Matzoh, Matzoh, Matzoh

We Jews consume a lot of matzoh during the week of Passover.  

This holiday celebrates the liberation and freedom of the Israelites as they fled from Egypt in haste, not allowing enough time for their bread to rise.  Thus, the unleavened product of matzoh has become a symbol - and staple - this time of year in Jewish homes.   

Matzoh is the most known item in Passover cuisine for one main reason:  it is highly utilitarian.  It can act as a slice of bread and be spread with butter, cream cheese or jelly, or used as a base for sauce and cheese; be mixed with ingredients for matzoh ball soup; added to fruit and/or vegetables and eggs for matzoh kugel; be combined with scrambled eggs for fried matzoh; and my personal favorite is topped with chocolate and other goodies for a scrumptious dessert. 

As my daughter Allison says, "the beauty of it tasting like nothing is you can make it taste like anything," and that is very, very true but, in light of its versatility, it creeps up in most meals.

And granted, there's nothing offensive about it - it's not like having to incorporate liverwurst into a week's worth of meals - but it is carb-heavy, and loading up on it day after day can wreak havoc on one's digestive track.  

Yet, each year, I look forward to the arrival of Passover because it can be fun, festive, meaningful, signifies the start of spring and presents a nice break from everyday life.

However, in light of the heavy focus on matzoh and various restrictions such as no legumes, grains, etc., I have to talk myself through each day's meals, starting with the most basic rule of thumb of all:  Bread is out - a big NO-NO - and matzoh, regardless of the spelling of it, is in.

Here's a summary of my relationship with matzoh during the 8-day holiday:

Seder One:  I love matzoh!  It's delicious!  Why don't I have it year-round?

Seder Two:  This matzoh is OK, but is isn't as good as yesterday's.  Maybe it's a different brand? 

Day Three:  I don't like matzoh anymore, regardless of the brand, but I'll eat it if I have to.  Boy, I miss my oatmeal (also a no-no, as it is a grain).    

    

Day Four:  Enough is enough!  I haven't pooped since Seder One. 

    

Day Five:  Maybe I can stomach the matzoh tomorrow if I skip a day.   

  

Day Six:  Yes! I think I will be ready to have matzoh tomorrow since I took a matzoh-break today. 

Day Seven:  I was wrong.  I can't. 

Day Eight:   If I can't have what I really crave, I'd rather be hungry until tonight, when I can bite into something else...anything else will do.      

A local pizza place told me once that the busiest day of their year is on the night that Passover ends.  I don't really like pizza normally, but it always sounds heavenly after a week of Passover.

All I can do right now is drool over what next Saturday night will bring...