Matzah Recipes Galore!

The Feast of Matzah is fast approaching and a friend of mine whom we will be spending it with the year (Yah willing), got me all excited about it. :-) So I got the bug to search for fresh recipes....I went a little nutso...I agree....but here is a list if links to recipes for the Feast of Matzah. I thought I would share them, to help spare you the the extra searh time, so you could explore some too, as you may have time in the coming weeks ahead. If you try anything and it's good, let me know, so I can make a note of that!

Matzah Brei seems to be all the rage! :-) You will see several versions in the following links/indexs. You also might consider checking my DIPS. They will go so nicely with Matzah!

Here is a whole website dedicated to Matzah recipes!
http://matzobox.com/recipes

101 things to with matzah!
http://leitesculinaria.com/73985/writings-matzoh-recipes.html

(22)"Passover" recipe collection http://busycooks.about.com/cs/seasonalcooking/a/passoverrecipes.htm

Olive Oil Matzo
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/24/dining/24minirex.html

(43) "Easy Passover" Recipes
http://www.thekosherchannel.com/easy-passover-recipes.html

Matzo Spanikopita and Mazto Veggie Quisadilla's
http://www.npr.org/programs/watc/recipes/matzo.html

An extensive list of Passover recipes, including videos recipes!
http://kosher4passover.com/recipes.htm

Passover Recipe Index with other "Special Passover links"
http://www.koshercooking.com/recipes/passover/index.html

As Easy as Matzah Pie! (several Matzah Casserole Suggestions)
http://www.npr.org/2011/04/13/135345886/a-passover-recipe-as-easy-as-matzo-pie

Simple Traditional Dishes
http://www.aish.com/h/pes/r/m/87612867.html

A nice "Passover" recipe index
http://www.holidays.net/passover/recipes.htm

Food.com has a good list of recipes and have a neat way to browse them by catgory tabs like "quick and easy or healthy"
http://www.food.com/recipes/passover

Kashrut has some interesting recipe worth exploring.
http://www.kashrut.com/Passover/recipes/

And if that isn't enough, FoodNetwork has 64 more recipes to explore.
http://www.foodnetwork.com/topics/passover/index.html

184 recipes were submitted at AllRecipes.com for Passover!
http://allrecipes.com/recipes/holidays-and-events/passover/top.aspx

Of course, I have posts from previous years for many recipes we like. So just click on my Matzah Label on my side bar anytime to access those posts. May your Feast of Matzah be a tasty and inspired one! :-)

Spicy PB Apple Flat Bread

We were having a simple simple flat bread lunch of quesadillas. I wanted too zip them up a bit with more than just cheddar cheese so I sprinkled some of my homemade taco seasoning mix on them.



They were tasty, but admittedly, a bit too spicy for our liking. We also had sliced apples and peanut butter on the table to accompany our quesadillas, so I thought...what would happen if I spread some peanut butter on there to cut the spice and topped it with sweet crispy apples??

It was delicious!!

Spinach Matzah Quiche

This is a wonderful dish to make ahead for Shabbat, or use the idea with your favorite quiche filling!

4 **Wetted Matzah** (See below for instructions)
2 1/2 C cooked, drained, chopped spinach

1/8 tsp nutmeg

1T lemon juice

2T parsley, chopped

1tsp pepper

1C feta cheese, crumbled

4 eggs, beaten

3/4C heavy cream

1/2C plain yogurt

Grease a 9" pie pan. Place 4 wetted Matzah on the counter in the shape of a larger square. Turn a pie plate upside down and trim the matzah with 1 inch around the outside of the pie plate (with a sharp knife or scissors). Now, turn the pie plate right side up and and put the matzah in the plate with points at the center, forming a uniform crust.

In a medium size bowl, mix the next 6 ingredients together and put in pie plate over the matzah. Gently place the crumbled matzah on top of spinach mixture. In another bowl, mix together the last 3 ingredients and pour into the pie plate.

Bake the quiche in a preheated oven at 350F for 40-45 minutes. Insert knife or toothpick into the center to ensure it is done. May serve, warm, room temp or fridge cold. Enjoy!

**Wetted Matzah**
This was a trick that I learned from the Matza 101 cookbook and it opens a world of fun in Matzah! :-) It creates a texture like an cooked Al-delta Lasagna Noodle texture when done right. I noticed, different brands/flavors, responded differently, so it takes a little "feeling it out". It doesn't take long to get the hang of. However, expect a little bit of a learning curve. :-) This is my version:

Cover counter top with heavy duty white paper towels.
Fill a large bowl up with cool water. The bowl needs to be large enough to fit a piece of Matzah while being held under the surface.
I do not like to "dunk" more than 3 pieces at a time. I find it doesn't work well.
I hold it under for about 20-30 seconds, but this may vary with your brand. (Wheat takes longer than the white. Streits absorbed quicker than Manaschewitz in flavors I tried.)

Place on paper towel and cover with damp paper towels. The books says it depends on the paper towels on how long that takes. It could take 15 minutes to 1 hour. You should check every 15 minutes.
If you need more moisture, spray with a water bottle. (Maybe you need more time or didn't dunk them long enough to begin with.)
If they are too moist, take paper towels off and let sit for about a half hour (watching them).
Now you can use your Matzah in place of any cooked noodle, or raw pastry crust! Enjoy and have fun experimenting.

Matzah Meat Cigars

This recipe is a modified version of a recipe from Matzah 101 It makes 40 small rolls, kind of like small "taquitos". It is a popular Middle Eastern dish. This takes some time, because you need prepare the matzha, brown the beef, assemble and bake. This recipe uses **Wetted Matzah** (see below for instructions)

1/2 tsp garlic powder 1C fresh parsley, finely chopped
1/2 tsp onion powder 1 1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp salt 1-2T crushed red hot pepper
1/4 tsp pepper 3T lemon juice
10 pieces Wetted Matzah (see below for instructions) 1tsp salt (or to taste)
2 lbs of lean ground beef
1 bay leaves, crushed
6-7 cloves of garlic, pressed


In a small mixing bowl combine first 4 ingredients and set aside. Gently butter both sides with soft butter. Cut 10 pieces of Wetted Matzah** into quarters (giving you small pieces). Set aside on parchment paper and prepare a greased baking sheet.

Brown the meat with the seasonings (All the remaining ingredients). Let cool enough to handle. Place about 1T of the meat mixture into each small matzah square and roll against the grain into a little log, placing the seem side down on the sheet and bake at 400F for 35 minutes. Enjoy!

**Wetted Matzah** This was a trick that I learned from the Matza 101 cookbook and it opens a world of fun in Matzah! :-) It creates a texture like an cooked Al-delta Lasagna Noodle texture when done right. I noticed, different brands/flavors, responded differently, so it takes a little "feeling it out". It doesn't take long to get the hang of. However, expect a little bit of a learning curve. :-) This is my version:

1. Cover counter top with heavy duty white paper towels.
2. Fill a shallow baking dish up with cool water. The dish needs to be large enough to fit a piece of Matzah while being held under the surface. I do not like to "dunk" more than 3 pieces at a time. I find it doesn't work well. I hold it under for about 20-30 seconds, but this may vary with your brand. (Wheat takes longer than the white. Streits absorbed quicker than Manaschewitz in flavors I tried.)
3. Place on paper towel and cover with damp paper towels. The books says it depends on the paper towels on how long that takes. It could take 15 minutes to 1 hour. You should check every 15 minutes. If you need more moisture, spray with a water bottle. (Maybe you need more time or didn't dunk them long enough to begin with.) If they are too moist, take paper towels off and let sit for about a half hour (watching them).

This recipes was modified from a cookbook called Matza 101

Matzah Cream Cheese & Onion Bakes

This recipe was (slightly modified) taken from Matzah 101 Cookbook

These are quick and easy. This recipe serves 4.

3 Matzah Crackers (broken into 4ths)
3 T of butter, softened
1/2 small carrot
1 small onion
1/2 small celery stick
1C cream cheese, softened
1tsp Chicken Boullion
1/4C parmesan cheese
1 tsp paprika (for topping)

Grease a cookie sheet and set aside. Take your matzah pieces and coat both sides with butter, and put on the greased cookie sheet; set aside.

Chop carrot, celery, and oinion very finely (in food processor). Add cream cheese and soup mix (boullion) and process until well blended.

Spread approximately 2 T of cream cheese mixture on to each Matzah quarter, top with parmesean cheese and sprinkle with paprika.

Bake in preheated overn at 450F for 15 minutes. Enjoy!

Matzah Shabbat Menu & Recipes

I thought I would post my Matzah Shabbat Menu with all of Preparation Day (Friday)included. This is what I have planned:

Prep Day Breakfast
Matzah Brunch Bake
Fresh Sliced Kiwi

Prep Day Lunch

Matzah Cream Cheese Onion Bakes

Erev Shabbat Supper

Matzah Meat Cigars

Papa's Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream and

Mini Matzah Apple Tarts
Line cookie sheet with foil or parchment paper and butter.
Preheat oven to 400

Cut Matzah sheets into 4 = Squares and butter both sides

Sprinkle both sides generously with Cinnamon and Sugar mixture to taste. (Fructose or Rapadura or Sucanot or Maple sugar are all good.)

Dice apple, finely and top each square generously.

Sprinkle with cinn./sugar again.

Drizzle with honey or maple syrup.

Bake for 10-15 min until toasted and apple has softened. (Some people like cheese on top!)

Shabbat Breakfast
Premade Matzah Cinnamon Toast (Sprinkle with Cinnamon and Sugar and put under the broiler for 1-2 minutes. watch closely. Let cool and seal in an air tight bag.)
Sliced Cheese and Apples
Coffee or (Raw) Milk

Shabbat Lunch
Spinach Matzah Quiche
Matzah Ice Cream Sandwiches (With Papa's vanilla ice cream)

Havdalah Meal
Matzah Tacos

Take Wetted Matzah, gently butter it on both sides and season it well with garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper (or seasoning of choice). Use a cereal bowl as your guide to cut into a circle with sharp scissors or knife. Lay the circle over the side of a baking pan (I like to use several bread pans, mine have a lip and I can fit lots of them in my oven at once.) Or whatever you have that will work! Bake at 400F for about 15-20 minutes until lightly brown and crispy. Let cool completely and store in an air tight bag until you are ready to use them. Stuff with your favorite taco fillings.

Spring Feasts Calendar Tutorial

This is a very nice overview explanation of the Biblical Spring Feasts. It is direct and organized and to the point. One of the best I have seen. I can not "recommmend" the author's site as we have not explored it fully. However, this calendar is very good so we thought it worth posting. We wish we had something like this when we started! It can take a while to really "get it" and as soon as you think you do...you learn there is so much more to learn! :-)

Part 1:



Part 2:

Mind over Matzah

In our first few years of keeping the feasts, were we on this sort of “hamster wheel” of learning. Some of you know exactly what I am talking about. There is so much to learn! So many things were so new and different and foreign to our understanding as we were “foreigners” to YHVH’s ways. We would get bits and pieces and often really big huge chunks, but before we knew it the next feast (or Torah revelation) was waiting on us to “process” and learn from. The next thing you know a year passes and we found ourselves back at the first feast again (Passover), and we had many of the same questions again. Oh sure we remembered a lot, but we had also learned so much in the past year that NEW questions were raised that we never thought to raise the previous years….and so on. This is all part of the beautiful process of keeping the Feasts when we are growing IN HIM and His ways. As the joy of the Feast of Matzah approaches, so do all of the surrounding questions and controversies. What is leaven? Why abstain? What are we supposed to learn? Over the years, we have come to embrace these questions as a designed part of each season, and now look forward to the fine-tuning (or sometimes u-turning) of our path. Last season, it felt like we made several break-throughs in the area of the leaven related verses, and we thought it may be helpful to share some things that we have learned. Please know that (like all things related to Scripture and Yah) we do not claim to have the definitive knowledge of it or have it “all figured out”, nor do we expect everyone to have arrived at the same conclusions as us. "This day shall be for you a memorial day, and you shall keep it as a feast to YHVH; throughout your generations, as a statute forever, you shall keep it as a feast. Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. On the first day you shall remove leaven out of your houses, for if anyone eats what is leavened, from the first day until the seventh day, that person shall be cut off from Israel. On the first day you shall hold a holy assembly, and on the seventh day a holy assembly. No work shall be done on those days. But what everyone needs to eat, that alone may be prepared by you. And you shall observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread, for on this very day I brought your hosts out of the land of Egypt. Therefore you shall observe this day, throughout your generations, as a statute forever. In the first month, from the fourteenth day of the month at evening, you shall eat unleavened bread until the twenty-first day of the month at evening. For seven days no leaven is to be found in your houses. If anyone eats what is leavened, that person will be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether he is a sojourner or a native of the land. You shall eat nothing leavened; in all your dwelling places you shall eat unleavened bread." (Exodus 14-20) The first time we honored the Feast of Matzah, we used the broadest definition of leaven possible. Anything that contained yeast, baking soda, or baking powder went in the trash. This included natural deodorants and tooth pastes, much of which we had purchased (fairly recently) in large quantities. Of course, our bulk baking soda itself had to go too, and that was not an inexpensive sacrifice either. We essentially kept that policy and understanding, but planned our purchases of such products better, so as to run out closer to the Spring each year. Last year, however, marked a change in our understanding and definition of “Biblical leavening” and deepened our understanding to the object lesson YHVH is trying to teach us. The Wikipedia definition reads: “A leavening agent is any one of a number of substances used in doughs and batters that cause a foaming action which lightens and softens the finished product.” This definition includes yeast, baking soda, and baking powder. It technically could include eggs, and even the mechanical action of a vigorous whisking. I suppose we could have been considered “leavening liberals” as we never threw away our whisks each season! What actually occurs during the leaving process is that carbon dioxide spreads throughout the dough, creating thousands of tiny bubbles and causes the bread to rise or puff up. Baking soda and powder do this through a chemical reaction, while yeast is a biological reaction. Baking soda and powder are inactive while sitting dry in your cabinet, while yeast and sourdough starter are living organisms…both of which are always alive and breathing…even while not working in your food. Even in the freezer, commercial yeast’s activity is only slowed down...it is still active and looking for an opportunity to spread. Our Isrealite ancestors did not have the luxury of the chemical leavening agents we all take advantage of today. Naturally occurring yeast (sourdough) was the main method of getting dough to rise…encouraging the formation of new yeast is a simple process, but once created, a small amount of each loaf was taken and passed on to the next loaf…thus the leaven was passed on from one generation of bread to the next. Often, professional sour-dough makers have passed on the same yeast culture for hundreds of years! For our people, however, this Feast of Matzah mandates an annual break in this cycle, where all of the old leaven was destroyed, and the process was begun from scratch. It is the history and nature of yeast specifically, that has informed our choice to NOT destroy our baking soda and powder last year, and to leave our personal care products in the bathroom unharmed. Although we don’t believe that chemical leavening agents qualify as “Biblical leaven”, we do choose to abstain from eating any leavened food, regardless of what was used to make it rise, during that week. We don’t however dump our wine (kombucha, etc) down the sink (as yeast is often a fermentation agent) because this Feast is called “Unleavened Bread”, not “Unfermented Drink”. There is also no Biblical or historical evidence (that we can find) that the Israelites did that or included that in the original Feast observance. One of things that grieves us in listening to the ways many Jews describe this feast, is that so often they say “Our people eat unleavened bread because they did not have time to add the leavening on the way out of Egypt.” The Scripture does mention the haste in which our people left, and yes, I’m sure there was a lot to pack and plenty to do that night, but not leavening the bread was a COMMANDMENT, not an oversight. We eat unleavened bread and remove leavening from our homes because YHVH is trying to teach us something. If we simply do it because our fathers did it, and so on, we are left with an empty tradition, which ironically is one of the lessons this Feast is trying to teach us to avoid. In Deuteronomy, Matzah is called “the bread of affliction”, based, we assume, on the hardships our people faced as millions fled Pharaoh, and faced the prospects of thirst and starvation in the wilderness journey that followed. 4000 years in retrospect, we like to focus more on the victorious aspects of the Exodus, rather than the reluctance, fear, and grumbling of many of the ancient Hebrews. (For we choose to live a life of gratitude and thankfulness for all the Father has and continues to do in our lives.) The object lesson about leaven is showing us the nature of sin unchecked. If left to its own devices, sin will grow and spread, and even pass itself down from generation to generation. Passover marks a fresh start in our spiritual lives, and by taking the time to free our bodies from “sin”, cleansing our homes of “sin” and even enjoying a week fast from “sin”, is all part of the celebration. During this time, of course, we need to expand the search for actual sin in our lives, and not simply just chase down the innocent yeast that YHVH chose to illustrate these principles. Paul makes this leaven/sin connection while teaching new Christians the proper spirit with which to celebrate Unleavened bread. “Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? Cleanse out the old leaven that you may be a new lump, as you really are unleavened. For Yeshua, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. Let us therefore celebrate the festival, not with the old leaven, the leaven of malice and evil, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.” (1 Corinthians 5:6-8) Ironically, most Christians don’t take Paul’s advice, and “celebrate the festival”. Messiah also compares leaven to religious hypocrisy and false traditions. “Yeshua said to them, "Watch and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees." And they began discussing it among themselves, saying, "We brought no bread." But Jesus, aware of this, said, "O you of little faith, why are you discussing among yourselves the fact that you have no bread? Do you not yet perceive? Do you not remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many baskets you gathered? Or the seven loaves for the four thousand, and how many baskets you gathered? How is it that you fail to understand that I did not speak about bread? Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees." Then they understood that he did not tell them to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” (Matthew 16:5-12) Just as our character faults (sin) can make its way from our hearts to our children’s, so do false understandings, and false traditions make their way throughout history. Yeshua consistently praised and edified the teachings of Moses, but constantly criticized the Pharisies and Sadducees for the sometimes subtle man-made teachings added to Moses’ that has spread through Judaism. Of course if this gospel was written today, Yeshua would likely say “beware the leaven of the Pharisees, Sadducees, Rabbis, Popes, Priests, Pastors, Ministers, Televangelists…” Another aspect of leavening is taking something of substance (flour and water), and adding something gaseous and invisible (carbon dioxide). CO2 in fact is the “poison” we exhale when we breathe. In Ephesians 2:2 Satan is called “the prince of the power of the air”. Satan is the master of filling our lives with empty distractions, while we fool ourselves into feeling fulfilled and growing. Paul writes, “we know that all of us possess knowledge. This "knowledge" puffs up, but love builds up.” Regarding the qualifications of elders, he writes to Timothy, “He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil.“ Also, Habakkuk 2:4, "Behold, his soul is puffed up; it is not upright within him, but the righteous shall live by his faith.” Avoiding leaven for the week should also remind us to be humble and give us an occasion to let out some of our air. Now obviously, yeast itself is not really Satanic. The properties that yeast portrays can actually be used FOR the kingdom. “He told them another parable. “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven that a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, till it was all leavened.”” (Matthew 13:33). In His Kingdom, good has a life of its own and can spread just like sin. Although the Scriptures don’t say this specifically, this week is kind of like a Sabbath rest for the task that yeast is normally assigned to. Once per week, we, our servants, and our animals all rest…but our yeast still rises on. Every seven years, our land rests, but our yeast still rises on. One week per year, however, the rising quits, and even our dough is still and rests for the Feast. Of course, we still anticipate new questions this time around. We look forward to enjoying fellowship with new families, each bringing new perspectives to the table. It’s hard to imagine living a Word/Messiah-centered life without honoring the commanded Feasts as spelled out in Scripture, as best we can. We are thankful for having been set free from religious chains and being given a passion for His Word and for HIM that steers our choices. We are thankful that He humbles us in the process to see that we are far less than perfect in this walk. We are thankful that He constantly reminds us to love our brothers and sisters who are also less than perfect as we all wait to be perfected upon His final return and ingathering. Chag Ha Matzot!

Homemade Matzah

Now making your own traditional homemade Maztah is quite simple. You simply use 3 parts flour to 1 part water. (I have also seen 2 prts flour to 1 prt water) Mix it to get a texture you can roll out. Roll it out thin and place on an some parchment paper or stone or cooker sheet and bake for 3-6 minutes AT 475 F. That is ALL there is to it. (Oh..you can use a fork to dock you dough by making holes all over the dough. This does make it look more like the Matzah we are accustomed to seeing.)

I am not convinced that the Ancient Israelites ate it as a cracker as been modernly commercialized. I picture it to be more like a softer flat bread. However, our family likes to make Matzah (cracker style) this time of year because we eat flat breads as a regular part of our diet, and the cracker style in more "special" or set apart, since this is the only time we make this...You can decide for your family. It is all unleavened...which is what counts!

You may add salt and seasonings to the matzah. If you are concerned with Rabbinic Koshering. You need to look up those requirements they are quite restrictive. You will see some of those examples in the last video I share here. That is something we are not concerned with. So we make them as above (but plan on trying them as shown below this year!). :-)

Here are some fun videos to inspire you.
Here is a garlic matzah:


Here is an olive oil matzah:


Here is a fun video showing a kosher matzah facility:


Enjoy!

The History of Commercial Matzah

This is an article I copied from Time Magazine in 2009.

In the beginning, there was dough. When Egypt's pharaoh finally agreed after much convincing (and 10 plagues) to let Moses' enslaved people go, the Jews left their homes so quickly — pursued by the pharaoh, who by then had changed his mind — that they didn't have time to prepare bread for the journey. Instead, they ate an unleavened mixture of flour and water that, when baked, turned flat and hard. Passover began on April 8 this year, and for the next eight days, Jewish people all over the world will remember their exodus by forgoing cakes, cookies, pasta and noodles — anything made to rise with yeast, baking soda, etc. — in favor of the only bread product they're allowed: matzo.

For thousands of years, the story of matzo remained relatively unchanged. For one week during Passover, observant Jews refrained from any leavened bread product (meaning, anything made from dough that is able to rise), replacing it with irregularly shaped discs of handmade matzo. Orthodox Jews went a step further, eating only shmurah, or "guarded" matzo made from grains that had been watched by a Jewish official from the moment of harvest to ensure that they never came into contact with a liquid that would lead to accidental leavening. According to rabbinic law, once the flour is combined with water, matzo dough must be kneaded, rolled and baked within 18 minutes — otherwise it will begin to rise. Judaism takes its bread rules very seriously; in 2001, Israel's Interior Ministry even conducted raids on local restaurants to make sure they weren't serving leavened bread during Passover. (Read about the President's White House Seder.)

In 1838, a Frenchman named Isaac Singer invented a matzo-dough-rolling machine that cut down on the dough's prep time and made mass production possible. But changes to 3,000-year-old religious traditions never go smoothly, and Singer's invention became a hot-button issue for 19th century Jewish authorities. In 1959, a well-known Ukrainian rabbi named Solomon Kluger published an angry manifesto against machine-made matzo, while his brother-in-law, Rabbi Joseph Saul Nathanson, published a defense. Jewish communities around the world weighed in on the issue — arguing that handmade matzo provided kneading jobs for the poor; that the machine made matzo cheap enough that poor people could afford it; that the mitzvah, or good deed, of eating matzo was ruined if a machine was used; that the machine made it easier to abide by the 18-minute rule. These discussions were not resolved quickly — and in some Orthodox communities, not at all.

In 1888, a Lithuanian immigrant named Dov Behr opened the first matzo-making factory in Cincinnati, Ohio. Behr adopted the name Manischewitz, named his factory the B. Manischewitz Company and developed an entirely automated method of matzo production. In advertisements, Manischewitz boasted that "no human hand touches these matzos!" By 1920, he was the world's largest matzo producer — at 1.25 million rectangular, sheetlike matzos a day — but he always adhered to the original kosher rules. As Manischewitz's popularity grew, so did the general perception of matzo. Gone were the lumps and bumps of homemade mazo; machine-made mazo was uniform in size, shape, taste and texture. Manischewitz endured some controversy for his use of machines, but after he spent 13 years studying the Talmud in Jerusalem, even the most hardened traditionalists eventually considered him an acceptable authority on matzo. The Manischewitz family sold the company in 1990 for $42.5 million; the brand is still the most popular type of matzo in the world.

Other machine-made-matzo companies sprung up around the country, and by the mid–20th century, matzo was available in nearly every grocery store. The crisp, crackerlike bread became popular with Gentiles, and soon companies were producing flavored matzo, spiced matzo and matzo covered in chocolate. Organic and gluten-free versions of the food are now available for those who don't consider the unleavened sheets healthy enough. "People started buying flavored matzo year-round sometime over the last few decades," says Alan Adler, director of operations for the family-run Streit's, which has been operating out of the same Manhattan location since 1925. Streit's offers every kind of matzo, from unsalted to sundried tomato, although Adler says the Passover-approved matzo — supervised by rabbis holding stopwatches to monitor the 18-minute rule — is still the most popular. "For the bad rap it gets at the holiday as being the bread of affliction, I guess it's still pretty good."

But despite the technological advancements and added flavors, matzo still remains a food steeped in religious tradition. At Passover Seders, families retell the story of the Jewish exodus from Egypt, eat matzo plain and then with a fruit-and-nut concoction called haroseth that symbolizes the bricks and mortar the Jews had to prepare as slaves. Sometimes parents hide a piece of matzo — called the afikoman — and reward children with money or gifts if they find it. But when the eight days of Passover are over, it's back to the world of starchy carbohydrates.

Matzo Facts:

1. A matzo bakery was invited to the 1938 New York World's Fair, but for unknown reasons never appeared.

2. In 1973, Apollo 17 astronaut Gene Cernan shouted, "Man, oh, Manischewitz," the matzo company's slogan, in the middle of his moonwalk.

3. In 2008, competitive-eating champion Joey Chestnut ate 78 matzo balls in eight minutes for a $1,500 prize.



There was a series of very funny, but less than holy videos attatched to this article. I elected to leave them out, because I didn't want them on our blog.

Matza 101

If you want to think out side the box a little year (or next) for The Feast of Unleavened Bread, check out this cook book. It is one of my faves when feeling creative, it is called Matza 101.

I have listed some of the recipes we like and have tried on my Matzah Mania Post so you can get a feel for the book.

Matzah Mania - Recipes 2009

This year during the feast of Matzah, I really wanted to try to experiment with Matzah so It would become a part of the week that everyone looked forward to. Since we were away for the first part of it, than recovering for the second part of it (laundry, groceries in the fridge, mowing the lawn etc.), it was only the third part of it when I really got to dig in and experiment. Here are some recipes we tried and liked from a cookbook called Matza 101, a couple of our own creations, and modification to recipes in Matza 101.

This is what my husband said in regards to my matzah experiaments while at the table eating, "Mamma, this is hardly the "bread of affliction", I feel guilty eating it!". Mission accomplished ladies. :-) I hope to add more later.

Matzah can be found in various flavors such as: Onion, Mediterranean, Everything, Salt, Whole Wheat, Egg and Salt, Honey, and many more. Try them, they are tasty!

Matzah PB & J
Just make a Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich with your Matzah. It's is so tasty!

Matzah PB and Apple
Spread Peanut Butter on Matzah and thinly slices apple. YUM!

Granny's Favorite Matzah Snack
Spread Matzah with Peanut Butter and top with Apple Butter

Try topping it with Tuna or your favorite dip, or cream cheese mixed with dry herbs.

Or make a Matzah Pizza by toasting it in the oven with your favorite Pizza Toppings.

Try using Matzah to bread things, like chicken or veggies. Just use in place of bread or cracker crumbs.

Matzah Apple Mini Tarts
Line cookie sheet with foil or parchment paper and spray.
Preheat oven to 400

Cut Matzah sheets into 4 = Squares
Butter Both Sides
Sprinkle both sides generously with Cinnamon and Sugar mixture to taste. (I use Fructose.)
Dice apple, finely and top each square generously.
Sprinkle with cinn./sugar again.
Drizzle with honey or maple syrup.

Bake for 10-15 min until toasted and apple has softened. (Some people like cheese on top!)

**Wetting Matzah: This was a trick that I learned from the Matza 101 cookbook and it opens a world of fun in Matzah! :-) It creates a texture like an cooked Al-delta Lasagna Noodle texture when done right. I noticed, different brands/flavors, responded differently, so it takes a little "feeling it out". It doesn't take long to get the hang of. However, expect a little bit of a learning curve. :-) This is my version:

• Cover counter top with heavy duty white paper towels.
• Fill a large bowl up with cool water. The bowl needs to be large enough to fit a piece of Matzah while being held under the surface.
• I do not like to "dunk" more than 3 pieces at a time. I find it doesn't work well.
• I hold it under for about 20-30 seconds, but this may vary with your brand. (Wheat takes longer than the white. Streits absorbed quicker than Manaschewitz in flavors I tried.)
• Place on paper towel and cover with damp paper towels. The books says it depends on the paper towels on how long that takes. It could take 15 minutes to 1 hour. You should check every 15 minutes.
• If you need more moisture, spray with a water bottle. (Maybe you need more time or didn't dunk them long enough to begin with.)
• If they are too moist, take paper towels off and let sit for about a half hour (watching them).

Now you can use your Matzah in place of any cooked noodle, or raw pastry crust! Enjoy and have fun experimenting.

Matzah Pot Pie
Use your favorite Pot Pie recipe but in place of the crust, line your dish on the bottom and sides with "wetted Matzah" of choice, that has been buttered on both sides. It is VERY tasty and can be made ahead or frozen! This is easily as good/if not better than a pastry crust.

Salmon Matzah Casserole
You can sub Tuna or cooked chicken for Salmon in this recipe. It is a hardy, comfort food type of casserole that feeds a crowd. It was a hit here. My daughter said it even tasted better when we heated up the leftovers. You can make this ahead. (Great for a Matzo Shabbat!)

1o-12 Matzah, Wetted ** (Instructions above)
2T + 2T Butter, softened
3 cans of salmon
2 cans of Evaporated Milk
2-3Cups of frozen mixed Veggies
2-3T Vegetable Bullion ( I use Better Than Bullion)
3C + 2C grated cheese of choice
1-2C chopped mushrooms (optional)
Seasonings to taste (be generous)
pepper
lemon pepper
chicken or fish blend of herbs

• Grease a large 11x15 baking pan
• Cut wetted matzo into 1/2" strips like wide egg noodles
• Mix all ingredients in a large bowl except for 2T butter, Matzah Strips, and 2C cheese
• Now fold in Matzah Strips
• Pour into baking pan (the mixture is thick)
• Top with remaining cheese and dollop remaining butter

Bake @ 350 for 1/2 hour.

(May make ahead. Bake 10-15 minute longer if "fridge cold".)

Serve 8-10

Mini Matzah Franks

When ever choosing Hot Dogs or Sausages. In addition to making sure there is not pork in them, and watching for nitrates for you heath conscious folks, you want to be sure you know what the casing is. Lots of companies will make beef or chicken links, but case them in pork casing. There are skinless or lamb casing options or paper, which is peeled away. These were a big hit in my family. I got this from the Matza 101 book.

• 6 Matzah, wetted **(Instructions above)
• 8T butter, softened
• 1/2 tsp each of garlic powder, onion powder and pepper
• 1/4C Pepper Mustard (I use Dijon) (if you using pepper mustard she says to take out the pepper above.)
• 1 package of kosher franks

1. Mix together butter, mustard and spices in a small bowl
2. Cut franks into 3rds
3. Cut Matzah into 4= squares
4. Butter inside of square
5. Roll the hot dog up in the square diagonally, like a croissant, to wrap.
6. Butter the out side of the roll.
7. Place on a greased cookie sheet.
8. Bake @ 425 for 15-20 until golden.

Matzah Florentines

A deliciously tasty dessert for any time from Matza 101. I put instructions in my own words.

• 10 Matzah, wetted **(instructions above)
• 3/4C Orange Juice
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 3/4C Sugar (I use fructose)
• 6T Butter, softened
• 1 1/2C Choc Chips (or 12 oz bag)
• 1/2C Crushed Almonds

1. You can put OJ and vanilla in a spray bottle or bowl and soak matzah. Set aside on paper towel and let sit for 20-30 minutes to absorb flavor.
2. Generously sprinkle sugar on 2 cookie sheets (reserving some to top the cookies)
3. When your Matzah have reached that al-dente consistency; Use a biscuit cutter or similar cookie cutter to cut 4 circles our of each matzo.
4. Butter rounds on both sides. Put on the cookie sheet and generously sprinkle with sugar.
5. Bake @ 400 for 15-20 min until golden. Loosen cookies with a spatula and let cool.
6. Melt Choc chips in a double boiler.
7. Dice nuts very small. (I like to use a food chopper and dice them into crumbs.)
8. Spread the tops generously with melted chocolate. and sprinkle nuts on top.
9. Lay out singly to let cool completely before serving. The chocolate will harden like a candy bar and you can then stack them on a platter to serve.

Can make ahead. Makes 3 1/2 dozen.

**While these were delicious, I thought or ways I would try to modify them for more arrange flavor in the cooking. Instead of the original wetting process, I thought I would try to wet them in OJ and Vanilla to start. OR since I was using concentrated OJ, for the recipe, that I might make it more concentrated, by mixing it with half the water so it will be orangier (is that a word???) :-). I have yet to try these two variations. But intend to. SO I thought I would mention them in case you are feeling adventurous and would comment on your result here! :-) I know there are some other kitchen scientists out there!

Matzah Pockets

This was modified from a recipe on Matza 101. They suggested a pate filling, which we tried, but didn't go over really big. But we liked them when we filled them with other things. We mix meat and cheese here. If you don't fill them how you like. This serves a crowd. They can be reheated in the oven as leftovers too.

Fillings:

1. Thinly sliced roast turkey and cheese. OR
2. Browned ground beef with onions (and spaghetti sauce optional) OR
3. Browned ground beef with taco seasoning OR
4. Spinach and Feta Cheese OR
5. Broccoli and cheese

The sky is the limit on what you can put in them!

The Shells: (These get crispy like a taco shell.)

• Matzah, wetted **(instructions above)
• 8T butter, softened (1 stick)
• 1/2 tsp each or Garlic powder, onion powder, dr. parsley, salt, and pepper
• 1/4C sesame seeds (I skipped them.)

1. Grease a couple cookie sheets
2. Mix together butter and seasonings in a small bowl.
3. With some good kitchen sheers, trim the edge of the wetted Matzah to form a 5" circle. Like the size of a cereal bowl.
4. Spread seasoned butter on both sides of matzah. **Set on cookie sheet. Put about 2T of filling + or - in the center, leaving room for the edged to seal when folded over in half. Seal edges by pressing and repeat.
5. Bake @ 400 for 20-30 minutes until golden.

**When buttering both sides of matzah, the back side will make it stick to the counter. So I like to do it in my hands, it's messy but more manageable. I set the buttered side down on the greased cookie sheet so it is more manageable to fill and fold.