It’s one day before our scheduled Passover Seder and in addition to picking up the few straggling items from the shopping list, we are slow cooking the brisket and making the charoset.
Joshua prepared the root vegetables and seasoned the brisket in the morning so it was ready for a long day of slow cooking in the oven. I gathered the ingredients for the charoset. I chose to follow my own path and Food 52 had a great guide called “How to Make Charoset Without a Recipe“. I used the guide to estimate amounts and the charoset turned out great. I selected an assortment of dried fruits that included Turkish Apricots, Figs, Dates, Currents, and Cherries. For nuts, I got Pistachios and decided to throw in some Hazelnuts (as a tribute to Oregon). The spices included cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, and ginger.
And of course there was wine. A friend commented that Passover is like a drinking game with a little bit of history. It became apparent to us today that we would be accumulating wine bottles with every dish. A bottle of wine in the brisket, half a bottle to the charoset mix, and more wine for the lamb that we are having as a night-before-the-seder meal so we will have a bone to use on the Seder Plate.
The final thing I needed was a pair of candle holders. I am not entirely sure how important the shape of these are. But, I did pick up a small box of tapered candles from the grocery store, so I needed something to hold them. I went to three different stores before I found a small set of class candle holders at bed, Bath, and Beyond, that would fit the tapered candle. And, because I am a creature of habit, I also bought my kids a small Eater gift for Sunday. God knows I’m trying to work around two faith systems this week and that I have a really hard time passing up those adorable little succulent plants at Trader Joes!
Read more about this celebration in my posts on “Preparing Passover” and “The Passover Seder 2021“.
Dr. Erica Mongé-Greer, holding a PhD in Divinity from the University of Aberdeen, is a distinguished researcher and educator specializing in Biblical Ethics, Mythopoeia, and Resistance Theory. Her work focuses on justice in ancient religious texts, notably reinterpreting Psalm 82’s ethics in the Hebrew Bible, with her findings currently under peer review.
In addition to her academic research, Dr. Mongé-Greer is an experienced University instructor, having taught various biblical studies courses. Her teaching philosophy integrates theoretical discussions with practical insights, promoting an inclusive and dynamic learning environment.
Her ongoing projects include a book on religious themes in the series Battlestar Galactica and further research in biblical ethics, showcasing her dedication to interdisciplinary studies that blend religion with contemporary issues.