Cookbook: Let My People Eat!

Let My People Eat!

Passover Seders Made Simple
A Complete Guide to the Passover Seder
for Everyone: Jewish and Non-Jewish
by Zell Schulman

When we think of the Passover Seder, we picture a table surrounded by generations of a Jewish family sharing recipes that have been passed down, while they engage in customs that have always been a part of their lives. These days, there are many new faces around the Seder table: young adults eager to establish their own Jewish customs, intermarried couples interested in learning new religious practices, and those of other religions who enjoy participating in this holiday which is rich in heritage and tradition.

With these new faces come many questions and not just the ceremonial "Four Questions" but queries such as What is the Seder plate and where can I find one? What goes on the Seder plate? Are there traditional dishes for the festive meal? I know I can't serve bread, but what else is forbidden? Let My People Eat! Passover Seders Made Simple by Zell Schulman (Macmillan USA; April 1998, $27.50/hardcover) answers these questions and many more, bringing all the Passover rituals and recipes to anyone's Seder table.

Perhaps an intermarried couple is having Passover at their house this year. Or maybe someone has decided to become more involved in the Jewish holidays and traditions. Either way, the first question asked is most likely "Where do I begin?" Zell Schulman takes readers by the hand, offering a crash course in planning a Seder. She provides lists, explanations, and sources for everything from ceremonial objects to stocking the Passover pantry. She describes the many ways to prepare the Seder plate, including recipes and explanations of the symbolic meanings of the traditional foods, and shows cooks how to set the Seder table.

Keeping in mind the differing Jewish backgrounds as well as special diets, Zell offers Ashkenazic (Eastern European), Sephardic (Mediterranean), and vegetarian variations for the traditional Seder plate items. With detailed diagrams of the Seder plate and Seder table, preparing for Passover has never been so easy. And of course, there is the festive meal. (What would a Jewish holiday be without the food?)

Whether cooks are new to Jewish cooking, looking for more contemporary recipes, or restricted by special diet needs, Let My People Eat! has a menu to satisfy. There are six complete menus to choose from: Ashkenazic, Sephardic, "Off the Shelf," Healthful, Vegetarian, and Ecumenical Potluck (This Seder features recipes with other religious and ethnic flavors that allow non-Jewish guests to participate in the cooking). The recipes offer easy-to-follow directions, are innovative, and so appealing, they'll become year-round dishes.

At the end of each menu, Zell offers a complete shopping list and a schedule for preparing the Seder meal in advance so the cook can sit and enjoy this meaningful holiday with family and friends. What if there is a vegetarian at the table but the traditional meal in this home is brisket? The flexible menus allow for mixing and matching dishes, and the Additional Recipes chapter offers a variety of flavorful dishes. Let My People Eat! enables people from all backgrounds to enjoy the Passover Seder including the cook!

In addition, there is a chapter on kosher wines and food pairings. Zell has even included a ten- year Passover calendar, a Passover pronunciation key and glossary, and ingredient substitutions that are kosher for Passover.

Let My People Eat! is the Passover Seder source packed with:

Instructions for planning the Seder Lists Explanations and sources for the ceremonial objects
Tips for stocking the pantry for Passover
Explanations about preparing the Seder Plate and setting the Seder table
Six complete Seder menus: Ashkenazic, Sephardic, "Off the Shelf," Healthful, Vegetarian, and Ecumenical Potluck
A chapter of additional recipes, Kosher wines, Passover calendars, pronunciation key and glossary, and ingredient substitutions.

An educational tool as well as a cookbook, Let My People Eat! really does make Passover Seders simple.

Zell Schulman is the author of two books, Something Different for Passover and Planning Perfect Parties. She writes the column "The Modern Jewish Cook" for The American Israelite, is a food consultant for the Royal Wine Corporation, and is a frequent guest chef and lecturer on Jewish cooking for local television shows. She is also a contributing writer to The Food Forum of the International Association of Culinary Professionals. Zell is active in numerous Jewish and non-Jewish community organizations at both the local and national level. She lives in Cincinnati with her husband, Melvin.

Let My People Eat!
Passover Seders Made Simple
A Complete Guide to the Passover Seder
for Everyone: Jewish and Non-Jewish
by Zell Schulman
Macmillan USA 1998
$27.50 hardcover
ISBN: 0-02-861259-0