens, nuts, eggs, fish, dairy and meat (in accordance with kosher laws, meat and dairy must be served separately).If your hosts are of Ashkenazi (Eastern European) descent, you are likely to start the meal with chicken-matzo ball soup, as well as gefilte fish (ground fish mixed with matzo meal, eggs and seasonings).Other Passover favorites include brisket, roast lamb and side dishes such as potato kugel, tzimmes (sweet potatoes and carrots), assorted casseroles with eggs and matzo meal.For dessert, expect macaroons, fruit compote, candy and cakes and tortes made with ground nuts or other kosher-for-Passover flours. Matzo must be baked within 18 minutes of the flour being combined with water. The exception is matzo, which is made from wheat, but has not been allowed to ferment. While many Ashkenazi Jews won’t eat legumes, corn, rice, most other grains or products made from them, Sephardic Jews are more lenient.Most Jews eschew the “the five species of grains” - wheat, rye, oats, barley and spelt, all of which contain gluten. Traditions vary depending on a family’s background. Those who use published Haggadahs have hundreds to choose from, including books that embrace vegetarianism, feminism and other causes.Some families conclude with dessert, while others continue with singing, readings and prayers.The foodPassover lasts eight days and begins with two nights of Seders. Others are decidedly more casual, zip through the rituals in English and make the food the main event.Many families create their own Haggadah, incorporating contemporary readings. Here’s what you need to know:The basicsAll Seders include a few basic elements, such as kosher wine, matzo (unleavened bread), a Seder plate (a special plate that displays symbolic foods) and a reading of a Haggadah, the book that serves as a guide to the ceremony.Beyond that, family traditions generally dictate.Some families will dress formally and spend hours before the meal reading the Haggadah in Hebrew. Even veteran Seder-goers can find them confusing, particularly since the diversity of American Jews results in many different ways of celebrating. Traditional Jews can’t even store the taboo items in their homes or eat from dishes or cutlery that have touched them.To a newcomer, the numerous rules and traditions can be overwhelming. Her mother-in-law, who had provided the recipe, had forgotten it included a bread crumb topping, which the family had always left off in adherence with kosher-for-Passover laws.And when her attempts to scrape off the bread crumbs failed, Auer left the casserole at home and brought flowers.For Passover novices, an invitation to a Seder can be exciting, and intimidating.The most widely celebrated Jewish festival, Passover (which begins at sundown April 19), also known by its Hebrew name Pesach, commemorates the ancient Israelites’ liberation from Egyptian slavery.At a Passover Seder, a celebratory meal, the story of the exodus is retold through readings, rituals and symbolic foods.While some foods, such as matzo and bitter herbs, are required eating, others (including bread) are forbidden. ![]() As she spread on the bread crumb topping, she asked her future husband and his roommate, both Jewish, “How come you can have bread crumbs, but not bread?”“Their faces just said, ‘Oh no,’” recalled Auer. ![]() ![]() The first time Abigail Auer attended a Passover Seder she was eager to make a good impression and asked the hostess - also her future mother-in-law - to suggest a dish she could bring.Auer, who lives in Atlanta and is Roman Catholic, spent hours chopping and pureeing squash for a casserole.
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