I'm bringing the Charoset to my temple's community/family Seder.
There may be as few as 20 people or as many as 50 or more. This year
I want to take several different kinds and put them out in pretty
bowls with ingredient/origin labels. I have some nice Sephardic
recipes but really only one Ashkinazik recipe (The one I made up 30+
years ago when I became Jewish.)

Please, if you have a really good or really unusual or exotic recipe
would you share it? It doesn't need to be Kosher l'Pesach

If you post a recipe please tell me how you want the origin labeled:
country? culture? your name? your bubbie's name, your imah (or abba),
your screen name? your city? your synagogue? nothing?

Todah Rabbah,
Lynn b' Fargo
thirty days until First Seder!

Lynn from Fargo wrote:
> I'm bringing the Charoset to my temple's community/family Seder.
> There may be as few as 20 people or as many as 50 or more. This year
> I want to take several different kinds and put them out in pretty
> bowls with ingredient/origin labels. I have some nice Sephardic
> recipes but really only one Ashkinazik recipe (The one I made up 30+
> years ago when I became Jewish.)
>
> Please, if you have a really good or really unusual or exotic recipe
> would you share it? It doesn't need to be Kosher l'Pesach
>
> If you post a recipe please tell me how you want the origin labeled:
> country? culture? your name? your bubbie's name, your imah (or abba),
> your screen name? your city? your synagogue? nothing?
>
> Todah Rabbah,
> Lynn b' Fargo
> thirty days until First Seder!

While everyone is on the subject of seder food, I've been making 15+ lbs of
Nach Waxman's Brisket (Silver Palate, minus the flour) for one of the two
main courses for my church's seder for umpteen years. (We're UUs. A Jewish
member officiates. We don't pretend to be Jews, but honor the tradition, for
those who are concerned about cultural appropriation. We use a social
justice-oriented Haggadah.) I'm thinking about the possibility of doing
something with boneless chicken breasts, which are frequently available for
under $2 per pound, instead. The other main course is cold poached salmon
with dill sauce, also prepared by me. (As you will have gathered, we observe
the Passover rules around leavening and grains, but not kosher meat/dairy.)

Anyway, I know that a whole roast chicken would be perhaps more traditional,
but too hard to serve to 40+ people buffet style. Any thoughts on the
subject of chicken breast preparations?

On Mon 09 Mar 2009 07:05:15p, Lynn from Fargo told us...

> I'm bringing the Charoset to my temple's community/family Seder.
> There may be as few as 20 people or as many as 50 or more. This year
> I want to take several different kinds and put them out in pretty
> bowls with ingredient/origin labels. I have some nice Sephardic
> recipes but really only one Ashkinazik recipe (The one I made up 30+
> years ago when I became Jewish.)
>
> Please, if you have a really good or really unusual or exotic recipe
> would you share it? It doesn't need to be Kosher l'Pesach
>
> If you post a recipe please tell me how you want the origin labeled:
> country? culture? your name? your bubbie's name, your imah (or abba),
> your screen name? your city? your synagogue? nothing?
>
> Todah Rabbah,
> Lynn b' Fargo
> thirty days until First Seder!
>

Lynn, you should check out the following website. There are numerous
versions from around the world. Perhaps some of these

http://tinyurl.com/c8db7v

--
Wayne Boatwright

"One man's meat is another man's poison"
- Oswald Dykes, English writer, 1709.

On Mar 9, 8:57*pm, "Janet" > wrote:
> Lynn from Fargo wrote:
> > I'm bringing the Charoset to my temple's community/family Seder.
> > There may be as few as 20 people or as many as 50 or more. *This year
> > I want to take several different kinds and put them out in pretty
> > bowls with ingredient/origin labels. *I have some nice Sephardic
> > recipes but really only one Ashkinazik recipe (The one I made up 30+
> > years ago when I *became Jewish.)
>
> > Please, if you have a really good or really unusual or exotic recipe
> > would you share it? *It doesn't need to be Kosher l'Pesach
>
> > If you post a recipe please tell me how you want the origin labeled:
> > country? culture? your name? your bubbie's name, your imah (or abba),
> > your screen name? your city? your synagogue? nothing?
>
> > Todah Rabbah,
> > Lynn b' Fargo
> > thirty days until First Seder!
>
> While everyone is on the subject of seder food, I've been making 15+ lbs of
> Nach Waxman's Brisket (Silver Palate, minus the flour) for one of the two
> main courses for my church's seder for umpteen years. (We're UUs. A Jewish
> member officiates. We don't pretend to be Jews, but honor the tradition, for
> those who are concerned about cultural appropriation. We use a social
> justice-oriented Haggadah.) I'm thinking about the possibility of doing
> something with boneless chicken breasts, which are frequently available for
> under $2 per pound, instead. The other main course is cold poached salmon
> with dill sauce, also prepared by me. (As you will have gathered, we observe
> the Passover rules around leavening and grains, but not kosher meat/dairy..)
>
> Anyway, I know that a whole roast chicken would be perhaps more traditional,
> but too hard to serve to 40+ people buffet style. Any thoughts on the
> subject of chicken breast preparations?

I did baked chicken once for 100 at a seder. I used cut up chicken
with skin and bones, thighs, half breasts, drumsticks. (Used the
wings and the backs for the soup.) I tidied up the chicken - trimmed
a little excess fat etc. Sprayed big sheet pans with PAM, laid out the
chicken pieces (breasts on one tray, drumsticks and thighs on the
others - skin side up and patted them good and dry. Then brushed them
all with fresh lemon juice and sprinkled them generously with a
mixture of one tablespoon of each: good Hungarian paprika, salt,
sugar, and about a teaspoon of black pepper. You could add or change
the spices, but this was the first time I had cooked an entire meal
for the temple folks. I knew there would be lots of kids and older
people - that's why I didn't just quarter the chickens. I baked the
chicken at about 350. It was done when we sat down and kept warm till
the "Shulchan Aruch" then it was passed family style at tables of
eight. Since then we have gone to using a buffet line. Less mess.
Lynn in Fargo

On Mar 9, 10:13*pm, Wayne Boatwright >
wrote:
> On Mon 09 Mar 2009 07:05:15p, Lynn from Fargo told us...
>
>
>
> > I'm bringing the Charoset to my temple's community/family Seder.
> > There may be as few as 20 people or as many as 50 or more. *This year
> > I want to take several different kinds and put them out in pretty
> > bowls with ingredient/origin labels. *I have some nice Sephardic
> > recipes but really only one Ashkinazik recipe (The one I made up 30+
> > years ago when I *became Jewish.)
>
> > Please, if you have a really good or really unusual or exotic recipe
> > would you share it? *It doesn't need to be Kosher l'Pesach
>
> > If you post a recipe please tell me how you want the origin labeled:
> > country? culture? your name? your bubbie's name, your imah (or abba),
> > your screen name? your city? your synagogue? nothing?
>
> > Todah Rabbah,
> > Lynn b' Fargo
> > thirty days until First Seder!
>
> Lynn, you should check out the following website. *There are numerous
> versions from around the world. *Perhaps some of these
>
> http://tinyurl.com/c8db7v
>
> --
> Wayne Boatwright
>
> "One man's meat is another man's poison"
> * * * * * * *- Oswald Dykes, English writer, 1709.

Great website! I got a BUNCH of interesting recipes!
Thanks
Lynn

On Mar 9, 10:05*pm, Lynn from Fargo > wrote:
> I'm bringing the Charoset to my temple's community/family Seder.
> There may be as few as 20 people or as many as 50 or more. *This year
> I want to take several different kinds and put them out in pretty
> bowls with ingredient/origin labels. *I have some nice Sephardic
> recipes but really only one Ashkinazik recipe (The one I made up 30+
> years ago when I *became Jewish.)
>
> Please, if you have a really good or really unusual or exotic recipe
> would you share it? *It doesn't need to be Kosher l'Pesach
>
> If you post a recipe please tell me how you want the origin labeled:
> country? culture? your name? your bubbie's name, your imah (or abba),
> your screen name? your city? your synagogue? nothing?

Once long ago I posted about 8 or 9 charoset recipes to one list or
another. Then, a few years later, they showed up on Valentines day,
of all places, on rec.humor.jewish. http://snurl.com/dizea
The Old Bear collected mine and several others. Of course, they
weren't "mine", just ones I'd passed on over the years.<g>

Happy Purim
maxine in ri

Lynn from Fargo wrote:
> I'm bringing the Charoset to my temple's community/family Seder.
> There may be as few as 20 people or as many as 50 or more. This year
> I want to take several different kinds and put them out in pretty
> bowls with ingredient/origin labels. I have some nice Sephardic
> recipes but really only one Ashkinazik recipe (The one I made up 30+
> years ago when I became Jewish.)
>
> Please, if you have a really good or really unusual or exotic recipe
> would you share it? It doesn't need to be Kosher l'Pesach
>
> If you post a recipe please tell me how you want the origin labeled:
> country? culture? your name? your bubbie's name, your imah (or abba),
> your screen name? your city? your synagogue? nothing?
>
> Todah Rabbah,
> Lynn b' Fargo
> thirty days until First Seder!


Here is the recipe from "The Jewish Home Beautiful" which is not really
a cookbook, but a little book on how to celebrate Jewish holidays that
includes recipes.


* Exported from MasterCook *

HAROSES

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 0 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Other

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1/2 apple -- chopped
1/4 cup ground nuts
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon sugar or honey
1 tablespoon red wine

Chop or coarsley grate the apple and mash thoroughly with the rest of
the ingredients. When the mixture is smooth and no longer lumpy, add the
wine and mix again.

Description:
"For the seder table"
Cuisine:
"Pesach"
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

This is pretty close to what we make in our house. The proportions are
something that change slightly every year. The ingredients are apples,
walnuts, cinnamon and wine. A little heavy-handed on the wine. Sometimes
I put dates into the mixture and chop it all together in the Cuisinart.

You are lucky to get away with just making charosets. I make the
Ashkenazi-style and over 100 matzo balls for our communal seder every
year. We have a family from Iran who makes the Persian-style charosets
which I find pasty and not to my liking, but I'm just a third generation
Litvak, so what do I know? <g> We usually have from 50 to 80 people
every year. A caterer makes most of the meal.

I'm afraid that I'll get stuck making the soup this year, too as the gal
who usually makes it has her daughter's bat mitzvah right after Pesach.
I am making 100 chocolate mice for her to put in her favors for the bat
mitzvah reception. Might be doing the challah, too.

--
Janet Wilder
Way-the-heck-south-Texas

"Lynn from Fargo" > wrote in message
...
> I'm bringing the Charoset to my temple's community/family Seder.
> There may be as few as 20 people or as many as 50 or more. This year
> I want to take several different kinds and put them out in pretty
> bowls with ingredient/origin labels. I have some nice Sephardic
> recipes but really only one Ashkinazik recipe (The one I made up 30+
> years ago when I became Jewish.)
>
> Please, if you have a really good or really unusual or exotic recipe
> would you share it? It doesn't need to be Kosher l'Pesach
>
> If you post a recipe please tell me how you want the origin labeled:
> country? culture? your name? your bubbie's name, your imah (or abba),
> your screen name? your city? your synagogue? nothing?
>
> Todah Rabbah,
> Lynn b' Fargo
> thirty days until First Seder!

The Ashkenazi are primailrly associatet with Eastern Europe as opposed to
the Saphartic.

The recipe below was googled under Polish Charoset. Keep searching for,
Eastern Eurpoean countries +Charoset. I'll bet you find lots.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ashkenazi_Jews.

I suspect by comparason you'll find the recipes simplier that for exmple
Persian & Saphartic Charoset below

See what I mean?

Dimitri



Ashkenazic Charoset recipe
information

Charoset is a delicious mixture that features in the Passover meal, the
Seder. It symbolizes the mortar the Hebrew slaves used to bind the stones
and bricks in their forced labor. Charoset is always a mixture of local
fresh and dried fruits, moistened with sweet kosher wine. This is the
charoset my Polish grandmother brought to our Seder table.


ingredients
1 large sweet apple
1/2 cup mixed shelled nuts (almonds, walnuts, cashews, and pecans)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
about 2 tablespoons sweet red wine


method
1. Peel and core the apple, then grate it.

2. Grind the nuts. In a bowl, combine the grated apple and nuts, then add
the spices.

3. Stir in the wine; the mixture should have the consistency of a paste. If
it is too liquid, add some more grated apple.

4. Put it in a small bowl and place it on the Seder table.


serving amount
makes 1 cup


Persian Charoset


1/2 c. unsalted pistachios
1/2 c. bleached almonds
1/2 c. unsalted walnuts
1/2 c. unsalted hazelnuts
1/4 c. vinegar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 glass sweet red wine
1 c. dark raisins
1 c. yellow raisins
1 c. pitted dates
1 lg. apple
1 lg. pear
1 c. apple juice

Soak the nuts in water for 2 days and keep them in the refrigerator. When
ready, peel off the skins. Soak the raisins and dates for 2 days. Mix all
ingredients in the food processor. It should not be too soft nor too hard.
If you like it spicier, substitute more cinnamon and wine in place of apple
juice.

Saphartic Charoset


1 c. walnut pieces
1/2 c. blanched almonds
5 lg. dried calimyrna figs
8 pitted prunes
1/2 c. dark raisins
1/2 c. pitted dates
1 med. tart apple, peeled, cored & cut into chunks
1 tbsp. grated orange zest
1 med. orange, peeled & cut into chunks
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 matzo, broken into lg. pieces
2 to 4 tbsp. red wine, to taste

Place walnuts, almonds, figs, prunes, raisins, dates, apple, orange zest,
orange, cinnamon and matzo in a food processor. With quick on, off motions,
process until the ingredients are coarsely chopped. Continue to process,
adding just enough wine to form a soft, coarse paste (the mixture should not
be smooth). Transfer mixture to a bowl or airtight container, cover and
refrigerate for up to 2 days before serving. If mixture is too stiff to
spread, stir in some additional wine. Makes about 4 cups.

On Mar 11, 5:49*pm, "Dimitri" > wrote:
> "Lynn from Fargo" > wrote in ...
>
>
>
> > I'm bringing the Charoset to my temple's community/family Seder.
> > There may be as few as 20 people or as many as 50 or more. *This year
> > I want to take several different kinds and put them out in pretty
> > bowls with ingredient/origin labels. *I have some nice Sephardic
> > recipes but really only one Ashkinazik recipe (The one I made up 30+
> > years ago when I *became Jewish.)
>
> > Please, if you have a really good or really unusual or exotic recipe
> > would you share it? *It doesn't need to be Kosher l'Pesach
>
> > If you post a recipe please tell me how you want the origin labeled:
> > country? culture? your name? your bubbie's name, your imah (or abba),
> > your screen name? your city? your synagogue? nothing?
>
> > Todah Rabbah,
> > Lynn b' Fargo
> > thirty days until First Seder!
>
> The Ashkenazi are primailrly associatet with Eastern Europe as opposed to
> the Saphartic.
>
> The recipe below was googled under Polish Charoset. *Keep searching for,
> Eastern Eurpoean countries +Charoset. *I'll bet you find lots.
>
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ashkenazi_Jews.
>
> I suspect by comparason *you'll find the recipes simplier that for exmple
> Persian & Saphartic Charoset below
>
> See what I mean?
>
> Dimitri
>
> Ashkenazic Charoset recipe
> information
>
> Charoset is a delicious mixture that features in the Passover meal, the
> Seder. It symbolizes the mortar the Hebrew slaves used to bind the stones
> and bricks in their forced labor. Charoset is always a mixture of local
> fresh and dried fruits, moistened with sweet kosher wine. This is the
> charoset my Polish grandmother brought to our Seder table.
>
> ingredients
> 1 large sweet apple
> 1/2 cup mixed shelled nuts (almonds, walnuts, cashews, and pecans)
> 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
> 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
> about 2 tablespoons sweet red wine
>
> method
> 1. Peel and core the apple, then grate it.
>
> 2. Grind the nuts. In a bowl, combine the grated apple and nuts, then add
> the spices.
>
> 3. Stir in the wine; the mixture should have the consistency of a paste. If
> it is too liquid, add some more grated apple.
>
> 4. Put it in a small bowl and place it on the Seder table.
>
> serving amount
> makes 1 cup
>
> Persian Charoset
>
> 1/2 c. unsalted pistachios
> 1/2 c. bleached almonds
> 1/2 c. unsalted walnuts
> 1/2 c. unsalted hazelnuts
> 1/4 c. vinegar
> 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
> 1 glass sweet red wine
> 1 c. dark raisins
> 1 c. yellow raisins
> 1 c. pitted dates
> 1 lg. apple
> 1 lg. pear
> 1 c. apple juice
>
> *Soak the nuts in water for 2 days and keep them in the refrigerator. *When
> ready, peel off the skins. *Soak the raisins and dates for 2 days. *Mix all
> ingredients in the food processor. *It should not be too soft nor too hard.
> If you like it spicier, substitute more cinnamon and wine in place of apple
> juice.
>
> Saphartic Charoset
>
> *1 c. walnut pieces
> 1/2 c. blanched almonds
> 5 lg. dried calimyrna figs
> 8 pitted prunes
> 1/2 c. dark raisins
> 1/2 c. pitted dates
> 1 med. tart apple, peeled, cored & cut into chunks
> 1 tbsp. grated orange zest
> 1 med. orange, peeled & cut into *chunks
> 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
> 1 matzo, broken into lg. pieces
> 2 to 4 tbsp. red wine, to taste
>
> * Place walnuts, almonds, figs, prunes, raisins, dates, apple, orange zest,
> orange, cinnamon and matzo in a food processor. *With quick on, off motions,
> process until the ingredients are coarsely chopped. *Continue to process,
> adding just enough wine to form a soft, coarse paste (the mixture should not
> be smooth). *Transfer mixture to a bowl or airtight container, cover and
> refrigerate for up to 2 days before serving. *If mixture is too stiff to
> spread, stir in some additional wine. *Makes about 4 cups.

Thank you, Dimitri! I'm up to at least 10 different countries now.
I'm going to have a bunch of fun!
Lynn in Fargo

In article >,
"Janet" > wrote:

>
> While everyone is on the subject of seder food, I've been making 15+ lbs of
> Nach Waxman's Brisket (Silver Palate, minus the flour) for one of the two
> main courses for my church's seder for umpteen years. (We're UUs. A Jewish
> member officiates. We don't pretend to be Jews, but honor the tradition, for
> those who are concerned about cultural appropriation. We use a social
> justice-oriented Haggadah.) I'm thinking about the possibility of doing
> something with boneless chicken breasts, which are frequently available for
> under $2 per pound, instead. The other main course is cold poached salmon
> with dill sauce, also prepared by me. (As you will have gathered, we observe
> the Passover rules around leavening and grains, but not kosher meat/dairy.)
>
My former UU church in Dallas did an annual Seder. My congregation here
doesn't. No worries, we have the mixed-marriage neighborhood Seder. I
am making the recipe for macaroon meringues (think coconut Pavlovas)
with fruit that appears in April's Bon Appetit.

Cindy

--
C.J. Fuller

Delete the obvious to email me

"Lynn from Fargo Ografmorffig" > wrote
>
> Charoset is a delicious mixture that features in the Passover meal, the
> Seder. It symbolizes the mortar the Hebrew slaves used to bind the stones
> and bricks in their forced labor. Charoset is always a mixture of local
> fresh and dried fruits, moistened with sweet kosher wine. This is the
> charoset my Polish grandmother brought to our Seder table.
>
[...]

These look wonderful!

Cindy Fuller wrote:
> In article >,
> "Janet" > wrote:
>
>
>> While everyone is on the subject of seder food, I've been making 15+ lbs of
>> Nach Waxman's Brisket (Silver Palate, minus the flour) for one of the two
>> main courses for my church's seder for umpteen years. (We're UUs. A Jewish
>> member officiates. We don't pretend to be Jews, but honor the tradition, for
>> those who are concerned about cultural appropriation. We use a social
>> justice-oriented Haggadah.) I'm thinking about the possibility of doing
>> something with boneless chicken breasts, which are frequently available for
>> under $2 per pound, instead. The other main course is cold poached salmon
>> with dill sauce, also prepared by me. (As you will have gathered, we observe
>> the Passover rules around leavening and grains, but not kosher meat/dairy.)
>>
>>
> My former UU church in Dallas did an annual Seder. My congregation here
> doesn't. No worries, we have the mixed-marriage neighborhood Seder. I
> am making the recipe for macaroon meringues (think coconut Pavlovas)
> with fruit that appears in April's Bon Appetit.
>
> Cindy


The UU congregation here in LA is different than the church I went to
in TX. It is a nice church, but I still miss my friends.


Becca

In article >,
Becca > wrote:

> Cindy Fuller wrote:
> > In article >,
> > "Janet" > wrote:
> >
> >
> >> While everyone is on the subject of seder food, I've been making 15+ lbs
> >> of
> >> Nach Waxman's Brisket (Silver Palate, minus the flour) for one of the two
> >> main courses for my church's seder for umpteen years. (We're UUs. A Jewish

> > My former UU church in Dallas did an annual Seder. My congregation here
> > doesn't. No worries, we have the mixed-marriage neighborhood Seder. I
> > am making the recipe for macaroon meringues (think coconut Pavlovas)
> > with fruit that appears in April's Bon Appetit.

> The UU congregation here in LA is different than the church I went to
> in TX. It is a nice church, but I still miss my friends.

I just commented to my wife that I just read three posts in a row here
about UUs doing Seders! In our former church there was a former Jew who
did Seders a couple of years. She got too busy, so my wife took it over
for a couple of years. It was a lot of work, and she got too many
complaints. The parents of small children said it had been too long
before. Well, we had small children then, so my wife was sympathetic
and cut a whole lot of stuff out. One of the former Jews said those
things couldn't be cut, it just wasn't the same. Since he didn't have
small children, and in fact had two helpful teens who I'm sure would be
happy to stay up too late, my wife suggested that he take it on. He was
too busy.

--
Dan Abel
Petaluma, California USA

Dan wrote:

> I just commented to my wife that I just read three posts in a row here
> about UUs doing Seders! In our former church there was a former Jew who
> did Seders a couple of years. She got too busy, so my wife took it over
> for a couple of years. It was a lot of work, and she got too many
> complaints. The parents of small children said it had been too long
> before. Well, we had small children then, so my wife was sympathetic
> and cut a whole lot of stuff out. One of the former Jews said those
> things couldn't be cut, it just wasn't the same. Since he didn't have
> small children, and in fact had two helpful teens who I'm sure would be
> happy to stay up too late, my wife suggested that he take it on. He was
> too busy.

You're not implying that parenting gets EASIER when your children reach
their teens, are you? :-)

A Seder is SUPPOSED to last a long time. Parents with small children should
ALREADY KNOW THAT. It sounds like the complainers are expecting some kind of
"Seder Lite," and in that case, they can host one which more closely meets
their own whiny self-absorbed unjustified-sense-of-entitlement needs, but
they are completely missing the point, and they might just as well go to
Chuck E. Cheese's instead. Maybe you could direct them he
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passover_Seder, which clearly states that (1)
Seder goes late into the night, and (2) it is important to keep the children
involved in the activities. But don't be surprised if they respond with, "I
don't care about that. My child is bored and sleepy at *that* kind of Seder,
and it's my job as a parent to cater to every single whim my child has."

Bob

In article
>,
Dan Abel > wrote:

> In article >,
> Becca > wrote:
>
> > Cindy Fuller wrote:
> > > In article >,
> > > "Janet" > wrote:
> > >
> > >
> > >> While everyone is on the subject of seder food, I've been making 15+ lbs
> > >> of
> > >> Nach Waxman's Brisket (Silver Palate, minus the flour) for one of the
> > >> two
> > >> main courses for my church's seder for umpteen years. (We're UUs. A
> > >> Jewish
>
> > > My former UU church in Dallas did an annual Seder. My congregation here
> > > doesn't. No worries, we have the mixed-marriage neighborhood Seder. I
> > > am making the recipe for macaroon meringues (think coconut Pavlovas)
> > > with fruit that appears in April's Bon Appetit.
>
> > The UU congregation here in LA is different than the church I went to
> > in TX. It is a nice church, but I still miss my friends.
>
> I just commented to my wife that I just read three posts in a row here
> about UUs doing Seders! In our former church there was a former Jew who
> did Seders a couple of years. She got too busy, so my wife took it over
> for a couple of years. It was a lot of work, and she got too many
> complaints. The parents of small children said it had been too long
> before. Well, we had small children then, so my wife was sympathetic
> and cut a whole lot of stuff out. One of the former Jews said those
> things couldn't be cut, it just wasn't the same. Since he didn't have
> small children, and in fact had two helpful teens who I'm sure would be
> happy to stay up too late, my wife suggested that he take it on. He was
> too busy.

The mixed-marriage Seder cuts a lot out as well, but there's only one
small child at the table these days. The rest are just hungry.

Cindy

--
C.J. Fuller

Delete the obvious to email me

In article >,
"Bob Terwilliger" > wrote:

> Dan wrote:
>
> > I just commented to my wife that I just read three posts in a row here
> > about UUs doing Seders! In our former church there was a former Jew who
> > did Seders a couple of years. She got too busy, so my wife took it over
> > for a couple of years. It was a lot of work, and she got too many
> > complaints. The parents of small children said it had been too long
> > before. Well, we had small children then, so my wife was sympathetic
> > and cut a whole lot of stuff out. One of the former Jews said those
> > things couldn't be cut, it just wasn't the same. Since he didn't have
> > small children, and in fact had two helpful teens who I'm sure would be
> > happy to stay up too late, my wife suggested that he take it on. He was
> > too busy.
>
> You're not implying that parenting gets EASIER when your children reach
> their teens, are you? :-)

Fortunately our kids are all adults now, but the teen years were
definitely harder. But different challenges.

> A Seder is SUPPOSED to last a long time. Parents with small children should
> ALREADY KNOW THAT.

Except that UUs aren't Jews, so they don't know all these things. We
celebrate our Judeo-Christian heritage, so some try out a Seder, but few
of us were brought up with them. Every UU church I've been to has
former Jews in it, and they are the most interested, and often take a
leadership role, but it varies.

> It sounds like the complainers are expecting some kind of
> "Seder Lite," and in that case, they can host one

"Seder Lite" is in fact correct, and that is in fact what my wife did.
If others wanted the full and complete Seder, either they should have
done it themselves, or they should have seen if they were welcome at a
Seder put on by current Jews.

> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passover_Seder, which clearly states that (1)
> Seder goes late into the night, and (2) it is important to keep the children
> involved in the activities. But don't be surprised if they respond with, "I

Interesting. I learned quite a bit from that Wiki article. UUs were
specifically mentioned, down at the bottom.

> don't care about that. My child is bored and sleepy at *that* kind of Seder,
> and it's my job as a parent to cater to every single whim my child has."

It depends. If the family is Jewish and raising their kids as Jewish,
then the Seder is just part of that, and if the little ones stay up too
late and are cranky the next day, and totally worthless, that's just the
price that you pay. Those who are not Jewish are unlike to want to blow
a whole night and the next day for an educational and social experience.
Even for adults with no small children, they may find that an hour
hitting the high points is enough.

--
Dan Abel
Petaluma, California USA

On Mon, 9 Mar 2009 22:57:01 -0400 in rec.food.cooking, "Janet"
> wrote,
>Anyway, I know that a whole roast chicken would be perhaps more traditional,
>but too hard to serve to 40+ people buffet style. Any thoughts on the
>subject of chicken breast preparations?

As I learned recently, boning the breast yourself is actually pretty
easy and can save you $1/lb or perhaps more. For 40 people that could
add up.

On Mar 14, 12:51*am, "Bob Terwilliger" >
wrote:
> Dan wrote:
> > I just commented to my wife that I just read three posts in a row here
> > about UUs doing Seders! *In our former church there was a former Jew who
> > did Seders a couple of years. *She got too busy, so my wife took it over
> > for a couple of years. *It was a lot of work, and she got too many
> > complaints. *The parents of small children said it had been too long
> > before. *Well, we had small children then, so my wife was sympathetic
> > and cut a whole lot of stuff out. *One of the former Jews said those
> > things couldn't be cut, it just wasn't the same. *Since he didn't have
> > small children, and in fact had two helpful teens who I'm sure would be
> > happy to stay up too late, my wife suggested that he take it on. *He was
> > too busy.
>
> You're not implying that parenting gets EASIER when your children reach
> their teens, are you? :-)
>
> A Seder is SUPPOSED to last a long time. Parents with small children should
> ALREADY KNOW THAT. It sounds like the complainers are expecting some kind of
> "Seder Lite," and in that case, they can host one which more closely meets
> their own whiny self-absorbed unjustified-sense-of-entitlement needs, but
> they are completely missing the point, and they might just as well go to
> Chuck E. Cheese's instead. Maybe you could direct them hehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passover_Seder, which clearly states that (1)
> Seder goes late into the night, and (2) it is important to keep the children
> involved in the activities. But don't be surprised if they respond with, "I
> don't care about that. My child is bored and sleepy at *that* kind of Seder,
> and it's my job as a parent to cater to every single whim my child has."
>
> Bob

The hagaddah has a variety of activities in it to keep the younger
ones engaged. The 4 questions. The story of the coming out of Egypt
(not _that_ kind of coming out<G>), the dipping of herbs in salt
water. the sandwich making with the bitter herbs and charoset. The
stuff with the 10 plagues. (dipping wine onto your plate.) After the
meal, when the kids are tired and cranky, there are songs and opening
the door for Elijah (and all the kids keep watch on the level of wine
in the cup to see how much he drinks<G>). The hunt for and ransoming
of the afikomen.

It can be deadly boring if your family is one that just reads the
whole darned thing in a monotone. Ours, I like to think, is fun and
sometimes silly, but never boring. Over the years we've added other
people's customs, the Plague basket (toys, origami and noisemakers
that symbolize the various plagues), and last year, one of our folks
told the story instead of reading it. There's the egg-bumping game
(last one with an uncracked shell wins), the tossing of scallions
during Dayenu, and all that wine! Now that there are choices besides
that traditional sweet syrupy Mogan David, it's a pleasure.

maxine in ri
planning the menu, with three seats not taken yet....

David Harmon wrote:
> On Mon, 9 Mar 2009 22:57:01 -0400 in rec.food.cooking, "Janet"
> > wrote,
>> Anyway, I know that a whole roast chicken would be perhaps more traditional,
>> but too hard to serve to 40+ people buffet style. Any thoughts on the
>> subject of chicken breast preparations?
>
> As I learned recently, boning the breast yourself is actually pretty
> easy and can save you $1/lb or perhaps more. For 40 people that could
> add up.
>

....and don't forget to save the skin and fat to render and the bones and
bits for soup stock.

--
Janet Wilder
Way-the-heck-south-Texas