Ess Gezint: Perfect for Passover Really Is Perfect for All-Year-Round Kosher Cooking

Jun 10, 2017 by Susan Rosenbluth

Don’t scoff when you read the subtitle of Naomi Nachman’s new cookbook, Perfect for Passover. The subtitle, “Passover Recipes You’ll Want to Make All Year,” is no joke. It is absolutely true, and just to make sure, whenever one of the recipes sounds too much like it’s “just for Pesach,” Ms. Nachman includes, along with other tips, a note that, to make the dish more “year-round” friendly, there are non-Passover alternatives. But most of the recipes consist of just plain food, available all year, including Passover.

A perfect example is Ms. Nachman’s recipe for “Erev Pesach Potato Salad.” A native of Australia, Ms. Nachman grew up in a family that ran a Pesach hotel program in Sydney for 28 years. Erev Pesach, guests would arrive hungry, but couldn’t be served anything made with either chametz or matzah. This potato salad was among their solutions, and, in our house, it was greatly appreciated by Shabbos guests long after Pesach 2017 was only a happy memory.

This beautiful coffee-table cookbook, published by Mesorah, is not one to be put away along with the Seder plate and Haggadahs. You’ll want to keep it handy throughout the year, and might even want to purchase it now.

Erev Pesach Potato Salad

30 baby red potatoes or 6 large red potatoes with skin
1½ tsp salt, divided
3 Tbs fresh dill, chopped
1 cup assorted deli meats shredded or chopped
4 sour pickles or Israeli pickles, sliced or cubed
¼ cup mayonnaise
2-3 scallions, sliced

Place potatoes in a large pot with 1 tsp salt. Cover with water. Bring to a boil and cook until tender. If using baby potatoes, cut them in half. If using large potatoes, cut them into quarters. Add potatoes and remaining ingredients to a large bowl. Stir to combine. Serves 8.

Coke Chicken

2 medium onions, halved and sliced
8 chicken quarters (use your family’s favorite chicken parts)
1 tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper
1 Tbs garlic powder
1 cup Coke (not Diet Coke; you want to caramelize the chicken)
1 cup barbecue sauce
1 cup raspberry jam

Preheat the oven to 400⁰. Place sliced onions into a large pan. Place chicken parts over the onions. Season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Now, prepare the sauce. In a medium bowl, combine Coke, barbecue sauce, and raspberry jam. Pour the sauce over the chicken. Bake uncovered for 1 hour 15 minutes, basting after 40 minutes, until golden brown. Serves 8.

Rocky Road Fudge

½ cup nondairy whipped topping, not whipped
1 (10-oz) bag of good-quality chocolate chips
1½ cups mini marshmallows
1 cup nuts (assorted, or dried fruit, cookie pieces, or cereal)

Line 1 (8-inch) square pan with parchment paper, cutting the paper long and wide enough to overhang the sides. Combine topping and chocolate chips in a small pot. Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth. Remove from heat. Stir in marshmallows and nuts. Pour into prepared pan, and refrigerate for a few hours, until firm. Remove from the refrigerator and cut into 18 square pieces. This is very rich, so don’t make the pieces too big.