What a Wonderful Night

Sometimes you get a Matzo Apron, and everything just works out the way it's supposed to. This year's Passover seder was perhaps a little more spiritual than usual -- which isn't easy to do when it's unlikely that anyone at the table believes in God...at least not the wrathful God of the Old Testament nor the Your Best Buddy God of the NewTestament. Perhaps our testament is called Friendship. 

That's not to belittle the message -- it's just that when you all haven't gotten together for a year, there's lots to catch up on. The hagaddah is filled with references about how the old sages would drag it out until early morning, talking and talking and...talking. Can you imagine? A bunch of rabbis who can't stop talking?

It's about freedom, of course. But it's also true that nobody gets their freedom without taking a little something away from the people who used to feel very free while you were a slave. So -- you fight for what you truly need and then, as life goes on, you kind of define who is on your team -- your kids, your friends, your family. You're happiest when you play on a team.

Ducknik's table looked beautiful.

And the food broke some new ground this year. Same old brisket and potatoes, but something happened. It was better than past years. It all was a little more labor-intensive than usual and maybe that's why everything tasted that little bit better. Sarah's Resplendent matzo balls started dinner off and then a mango-avocado-lime juice salad, Mary Ann's green salad and Bill's fabled White Sauce, Pip's brussels sprouts and Liz's almond torte rounded everything out, to go with Duck's macaroons, which were also better this year than ever before.

Rosie's Brisket -- the secret may be that everybody LIKES it when it's really soft and squishy and laden with that beefy-stewed tomato gravy. When Mummy P. made it, in the old days anyway when she was still Queen of her Kitchen, you got nice slices of tender beef with a tomato-y glaze. Plot still likes it that way best, and it always starts out like that, but by the time the seder has dragged on and the brisket has been warming in the oven for several hours -- well, it comes out soft, squishy, laden with gravy and filled with not only Umami but My Mommy.  

And those freaking matzoballs. Holy Jesus Was a Jew. Chef Sarah outdid herself this year. We also timed it so she didn't put them into poach in the broth until we finished the Plagues. Note to Self: 

PLAGUES: START THE SOUP

 Thanks to The Great Mushnik for several of these photos.

 Rosie: we'd have loved to have you here. BZWZ, PD, 5H, BB and Des: Kisses from The Crew.