Eating Cardboard

Well, it is that time of year again -- Passover!

And now, you know how I come to titling this blog, "Eating Cardboard." Granted, I do like matzah, but after the first few days, it starts to feel like it is sticking to my insides.

This brings me to one of my more favorite cooking disaster stories: Dad Bakes the Passover Kugels.

In my family, we make these muffin/popover type rolls, that are kosher for passover, that we call Kugels. I don't know where the recipe that we use comes from, however we eat these on passover as long as I can remember.


Once upon a time, in a land far far away...... oh, ok, in Hackensack, NJ. Anyway, my dad was living in his Hackensack apt. not long after having moved out on his own. Here he was at Passover time and it was time to make his own Kugels. First of all, he thought, "I love these Kugels, I'm a big guy, I think I'll make them in a Texas-sized muffin tin!" So, dad called his mom, my Nanni, for the recipe and away he went!

By the time my sister and I came to visit that weekend, he had tried 2 or 3 times and each time they came out disgusting. He couldn't figure out why. So, I tasted one...indeed, they were GROSS! So, I went through the recipe and ingredients with him, he had it all correct. I went through the quantities and steps, it all seemed correct. Then I started to look at his ingredients, one by one...maybe the butter had gone bad.....hmmm. I finally got to the salt and out of his bare 'bachelor-pad' cabinets, he pulls out the jar of salt he used - a potassium salt substitute!

Of course, the first time the recipe went bad, he added more salt becuase it tasted bland. As he added more and more each time, he was simply enhancing the bitterness of the salt substitute.

So, lesson learned: when baking, don't substitute sodium chloride with potassium chloride -- ue the real thing!

This does make me wonder about other substitutes that we use - for wheat flour, for sugar, egg beaters for real eggs. When do we get to the point where we are not eating anything that is 'real' anymore? Can we even call it food at that point?

What are your thoughts on food substitutes - either good ones to use or on substituting for the 'real thing' in general?

Here is the correct recipe for The Wiener Family Passover Kugels:

4c Matzo Farfel (basically little broken up matzo crumbs)
2c lukewarm water
2 tbs oil or melted butter (or shmaltz like my grandma would use!)
5 eggs

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Soak the Farfel in the water for about 15 minutes (make sure it is evenly mixed together). Beat the eggs well and add to the soaked farfel with the oil. Salt and Pepper to taste (i reccomend slightly over salting WITH REAL SALT!). I also add a little hint of onion powder. Grease muffin tins and fill about 2/3 high. Bake for about an hour until golden brown and crisp on the outside.

Best eaten straight out of the oven!

Chag Sameach(joyous festival), have a blessed spring and year!