Click Here To Purchase From Amazon Passover by Design

Author: Susie Fishbein

ISBN: 978-1-57819-073-7

I never knew Jewish food looked so good! I am in awe with the first chapter, “Preparing the Seder.” The table setting is elegant beyond words and makes me want to sit down to learn more about the Passover.

The Passover seder is a Jewish ritual feast held on the first and second nights of the Jewish holiday of Passover. On this night, the family gathers around to read the story of the Israelite exodus from Egypt. There are customs that are part of this ritual – wine and certain foods placed on the Passover seder plate. It reminds me of Thanksgiving in our Christian home. Investigating further, Passover is a thanksgiving – for without the exodus, the Jewish people might still be slaves in Egypt.

The food is important – symbolizing slavery and freedom. The Jewish people eat Matzo – the unleavened bread that symbolizes poor/slavery status; drink wine and dip vegetables in saltwater to remember freedom, yet calling to mind the tears of those that were slaves.

I learned that there are numerous tasks in preparing for the Passover seder -- “sweeping, dusting, shopping, mopping, polishing, waxing, changing over the kitchen, cooking, setting the table, etc.” Fishbein offers a fun way that allows everyone to join in on the preparation. She suggests filling “a fishbowl with all the tasks of the evening written on pretty sheets of paper. Include things like serving the first course, cleaning the main course dishes, washing the wine glasses – all the chores that have to be tackled.” While everyone is gathered together, have each person select a paper from the bowl. This becomes their task for the evening. This would be very helpful when having family, friends, and invited strangers in for this celebration. What a nice way to bring guests together.

Fishbein starts off with, what else, appetizers! And who wouldn’t want a bite of the “Meat and Potato Roll?” Soups are next up with everything from “Creamy Peach Soup,” to Strawberry-Blueberry Swirl and Broccoli and Almond Bisque. They all looked so good that it would be difficult for me to choose one.

Salads are my favorites. And this section has an extensive list that one would never get bored with. I can hardly wait to try the “New Millennium Waldorf Salad.”

Poultry has never been one of my favorites, but the photograph of the “Lemon Pepper Fried Chicken” made my mouth water.

You will find everything from Appetizers to desserts and each recipe sounds more scrumptious than the one before. And here I thought Jewish food was bland and, well…kosher. While Fishbein keeps the kosher in Passover foods, she adds class and taste. Who says you can’t have your faith and enjoy eating within tradition? Surely wouldn’t be Susie Fishbein!

Click Here To Purchase From Amazon Passover by Design

The above review was contributed by: Sue Vogan: Sue is a Writer & Author of NCO-No Compassion Observed: To read more of Sue's reviews Click Here 

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