A charoset dish for Passover
Passover is not a holiday known for its food. In fact, it’s largely known for the food you can’t eat during it (no leavened or fermented foods; ditto for foods made with wheat, oats, barley, rye and spelt).
And yet, I find myself looking forward to it every year because there is one thing I can’t wait to stuff into my mouth: my mother’s charoset.
It’s the world’s simplest recipe (chop stuff up and throw it into a bowl) but unlike, say, matzo ball soup, which I order often at diners, I don’t get to eat it any other time of year.
When I emailed, asking for her recipe, here’s what I got in return: “Two apples, chopped walnuts and kosher wine. I don’t measure any of it. I eyeball it. Add wine but make sure it isn’t soupy.”
Why are all good family recipes written like this? Luckily, we have a staff of expert recipe testers who turned my mom’s gibberish into a real recipe that all of us can use.
Technically used on the Seder plate to resemble the mortar and brick made by the Jews when they were slaves in Egypt under
Pharaoh, the dish is not as dense or cement-like as one would think.
It’s actually sweet — but not too sweet — crunchy and juicy. I eat it directly out of the container (using a spoon, of course), or I pile up pieces of matzo and use them as little unleavened delivery vessels.
Lisa Freedman is the lifestyle director at The Kitchn.com, a nationally known blog for people who love food and home cooking. Submit comments to editorial@ thekitchn.com.