Matzah Wars

Re-posted from : Frost Street

PS - Don't forget to read labels to make sure your Matzah is Vegan & Kosher for Passover

Matzah may be the least palatable food ever devised by man. But for a week, we must eat it, or tempt the wrath of God. So I've taken it upon myself to find the least offensive matzah on the market today. I've collected all the varieties of matzah I could find in various supermarkets (21 total) and conducted a taste test to identify the tastiest matzah of them all. (That's Frost Street: Eating all the crap so you don't have to). Before getting into the tasting notes, I should explain the categories of matzah listed below. If you lack patience for all this detail, you can skip right to my recommendations.

Traditional Matzah: This is your garden-variety bread of haste, made from special Passover wheat flour and water (more on what makes the flour special in a second). Sometimes egg is added for flavor and body. The point is that these matzahs are perfectly suitable for the Passover table, and are mass produced so as to be widely available.

Shmura Matzah: This is the pascal equivalent of artisinal bread. The word "shmura" means "watched", a reference to the requirement that a rabbi watch every stage of production, from the harvesting of the wheat, through its threshing and milling, on to mixing and baking, to ensure that no water is introduced before its proper time. Shmura matzah is made in small batches, often of whole grain flour, and typically in hand-formed round wafers (distinguishable from the square shape of mass-produced varieties). Most shmura matzah is made in areas with large Jewish populations, and sold to the local community (the most notable exception being shmura matza made in Israel for sale in the United States). I have included in my tasting only one example of shmura matzah, found in a grocery store.

Designer Matzah: Much of the matzah on the market today is not kosher for Passover. Nine of the 21 matzahs I found fell into this category (six of them carrying the Manischewitz name). These matzahs usually contain added flavors -- some of them are even flavored with malt, a definite Passover no-no due to the fermentation taboo. No observant Jew may eat these products during Passover, and no rational creature would eat them if not compelled by religion or starvation to do so. Their raison d'être escapes me, but my guess is that there are many Jews who like to obey religious imperatives in spirit rather than in letter, so I have evaluated them all the same.

Traditional Matzah

Streit's This is the grand old matzah of the Lower East Side, manufactured here by five generations of the Streit family for almost a century. Light and neutral in flavor, not too brittle nor too grainy in texture, this is the benchmark against which I'll judge all the other traditional matzahs.

Manischewitz Sodium Free Manischewitz (pronounced man-uh-SHEV-its) is the Wonder Bread of matzah. You can find it just about anywhere matzah is sold. I was unable to find a kosher-for-Passover Manischewitz matzah that had any sodium; presumably this is the standard product. It is a bit darker than Streit's, with a more burnt, carbony flavor. Some may find this to be a welcome alternative to the utter blandness of other matzahs; I do not. There is also a faint musty aftertaste to the Manischewitz; this may be a result of improper storage, but improper storage may be an inevitable consequence of Manischewitz's massive volume. This comes in a bigger box (16 oz. instead of 10 oz. for most other matzahs).

The Vegan Passover Sedar! The Remix.

We all know the classic movie with Charlton Heston and the lyrics to Swing Low Sweet Chariot - But you may not know that those things have anything to do with Passover. See Passover is the Jewish celebration of when God spared the Jews from the curse of the first born and freed them from slavery in Egypt. The traditions behind this 7 day celebration of unleavened bread and freedom have gone on for literally thousands of years and are there to remind Jews that God doesn't approve of oppression and exploitation. So it's about time we celebrated new school style!

So let's break it down . . .

Can you really celebrate the end of slavery with eggs and meat on your plate?

The traditional Sedar plate includes an egg (Beitzah) - some say this represents a sacrifice others say it represents a new beginning.No matter why you have on it on there - there is no disputing that that egg laying hens suffer unthinkable cruelty - including intense confinement, debeaking and a short life lived in ammonia filled sheds. I like to replace the Beitzah with an avocado. Not only does it replace the egg aesthetically - the seed inside reflects the sentiment behind this place on the plate without contributing to an industry that is completely indifferent to the suffering they profit from.

Of course there is also the roasted shank bone ( Z'roa ) - to represent the lamb that was sacrificed and eaten at the Temple of Jerusalem and also the blood that was used to mark the doors of the Israelites . . . but just like Jews have come to embrace technology like airplanes and running water . . . embracing advancements like more compassionate alternatives to meat truly reflects the spirit behind Passover. I used a piece of TVP for my plate. . . but I've heard of people using a beet ( which gets a big thumbs up from the Talmud ). Whatever you use - the facts are that today's factory farms are hell on Earth for animals and even certified Kosher slaughterhouses have been exposed as being careless and wantonly inhumane and their by-products are about as far as you can get from a celebration of freedom.

With so many recipe sites that offer vegan alternatives to traditional Passover favorites - it is easier than ever to have a Sedar that reflects the true spirit behind this celebration and what makes this one of my favorite Holidays!

I hope you'll consider making your Sedar vegan this year and to help - Here's just a few of my favorite recipe sites to help :

Passover Recipes
Post Punk Kitchen Forum
heebnvegan
Veg Source Passover Menu

Shalom!

4 Products that Should be in EVERY Vegan Kitchen

So there are the obvious food stuffs ( like Tofu and Potatoes ) that all us vegans usually keep a well stocked supply off. . . and of course the staples - the Flour and the Brown Sugar ( a great substitute for white sugar in cookie recipes to keep them chewy ) . . . BUT these are the REAL gems! The 4 Products that can make a vegan kitchen step out from behind the Granola Lentil Loaf Stigma and amaze even the most meatiest of haters.

In no particular order :

• Nutritional Yeast : Yes -An unfortunate name that keeps many people from trying this little bit of heaven turned into a yellow powder that is the perfect replacement for Parmesan cheese ( I mean seriously sprinkle it on pizza, salad, popcorn - whatever ). It is also the key ingredient to the best Mac & Cheez ever ( see below ) and making a vegan gravy that you'll want to eat like soup.
  

• 3 1/2 cups elbow macaroni
• 1/2 cup ( 1 stick ) vegan margarine
• 1/2 cup flour
• 3 1/2 cups boiling water
• 1 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 Tbsp. soy sauce
• 1 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• Pinch of turmeric
• 1 1/2 cup nutritional yeast flakes
• A few dashes of liquid smoke
• Paprika & Black Pepper, to taste

• Preheat the oven to 350°F.
• Cook the elbow macaroni according to the package directions. Drain and set aside.
• In a saucepan, melt the margarine over low heat. Whisk in the flour.
• Continue whisking over medium heat until smooth and bubbly.
• Whisk in the boiling water, salt, soy sauce, liquid smoke, onion powder, garlic powder, and turmeric - add a few dashes of black pepper to taste.
• Continue whisking until dissolved. Once thick and bubbling, whisk in the nutritional yeast flakes.
• Mix 3/4 of the sauce with the noodles and place in a casserole dish. Cover with the remaining sauce and sprinkle with the paprika.
• Bake for 15 minutes.
• Broil for a few minutes until crisp.

• Liquid Smoke : A substance produced from a variety of wood smoke passed through water that can be found in any grocery store and added to any recipe you want to add a smoky cheddary flavor to ( see above ) and to any mock meat or tofu to add a grill or meatier flavor to. . . Also what I plan to name my first child . . . I love you Liquid Smoke.
  

• Morningstar Farms Grillers Chik'n Veggie Patties : Yes - They are vegan ( but it is Morningstar so read the package to make sure they haven't changed the recipe ). We have been eating veggie burgers for years. It is the perfect easy meal after work or summer BBQ staple. . . but these mix it up a bit and you can even shake and bake them for fried chik'n. . . also try mixing together some Olive Oil and Liquid Smoke and bake. . . Healthy and you can cut them up to put on top of a salad or in a sandwich.
  

• Wine : A nice glass while you cook is always a good rule to live by but cooking with the wine can make a recipe unique and healthier at the same time. Cooking up Tofurky Italian Sausage in some olive oil and red wine can add a bit more flavor to a Marinara or Summer sauce and make it so you can use less oil . . . a splash of white wine can make a vegetable or potato soup more flavorful without adding salt. It may take some experimenting BUT so worth it!

Thank me later - with cookies!

Challah at your Goys!

SO - Admittedly we have sucked at keeping up with this thing. . . BUT NOW WE'RE BACK!

With Passover right around the corner we using this page as a resource for recipes, Sedar tips and of course the annual "Will Not Be Attending" List. . . All coming soon!

Until then - Here's an educational film where 50 cent and a Robot help a hip Rabbi tell us a little but about plagues and the reason for the season. . .

Next year in Jerusalem - Mutta F#@*as!

Japanese Kitten is very concerned or confused.