P ASSOVER P ALATE
LINDA MOREL | JE FOOD COLUMNIST
LIKE MANY MODERN
women, Michelle Azar Aaron
juggles many balls.

She is a singer, actor and
writer of her one-woman show,
“From Baghdad to Brooklyn,”
which explores her father’s
childhood in Iraq and her
Brooklyn-born Ashkenazi
mother. Azar Aaron has
received awards for her work
and has appeared in many tele-
vision shows and musicals.

Add rebbetzin to her list of
credits. Her husband is Temple
Emanuel of Beverly Hills
Senior Rabbi Jonathan Aaron.

She is raising two musically
talented teenage daughters.

She is now juggling another
ball — preparing for Passover.

Because she’s drawn to her
father’s life in Iraq, Sephardi
recipes and customs are inte-
gral to her Passovers today.

Her favorite charoset hails
from Yemen. It’s infused with
ginger and cayenne pepper,
which impart spicy fl avor, sweet-
ened with dates and honey.

She makes huevos hamina-
dos, hard-boiled eggs, a must at
Sephardi holiday celebrations.

“I put eggs and onion skins in
the oven all night,” Azar Aaron
said. “Aft er they’re cooled and
dry, I write everyone’s name
8 MARCH 19, 2020
AnnaPustynnikova / iStock / Getty Images Plus
For get Brisket and
Sponge Cake:
Feast on
Sephardi Foo d
This Pass over
enough water to cover the mix-
ture by 4 inches. Don’t worry if
PAREVE the eggs and onion skins shift .

Drizzle on the oil, which will
Equipment: a food processor Yield: 12 eggs
keep the water from evaporat-
1-inch piece of ginger root
Served at all Sephardi celebra- ing during cooking.

Cover the pot and bring it
tions, these creamy textured
6 dried Calimyrna fi gs
to a simmering boil. Remove
eggs are superior in fl avor to
6 pitted dates
it from
the heat for 2 minutes.

2 tablespoons sesame seeds hard-boiled eggs.

Place the
pot inside the oven
1 heaping tablespoon honey
for 8
hours. Remove the eggs
Equipment: a large stain-
Pinch of cayenne pepper
carefully with
a slotted spoon
resistant pot that can go
and place
them on paper towels
Peel the ginger root. Dice
on the stove and in the
to dry.

Th e
eggs will be brown
it and then chop it. Move it
oven. It should come with
or reddish
brown, representing
to a small saucepan and add
a tight-fi tting lid.

Passover’s roasted
egg. ½-teaspoon of water. Cover
Serve the
eggs warm, at
the saucepan and heat over a
1-2 cups of onion skins,
room temperature
or refriger-
medium fl ame for 1-2 min-
gathered from onions on
ate until
serving. Th
e whites
utes or until the water nearly
hand, from friends or from
will be
tinged sepia
brown. evaporates. Watch carefully so
food stores. Red onion
To reheat, boil them for 3-5
the ginger doesn’t get scorched.

skins are advantageous
minutes. Reserve.

as they turn the eggs a
Fit a food processor with
brilliant color.

a metal blade. Cut the fi gs
CHICKEN TAGINE WITH
12 eggs
PRUNES AND ALMONDS |
and dates into 2-3 pieces.

¼ cup vegetable oil
MEAT Move them to the bowl of the
food processor. Add the gin-
Place a shelf on a mid- Yield: 8 servings
ger. Grind the mixture until dle rung of the oven, so that
a sticky paste forms. Add the the pot you’ve chosen will be Th is tasty stew is typical of
remaining ingredients and centered and not too close to Moroccan Jewish cuisine.

pulse the food processor on heating elements. Preheat the Because Sephardim eat rice
and off until all ingredients are oven to 225 degrees.

during Passover, this dish is
well combined.

Scatter ⅓ of the onion skins oft en served with rice.

Remove the charoset with a into the pot. Place 6 eggs on top
spatula. Refrigerate it in a con- of them. Scatter another third
A YEMENI CHAROSET |
Equipment: a Dutch oven
PAREVE tainer with a lid. It lasts 3 weeks of the onion skins into the
1 cup blanched, slivered
or longer when refrigerated. pot, followed by the remaining
Yield: about ⅔ cup
Bring to room temperature 6 eggs. Place the remaining
almonds Th is zesty charoset tastes best before serving.

onion skins on top. Pour in
1½ inches of ginger root
on an egg with a Sharpie. At
seders, you crack your egg on
someone else.” It’s a friendly
game beloved at Sephardi
Passovers. “Our seders are interactive
and playful,” she said. “Th ey
start in the guesthouse in our
backyard.” Scallions are used to sym-
bolize the way Egyptians
whipped Hebrew slaves; guests
hit each other with them.

Th e seder and fi rst courses
occur in the guesthouse.

“We then put on the sprin-
klers, so everyone gets a little
wet running into the house,”
she said. Just in time for the
main course and dessert. She
always bakes an orange date
almond torte. “Th ere’s lots of
oranges in Sephardi cooking,”
she says. “We fi nish by singing
a Persian style of ‘Dayenu.’”
“I’ve never touched the
ground in Iraq, so it’s odd
this attachment I have to my
father’s homeland,” she said.

But she is keeping the mem-
ory of Passover customs alive
from a country where most
Jews have fl ed.

when made a day or two in HUEVOS HAMINADOS
(LONG COOKED EGGS) |
advance. JEWISH EXPONENT
JEWISHEXPONENT.COM



P ASSOVER P ALATE
Michelle Aaron
1 onion
2 tablespoons olive oil, or
more if needed
8 bone-in chicken thighs
Kosher salt to taste
Freshly ground black pepper
to taste
1½ cups chicken broth, or
more if needed
1-2 cinnamon sticks
2 cups pitted prunes
1 heaping tablespoon honey
Optional: Rice, prepared
according to package
directions for 8 servings.

Preheat the oven to 350
degrees. Cover a baking sheet
with aluminum foil. Scatter the
almonds on the foil, making
sure they don’t overlap. Place the
almonds in the oven and bake
until golden and fragrant. Watch
carefully as almonds burn easily.

Remove the almonds from
the oven and bring them to
room temperature. Store them
in an airtight container at room
temperature for up to 2 days
before preparing the tagine.

Peel the ginger root. Dice
it and then chop it fi ne. Chop
the onion into small pieces.

Drizzle oil into the Dutch oven.

Place it over a medium fl ame
until the oil is warm, about 1
minute. Sauté the ginger and
onion, stirring oft en, until it
JEWISHEXPONENT.COM Courtesy of Michelle Aaron
is fragrant, about 2 minutes.

With a slotted spoon, remove
the ginger and onion and place
it temporarily on a plate.

Sprinkle the chicken with salt
and pepper. Move the chicken to
the Dutch oven in 2 batches. Add
more oil if needed. Sauté until
golden brown on all sides. Turn
off the fl ame. With tongs, move
the chicken to a platter. Let the
oil and chicken fat cool to room
temperature. Pour off as much
as possible. Some oil will remain.

Meanwhile, start making
the rice, if using.

Return the ginger, onion
and chicken to the Dutch oven.

Pour in the chicken broth.

Add the cinnamon. Cover the
Dutch oven. Over a low fl ame,
simmer the chicken for 30
minutes. Add the prunes and
honey, stirring to incorporate.

If they are not covered with
liquid, add more chicken broth
a tablespoon at a time. Cover
the Dutch oven again.

Simmer for 20 minutes, or
until the prunes are tender and
the chicken is cooked through.

Check every few minutes to
see if the broth is evaporat-
ing. Add more, if needed. Th is
can be made to this point 2
days ahead, refrigerated and
what it is.

• Abington’s premier
Life Plan Community
• Maintenance-free living
and the promise of
future care, if ever needed
• Spacious, customizable
apartments • Multiple dining
options, including
The Club Room & Bar
• On-campus cultural
programming how it feels.

There aren’t exactly words for it, but
while the rational reasons to consider
Rydal Park can satisfy your head,
until you set foot on our campus, you
can’t truly know how we satisfy the
heart. Come by and see the beauty of
our setting. Come by and experience
the warmth of our community.

Come by and feel what we mean.

• Fitness center, indoor
pool, personal trainer
• And so much more
For more information about exceptional living for
people 62 and better, visit ExploreRydalPark.org.

To learn more about our exciting cottage expansion and to
tour the model cottage opening in April, call 215-814-0420
or visit ExploreRydalWaters.org.

1515 The Fairway, Rydal, PA 19046 | 215-814-0420
See Sephardi, Page 10
JEWISH EXPONENT
MARCH 19, 2020
9