Tradition, With a Twist
A Few Tweaks Can Update the Flavors of the Seder

By Nina Simonds
Special to The Washington Post
Wednesday, March 28, 2007

I admit that I am not the most observant Jew, but when it comes to Passover, I put on a pretty good Seder. I especially love the ritual, even though it might get a little long and tedious. When the youngest child in our group would recite the Four Questions, I've always wanted to add a fifth: "When do we eat?"

In our house, as for many other Jewish families, the Passover menu always followed age-old traditions, some of which I observe. I also like to make some adaptations: For the haroset, a chopped mixture made of apples with cinnamon, dried fruits and nuts, I omit the nuts and add candied ginger and plum wine. My chicken soup is different on that night from others because I like to add smashed ginger and rice wine. The matzoh balls, I admit, are made from a mix, but I add chopped fresh dill, a tip I picked up at Whole Foods Market.

For an unusual hors d'oeuvre, I'm likely to spread a thin layer of pungent basil pesto on the matzoh. It's a dip made with garlic, lots of fresh basil, pine nuts, balsamic vinegar, olive oil and salt. Different from the Italian version, this one was inspired by the fresh herbal pestos or "chutneys" of southern India, which often include freshly grated coconut. The pesto keeps indefinitely in the refrigerator and can be added to vinaigrettes or used as a seasoning for roasted vegetables.

Brisket is the main event of our Passover meal, and I can never get enough. I love my mother's recipe, which is pretty basic, but I take certain liberties, such as rubbing the meat with some smoked paprika. I tested and retested the recipe, then served it to my dear friend Claudia Roden, who is an authority on Jewish cooking. Claudia loved it, or so she said, and she is one pretty tough critic. I like to think my mother would have approved, because she was hardly a traditionalist where religion and food were concerned. (It was my mom who corrupted my dad, so to speak, and inspired him to love a lot of non-kosher foods.)

The side dishes are what seemed to stump Mom. I, on the other hand, celebrate the vegetables available this time of year, such as asparagus (you can steam or roast the spears, as I do), baby artichokes, peas and Brussels sprouts, which I love to roast in olive oil.

Dessert is another matter. I used to be an avid baker, and my mom was famous for her flourless chocolate whipped cream roll. Sadly, I've never been really good with Passover confections, so I established my own tradition: I go to my favorite bakery and order the most sumptuous flourless chocolate mousse cake I can find. Judging from the rapturous looks on my husband's and son's faces, I know that I've done a mitzvah.

You can hear and read cooking teacher and author Nina Simonds in her "Spices of Life" online vlog and blog athttp://spicesoflife.com.