april holiday menus
plus: lemon cream meringues
Monday, April 11, 2022
Good morning!
A few food TikToks I’ve enjoyed: Girl Scouts Samoas Matzo, How Chocolate Is Made, Library Card Cookies, Fried Chicken Sandwiches, kids are brutal, and how hard this made me laugh….
Join for the recipes, stay for the drama [Eater on Facebook recipe groups]
The Jewish holiday of Passover begins this Friday night, when I will be hosting the first Seder for the fourth time, which means, brace yourselves: my chopped liver recipe is coming to the web page of smittenkitchen.com at last. I’ve been holding back from you too long. Friday is also Good Friday and Sunday is Easter, which means that I hope spring celebrations are in full swing around you, religious or otherwise. Below, a few of my Passover go-tos, a few gorgeous dishes for your Easter table, and spring cleaning project I regretted 60% of the way through, but am so happy every time I walk by it now that it’s completed. I hope you have a wonderful week. I hope someone make you cake.
Cheers,
Deb
lemon cream meringues
New: Crisp outside and pillowy within meringues, puddled with lemon curd and finished with a dollop of whipped cream, are an absolute favorite this time of year for both Passover and Easter -- and because they look a bit like sun emerging from behind the clouds. We're ready.
how to make an overly obsessive spice rack
My spice rack was a mess. These videos (Reel, TikTok) make it look fun, but don’t be deceived. 🤣 And then TikTok served me this! What are they trying to tell me?
PASSOVER CLASSICS
matzo ball soup
The best thing since chicken noodle soup. I'm going to (humbly, so humbly) assert that this is the only recipe you'll ever need for perfect-every-time matzo ball soup that your local deli could only dream of. Make your bubbe proud and your belly happy.
tangy spiced brisket
If you’ve been felled by brisket recipes in the past that produced leaden, forgettable roasts, this recipe wants to be your brisket vindication -- tender, perfectly cooked, perfectly flavored every single time. It's even better on days two and three, should you want to get a lead on the holiday ahead.
potato kugel
Basically a massive hash brown (or mega-latke) with profoundly crispy edges and steamy-soft insides. It's the show-stealing complement to breakfast eggs, a dinner or Seder roast or even fancy party things, like crème fraîche and caviar.
wild mushroom pâté
What began as a hunt for a good vegetarian chopped liver turned into a deeply flavorful, robust spread as good on crackers as it is tossed with pasta or spread on sandwiches. [If you’re still longing for a chopped liver recipe, however, tune in this week on the site — it’s coming!]
FLOURLESS DESSERTS
chocolate caramel crackers
The GOAT of Passover desserts, these buttery, salted toffee-coated, chocolate slicked almond-crunched crackers are done in 30 minutes and will fully steal the dessert show.
raspberry coconut macaroons
If you think coconut macaroons are terrible, well, I think it's because you're not making these, which are marbled with fresh raspberries and such a cinch to make, you're going to want to do it pretty often.
chocolate hazelnut macaroon torte
Did you know one of my favorite cakes I've ever made just happens to be flourless and kosher for Passover? Four layers of toasted hazelnut macaroon are slicked with just the right amount of bittersweet chocolate before softening into a cake-like state against barely-sweetened whipped cream. The result is rich but unheavy; a year-round favorite.
toasted pecan cake
This flourless, gluten-free, 5-ingredient cake (7 with optional cream and berries) that leaves you with no leftover egg yolks or whites is my kind of spring miracle, and that's before you even taste the deeply toasted pecans, brown butter, and vanilla. This is unquestionably staple-worthy -- I hope you agree.
AN EASTER BRUNCH
baked eggs with spinach and mushrooms
One of my favorite brunch dishes of all time, eggs are baked in nests of lightly creamed spinach, mushrooms and parmesan. Scaled down in a skillet, it’s also great for lunch and dinner. Add some fresh biscuits and crispy bacon and you’ll be at the best restaurant in town.
quiche lorraine
I crave a good quiche with a luxe, bronzed finish like clockwork on rainy spring days. What sets this Quiche Lorraine from classic versions is two decadent additions: a heap of caramelized leeks and a rich tang from sour cream in the filling.
braided lemon bread
Sweet, buttery dough, cream cheese and lemon curd filling, and crunchy pearl sugar stud the prettiest, easiest braided pastry I've made -- basically a mega-danish. What are you waiting for?
mixed citrus salad with feta and mint
Impossibly fresh, pretty, and balanced this is one of my favorite additions to the breakfast table.
I’ve written two cookbooks and a third is on its way for this fall! I can’t wait to share it with you.
shop my favorites
Ever wondered where I got my cutting boards, peeler, whisk, or favorite baking dish? I've created a page on Smitten Kitchen with links to some of my favorite kitchen items, the ones I'm asked about the most.
See you next week!
