Better Than Cardboard

Hmmm…not too many ratatouille fans, huh?  That’s too bad, it’s good!

I’ve got a confession for y’all.  Even though I’ve been talking about Passover this week, and sharing Passover recipes, I actually really don’t like Passover.  Sure, it’s a great excuse for spring cleaning (seriously, my kitchen is sparkling), but otherwise it’s mostly a pain in the butt.  There are several big meals, which are always rough on my stomach, even though they are delicious.  I feel a lot more limited by what I can and cannot eat.  I will say that it is so much better this year though.  For the first Passover in a long time I am not obsessively trying to track every calorie that I eat, or steadfastly avoiding all carbs.  That makes everything better generally.

Another confession is that I really just don’t like matzo.  I know a lot of my non-Jewish friends love the stuff, but I think that’s because it’s a novelty.  At the seders, it’s part of the rituals and customs to eat matzo.  It makes me want to be sick, because it’s dry and tastes like cardboard.  Nothing can make it better.  But, that’s the plain matzo.  Solomon and I refuse to buy it, instead buying egg matzo, which has some taste at least, and isn’t nearly as dry.  Oh, and another thing about matzo?  Well, let’s just say it’s a good thing I get a lot of fruits, veggies and other forms of fiber in my diet.

So how do we eat this delicious cardboard?  Glad you asked!  There are the basics, like hummus, or my favorite combination-cream cheese and preserves.  There are even matzo crackers perfect for dipping.  It’s like we have the world right at our fingertips.  Instead of just eating it plain though, most people get really creative with it.  Here are some of the few things I’ve done so far with matzo.  Oh, and we aren’t only eat matzo.  Far from it…it’s one of those easy, go to things when time is tight.  Or a lame snack.

Matzo pizza (which Solomon and I insist on calling macchu picchu).  Looks appetizing, doesn’t it?  Just matzo, tomato sauce, cheese and spices.  It doesn’t even come close to comparing to the real stuff.  I already miss pizza, it’s only been a few days.  Plus, the kosher for Passover sauce is not good.  It’s all sweet and has no chunks in it :(.

Matzo brie.  Now, this is something I actually enjoy!  It’s basically softened matzo and eggs scrambled together and fried.  There tend to be two camps when it comes to matzo brie-the sweet and the salty.  I can’t decide, and really enjoy both, so it just depends on my mood.  I’ve been enjoying it this year with a lot of this stuff:

Matzo can also be turned into candy!  Last night I made some matzo buttercrunch, which I enjoyed at Monday night’s seder.  It was pretty simple actually.  Melt butter and brown sugar, pour on top of the matzo and bake for 10 minutes at 375*.  Once the matzo has cooled for a few minutes, spread chocolate on top and break into small pieces.  Let the matzo buttercrunch hang out in the freezer for a bit so the chocolate can harden, and there you have it…matzo candy!

  Gorgeous?  No.  Surprisingly tasty?  Yes!

By the way, the one member of this household totally not stressing about Passover…you guessed it!

Sunning himself while I clean…love it!

If you celebrate Passover, what’s your favorite way to have matzo?  If you don’t celebrate, have you ever tried it?