Chocolate Covered Matzoh

I loved Passover as a child.

To me, the holiday represented the most beautiful traditions of faith and family. At one point in time, our Passover Seder boasted 4-generations of family (sometimes upwards of 35 people) sitting around the festive table, singing, celebrating, questioning our Jewish heritage. The abundance Jewish holiday food was just as memorable as the meaningful dinnertime service.

A week before the first night of Passover, Mom would begin the act of clearing the house of “Chametz” (bread and flour). And then, she’d start her multi-day Passover cooking extravaganza.  While we never hosted seder at our house, Mom was ultimately responsible for making and transporting at least 2/3 of the feast; she always volunteered for this daunting responsibility. I have many memories sitting in the back of our car, all dressed up, trying to balance one of Mom’s unwieldy pyrex dishes full of Passover delicacies.

On any given day, the kitchen (and Mom) was on overdrive. Matzoh ball soup would be bubbling in huge vat-like pots on the stove, tzimmes would be baking in the double oven, multiple sponge cake batters would be loaded into the spring form pans.  Every inch of the kitchen was covered with one of Mom’s masterful creations.

In fact, while some think cooking without flour and yeast a handicap, Mom celebrated the unleavened Passover challenge.

Now, as a parent raising a Jewish family away from my hometown, I find myself feeling a little unglued and very melancholic. I miss the chaos of those seder meals.

I miss listening to my grandmother recite the prayers and my mother sing the holiday songs.

I miss the frenzy when we were allowed to finally get up from the table to search for the hidden pieces of matzhoh (Afikomen) around the house.

These past two years, I feel so honored to have an all access  pass to Mom’s celebrated Passover recipes I categorized in the “Jewish Judy” tab of the My Judy the Foodie binder.  Cooking her dishes continues to keep her vibrant spirit omnipresent in my kitchen and our lives. It also fills the void that seems ever so deep during the holiday time.

After all these years, Mom would certainly be proud knowing she’s still nourishing all of our souls….

Matzoh spread out, awaiting sugary coating

Brown sugar and butter boiling on stove top

Sweet sauce application

Chocolate Chip Applique

Final Chocolate Covered Matzoh ready to cool