Add new traditions to old to create memorable Easter and Passover meals

Gathering family and friends for a grand Easter Sunday feast or Seder Night dinner for Passover are cherished springtime rituals. Cooking the traditional dishes that honour each occasion is also a beloved part of the holidays—but it’s possible to add some surprises to give these delicious meals your own stamp.

Update your Easter menu

Of course, you can always serve Easter ham as the main course for your Sunday feast. If that’s not the family favourite, make one or two changes to update your menu while keeping the dishes everyone loves.

Choose roast turkey for the main course. Brined first and then oven-roasted or grilled on the barbecue, it’s superb for any holiday.Go all out with your spring celebration by making a brand new dessert recipe. Maybe a zesty lemon cake or a decadent chocolate pie?Check our Seasonal Recipes to discover dishes with contemporary appeal.Add contemporary style to Seder menus

Passover rituals are indelibly interwoven with the Seder dinner, but you can still give the traditional menu a makeover.

Use matzo meal instead of bread crumbs to make a flavoursome crisp crust for fried chicken.Prepare an exotic version of haroset using dried fruits such as golden raisins, figs, dates, and apricots, plus pine nuts and chopped chestnuts blended with honey and cinnamon.Lighten traditional matzo balls by adding fizzy water instead of tap water.Keep dessert light and bake golden, chewy almond meringues made with brown sugar instead of a rich nut cake. Make Passover confectioners sugar by grinding 1/2 cup (100 g) sugar with 1/2 cup (80 g) potato starch and use for sprinkling over desserts. Set the table in your own style

Inviting guests to a beautifully set table adds a graceful note to every spring gathering. Choose from the tips here to create your own special table.

Make place cards or individual holiday party gifts to welcome each guest, setting a festive egg or a small basket of almonds with name tags at each place.Instead of a single floral centre-piece, set mini-arrangements at each place. Sprinkle a trail of colourful flowers or sweets down the centre of the table for a festive note. Sprinkle a trail of colourful flowers or sweets down the centre of the table for a festive note

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Judith H. Dern

Judith H. Dern is an independent writer based in Seattle who loves the rituals associated with cooking for holiday meals.

2007-09-01