Saturday, March 13, 2010

And What Do You Serve At The Seder Meal?

Today's Shiur Nashim, Women's Torah Class had a very practical subject, the seder meal menu.  In two weeks most of us will be cooking for the seder.

I used to just serve a main course.  Considering that the ritual part of the seder includes/requires three matzot, the size of a "kizayit," measurement which is the basis for an Israeli matzah and about 2/3 of an American one.  Besides that, we eat some greens, two servings of charoset,  a "paste" or patte of nuts, fruit and wine, some large lettuce leaves and four cups of wine or grape juice.  I'd say, we've had enough just with that.

But it's customary and required to also eat a festive meal.  Yes, it's also customary to eat a hardboiled egg in salt water.  That's  a lot of food.

My family accepted my "just the main course" until my sister-in-law lived in Israel and invited us.  She served gefilte fish, soup, main course and desserts.

So, I've had to beef up my menu a bit.

What do you eat/serve/cook?

2 comments:

Jennifer in MamaLand said...

According to my pristine records, last year, I served:

3-colour fish (aish website)
Chicken Soup
Lokshin from/Mommy
Pickled Brisket (Seder #1)
Potato-chip chicken (Seder #2)
Veggie latkes (Seder #1)
Harvard Beets (Seder #2)
Cauliflower (Seder #1 only)
Desserts

Two seders, but our second is small. And no, NOBODY is ever truly hungry by shulchan orech; we eat minuscule portions both nights, but it is nice to have a meal.

Batya said...

Wow! That's a lot of work. I'm impressed. Do you serve a salad? That's one thing I do prepare. This year's a tough one with the seder on a Monday night. Do you ever have a fish/dairy meal for one of the yomtov meals.