Brian Samuels is a Boston-based lifestyle and food photographer and writer and is the creator of the food blog A Thought For Food opens in a new tab. His work has been featured in Saveur.com, Improper Bostonian, Edible Boston and TheKitchn.The Passover menu is not an easy one to create. Dishes traditionally served at a Seder are not only heavy, but they also tend to lack color. Based on past experience, I've come up with a few dos and don'ts for how to host a Passover Seder.
DO be sure to add some color to the table. Seeing that most Passover dishes are beige, it's not hard to find ways to brighten things up. One of my favorite ways is by adding minced fresh herbs, such as parsley or basil, to my matzo ball mixture. Additionally, a bit of pureed spinach opens in a new tab or carrots can be folded in.
DON’T make them wait. Some Seders can go on for a little bit (and by that I mean a few hours), so you don’t want to keep your guests hungry through it all. Be sure to have some nibbles (such as crudité and a roasted eggplant spread) for them to nosh on.
DON’T secretly (or not so secretly) serve breadcrumbs. Unfortunately, I'm not kidding. You think that this would be an obvious one, but a few years ago I went to a Seder where the hosts prepared tomatoes stuffed with breadcrumbs. And I have a friend who found out that her grandmother’s famous matzo balls got their fabulous consistency from the addition of cubes of sliced bread.
DO add vegetables. Passover dishes, while delicious, can be a bit heavy and one-note. You can lighten up the table by bringing some veggies to the table. Try this shredded Brussels sprouts opens in a new tab dish or this recipe for carrots with caramelized ginger opens in a new tab.
DO dessert! Kosher for Passover desserts can be a bit tricky. Instead of serving up a flourless chocolate cake, maybe try making a cheesecake with this pine nut and matzo crust opens in a new tab. Your guests will be very impressed! And if this is a strictly Kosher meal (meaning that meat and dairy are not combined at the dinner), I suggest serving your dessert with some coconut milk whipped cream opens in a new tab. This would even be great on top of fruit salad with a few mint sprigs.
Did I miss anything? What are your Seder dos and don’ts? Share them in the comments below.
Visit our spring gatherings site opens in a new tab for more expert tips on what to cook and how to cook it, being the host- or host-ess with the most-est and fun ideas for cooking with kids.
Like this post? You might also like:
(Images: Brian Samuels opens in a new tab)
