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A New Menu

A new Passover

Lynne Konstantin
Arts & Life Editor

cookbook offers

global flavors

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A11711011

'Ng M. IDA

KOSHER BAK

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lthough Passover is the
biggest Jewish holiday
and exquisite
for entertaining, it
also is limited by stringent food
deliciousness. restrictions. But we like to eat,
and we like our guests to enjoy
— what do we do?
In the just-published The New
Passover Menu (Sterling Epicure;
$24.95), author Paula Shoyer
titles a chapter "Freedom from
Passover Food Oppression," writ-
ing "Jews who host the holiday
often feel that preparing the
house and food for Passover
makes them feel a
little too much like
the Israelite slaves"
Thankfully, her book
has arrived to set us
free.
Shoyer, a former
attorney, graduate
of the Ritz Escoffier
pastry program in
Paris and teacher
of French and
Jewish baking in
the Washington,
D.C., area, fills her
gorgeously photo-
graphed book with
holiday recipes
41■4
- PAULA SHOYER
divided into eight
-
r
jr-
r
- -tr\
, distinct menus,
start to finish, and
including yom tov, Shabbat and
weekdays.
Among her recipes, many of
which are infused with global
flavors, are variations on clas-
sic favorites, like Chicken Soup
with Chicken Meatballs, Middle
Eastern Charoset and Fresh
Salmon Gefilte Fish Loaf with
Arugula, Avocado and Mango
Slaw. But she also brings recipes
that, while adhering to Passover's
dietary laws, are pure culinary
innovations: Seared Tuna with
Olives and Capers, Moroccan

March 26 • 2015

Spiced Short Ribs, Garlic-
Marinated Steak with Onion
Jam, Spaghetti Squash Fritters
and Potato Gnocchi with Pink
Sauce among them.
Shoyer even devotes a chap-
ter to desserts — faux Passover
cereal and an omelet a day are
no longer necessary. She offers
Gluten-Free Waffles, Crumb
Cake Muffins, Passover Rolls
and Fruit and Nut Granola. And
though many of the desserts
are gluten-free, her goal is lovely
presentation with mouthwater-
ing results: Meringue Fruit Tart,
Flourless Chocolate Cake with
Marshmallow Icing, Fully Loaded
Cookie Bars and more.
Hungry for Passover? Who
knew. Here, we offer a taste of

The New Passover Menu.

LAMB STEW WITH
APRICOTS, PEAR
AND MINT
Moti Yitzhaky was an auto
mechanic before he opened
Moti's Market and Grill in
Rockville, Md., which now pro-
vides that community with a
full-service kosher butcher, baker
and grocery store, all in one. He
applies the same precision from
his former career to recipe devel-
opment and has created flavorful
food inspired by his Moroccan
ancestry and beyond. Moti gave
Shoyer a recipe that was the
inspiration for this one, a hearty
stew brightened up for spring
with fresh pear and mint.
Prep time: 20 minutes. Cook
time: 2 hours 10 minutes. May be
made 2 days in advance.

2 tablespoons extra virgin
olive oil, divided
3 pounds boneless lamb, cut
into 11/2-inch pieces
2 medium onions, cut in half
and thinly sliced
6 cloves garlic, roughly
chopped
2 teaspoons lemon zest (from

1 lemon)
V3 cup fresh orange juice
(from 1 orange)
1 cinnamon stick
1 tablespoon honey
2 cups beef, chicken or
vegetable broth
1 /4 teaspoon salt
'/s teaspoon black pepper
6 ounces dried apricots
V2 cup sliced almonds,
toasted (see below)
1 large pear, not peeled, cut
into 2-inch cubes
1 /4 cup chopped fresh mint
leaves

In a large wide saucepan or
Dutch oven, heat 1 tablespoon of
the oil over medium-high heat.
Add the lamb pieces in batches
and cook, using tongs to turn
the pieces, until well-browned
on all sides. Do not crowd the
pan. Remove the browned pieces
to a large bowl. Add the onions
and garlic to the saucepan plus
the other tablespoon of oil and
cook, scraping the bottom of
the saucepan to avoid sticking,
for 5 minutes, until the onions
are browned. If the onions start
to burn, turn the heat down to
medium.
Add the lemon zest, orange
juice, cinnamon stick, honey and
broth to the saucepan and bring
to a boil. Season with salt and
pepper to taste. Return the lamb
pieces to the saucepan, cover and
cook on low heat for 11/2 hours.
Add the apricots, almonds and

pear cubes to the pan, stir and
cook for another 40 minutes. Add
the mint, stir and serve.
Serves 8.

LINZER TART

This gluten-free recipe may be
the reason you buy a rolling pin
for Passover, which you can also
use for the shortbread cookies or
the pear tart (also in the book).
In a pinch, a wine bottle works
very well.
You can make this dessert
with any flavor jam you like.
Sometimes Shoyer spreads a red
jam on half the crust and apricot
jam on the other half. She uses a
pastry cutter, a small fluted wheel
on a handle, to cut the dough
strips to achieve a ridged look,
but you can use a knife instead.
The crust requires 3 cups of three
different kinds of ground nuts; if
you do not have enough of one
type, you can substitute another.
Prep time: 15 minutes; chill
dough 45 minutes; 10 minutes to
chill lattice strips.
Bake time: 10-15 minutes for
crust; 35-40 minutes for tart.
May be made four days in
advance and stored covered at
room temperature.

Y2 cup (1 stick) margarine
1'/2 cups ground almonds
1 cup ground walnuts
'/2 cup ground hazelnuts
(with or without skins)
'/2 cup potato starch
1 /4 cup granulated sugar, plus