Passing the Test

Wednesday, April 16, 2003 | 8:54 a.m.

Let all who are hungry come in and eat, let all who are needy come and make Passover from the Haggadah, the book used at the Seder service at Passover.

Passover celebrates the exodus of the Jews from Egypt. It is both a happy and a solemn time, with families and friends gathering at the Seder table to perform the ancient rituals that mark the holiday.

Passover lasts seven days. The first Seder will take place tonight at sundown. Of all Jewish holidays, Passover is the most challenging for the home cook. For seven days no leavening is eaten. Only matzo and matzo products should be used.

Countless Passover recipes have been developed over the years to add excitement to the Passover dinner.

Of course, such beloved foods as chicken soup with matzo balls, gefilte fish served with horseradish and roast chicken, brisket and tsimmes are usually the featured fare.

For a more contemporary approach to Passover and other Jewish holidays, check out the just-published, "The Hadassah Holiday Cookbook:Traditional recipes from Contemporary Kosher Kitchens," edited by Joan Schwartz Michel with gorgeous photographs by Louis Wallach (Hugh Lauter Levin Associates, $29.95).

"The Hadassah Holiday Cookbook" is filled with home-style and new-age recipes from Hadassah members of all ages. Add commentary from award-winning Jewish writers Joan Nathan, Steven Raichlen, Claudia Roden, Susan R. Friedland and Edda Servi Machlin and more and you've got an exceptional Jewish cookbook with helpful tips, Jewish lore and memoirs.

"The Hadassah Holiday Cookbook" is not yet in local bookstores, but can be ordered from any Barnes & Noble or Borders Books.

Chicken Marrakesh

4 whole chickens (2 1/2 lbs each) each cut into eighths

12 large cloves garlic, finely minced

3 tbs dried thyme

1 tbs ground cumin

2 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp salt

1 c. red wine vinegar

1 c. best quality olive oil

8 tsp green peppercorns, soaked in water and drained

2 c. whole pitted black olives

3 c. dried apricots

2 c. dried small figs

1/2 c. packed brown sugar

1 c. good red wine

2 c. large pecan pieces

Grated zest of 4 lemons

1. The day before, combine the chicken, garlic, thyme, cumin, ginger, salt, wine vinegar, oil, peppercorns, olives, apricots and figs in two large bowls, dividing the ingredients equally; marinate covered in the refrigerator overnight. Mix several times during the day. Remove the bowls from the refrigerator one hour before cooking.

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

3. Arrange chicken in single layer in two large, heavy, shallow baking pans. Spoon marinade evenly over both pans. Sprinkle with the brown sugar and pecans and pour the wine evenly between the pieces in both pans.

4. Cover the pans with aluminum foil and bake 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake, basting frequently with the pan juices, 50 minutes.

5. Using a fork and slotted spoon, transfer the chicken, olives, dried fruit and pecans to a large serving platter. Drizzle with a few large spoonfuls of the pan juices.

Serves about eight.

Apple Spiced Brisket

5 lb first cut beef brisket

1 tsp salt

2 1/2 c. apple juice

1/3 c. honey

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp ground nutmeg

1 small apple, peeled, cored and coarsely chopped

2 tbs raisins

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

2. Line 2-inch-deep roasting pan with heavy duty aluminum foil, leaving 1 1/2-inch collar around edges. Prick brisket with fork on both sides and sprinkle with salt. Place in prepared pan and cook, uncovered, about one hour. Degrease pan.

3. Combine apple juice, honey, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg and pour over roast. Cover pan and collar with foil, and fold edges to seal tightly. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees. Cook 1 1/2 to two hours, or until tender.

4. Remove brisket to heated serving platter; keep warm in low oven. Pour meat juices into saucepan; add apple and raisins. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer three minutes or until apple is tender. Slice brisket thinly against the grain, and spoon apple-raisin sauce over slices.

Serves eight to 10.

Chocolate Pudding Cake

Crust

1/2 c. (1 stick) unsalted butter

2 oz semisweet chocolate

1 1/3 c. matza meal

1/3 c. sugar

Filling

9 oz semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

11 oz (8 oz plus 3 oz packages) cream cheese, softened

2/3 c. sugar

6 eggs, at room temperature

1 tbs Passover vanilla

1/3 c. whipping cream

Topping

1 1/2 c. whipping cream

1/4 c. Passover confectioners' sugar

1/2 tsp Passover vanilla

chocolate curls or shavings

1. Make crust: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Melt butter and chocolate in double boiler over gently simmering water. Stir until smooth. Mix in matza meal and sugar. Press mixture into bottom and halfway up sides of 9-inch springform pan. Bake until firm, about eight to 10 minutes. Cool to room temperature and refrigerate until chilled.

2. Make filling: Melt chocolate in double boiler over gently simmering water, stirring until smooth; cool slightly. Beat cream cheese with sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Blend in vanilla. Beat in chocolate and cream and pour into crust. Bake 30 to 35 minutes until outside is firm and lightly browned but center is still soft when pan is shaken. Refrigerate until well chilled, or up to 24 hours.

3. For topping, beat cream, confectioners' sugar, and vanilla to soft peaks.

To serve, run a knife along the edge of pan and remove cake from springform. Set on platter. Spread whipped cream evenly over top. Garnish with chocolate curls. Serve chilled.

Serves eight to 10.

Tips

To convert any recipe for Passover, use two tablespoons matza cake meal with six tablespoons potato starch for 1/2 cup flour.

To make chocolate curls or shavings, microwave the chocolate chunk on the lowest possible power for 10 seconds. Let stand a few seconds, then scrape across the surface with a vegetable peeler. If hard shards break instead of curling, microwave another 10 seconds, and so on until correct temperature is reached. The pressure of the peeler and the angle will determine whether you get curls or shavings.

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