Category Archives: Sephardic

Mimouna….a celebration marking the end of Passover

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Passover will end this Tuesday evening.  The Moroccan Jewish community marks the occasion with a wonderful celebration called “Mimouna”, an evening filled with symbolic foods,  special delicacies and good wishes. Thank you to Rabbi Daniel Bouskila for sharing this story about Mimouna with us to share with “Bendichas Manos” readers!

We are blessed with many and varied traditions in our communities…..May we all have the opportunity to share in this beautiful, traditional celebration at some point, and appreciate the “salad bowl”, the colorful and meaningful variety of those traditions we share.

http://www.tabletmag.com/life-and-religion/29821/it-is-risen/print/

It Is Risen

At the end of Passover festival known as Mimouna, Moroccan Jews return to yeasty treats in grand style

BY LARA RABINOVITCH | 7:00 am Apr 2, 2010

Many Jews will mark the end of Passover unceremoniously, with a slice or pizza or a piece of toast. Yet for Moroccan Jews, and increasingly for other Jews as well, the transition back to eating bread and other yeasty foods is celebrated in grand style with a feast known as Mimouna.

Traditionally, Mimouna is celebrated in Moroccan homes after sundown on the last day of Passover with a sumptuous spread piled high with sweet delectables, including stuffed dates, candies, brightly colored jams made of carrots, beets, or citrus fruits (known as mazune), and zabane (almond nougat). Most importantly, mufleta, thin pancakes doused in honey, are eaten with abandon. Thus in a similar way to how Yom Kippur is ended with an elaborate breakfast, on Mimouna tearing into a plate of freshly baked food signals the end of matzo-filled days and the start of something new.

The Mimouna table is not set as usual but is covered with “an array of symbols that are basically variations on a theme,” explains Continue reading →

Sephardic Music and Melodies

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When I cook, especially for Shabbat and the holidays, I love to listen to Ladino and Hebrew music!  It puts me in a great mood and a holiday frame of mind.  The Jewish Community of Rhodes has a website.  Included is a page containing a collection of wonderful Ladino songs and their lyrics.  Visit and take a listen….we think you’ll enjoy them!

http://www.jewishrhodes.org/?page_id=46

We thank the Jewish Community of Rhodes for posting the songs and we thank the Rhodes Jewish Museum for the link!

Enjoy!!!  Bendichas Manos!!!!

Ashuplados!!!! Meringue Clouds…..

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Meringue clouds…..a divine confection of the Gods!  A special occasion delicacy passed down by our grandmothers !

Growing up, we knew it was a very special occasion when Grandma made Ashuplados……meringue clouds!  Sweet….light as a feather, a light shell on the outside. Texture, sweetness……simply….divine!!!

They look beautiful on a sweet table, and delight young and more mature and sophisticated palettes alike!

These are one of my mom’s signature delicacies.  They were prepared this week for my young cousin’s  “Banyo di Novia”.  They are a superb Pesah treat, as well. Continue reading →

Masa di Vino (Passover Wine Cookies)

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Each holiday has it’s special flavors and textures.  One of the special treats we prepare for Pesah is “masa di vino”, a wine cookie with a delightful and unique  taste and texture.  They are easy to make and freeze well.  Give them a try!

Ingredients:

1 C oil

3/4 C sweet wine

3/4 C sugar

1 egg

2 C Passover cake meal

1 C chopped nuts (optional)

1/2 C Passover potato starch

Mix sugar, oil and wine well.  Add egg and dry ingredients.

Take walnut sized pieces of dough. Roll into a ball.  Place on a parchment lined cookie sheet.

Flatten by hand. With tines of a fork, press each cookie to produce a design.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Enjoy!

Bendichas Manos!!!!

” Kien Su Piense Entendiense” and “Un Kavretiko” for Pesah

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Ours is a fairly traditional Passover family seder read in English, Hebrew and Ladino.  My dad looks for interesting readings and thought provoking questions to add each year.  And through the generations ( there are 4 generations around our tables these days – mashala!)  some of the favorite moments are those readings in and singing of the Ladino words that are special and unique to our community, our family.  My dad, Jack ( “Yaaco Pasha“) Israel, has prepared the words of two of our favorite Pesah songs so I could post them.  Perhaps you and your family already do, or this year will, add them to your seder as well.

*words are based on the transliterated version originally supplied to us by Rabbi Shelton Donnell. These are the versions we sing and the words we use. We are aware that other families use different words and phrases and may, perhaps, spell the transliterated words differently. We welcome your addition of different words and phrases and spellings.  Add them to the “comments” box so we can share them with all our readers!!!

Looking forward to cooking and preparing more family treats in the days ahead.  Let us know what you are making, too!!

“Bendichas Manos!”

************

“WHO KNOWS ONE?”  (kien su piense)

Kien su piense y entendiense, alavar al Dio kriense,

Continue reading →

Moustachudos (nut confection)

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In our home, we have always used a variety of nuts in baking……almonds and walnuts, in particular.  Moustachudos make a good Pesah dessert. The cloves give them a special “kick”.  These treats can be made in advance and freeze well.

Ingredients for Moustachudos:

1 1/2 C pecans or walnuts, coarsely ground

1 1/2 C almonds, coarsely ground

3/4 C sugar

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground cloves

1 egg

water – 1/2 eggshell full

Coarsely grind all nuts.

Add other ingredients including 1/2 eggshell filled with water.  (folks, that’s how it’s done!!)

Shape into triangle or ball shapes about 1″ in diameter.

Place on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.  Bake for 5 or 10 minutes in a 400 degree oven until lightly brown.

Allow to cool and harden before removing from pan.  Sprinkle with confectioners’ (powered) sugar.

Marochinos (almond macaroons)

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Marochinos are a favorite for Passover.  My mom has taught a class at our synagogue, and several people have adopted these as a special pareve (non-dairy) dessert that they now make throughout the year.  Make a batch and enjoy them!!

Ingredients:

2 C blanched almonds

1 C sugar

2 eggs…whites only

Grind blanched almonds to near a fine consistancy.  Mix in a bowl with sugar.

Beat egg whites until frothy and add almonds and sugar.  Mix until biscuit-dough consistency.  Using a tablespoon or metal scoop, drop 1″ apart on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.  Bake for 10 minutes in a pre-heated 350 degree oven.

Allow to cool completely before handling. Will harden as they cool.

“Un Kavretiko”

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My boys love being with our whole family for the Passover Seder.  They enjoy our special foods, the “agada”, the Passover story we tell, much of it in Ladino….and the songs….”our songs”…..those special Pesah melodies and Ladino words that bind our family and  our  Sephardic community.   All the cousins know the words and joyously join in, proclaiming their membership in this special group…these songs, these traditions that distinguish our family.  These are the sounds of “home”.

Yehoram Gaon, one of my all time favorite singers of Hebrew and Ladino songs, has two very special albums of Shabbat and of Pesah tunes in the Ladino tradition.  They can be downloaded on iTunes.  I highly recommend that you download and enjoy this music!

Go to iTunes;  click on the iTunes Store link on the left; type in the name: Yehoram Gaon in the search box.  Click on the albumsPiytim Leshabbat and Shirim LePesach.  You can listen to a piece of each song before you download.  I think you will enjoy them all!

For the upcoming Passover holiday, check out the following from the Ladino Hit Parade:    Un Kavritiko.

Sing along…..I’ll post the words, and you and your families can add them to your Seder this year!!!!

Check out this YouTube video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Q5XRpN4_TY

Let us know what you think!!!