words Al Woods
Passover is a religious holiday with a lot of significance for Jewish observers. All observers know that the seder meal, served on the first night of the holiday is the most important. During a seder meal there should be a seder plate established and on that plate, the six ritual items of: shankbone, karpas, chazaret, charoset, maror and egg should be displayed.
These food items have distinctive representations to the holiday. In a Passover Program the chefs will make sure that the seder plate is appropriately adorned, but that does not mean that find gourmet foods will not be offered and served.
Passover has guidelines and restrictions but it does not eliminate great taste and impeccable food presentation. There are even methods and variations that can be made to the seder plate to make the food more eye-pleasing and taste pleasing.
Fine Foods
One of the things that makes a Passover program stand out from similar programs is the food offered at the hotel or resort. Most Passover Programs have renowned chefs from the area of the country the hotel is located to cook the meals for the guests.
Each chef brings their own unique recipes and seasoning abilities so the foods they prepare are not boring, and they are not the same old thing. To make sure that the foods are kept within the guidelines of the Jewish faith Rabbis and Jewish advisors are present in the kitchen when meals are planned, shopped for, cooked and served.
Meats and Succulent Main Dishes
You can feast on some of the most deliciously prepared meats from all over the world. Most Jewish people do not have any idea how many different ways there are to prepare a beef brisket. The beef brisket is a Jewish stable for the Pesach holiday, and when the local chefs are allowed to use their own seasonings and cooking methods the brisket turns into a delicacy unlike any you have ever served!
The chefs receive the meats they prepare from kosher butchers in strict keeping with the holiday requirements. The variety of meats include beef, chicken, turkey, duck, goose, and fish that have scales. The chefs have a wide range of things to choose from so the main dishes are flavorful and as varied as the areas of the resort locations are.
A New Take on Matzo
Because the Jewish food requirements forbid gluten filled items like bread and cake Matzo is often used as a replacement. Most people who have eaten Matzo will tell you that it is a poor replacement for delicious yeast risen breads and desserts.
When you give a five-star chef the challenge of using something like Matzo but creating something that people want to eat they do not disappoint you. You will dine on Matzo dumplings, and cakes, and other configurations that have so much flavor you will forget that they are made from something you really do not like.
Vegetables
Of course, vegetables make up a large part of every meal, and that includes the Passover Program meals. Just because you are serving vegetables does not mean that you cannot get intense flavors, and aromas that will have people remembering a meal for years to come.
Caramelized cabbage cooked in a spiced tomato broth will awaken the tastebuds of the majority of diners. Brussel sprouts that are roasted, seasoned and cooked to perfection adorn many plates. If you are not avoiding kitniyot then a delicious green bean salad can bring out the subtle flavors of the main meat dishes you are eating.
Mint artichokes, carrots and ginger, and many other delightful flavor combinations are ready to open your mind to a entirely different way of viewing Passover food.
Fruits
The amazing array of fruits served by the fine chefs of the Passover Program kitchens may come to you in combinations you have never considered or witnessed before. The fruits are served natural, they are served in salads, and they are used to flavor meat and vegetables. The tangy and sweet fruit flavors make everything on the table a little more appetizing.
World-Wide Cuisine
We often forget when we are cooking or dining that in every country, and in different parts of every country different foods are readily available, and different cooking methods are used. One of the greatest parts of any vacation is trying the local foods and discovering flavors and combinations you have never considered before.
In Paris the food is not prepared like it is prepared in Jamaica, or in Mexico. Fine dining is found in every country and the Passover Programs insist that the cuisine being served be of the highest quality and have the utmost flavor.
Final Thoughts
Choosing a different part of the world to visit each Pesach season will let you broaden your minds about foods for Passover. You can even start a tradition of new favorites from different regions being served at your home table.
