It's Passover ... and we're still eating!

Really, there is not much difference between Passover and the rest of the year. We "suffer" a dietary restriction unique to this short season but, in truth, we aren't really suffering the absence of anything.

Most western Jews are relatively secular. They will buy a box of matzo (also written as "matzoh" or "matzah" and who knows now many other ways) and eat a sheet occasionally until the box is gone.

While the reason for this event does not revolve around matzo (rather, it is about the Jews of the day being freed from slavery in Egypt), it really is the most significant symbol of this holiday.

On the other hand, the matzo ball, a Passover classic, a soup dumpling made from Matzo Meal, can best be seen as iconoclastic. It is common year 'round - as is Gefilte Fish (a fish cake made for Passover). Gefilte fish has become so popular, some people make it year 'round. We, on the other hand, buy it frozen raw year round ;-)

For us, a year 'round favourite is Matzo Brei (pronounced "bry". Our tradition prohibits us from indulging in matzo just prior to the holiday (as it would diminish the "specialness" of its consumption), so while we enjoy it off season, leading up to the holiday, when we do not indulge, we wind ourselves up - looking forward to resuming the adventure.

For us, that means, "What are we going to put in it?" Well, in fairness, if you'd never heard it described, "Matzo brei is like kosher for Passover French toast." Basically, it is egg absorbed into matzo which had been broken into a bowl. It is then fried - in butter if there's no meat. Meat is fairly unusual for matzo brei (and then I like to fry it in olive oil) ... but I like it with salami - the salty, garlicky taste from the salami...Mmmm! It can be soft, or hard and chewy. I love it both ways!

So today's, this one, was special. It was prepared with (in no particular order) diced, cheddar cheese; sliced mushrooms; brunoise cut sweet red and green bell peppers; green bunching and red onion, and a few, whole, grape tomatoes.

No matter how you spell it, this was an outstanding, satisfying matzo brei!