Matzo at Passover

By Tom Harte

Today is Palm Sunday, meaning Easter, the holiest day on the Christian calendar, will be celebrated next Sunday. But, as is typically the case, before Easter comes Passover, the most important religious festival in Judaism.

It begins tomorrow night at sundown.

One might argue that without Passover there would be no Easter since the Last Supper was a Seder, the ritual Jewish meal at which the story of Exodus is retold. After all, Jesus was a Jew, though an occasionally insubordinate one.

Not every Biblical scholar agrees the Last Supper was actually a Seder, but the similarities are striking, so much so that many American Christians have begun celebrating Seders during Holy Week in an attempt to further their appreciation of their religious roots. Moreover, some scholars argue a straight line can be traced between the Eucharist and the Passover meal with the body of Christ linked directly to the unleavened bread that is the centerpiece of the Passover observance as well as the basis of the communion wafers used by the Catholic Church and some Protestant denominations.

Bubbling caramel is poured over a base of matzos as the first step in making matzo toffee.TOM HARTE

Most holidays revolve around food, of course, but during Passover, food is more than something to eat -- it is an edible symbol of the events celebrated by the holiday, and the prime example is unleavened bread, or matzo, the only food the Hebrew Bible orders the children of Israel to eat, which, as the Oxford Companion to American Food and Drink notes, makes it the most Jewish food there is.

The significance of unleavened bread in the Passover story, which chronicles the plague-abetted flight of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt, is as a reminder of the speedy departure that the circumstances of their escape required -- so speedy, in fact, there was no time to wait for bread to rise. As the Bible puts it, "They baked unleavened cakes of the dough which they brought forth out of Egypt, for it was not leavened, because they were thrust out of Egypt and could not tarry. ..."

Ever since, Jews have been commemorating their liberation by eating matzo, among other emblematic foods, at Passover. But just eating matzo is not enough. During Passover observant Jews must forgo leavened products altogether. And as if that weren't enough, they must rid their houses of any trace of them. Not for nothing does the Torah call Passover the feast of unleavened bread.

Nor is it any wonder that Jews take unleavened bread seriously. Some years ago, for example, Israel's Interior Minister raided local restaurants to nab any serving leavened bread during Passover.

And when machine-made matzo was invented in 1838 it generated controversy. With the opening of the Manischewitz matzo factory 50 years later, however, machine-made matzo became widely accepted.

Matzo toffee begins with matzos lined up on a sheet pan and ready to be bathed in caramel and chocolate.TOM HARTE ~ photos@semissourian.com

The brand is still the world leader.

Now matzo is readily available in almost any grocery store, so why leave it just to those of the Jewish faith? Eaten by itself it is nothing to rave about, but cleverly used as an ingredient, it can really shine. I've seen recipes for pizza, fried chicken, lasagna, apple cake, even tiramisu that start with matzo. And then, of course, there's the famed Jewish delicacy, Matzo Ball Soup. As far as I'm concerned, such recipes are sacred texts.

Matzo Toffee

Matzo enriched with caramel, chocolate and nuts is a treat you will not want to pass over any time of year. The recipe was created by cookbook author Marcy Goldman. My adaptation calls for a little more chocolate.

Melted chocolate chips are spread over caramel coated matzos to make matzo toffee.TOM HARTE ~ photos@semissourian.com

Chocolate, nuts, and caramel are the ingredients used to turn plain matzo into something extravagant.TOM HARTE ~ photos@semissourian.com

• 4-6 matzos
• 2 sticks butter
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 cups chocolate chips
• 1-2 cups chopped nuts
• Kosher salt

Cover a parchment-lined half-sheet pan with the matzo, breaking up pieces as needed to fill in any spaces. Melt together butter and brown sugar and cook over medium heat until butter has melted and mixture begins to boil. Boil for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Spread evenly over matzo. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 10 to 15 minutes until topping bubbles all over. Remove from oven, cover with chocolate chips, let stand 5 minutes and spread melted chocolate evenly. Top with chopped nuts and sprinkle with kosher salt. Chill 2 hours before breaking into shards.