Passover Menu

A Passover menu is used for the traditional Passover meal, also referred to as the Seder. During the meal friends and family gather around the Seder table and take part in a symbolic ritual that symbolizes the Israelites freedom from the Egyptians over 3,000 years ago. During Seder, a book about the Exodus is read aloud, this is called the Haggadah. After the reading, a special meal is eaten. On each Seder plate there are symbolic foods including a hard boiled egg (called beitzah, charoses (which is a mix of apples and nuts), bitter herbs, some sort of green like celery or parsley, salt water, haroset and matzah. Each food represents a part of Jewish life before the great exodus from Egypt to Israel.

Families have their own traditional menus for a kosher Passover. Preparing the meal takes a bit of planning ahead. If you're looking for tips and ideas on how to create your own Passover menu, this page links to reliable resources and information.

• Apple and Almond Harosethttp://www.finecooking.com/WorkArea/linkit.aspx?LinkIdentifier=id&ItemID=96296
• Matzo Ball Soup
• Brisket
• Roasted Asparagus with garlic and oil
• Potato Kugelhttp://recipes.kaboose.com/classic-potato-kugel.html
• Haroset with Apples and Cinnamonhttp://recipes.kaboose.com/haroset.html

The Passover seder, a special meal that takes place on the first two nights of Passover, is steeped with ritual to remind Jews of the ancient traditions Passover celebrates. The seder must include certain foods served in a specific way. Passover begins on the 15th day of the Jewish month of Nisan, and it celebrates the freeing of the Jews from the despotism of the Egyptian pharaoh.Jewish Virtual Library: Passover

During Passover, a Seder plate includes bitter herbs, like horseradish, which symbolizes the Israelites lives as they were enslaved by the Egyptians. The chopped apples and nuts on the plate are symbolic of the bricks and clay that those enslaved ancestors used when the Pharoh's cities were built.http://www.passovermenu.com/