Saturday, April 12, 2008

How the Blog Saved Passover

Passover, the traditional holiday for matzo balls, is next week. Unfortunately, it's traditional to make matzo balls with eggs. Also unfortunately, it's traditional for vegans to replace the eggs with tofu (e.g.: the Vegan With a Vengeance recipe), one of the many foods forbidden on Passover (according to my family's tradition). I was ready to spend my first matzo ball free Passover when someone showed me Tofu Mom's recipe. I just tried it tonight and I think it made the best vegan matzo balls I've had yet.



As I'm sure I've mentioned in all my other matzo ball related posts, my family likes their matzo balls very firm and we've always found the vegan tofu-based ones to be softer than our preference, but good enough. They don't turn into a huge glob of mush in the soup (the first batch I made did!), but they don't really have any bite to them either.

Until now. This whole baking soda/potato starch thing is brilliant. As you can see in the picture above, the balls can actually be picked up and held between the fingers without oozing or denting or falling apart. Amazing. My family is thrilled. We're so pleased with the consistency, I think we may stick with these even when it's not Passover. Wooha!

Speaking of Passover, I don't know how much activity this blog will see over the next couple of weeks. I've cleaned out the fridge and probably won't be cooking again until the holiday. I've already got my menu planned and will be cooking up a storm (think roasted portobellos, stuffed eggplant, matzo ball soup, braised cauliflower, green-wa, diner home fries, broccoli potato soup, herb-roasted potatoes, roasted brussels sprouts with toasted garlic, roasted garlic artichoke spread, beginners curry, broccoli vinaigrette, baked apples, tea-poached pears in chocolate sauce, and raw apple pie), but photography will be limited since I'm not allowed to use a camera (or a computer) for about half the holiday. I'll be sure to review all the recipes when I'm done, though (and since most are from Veganomicon and Yellow Rose Recipes, I'm prepared for loads of positive reviews).

4 comments:

Liz Ranger (Bubble Tea for Dinner) said...

I feel like you're headed off to a secret land of delicious recipe-trying and there won't be souvenirs for us lowly readers! hee hee, anyway the matzoh ball looks killer.

David Cameo said...

i see what you mean about the challenge and you get such respect for all the effort you put into these vegan dishes - especially on PASSOVER (and being Ashkenaz, it's so much harder)! Sorry about the whole not marrying you thing - would've opened a lot more doors, especially the refrigerator's. ; P

Neta said...

I had a little matzo ball project myself this passover (4 recipes in my blog), too bad I just see this now after the holiday's over.
This is the first recipe I see in which the balls are baked after cooked, weird.
Anyway, hope you had a good holiday.

Tofu Mom (AKA Tofu-n-Sprouts) said...

Oh YAY! I am SO GLAD they worked for you!! I really didn't realize how much posting that recipe would help specific people.

(Oh, and Neta, I bake them afterwards to firm them up and make them less "gooey" otherwise they have a weird jello-like texture by the time you are done... it's weird, but it works...)