It's Beginning To Look A lot Like Pesach

it is 8:00 p.m. in the holy city of safed.  we have to check for chometz now.  I didn't finish cleaning the downstairs apartment.  I spent the day cooking and preparing for the Seder.  I enlisted my good pal to come over and crack nuts.  she got here before 11:00 a.m. and was finished by nearly 3:00 p.m.  her thumbs were also finished.  while she cracked I cooked.  I made a pot of turkey neck soup with turkey meatballs.  I used fresh parsley for the first time, ever. I have the custom of not using spices on pesach.  it is hard to make tasty food.  I made a small amount of chopped liver, a pot of mashed potatoes, a pot of chicken thighs in white wine, orange juice and ginger and a small piece of beef in red wine and honey.  I added honey to the chicken , too.  I made a generous amount of charoset. that is the paste like mixture of nuts and apples. I used almonds and walnuts, ginger root, apples, dates and a couple of pears.

I hold a chabad custom of peeling everything.  I forgot how much work that is.  I peeled the dried dates. I made a few tilapia fillets in a tomato sauce and I peeled the tomatoes and a small hot pepper, to boot. I also peeled my celery.  most people use a celery root.  I chose the real deal but had to peel it.  I ran out of peppercorns and used processed black pepper.  I used way too much.  everything is way too peppery.  I should have grated the ginger into the chicken.  you can't really taste it unless you chew a slice of it.

I have never cooked the day before pesach.  I think I was off my game.  I just burnt a pot of diced beets.  I could have sworn that I had turned off the gas. oh well....  I have some over ripe avocados in the fridge.  perhaps,  I can make a guacamole type of salad.  I will stop right now before a bigger disaster occurs.  I will do my chometz check in a moment.  I wrapped 10 small pieces of bread and placed them into 10 sandwich baggies.  you strategically place them around the house and then scoop them up.  tomorrow, we burn them in a ritualistic fire.

I will wait until the dog is outside to make a move.  I will then call it a night.  I have been eating and tasting food all day long.  pesach food has a mystical taste.  it never tastes the same after pesach.  everything tasted bland today but tomorrow it will be brilliant.  the taste of pesach.  I will also go downstairs in the morning and finish washing the floors.  there really isn't any chometz downstairs. wishing you all a happy and kosher pesach!.