Fo

0

1 c)

0

Left: Sponge
cake with flair.

Below: Matzah
balls can be
tricky.

Common food
preparation problems
don't have to plague
your Passover meal.

ANNABEL COHEN

Special to The Jewish News

12

esachdik food, done well, is
a blessing. Fluffy matzah
balls in golden, flavorful
broth. Tender gefilte fish
like in the old country, with the per-
fect amount of onion and seasoning
and just a touch of sugar. Fork-tender
beef brisket, so rich, soft and bathed
in a robust sauce.
But even your best intentions don't

I 3/27
1998

28

always add up to a successful holiday
meal. Matzah balls turn into golf balls.
Your chicken broth often tastes watery
or greasy and experiences UFOs
(unidentified floating objects). The
gefilte fish can be dry and tasteless.
And you practically need a chain-saw
to cut through the brisket.
But all is not lost. The following
list of common holiday meal flops can
be repaired. Best of all, you don't have
to be a master chef to correct them.
Even if you've repeated the same mis-

takes time and again, this year don't
let your cooking be the 11th plague.

DELICIOUS
ROAST CHICKEN

Brush the chicken with olive oil or
margarine before putting it in the
oven to roast. Season the skin well. As
you baste, the seasonings will wash
down into the basting liquid.
Roast the, chicken, uncovered, in a
hot (425-450) oven. The heat will seal
the juices in the bird.

For whole chickens, place vegeta-
bles and seasonings in the cavity of the
bird before cooking. As they give up
their liquids, they will add wonderful
flavor to the basting juices.
Start basting the chicken after
about 10 minutes of roasting. If there
are no roasting juices at this point,
brush a little olive oil over the skin or
pour a small amount of wine over the
bird. Baste again, every 5 to 10 min-
utes.
PASSOVER FIXES on page 130