Why Should You Cook?

A Monthly Newsletter From Provisions Comfort Food and Catering



Mention this newsletter and get 10% off all food orders!

Vol. 2: We're Free! Pass the Brisket.

Lisa Feinstein here – welcome to the second issue of the Provisions newsletter. Planning the Passover meal can feel like a massive responsibility – and isn't this holiday about celebrating freedom? Allow us to liberate you from the kitchen with a Pesach dinner that can be fine-tuned to be as traditional or as funky as your seder (or nondenominational springtime feast) demands. "Seder," as some of you doubtless know, means "order" ... so feel free to order us around. After all, why should you cook?

In This issue

Our Passover menu
Passover recipe: Chocolate-covered matzo
Jewmongous: Irreverent holiday music

Our Passover Menu

For religious Jews, Passover marks the observance of the Almighty's deliverance of His chosen people from slavery in Egypt; plagues are loosed, shrubberies blaze, seas part – it's a fantastic story. We relax at the table and hoist multiple glasses of vino, but we taste bitter herbs in salt water to keep our past sufferings with us (and also charoset, ostensibly to conjure the mortar we wrangled as slaves, though it's damn tasty). The secular among us might emphasize the holiday's narrative as a reminder that being Jewish means never taking freedom for granted, and that standing up for oppressed people everywhere is the ultimate mitzvah. But for Jews and non-Jews alike, this time of year is also a season of renewal and blossoming – a time to gather those near and dear to us, count our blessings and enjoy our bounty. Let's eat!

PASSOVER DINNER
Minimum order for four adults: $45 per person. Charoset (available with or without wine) included in all orders. Choose one from each course and two from the vegetable dishes.

Appetizers
Chopped liver
Eggplant caviar

Gefilte Fish
Home-made gefilte fish
Tunisian fish cakes with lemon aioli
Smoked salmon rolls stuffed with poached salmon and dill sauce

Soups
Traditional chicken soup with matzo balls
Italian vegetable soup with spinach matzo balls

Entrees
Braised short ribs
Brisket
Grilled or poached salmon

Vegetable Dishes
Roasted asparagus with lemon and olive oil
Spiced carrot and zucchini quinoa
Potato kugel
Spinach lasagne made with matzo

Desserts
Cheesecake with coconut macaroon crust
Flourless chocolate cake
Chocolate-covered macaroons

Also available TO ORDER:

For the seder plate:
Roasted shankbone
Parsley
Lettuce
Horseradish
Roasted egg

Veggie platter with hummus
All of our packaging is eco-friendly and recyclable.

Suggested Wines
We're not legally able to furnish these, but they're available from the wonderful folks at Silverlake Wine:

Burford and Brown Barbera 2005 (Amador County): $19.50
Borie la Vitarele "Les Terres Blanches" Syrah 2006 (France): $15.00
Jean-Paul Mollet Pouilly Fumé 2004 Sauvignon Blanc (France): $22.75
Allimant Laugner Cremant d'Alsace Rosé NV (France): $19.00

Passover Recipe: Chocolate-covered matzo

This is a cross between a cookie and a candy. The recipe can be doubled easily, but it's very rich and goes a long way. It’s fun, it’s easy and you can do it with the kids! It will keep for eight days, if you're crazy enough to stop eating it. Serves 10.

3 to 4 sheets plain matzo
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter (or margarine)
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup chopped cashews, walnuts or sliced almonds

  1. Set the oven at 375 degrees.
  2. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil. Lay the matzo on the sheet (it's OK to break so they fit in one layer).
  3. In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Slowly add the sugar and stir until it dissolves. Pour the butter mixture over the matzo, and spread it with a rubber spatula.
  4. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes.
  5. Remove the matzo from the oven. Sprinkle it with the chocolate chips.
  6. Return the baking sheet to the oven and bake the matzo for 15 seconds. Spread the chocolate with a rubber spatula. Sprinkle with nuts.
    7. Freeze the matzo for 15-25 minutes, or just until the chocolate hardens. Break it into pieces and store in an airtight container, separating the layers with waxed paper. Refrigerate. Serve at room temperature.

My New Favorite Feasting Song

Check out "They Tried to Kill Us (We Survived, Let's Eat)" by Jewmongous (from the provocatively titled album Taller Than Jesus). Not the most reverent Passover tune, perhaps, but it'll add a bit of levity to your unleavened holiday.

One Last Thing

Mother's Day is May 11 – look for our mama-celebrating menu in the next issue.
Email Marketing by