Memories of Passover and Aunt Beryle's Matzo Kugel
The Stern Family in the early 1960s. Image Courtesy of Marcie Baker
By Marcie Baker
Passover at our house was a monumental event. It always began with a phone call from my mother, Sarah Stern, to her cousin and best friend, Eleanor Hammer, to check on the dates of the holiday. Then, they would discuss what was and was not considered kosher for Passover. This conversation between Mother and Eleanor took place every year, even though the allowed foods had not changed since Moses brought down the tablets from Mount Sinai. The last order of business was to decide what to order from the kosher butcher in Atlanta. Since Columbia didn’t have a kosher butcher, Eleanor would place the order for brisket, ground beef, salami, hot dogs, and beef fry (the kosher version of bacon). (The order was the same for every Jewish holiday, except kishka was added for Rosh Hashanah.)
Next, my mother would prepare the house for Passover. The refrigerator, oven, stove, countertops, and cabinets were cleaned and all chametz was removed. My father would get on the ladder to get the Passover dishes down from the laundry room cabinet where they resided the rest of the year. I loved our milk Pesach dishes; they were apple-shaped, clear glass with matching coffee cups. My sister, Beryle Jaffe, and I still have those dishes.
My favorite part of Passover was “the receiving of the box.” My uncle, Max Posin, owned a kosher deli and grocery store in Washington, DC. Uncle Max would send down “Jewish” foods for all of our special occasions, and Passover was no exception. He would pack a huge box of kosher for Passover foods in dry ice and send it to us. I remember that we would pile into the car and drive downtown to the bus station to pick up “the box.” I couldn’t wait to get home to open and unpack the wonderful contents. The box had the exact same items every year, but it was always exciting to open! My favorites were the coconut covered marshmallows, the chocolate covered raspberry rings, and the fruit slices. I claimed the lemon and the lime fruit slices and the red ones were fair game for the rest of the family.
Finally, the night of the Seder arrived. Our Seders were not long and elaborate readings; we did a condensed version and most of it was in English, but it was always filled with love, laughter, traditions, and delicious food. These memories are truly the fiber of my being. I can still smell my mother’s delicious brisket, roast potatoes, and kugel. My sister and I have a tradition now where we bake a separate small kugel for Passover in one of mother’s dishes that is just for the two of us; it’s a little way to honor my mother and keep my childhood memories alive.
Beryle Stern Jaffe, Marcie Stern Baker, and daughters, Erin and Gabbi. Courtesy of Marcie Baker.
Matzo Kugel
By Gabbi Baker
This is one of my favorite Passover dishes from my Aunt Beryle.
1 ½ boxes matzo (crushed up in larger pieces)
1 cup water
1 cup orange juice
½ cup melted butter
2 beaten eggs
Salt to taste
Cinnamon and sugar to taste
Chopped apples, pecans, and raisins
6 tablespoons oil
Crush up pieces of matzo, not quite as small as matzo meal. Cover with water to dampen. Drain well. Add orange juice to keep it moist. Add salt, cinnamon, and sugar to taste. Add raisins, chopped pecans, and apples. Add melted butter and beaten eggs. Put 6-7 tablespoons of oil in Pyrex casserole and place in warm oven. Remove warmed dish and add all ingredients. Bake at 350 until edges are crisp around the edges.