Get out the Haggadah, that small printed prayer book that both tells the story of Passover along with all of the prayers and believe me there is a prayer over just about everything. Years ago you could only find it written in Hebrew. These days you can get it in Hebrew with both a transliteration (sounds as if you know your Hebrew) and English translation. In addition, there is an Haggadah for feminists. Who do you think did all the work and it was Miriam who made the prediction!
Most New York Metropolitan area supermarkets have been stocked with food that is "Kosher For Passover". You also have a store such as Ben's, a kosher deli that offers ready made food for your seder table. What you need to consider is whether you want to do the prepping, cooking and cleaning. You have the two nights for the seder and the rest of the week to dine without the traditional seder food that centers around the Haggadah itself. (By the way, all of the kosher restaurants are closed for Passover).
Here are some alternatives. Most of the Fairway Markets have been offering a catered menu that is considered to be "Kosher Style". In other words you have the traditional foods to choose but it is not coming from a kosher kitchen nor, other than Murray's Kosher chickens, are any of the meats Kosher.
If it's too late to get it catered for Friday and Saturday's seders there are a few options. One is to get all of the ingredients and cook to your hearts content. The other is to purchase many of the items on the menu at their deli department. Lastly, combine the two.
There are items that I really don't care to pochka with. Gefilte fish is one of them. No matter who comes out with it in a jar or frozen, it only tastes good when you get it freshly made, so get it at the deli counter. Fairway has the chicken soup, chopped liver and matzo balls. Matzo meal, eggs and chicken fat are the basic ingredients for matzoh balls. Chicken livers, hard boiled eggs, onions and chicken fat (what would we Jews do without chicken fat) make for chopped liver and there's always a package of soup greens along with kosher chicken bones for the stock.
For some main dishes, they are offering brisket of beef (non-kosher), Cornish Hens, Grilled or poached salmon as well as the already cooked roasted Murray's kosher chickens.
If you want salmon that is KFP...what? Okay, here's the thing. The rabbi goes into a room to filet the salmon, so it's not near any of the non-kosher fish...any fish that eats off the bottom of the ocean and a few others. I interviewed the rabbi as he was placing the packaged salmon filets on a separate table. The down side was that the scales were not removed! That kills the idea of frying up the salmon skins.
Now we go into many of the side dishes. Fresh made Haroseth, Israeli Salad, Honey-glazed Carrots, Beet and cucumber salad, Horseradish Potato Gratin, Potato Latkes with Apple Sauce, Potato Kugel, and Vegetable Tzimmes. All of these items can be purchased at the deli department.
As for desserts, there is so much to choose from including those special chocolate covered matzohs and macaroons. Me, I got the flourless chocolate cake. I wondered what the ingredients were. Interesting to notice that if pastry is boxed, the ingredients have to be listed. If you get pastry from their bakery counter, you have to ask. Although Fairway does there own baking (kosher but not KFP) much of the pastries are coming from their main facility in Manhattan.
However, there is one location in Stamford offering a glatt kosher menu. I gave a call to Yitzchok Kaplan to ask about it all. I would have loved to have gone to this location to do a tasting! The recipes are not the same as those offered at the deli counter and the meats are kosher! He told me that during the tasting people absolutely loved the gefilte fish...now that's a tease! Orders must be places by April 3rd for April 6th and 7th and available for the rest of the holiday. Call Yitzchok Kaplan at 516-805-4351. To view the menu go to www.fairwaymarket.com/catering and make sure you view the Stamford store where you will see one that says Kosher for Passover. No deliveries...pick it up and try not to nosh on the way home!
One of Fairway's cafes, known as Fairway Cafe and Steakhouse, located at Broadway and 74th Street is offering a seder (kosher style) for each of the seder nights. Here's what the website says, "Join Mitchel London for the first annual Passover Dinner at the Broadway Cafe Friday April 6th and Saturday April 7th. Price is $45 per person. Haggadahs, a Seder Plate and an Afikomen will be provided. Meal will include Passover classics like Chicken Soup with Matzo Balls, Chicken Liver, Braised Brisket, Tzimmes and Potato Pancakes and sweet Coconut Macaroons for dessert."
