Sweet Potato Kugel and Passover-Inspired Accoutrements
Last Sunday we celebrated Palm Sunday, and following what is becoming a St. Lydia’s tradition, we had a meal inspired by the foods of the traditional Passover seder in order to remind us of our history and connect us with both our Jewish ancestors and our living Jewish brothers and sisters. Here is a description of our menu, followed by a recipe for Sweet Potato Kugel.
Kugel: These casseroles are a cultural tradition more than a religious one, but many people eat kugel for Jewish holidays, and they can be made from noodles, matzo, cheese, or various other vegetables. Abstaining from leavened bread on passover commemorates the Exodus from Egypt, when tradition holds that the Jewish people had to make such haste that they could not wait for their bread to rise. The “bread of affliction” is a reminder of both the slavery Jewish people endured, and the freedom they experienced when they fled. Thus, our kugel was made of sweet potato.
Bietzah: Roasted eggs are served as a reminder of the hagigah, temple sacrifices that were offered as part of ritual life in the Temple before it was destroyed. Eggs were the traditional food of mourners, so the egg is a mournful reminder of the loss of the Temple. It is also a symbol of the circle of life, and a reminder that even when there is great destruction, there is always new life present as well.
Maror: We ate a bitter herb salad, with mixed greens, “frisée” and horseradish dressing. Maror is the Hebrew word for the herbs that are eaten as a reminder of the bitterness of the slavery that Jewish people endured in Egypt.
Charoset: This mixture of chopped nuts, fruit and honey is eaten as a symbol of the mortar used by Jewish slaves to build the storehouses of Egypt. There is also an association with fertility, since mishradic tradition holds that Jewish women would go out and seduce their husbands under the apple trees, in defiance of attempts by the Egyptians to stem reproduction by separating Jewish men and women. Some recipes also call for dates and honey, which are also mentioned in the Song of Songs, a book redolent with images of sexuality and fruitful love.
Karpas: Parsley (a reminder of spring and new life) is dipped into a bowl of salt water to represent the tears shed by Jewish slaves in Egypt.
Z’roa: A roasted lamb shank bone is set out on the plate to call to mind the traditional Passover lamb sacrifice that was offered in the Temple while it still stood and then roasted and eaten at home as part of the seder meal. The bone is not eaten, and can also be substituted by a roasted beet for vegetarians (which we should remember for next year).
Sweet Potato Kugel
24 small servings (or 12 large)
(NOTE: All spice measurements can and should be varied to match your taste.)
5 lbs. sweet potatoes (about 8 cups)
2 apples (something sweet and crisp – no mushy macs!)
5 eggs
1 cup golden raisins (You could also use dates. Just chop them and skip the soaking.)
½ cup orange juice (or the juice of one orange)
½ cup walnuts, crushed to small pieces
½ cup pecans, crushed to small pieces
1 ½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon powdered ginger
¾ teaspoon nutmeg
½ teaspoon cloves
butter for greasing
1) Pre-heat your oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 9×12 cake pan with butter. (I like the flavor this adds, but you can use cooking spray or line your pan with parchment paper.)
2) In a small bowl, soak the raisins in orange juice, adding water so the raisins are covered. (You can speed up the plumping by microwaving for 30-45 seconds.)
3) Peel the sweet potatoes. Using a grater blade on a food processor or a box grater, grate them. Put the grated sweet potatoes in a large mixing bowl.
4) Beat the eggs. (The fluffier they are, the fluffier your kugel.) Mix into sweet potatoes.
5) Grate the apples, add to the sweet tater & egg mixture.
6) Stir in the salt and spices.
7) Add the raisins and soaking liquids. Stir.
8) Pour/scoop mixture into your cake pan, smoothing flat.
9) Sprinkle with crushed pecans and walnuts, pressing them a little into the kugel.
10) Bake 45 minutes or so, until the edges are a little browned and the top gets golden. Let it cool a bit, then cut into 24 pieces, but know that everyone will probably want more than one.
–Prepared by Richard with lots of help at St. Lydia’s on April 17