Dear Reader, I don’t know if you noticed, but Passover is
nearly upon us. Get ready to leave Egypt on Monday night!
This year, I am not quite ready to leave Egypt. I have only found time to make two batches of
Passover bagels (one batch for our college kids) and one batch of Passover
lemon squares ahead of time. Right now I
am off to do more baking, so I leave you with this tale of sibling rivalry from
last year.
* * * * * *
First off, I made Passover bagels. My husband suggested that next time I vary
the flavoring (gasp), and his suggestion for once did not involve Cream of
Mushroom soup. So I made a foray into
uncharted territory (appropriate for Passover, eh?!): cinnamon raisin flavor. I left half of one on my son’s plate at
dinner, for him to try. He is our
biggest consumer of Passover bagels, so if he likes them, I’ll make more.
He saw the inexplicable brown thing on his plate, was suspicious, and said,
“What is this?”
My husband said,
“It’s the Dead Sea bagel.”
Son: “Do you mean it’s a dead Sea-bagel, or it’s a
Dead Sea bagel?”
I said, “It’s a Red Sea bagel, actually.”
Son: “Do you mean a Reed Sea bagel?”
(He references the assertion
among Biblical scholars that the Bible misnames the sea the Israelites
cross. They contend that it is not the
Red Sea, as labeled on today’s maps, but a sea of reeds.)
Me: “It’s a cinnamon raisin Passover bagel. I want to know if you like it.”
Youngest Daughter: “Why don’t I get to try some?”
Me: “You told me you didn’t want any because it
has raisins in it.”
YD: “Well, if he gets to try a piece, then I get
to try a piece too.”
Me: “Okay.
Son, give your sister a piece.”
They tried this delectable baked good. “Do you like it?” I asked.
YD: For a Passover bagel, it’s not too bad.
Son: It’s okay.
Me: I guess that’s a
ringing endorsement, considering it’s a Passover food.
I wonder if Moses, Aaron, and Miriam fought
over their Passover bagels, and if they had the same lukewarm testimony about them.
 |
| The Four Questions. Add the fifth question: "Why don't I get to try some?" |
4 comments:
I have never heard of
Passover bagels!
Well, they were still pre- wilderness wanderings with forty years' worth of manna, so I'm guessing yeah, they probably complained. Are Passover bagels different from regular bagels? Because I can't imagine cinnamon raisin bagels getting anything but high praise from me.
Passover bagels are definitely different from regular bagels. During Passover, leavening (yeast, baking powder, baking soda) is not allowed, and regular flour is not allowed. Passover bagels are made mostly of oil, water, potato starch, eggs, and matzo cake meal (finely ground Passover matzo). The only thing that makes them puff up are the eggs.
I KNEW that about the yeast. I feel so smart.
Almost as smart as your family.
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