Because I said it's different, that's why!

The title of this entry is in reference to the Four Questions (Ma Nishtanah) that are recited at both Passover seders. The first question: מה נשתנה, הלילה הזה מכל הלילות is questioning, "why is this night different from all other nights?"

Without delving into a religious and historical explanation, just the changes in the types of foods eaten during Passover are different from all other nights. Unless you are a matzah-fanatic and eat it all year round.

Quickly, chabad.org gives a nice, brief, but understandable description of the eight-day holiday of Passover.

The preparations for Passover begin well before the holiday begins. For me, I started to clean the kitchen about a week before and I started shopping for food items about five days before.

Probably the most widely know Passover custom is not eating bread. Well, it isn't so simple! Observance of Passover stems to all bread and bread-like products, grains--breads, cakes, cereal, pasta, beer--these items are called chametz. Any food product made with wheat, rye, barley, oats, corn spelt that has been allowed to rise (leavened) is prohibited (chabad.org).

To prepare, I took all of the non-Passover food out of the kitchen refrigerator and off of the kitchen counters. I Lysol-ed these surfaces and covered with aluminum foil. I'm not exactly sure where the foil custom comes from, but it provides a nice, clean barrier from the non-Passover surfaces.

Since throughout the year we cook with chametz, crumbs, small pieces or burnt pieces may cake onto the stove burners or inside the oven, so I must clean these surfaces as well. Making the stove and oven ready for Passover is called kashering (like, making kosher). I turn my burners on for a certain amount of time and also run the oven self-cleaner for another specific time.

Just as we have separate cooking and eating utensils, bakeware, and plates for dairy and meat foods, we have separate cooking bowls, separate cooking utensils and separate mugs/glasses for Passover. This is because throughout the year we eat chametz on our regular dishes and for Passover we must have chametz-free surface! (We even have separate Passover toothbrushes--don't worry we change these every year!)

So now you can see why Passover cooking can be challenging! I will begin posting recipes tomorrow night--I think I'll make two things tomorrow, and I am excited!

Pesach sameach!
I leave you with a Passover Poodle!