April 03, 2006
'Tis the Season
Contributor: Susanna King
SPRING is greeted all across the globe as a time of rebirth and renewal It is the season of “beginnings� for two of the great religions, Christianity and Judaism. For Christians, spring represents the Resurrection of the Lord and the birth of their Faith; for Jews, spring represents Passover, the exodus from slavery and their long march into history that began at Sinai.
The ancient Saxons celebrated the end of harsh winter with an uproarious festival commemorating their goddess of spring, Eostre. When the second-century Christian missionaries encountered the tribes of the north with their pagan celebrations, they began to convert them to Christianity. They did so, however, in a clandestine manner.
It would have been dangerous for the early Christian converts to celebrate their holy days with observances that did not coincide with celebrations that already existed. To protect lives, the missionaries cleverly decided to spread their religious message slowly throughout the populations by allowing them to continue to celebrate pagan feasts, but to do so in a Christian manner.
As it happened, the pagan festival of Eostre occurred at the same time of year as the Christian observance of the Resurrection of Christ. It made sense, therefore, to alter the festival itself, to make it a Christian celebration as converts were slowly won over. The early name, Eostre, was eventually changed to its modern spelling, Easter.
From the earliest times, the egg was a symbol of rebirth in many cultures. The Christian symbolism of the egg is very representational of the Resurrection: on the outside, still as a stone-enclosed tomb; but inside, filled with life waiting to burst forth. Eggs were often wrapped in gold leaf or, if you were not of the nobility, colored brightly by boiling them with the leaves or petals of certain flowers. Egg-coloring was raised to an art form by Ukrainians with their intricate pysanky.
Today, children hunt colored eggs and place them in Easter baskets along with the modern version of real Easter eggs -- those made of toy-filled plastic or chocolate candy.
Passover is the eight-day observance commemorating the freedom and exodus of the Israelites (Jewish slaves) from Egypt during the reign of the Pharaoh Rameses II.
At a time of family gatherings and lavish meals called Seders, the story of Passover is retold through the reading of the Haggadah. With its special foods, songs, and customs, the Seder is the focal point of the Passover celebration. Passover begins on the 15th day of the Jewish month of Nissan. As the Jewish day begins at sundown the night before, for the year 2006, the first night of Passover will be April 12th.
Leading up to the first night of Passover, the home is cleaned and cleared of all yeast foods, called hametz. All hametz is either eaten before Passover begins or "sold" to non-Jewish neighbors and friends Throughout the eight days, unleavened matzos are eaten in the place of yeast bread. Then on the two nights of the Seder a special plate is prepared. The Seder plate contains foods that have special meaning for this holiday:
1. Haroseth - a mixture of chopped apples, wine, cinnamon and walnuts. ( This represents the mortar the slaves used to build the Pharaoh’s cities. )
2. Karpas - a non-bitter vegetable such as parsely, or a potato, dipped in salt water. ( A reminder of the slaves’ tears of affliction )
3. Beitzah - a roasted egg. ( A symbol of mourning for the destruction of the Temple )
4. Zero’ah - a roasted shank bone of a lamb ( A commemoration of the Temple sacrifice )
5. Marror - bitter herbs, often freshly-grated horseradish and bitter lettuce ( These represent the sorrows of slavery )
During the Seder four glasses of wine are poured to represent the four stages of the exodus:
1. Freedom
2. Deliverance
3. Redemption
4. Release
Here are some traditional recipes reflecting both celebrations:
EASTER
Easter Ham
What would Easter dinner be without ham? The custom of serving ham at Easter goes back as far as William the Conquerer ( 1066 A.D. )
You will need:
7 to 8 pound fully cooked smoked ham shank
1 cup maple syrup
1 Tablespoons cider vinegar
1 Tablespoon each prepared mustard and whole cloves
Combine syrup, vinegar and mustard. Place ham, fat side up, on rack in shallow roasting pan. Pour about 1/2 cup mixture over ham and bake, uncovered, in a preheated 325 degree oven for 1-1/2 hours. Baste every 30 minutes with additional sauce. Remove ham from oven and score fat into diamond shapes. Insert a clove into each diamond. Bake ham an additional 30 minutes or until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of meat registers 140 degrees. Let ham rest 15 minutes before carving. Makes 10 to 12 servings.
Easter Baba with Icing
Babka Wielkanocna Lukrowana
Dough:
1 envelope of dry yeast
½ cup light cream or half-and-half
1/3 cup sugar
2 cups flour
3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
½ tsp. almond extract
1 tsp. grated lemon rind
1 TBS melted butter
¼ cup raisins
Icing:
½ cup confectioners sugar
1 TBS rum or lemon juice
Dissolve yeast in cream. Combine with half the sugar and flour and let double in size. Add all the remaining ingredients except the raisins and knead until smooth. Add raisins, while continuing to knead. Grease and flour baba pan. Place dough in pan, cover with a clean cloth, and leave in a very warm, draft-free place until doubled in size. Bake at 350F for 35 to 40 minutes. When cool, remove from pan.
Mix well ingredients for icing and drizzle over cooled baba.
PASSOVER
Passover Borscht
3 large beets, washed and peeled
1/3 cup lemon juice
1/2 tsp. salt
5 cups water
4 egg yolks, beaten
1 tsp. sugar
salt and white pepper to taste
Wash and peel the beets and dice them. Place in saucepan with about half of the lemon, 1/2 tsp. salt, and 5 cups water. Simmer for 40 minutes until beets are tender. Add remaining lemon juice. At this point puree the soup using an Immersion Blender or mash the beets using a Potato Masher You can also puree the beets, a small batch at a time, in a blender or food processor.
Beat the egg yolks in medium bowl until frothy. Slowly ladle some of the hot soup into the egg yolks, beating constantly. When about half the soup has been added to the yolks, pour the egg mixture back into the pot with the rest of the soup. Over medium heat, whip the soup using the immersion blender or a wire whisk until the mixture is creamy. Add sugar, and salt and white pepper as needed. Chill thoroughly before serving. Serves 8-10
Potato Kugel
5 large potatoes, peeled and washed (about 2 pounds)
5 large onions, peeled
3 extra large eggs
1 tbsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. white pepper (or to taste)
1 - 2 tbsp. matzah cake meal
Oil
Using the fine shredding disc of a food processor, shred the potatoes and onions together. Let sit for just a minute to allow the liquid to rise to the top. Pour off as much of the excess liquid as possible without losing any of the vegetables. Pour into a large mixing bowl and add the matzah cake meal. Stir thoroughly and let sit for about one minute. Add the salt, pepper and eggs and mix thoroughly.
Pour about 1/4 cup vegetable oil evenly over the bottom and sides of a glass baking dish (9x13 for a thick kugel or 10x15 for a thinner kugel). Pour potato mixture into dish. Bake in a 375 degree oven until deep golden brown ( about 60 minutes ). Let sit for about 15 minutes before serving.
Wishing all a Spring filled with Joy, Family...and good Food!!!
