(no subject)

[kippurbird]

Passover is being Passover. Seder last night. My dad's cousin Bobby's wife Irene was very gracious. She made several empty gestures in offering to help with the dishes and things. My dad's other cousin, Mark (it was all his family)'s wife Harold didn't offer to help but she did spend a bit of time in the kitchen talking to us my mom and me.

It was very interesting between the two cousins. Bobby and Irene came with a bag of goodies: two boxes of matzah, two bottles of Manshevits' wine, and a bottle of grape juice. They made sure to point out everything they brought, including the fact that the matzah was made in Israel. The thing, however, was that we have the exact same boxes of matzah in the house because they were cheap.

Mark and Harold brought a chocolate (dark chocolate) Seder plate for dessert. They smiled and handed it over saying that it was for us. They also had a bottle of wine. They just gave it to us without pointing it out that they were giving it to us.

Interesting, I thought.

Comments

[amamelina.livejournal.com]

Happy Passover!

Mind if I ask you a question? Is it true you can't eat grains (like bread or cake) during Passover? I once worked with this nice Jewish man (who was almost like a grandfather to me, but nice) who said something to that effect. It was one time when Passover and Lent fell on the same timeframe. I mentioned giving up chocolate or soda, and he said, "I'm giving up breads tomorrow." Confused, I asked if it was for Lent (yes, I'm one of those ignornat Christians who seems to think that, unless told or there is an obvious sign, that everyone else is Christian too. I'm not trying to be rude, but it's kinda my default setting). Anyway, he said it was for Passover and that he can't eat grains or breads or something like that.

[subieko.livejournal.com]

Mmm, Passover. I just bought the...I'm not sure how to spell it--ramitz?--from my friend Shoshana. The food that's not kosher for Passover.

And that is interesting. Hmm...people are interesting...

[emily-goddess.livejournal.com]

They're not supposed to eat anything leavened (anything that rises due to yeast/fermentation). Matzoh is bread without yeast in it, which is why it's standard Passover food (and it's awesome for peanut butter and banana sandwiches).

[emily-goddess.livejournal.com]

Happy Passover (if that's the proper greeting).

[(Anonymous)]

It depends on how strict the Judaism you follow is. Once my family brought a salad to a Passover party hosted by our Orthodox relatives, and they put the dressing we brought out on the back porch because it had corn oil in it. I have also heard that some sects won't eat rice on Passover, while others will eat rice but won't eat potatoes. It all depends.
Then there are those "Kosher for Passover" cake and cookie mixes you can buy, which seem like normal cake and cookie mixes, but are somehow alright to eat on Passover.

Personally, I've always thought cookie dough ice cream was the perfect Passover food, since the raw dough reminds us of why we are giving up leavened bread in the first place, but I think most rabbis disagree.
-Djiril

[jacedraccus.livejournal.com]

(Insert appropriate greeting) Passover!

And yes. People are wierd. I mean, who calls a girl Harold?... oh yeah, the other stuff is interesting too. :P

[emily-goddess.livejournal.com]

My senior-year roommate didn't eat pasta on Passover, because the puffing-up counted as leavening. So yes, I suppose it does depend on denomination - I'll leave the explaining to actual Jews in the future :-)

[kippurbird.livejournal.com]

Not grains so much as leavened products. Things with yeast in it or things that rise when you bake them. That is why there is matzah! It tastes like cardboard... actually it tastes like a sort of bland cracker. You have to put stuff on it to make it taste like something.

Thought, as people are mentioning, it all depends on your level of observance on how much you give up and what you give up. My family uses special dishes that are only for Passover, covers up all the surfaces in the kitchen and eat only kosher for Passover products. We don't go out to eat, because there aren't any kosher for Passover places around. A family down the street, however, would just replaced bread with matzah. So, it depends really.

[kippurbird.livejournal.com]

Askanize Jews won't eat/use corn oil on Passover. They also will eat potatoes but not rice. Sephardic Jews are the other way around. I think it has to do what staple food was available.

As for the cakes and cookies, they're especially made for Passover and are nasty.

[kippurbird.livejournal.com]

Hometz. My dad sold ours too.

[kippurbird.livejournal.com]

Yes it is! And thank you.

[kippurbird.livejournal.com]

Harold isn't actually how you spell it. It sounds like Harold to me when ever it's said. But that's not how it's spelled.