Pesach - Feasting to Our Freedom

This is, oddly enough, the first Pesach that I think I have GAINED weight.  Normally for me, Pesach is like the Jewish Atkins diet with no carbs, and sadly enough in America, not a lot of meat since Arkansas was/is lacking in the Kosher foods department.  Remember - we don't eat anything with any sort of leavening agent in it during Pesach, such as bread, cakes, cookies, crackers, and for those of us who are of Eastern European decent, this also includes rice and beans.  This year was COMPLETELY different.  I have not been that continually stuffed in my entire life, even when I lived in Italy, and that friends, is saying a lot. 

I left you guys at the pre-Pesach preparations, so let's pick up at the festive first night Seder.  I spent all the major milestones of this holiday with my Moroccan sister, Anat, and her family who have graciously adopted me.  It was so cool to sit at a table and participate in the Seder and for once understand A LOT of what was going on in Hebrew (and being just as confused as the native Israelis about what was going on in Aramaic).  It was also cool to hear how some of the prayers are said the same as in my family and how some are said differently, as communities and families everywhere have different rhythms and versions they use.  Oy vey, and the food.  There is nothing that can describe a Moroccan table of food other than full and delicious.

Here's me and my Moroccan sister at the beautiful Seder table.  Can't you tell we're related?!

Here's a progression of this really cool tradition that a lot of Moroccan families do where they take the Seder plate and pass it over everyone's head as a form of a blessing.  Everyone got a good bop on the head at the end, although I'm not sure that is part of the blessing.  ;)

 

I had to basically be rolled out of the door after this meal...and after each meal I went to with this huge, fun, loud family.  I finished eating lunch the next day around 3PM and couldn't comfortably put another piece of food in my mouth until 12PM the next day.  True story.  Here's evidence of how much we ate at lunch:

 

Guys, that's only a small portion of the dishes used.

 

The next few days were a mixture of rest and work, as I continue on my training and intensive Hebrew lessons at my new job.  I babysat Merv's dogs and stayed at her house with Pepper for a large portion of the week.  She's such a doll that she cooked for me before she left on vacation, but I also tried my hand at this Passover cooking.  And here is one of the badass results:

 

Made from scratch mazta ball soup - can't say it's as good as a Jewish bubbe would make, but I'm working on it.

 

I also got to discover the magic of there being lots to eat that is Kosher for Passover and that is NOT boring.  I ate chocolate brownies, I ate potato bread, and I even knoshed on pizza.  It's a different, cool, kosher, and Jewish world here, my friends.

 

PIZZA - that I didn't have room to enjoy but that I ate anyway because I had to try it.

 

I realize that I'm mainly writing about food, but I have a feeling not a lot of you will complain.  It was a delicious Pesach!  Another cool thing about the holiday here in Israel is that it is one less day than outside of Israel, so before I knew it, we were close to the end.  I really didn't miss bread so much this year (although the no-carb grumpies did get ahold of me a couple of times towards the end).  My adopted family invited me to lunch just hours before the holiday would end that night, and yet again, I ate until I wanted to explode.  It was a BBQ, and I just couldn't stop eating fresh, grilled meat.  I also learned that goose is my new favorite delicacy.  Also, I'm not cut out to be Moroccan because I had to excuse myself to take a nap on the couch because I was SO FULL. 

 

The table before the meat.  It isn't a proper table without a ton of salads.  So yummy.

 

The last of the Pesach tale ends in another strictly Moroccan tradition which is so cool.  It's a dessert meal called Mimuna, and let me tell you, it's the best way to break the Pesach fast.  We came into Anat's parents' house full of people and food and laughing and music.  We were promptly handed hot tea and mufletta (this pancake covered in honey), and we were instructed to eat and eat and eat.  People get so excited about Mimuna, and I understand why.  I was surrounded by my best friends, my adopted family, and all the sweets and treats my heart could desire.

 

The treats, the mufletta, and the gang.  Who could ask for more?

 

And there you have it.  My first Pesach in Israel as an Israeli...and a couple kilos heavier.  This year, close to Jerusalem.  Next year in Jerusalem?  Or Be'er Sheva.  I love it here.