Sedar at the Birds

Seder at our family is a big deal. The entire family gathers, as well as friends of the kids, and we cook up a storm. It's all traditional food, but mostly French traditional...

Below is our menu for this year, and my father's matzo ball soup recipe. It is both fool-proof and delicious.

YEHUDA'S MATZO BALL SOUP

Ingredients:

• 5 lbs. chuck, bone in if possible
• 1 lb. veal neck bones
• 1 lb. ox tails
• 5 carrots, peeled and chunked
• 2 onions, peeled and halved
• 1/4 bunch parsley
• 3 celery stalks
• 5 cubes beef soup
• Salt and pepper to taste

Put all ingredients except for salt and pepper in a large pot. Cover with water and add 3" of water on top of the meat and vegetables. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and let cook for 4 hours.

Strain the soup through a fine strain (I use a Chinois) and then refrigerate overnight. De-fat the soup by discarding the fat layer that forms on top. Heat it up and season.

The matzo ball recipe comes from Guy and Asi's first day care center teacher, Ruchama. It's simple and, again, fool-proof, as long as you like dense matzo balls, which I do. If you don't, just add water.

• 1 1/2 cups matzo meal
• 1 cup hot water
• 1 tsp butter
• 1/2 tsp salt

Mix the ingredients. Let sit for 20 minutes. Form balls and drop into the boiling soup. Cook until they pop to the top of the pot or 15 minutes, whichever comes first.

I typically double this recipe, given our family's insatiable appetite for these matzo balls. In my family we eat 4-6 matzo balls to a bowl, but we know it's excessive

SEDER AT THE BIRDS APRIL 7, 2007
Gefilte fish
Matzo ball soup
* * * * *
Shrimp in fennel and shallot sauce
* * * * *
Canard Montmorency Flambee (Duck in cherry sauce)
Elaine's Brisket
Carrots Vichy
Souffle des Epinard (spinach soufflé)
Dick's mashed potatoes
Peas and fennel
Roasted beets Regionale
* * * * *
Strawberry tart
Guy's Soufflé aux chocolat
Tarte Tatin
Fallen chocolate soufflé cake
Chocolate roulade a la Zauner
Milk cinnamon tart
Passion fruit Bavaroise