Celebrating Each Other’s Holidays

Earlier this year, I invited a rag-tag group of friends to have Lunar New Year dinner with me. We went to Chinatown Brasserie and had a traditional whole fish, duck, noodles, and more. It was more than an opportunity for me to share the flavors and traditions of my culture; it was a way to say to my friends, “You are my family and I want you to share in the experiences that have shaped my life.”

Similarly, at the beginning of this week, I had the pleasure of joining some of these same friends for Passover dinner. With a grab-bag of religious and cultural backgrounds at the table, it was a fun affair with a lot of contemplation, singing, laughter, and of course eating. It seems like just about every year of my adult life, I’ve been invited to partake in a Seder, and I’m thankful. I think that it’s such a worthwhile experience to include our friends–and especially those outside our own traditions–in these experiences, as it fosters understanding and also shows that we are not so different from each other. We learn from each other, and I believe we can even contribute to each other’s holidays.

For instance, at Passover dinner on Monday, my friend Andrea (who is not Jewish, but does know a thing or to about dietary restrictions) happened upon a Passover-friendly recipe for an amazing chocolate tart (coconut macaroons smashed for the crust, coconut milk and chocolate for the filling). She made it, and it was phenomenal. It was a welcome treat, since –to paraphrase our hostess Patty–usually dessert at Passover is simply some chocolate covered matzo, since cooking everything else can take a long time.

So to add my own contribution to the Passover experience, here is my suggestion for a simple dessert recipe (inspired by my friend David’s amazing Sephardic charoset and also a reference to a Latino dessert pastry in a New York Times article):

Matzo Pastelitos

Dried figs, dried dates, and walnutsFilling (this is the bit inspired by David’s charoset and fueled by my strawberry compote experiment)

  • 1 cup dried dates, chopped
  • 1 cup dried figs, chopped
  • 1 cup dried apricots, chopped
  • 1 cup golden raisins, chopped
  • 1 cup (fresh) strawberries, diced
  • 2 cup walnuts, chopped (optional)

Combine all of the fruit items in a medium saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly. The liquid from the fresh strawberries will help everything to congeal into a thick syrupy consistency. Cook for about 5 minutes. Off the heat, fold in the walnuts if desired. Set aside.

Pastry

  • 6 to 8 standard matzo
  • 1 egg yoke, beaten (egg wash)

Run the matzo gently under cool water to wet them; this will make them pliable and less brittle.

Lay 3 – 4 sheets out in a 13 x 9 pan (this will be the bottom of your pastry). Spread out your filling on top of the matzo.  Layer 3 more matzo pieces on top. Use brush to apply egg wash evenly over the top layer.

Bake in a 350 degree oven for 20 minutes. Cut into rectangles or triangle wedges to serve.