Passover cooking tips

Sorry I have been away for so long. I have been planning my new classes at Jones Family Farm and my new classes in Fairfield County. I had my first class at the new location last Saturday night. It was a Passover class. Rabbi Rachel Gurevitz from Congregation B'nai Israel came and talked about the history of Passover and the Seder table. It was a wonderful evening full of meaningful conversation, food, wine and great people. Thank you Rabbi Gurevitz the evening would not have been the same without you.

So here is a recap of what we learned...
We tried making matzo balls 2 different ways. One recipe used whipped egg whites one did not. Both recipes used club soda. I think it everyone agreed that the matzo without the whipped the egg whites were better. They each had a different texture and flavor even though they had exactly the same ingredients(I just separated the egg whites, whisked them and then folded them into one recipe) Less work too! I do simmer my matzo balls in chicken broth to give them more flavor.

You can cook kugel faster if you put it in muffin tins instead of a baking dish. It also makes for an elegant presentation.

One of the best tips of the night was using the Parve Chocolate chips from Trader Joes! What a find they are really good. A nice quality chocolate. So why do you need special chocolate? Well, I learned from doing some Vegan cooking that often in the process of making chocolate they take out some of the cocoa butter and replace it with other things. In less expensive chocolate they use partially hydrogenated oils, in finer chocolates they use butter.

Just thought I'd share a few tips. Hope you holidays are meaningful and memorable.

Be well!
Sherry