Apples + Walnuts

Every year during Passover I look forward to my grandmother's charoset—a small side-dish that we eat on the first two nights of Passover. The color and texture is supposed to represent the bricks that the Jewish people carried on their backs when they were slaves in Egypt. But the taste has a completely different story. My grandmother chops the apples and walnuts into small chunks. She adds Manischewitz wine and cinnamon until it tastes just right. The somewhat notorious wine is ideal for this dish because it has enough sugar to sweeten the apple-walnut mixture. My grandmother's charoset is sweet and aromatic—perfect for a light dessert or at any hour of the day. I've had many different types of charoset—some had added sugar and others were chopped very finely—but my grandmother's is by far the best.


Ingredients:
Red Apples (Gala or Fiji are my favorites)
Walnuts
Manischewitz wine
Ground Cinnamon

Note: You're going to have to measure out the ingredients according to taste. Start off with 2 apples, 1 cup of walnuts and 1 cup of wine.

Directions: Peel the apples and chop into little chunks (about 1/4-1/2 inch). Chop the walnuts into small chunks. Put ingredients into a bowl. Add Wine. Mix. Begin with 1 tablespoon of cinnamon (add according to taste). Mix. Let sit in refrigerator until ready to serve.

ENJOY!

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Pecans on Passover

Passover is quite difficult for a foodie like me. Although there are plenty of flour-less cakes and approved chocolates for me to indulge in (and create), I decided to go a different route this year. I've been on a health-kick lately, so Passover for me includes an increase in fresh produce, protein, and nuts.
I believe that "there's always room for dessert," so no matter what diet you're on you can still satisfy your sweet-tooth. As the end of Passover approaches, I find nothing but some blackberries, eggs, and mushrooms in my refrigerator. Just when I got a craving for something sweet, I spotted a bag of pecans on my counter. I thought to myself, "Should I attempt to candy these pecans?" My inexperience with candying (anything) and somewhat klutzy behavior didn't hold me back.
To my relief, the pecans turned out to be a grand success without a complete mess-of-a-kitchen! This small confection provided a large burst of sweet serenity to my palette in a guilt-free manner. Ahh, I can just imagine how magnificent these pecans would taste with fresh vanilla ice-cream...



Recipe:

2 1/2 tspns granulated sugar

1/2 tspn cinnamon

around 15 pecans (halved)

Put sugar and cinnamon in a metal pot on the stove. Set on medium heat. Watch the sugar. As it begins to melt, mix the cinnamon, sugar quickly. Add the pecans, mix. The pecans should begin to form a ball. Immediately remove the pecan-ball and place it on a piece of foil. While it's still warm break up the pecans to individual pieces. Bon Appétit!!

**You can add these pecans to a spring salad or vanilla ice cream for a pleasant surprise. You can also substitute pecans for your favorite nut (works best with hazelnuts & sliced almonds).