Can you Passover the Matzo please?

Throughout the year, all we ever see come and go are holidays. Different holidays often have a typical kind of food that represent that holiday. Examples that come to mind are Corn Beef and Cabbage on St. Patrick's Day, Chocolate on Valentine's Day and Turkeys on Thanksgiving. A particular holiday that is approximating and is strongly represented by its food is Passover. Passover is distinctly represented by the one and only Matzo.

Passover is a holiday that is observed by Samaritans, those with Hebrew roots and those participating in Jewish practices. In the bible it is mentioned that God inflicted ten plagues upon the Egyptians to demonstrate his power. The last plague, #10 was the killing of all the firstborn of each and every family. "The Hebrews were instructed to mark the doorposts of their homes with blood of a spring lamb and, upon seeing this, the spirit of the Lord passed over these homes.."(Wikipedia). From this quote we can determine the origin of the holiday's name, Passover. The holiday is known to be a spring festival which always begins according to the Hebrew calendar on the 14th day of Nisan. This year Passover will begin sunset of March 29th and end on the 7th day, which will be April 6th.

Passover is also known as "The Festival of the Unleavened Bread" because of its traditional Matzo. During the Hebrews' escape from Egypt, they were in such a hurry to leave that they didn't have enough time to wait for the bread to rise. It is because of this that the tradition of eating Matzo is kept throughout the years to remember this important time in history. Although Matzo is "the" representation of Passover, there are other foods that come into the mix during this holiday. Bone of lamb is also on the menu to represent their sacrifice during this turmoil. A hard boiled egg is eaten to represent the "Jews' determination not to abandon their beliefs under oppression by the Egyptians."(BBC). Interestingly some foods are dipped into Saltwater to represent a slave's tears during that time. Green vegetables like lettuce, are eaten to symbolize new life. Charoset which is a paste made of nuts, cinnamons, apples and wine, represents mortar used to build palaces in Egypt. Among other things, four cups of wine are are put out during the dinner to remember the four times God promised freedom to the Israelites.

Even though foods can be tied up to involve part of tradition or history, they are other foods to be eaten during Passover that are just eaten because they are traditional in general and not necessarily because of a "holiday" tradition. Matzo ball soup, which is also known as "peasant soup" is generally eaten. Gefilte fish which is like a fish jelly is eaten with cranberry horseradish on the side. Lastly a dish that I even shared at a Seder once, Brisket. Brisket is a delicious beef dish that is prepared in a tasty sauce. While eating all of these delectable varieties, one can't help but realize that we are taking part in an important tradition that will continue to live on beyond our thought.

It can sometimes seem to be random as to why we eat certain types of food. Food can be a key to history because it is a tradition that is ever living throughout generations. It is a piece of the past that continues to communicate directly to us for it to only keep on living infinitely. Not only are specific foods a symbol for particular things but all together they can tell a story that we reflect upon every year and we continue to teach to others. Whether it's Passover, or Christmas or the 4th of July it is about our culture and how we live by it unconsciously. You may see that special meal that you eat once a year and think of it as "we eat it because that's just how it is" or " we do it because it tells a story about our ancestors". In the end, Food wins.

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(BBC) http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/judaism/holydays/passover_1.shtml

(Wikipedia) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passover#Spring_cleaning

You Definately Cannot Judge a Book by Its Cover!

I must admit that I was skeptical when we had to read Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquirel. It is difficult for me to be able to sit comfortable with a book that HAS to be read for a class because it can be a bit tedious. Boy was I wrong with book! I feel that I can identify myself with different aspects throughout the story. Tita, has many responsibilities that she has to attain to around the home because of tradition. In many Latin families, that is something that happens very often even until now. From learning how to cook to keeping up with necessary chores around the home, there's always something for a girl or woman of the house to do. While reading this book, I find myself many times feeling helpless for Tita, an example is Mama Elena always pushing her around like a slave rather than treating her like a daughter. I really felt Tita's frustration of seeing her one and only love everyday married with her sister Rosaura. What is even more hurtful, is that the reasons of her sufferings were caused by the person who gave her life - her mother. Even more frustrating was that every moment that Tita was able to share a glimpse, a touch or just a second near Pedro, Mama Elena always knew of it. Mama Elena always had a way of sensing if they were up to something. Every time this occurred, in the back of my mind, I just had a feeling that there was a definite reason why Mama Elena was always around making sure that Tita wasn't up to anything with Pedro. The obvious reason is that she knew that Tita and Pedro were in love with each other regardless of the marriage with Rosaura and that encounters between them could be dangerous. But in fact this was foreshadowing to something that was revealed later on. We come to find out after Mama Elena dies that she had a forbidden love once and she came very close to leaving her husband for this love. There is a saying in my country (or should I say, my mother's country) "Un ladrón piensa que todos son ladrónes", which translates to " A thief thinks that everyone else is a thief". This quote came to mind because Mama Elena knew of her own mischievousness during her youth when she was madly in love. She knew how dangerous love can be and how it can drive you to do sinful, unthinkable things, therefore she could not leave Tita alone for one second with Pedro.

Tita leaving the ranch was the best decision she could have made. Her rebellious actions I think, deep down made her mother realize that her daughters (including Gertrudis) were not at all like her - weak, instead they stood up for what they wanted. Even though Mama Elena was obviously furious with her actions, a mother could never truly disown their child. In addition, she had to realize that even though Tita did what she wanted, at the same time she fulfilled her promise (or should I say duty) to be by her mother's side until the day she died. After Mama Elena's death, Tita was sad but relieved because now she could live her life, or so she thought, because with the leave of her mother came the return of her sister Rosaura and Pedro. There is trouble with this return because Tita is engaged to the village doctor John Brown. Tita very much respects John for everything he has done for her but deep down is unsure if what she feels is love, but she will not allow the passion that she feels for Pedro take over! Or so I thought --- the chapter (month) of August finished with Pedro and Tita having an encounter in the dark storeroom that ends with her losing her virginity! Of course the professor had us read until this part to keep us in suspense. Sorry Professor McCormick, but I think I might just have to read a little bit ahead because this book has taken over my curiosity. Until next month everyone!
:-)