I guess I think the matzoh is enough. You can explain about bitter herbs and all, but if it's not your tradition, it's sort of hard to really demonstrate in a meaningful way that's not just cultural tourism, I think.

I've linked to a Chabad guide to Passover for kids. Maybe that will inspire you. Do you know anyone who would invite you for a seder?

Here is a link that might be useful: Passover Guide for kids

My Jewish grand sons were the world's most picky eaters....mostly all they ate was grilled cheese and pizza...both of which don't work at a Seder.
so I invented matzoa breaded chicken strips. I took boneless skinless chicken breasts, floured them, dipped in beaten egg and in matzoa meal seasoned with a bit of garlic powder, salt and pepper and dry parsley. allowed tos et on a rack for about 20 minutes andd eep fried them....Oh my!!!! Kid food indeed!
if you are into the "teachable moment" how about a hardboiled egg...no need to eat the whole egg, and some celery symbolizing the newness of spring/life. Just a taste of horse radish symbolizing the bitterness of slavery....of not being free to do as you like (you could equate to people in the mid east today) and maybe sweetened grapejuice for the wine, the fruit of the vine for which we are thankful.
Other than that...green beans are good, potatoes, roast chicken, beef....whatever.
Or you could make matzoa balls and serve them in Chicken soup...
and a flourless chocolate cake for dessert....who doesn't love that!
Linda C

There is a dish called "matzoh brei" (rhymes with "fry"). Haven't made it in awhile, but you basically soak the matzoh for a little bit, then break it into pieces and mix loosely with egg. The whole thing gets cooked, like an omelet, in hot oil. It is good.

Jo

Here is a link that might be useful: matzoh brei

Charoset is kid-friendly! It is supposed to resemble the mortar for the bricks that the Jews used when they were slaves in Egypt and built the Pharoah's monuments and granaries (note: NOT the Pyramids, which were constructed much earlier).

The traditional mix includes peeled apples, chopped finely, plus nuts such as walnuts or pecans, cinnamon, honey, and wine or grape juice to moisten and color. I always omit the honey and add raisins. I just found out, this year, that raisins are not in the "traditional" recipe, so I guess they're my own family's tradition, LOL. There are also many variations; I think May's family, which is from the Mideast, not Europe, uses dates but not apples.

I think it's a nice thing that you're doing to teach cultural diversity at home!

Sue

The food restriction for the holiday specifically forbids grains and leavening. So if you're trying to just make a meal that follows that, don't serve bread or any other grain except the matzo. You can make anything with any meat or vegetables and just serve the matzo instead of bread.

However, if you're looking for a specific recipe which uses matzo that a kid would like I can suggest what I call matzo grilled cheese.

Take four matzos and briefly run tap water over them to get them to absorb just a little bit of water. In a dish, beat a couple of eggs. Grate some cheese - any kind you like, one kind or a variety. Heat some butter in a skillet large enough to hold the matzo. Dip one matzo in the egg, coating both sides, and place in the skillet. Top with shredded cheese. Repeat, layering matzo & cheese till the last slice of matzo is on top. Cook over low heat till cheese is mostly melted. Flip (that's the hard part!). Cook till it's brown on the bottom. Cut into quarters or however large or small you want and serve.

We always have this for dinner one night of the holiday, and I serve it with a salad. It makes a meal!

Yeah, Sue, we use dates and raisins. It can be a fun thing to make if you want to get the kid(s) involved in the process, plus it's sweet. I posted my haroset recipe on the thread called Haroset linked below. I warn you though, it takes a while to make - mostly cooking time, not a lot of hands on, but it's not quick.

Here is a link that might be useful: Haroset

Ideefixe, thanks for the link. Little man and I went on to read a bit more about Passover; it was fun. He even tried one of the games and beat me! LOL I don't mean to do an authentic Passover dinner. Just something to show the little guy that there are many different cultures out there and that we should learn about them and accept whatever/whoever they are. Unfortunately, we don't have any Jewish friends so will have to wing it at home.

Lindac, wow that's a lot of great suggestions. I like the hard boiled eggs idea. What if I boil the eggs and mash in some mayo and serve it over the flat bread, sprinkled with freshly chopped parsley? Can also top it with deli ham to make it more interesting.

Hubby and little man will never touch horse radish. In fact, when we read about the bitter herbs little man turned up his nose! LOL If I want them to try, adding something they don't eat probably won't work. I will just have to tell them instead of forcing them eat.

Jo, the Matzoh brei sounds very interesting. The fried egg part will be well received. I will definitely take it into consideration.

Thanks Sue! Canada is a multcultural country and I would like little man grow up accepting everyone regardless then cultures and colors. I have just finished reading about charoset/haroset and it sounds like a must-have for a kids friendly Passover meal. I assume the apple will turn brown for the right color that resembles mortar? I am going to sub the wine with apple juice. I will make a small one because I know hubby probably won't touch it simply because of the color. Little man may try it though.

Lowspark, the matzo grilled cheese sounds delicious. But I am a bit thick... do you use cooked matzo or do you stack uncooked matzo and layer cheese between them then cook?

Al

Ham? Really??

I don't say this to be snarky or say there's something wrong with introducing your children to other cultures, but if you really want to do it, then there is a little bit of a problem with the idea of "kid friendly" Passover food when you get right down to it. Eating matzoh isn't just a culinary holiday tradition like eating a turkey on Thanksgiving--it's supposed to remind people (kids too) about the Exodus, and the Jews suffering, redemption and deliverance. It's basically kind of a PITA to eat it instead of bread, and it's meant to be that, it's a spiritual thing. Not that people don't use their culinary creativity to make interesting and delicious dishes using this food during Passover, but the pupose of eating it is rememberance of who we are and where we came from. I would say just eating it plain with a little butter would be fine, just to see what it's like to eat, what it's all about. It's basically a water cracker, what's not to like? Eat it with peanut butter and jelly.

Having said that, matzoh brei is what my Bubbe made for me and I loved it. I like it with a sprinkle of sugar. It's basically like french toast--matzoh, softened with water, then mixed with scrambled eggs and fried.

I'm not trying to interject religion into this discussion or say that this or that religious practice is the "right" or the "wrong" way, believe me. I'm just pointing out that to really understand why matzoh is eaten is to know it is eaten not for enjoyment, but for its religous significance. Same goes for charoset. The "kid friendly" Passover things would be something like macaroons or these jelly candies, that are examples of holiday sweets that are eaten at Passover time because they don't have leavening.

Here's what a couple of Rabbis had to say on the subject:

"Matzah represents the bare essentials -- without the yeast or the puffing up. Matzah is pulling back and seeing what real freedom really is. What do you really need? What is most essential in life? We're chasing a lot of luxuries that aren't essential. When you know what the essentials are, you pull back from the ego. Not totally -- because we can eat regular bread the rest of the year. You can enjoy the extras if you know what your bottom line is. Real freedom is knowing your bottom line.

But there's more. The Haggadah says: What is the reason for Matzah? "There was insufficient time for our ancestors' dough to become leavened." It takes approximately 18 minutes for dough to rise. They were in such a rush they didn't have 18 minutes. Matzah is a symbol of getting out of the ego. Once you appreciate this, you have to act on it immediately. Otherwise the body will snatch you up again. God knew He had to push the Jews out quickly, or they would sink right back into the body."

Rabbi Tom Meyer

"The prototypical form of forbidden leaven is bread. Matzah, the alter-ego of bread, is simply dough that was never allowed to ferment and rise. The most obvious difference between bread and matzah is also the most striking: one is flat while the other is all puffed up.

As a rule, Judaism encourages all attempts at personal growth and meaningful accomplishment. However, the Torah is leery of our becoming carried away by pride in our achievements. On Passover, bread comes to represent the big-headed swagger of arrogance. For one week a year, we rid ourselves of all traces of bread-like products in an effort to detach our consciousness from the grips of an over-inflated ego. This enables us to reestablish a balanced picture of who we are, who we aren't, and who we truly want to be."

Rabbi Shimon Apisdorf

Here is a link that might be useful: Passover Candy

Yeah, you just use the matzo right out of the box. Rinse briefly, dip in egg and layer with the cheese. When you cook at low heat by the time the cheese melts it's all cooked.

Regarding the idea of serving matzo to introduce your son to other cultures, I honestly don't see anything wrong with what you're doing. I don't think it's necessary to go through the entire ritual in order to teach (or learn), especially when you're dealing with kids.

And I know I'm in the minority but I don't see eating matzo as a PITA. I see the whole Passover holiday as an opportunity to be creative in the kitchen as well as to remember the exodus and to teach it to my kids. So I don't see Al's idea of serving matzo to her child as any different from Annie joining in by making a brisket and tzimmes. IMO any attempt to learn about other cultures is a good thing.

What would (and does) bother me is other religions or cultures taking our (or any) tradition and twisting its meaning to suit their own needs. Al is clearly not doing that here so Al, as far as I'm concerned, go for it!

1Pink, I never thought I could come up with authentic Passover food. Neither did I want to preach to my family. Like what I'd mentioned earlier I just wanted to give my son a chance to appreciate other cultures and a learning opportunity. When I said "kids friendly" I was not asking for a recipe that tailored to my son's taste. I was just trying to figure out which Passover food that my son would more likely eat. If doing so offended anyone I offer my apology.

Lowspark, thank you again. Dinner went smoothly and most was eaten by the two boys. Don't laugh, I actually "made" unleavened bread at home (or I tried). I used a very simple recipe found online and made some flat bread, even under 18 minutes. I probably should use more milk because the squares curled up while baking so I couldn't stack them up for grilled cheese. I didn't want to give up, however, so I boiled some eggs, mixed in some mayo and freshly chopped parsley to serve over the flat bread. They actually liked it. I also made Haroset on the side. I probably should have let the chopped apples sit in juice a bit longer. The taste was not quite what I expected. As we ate, I read to them the meaning of each food served as dinner. I was surprised to hear little man telling his dad the history of Passover. Of course, he didn't remember everything we read in the morning but I was impressed that he actually paid attention to our morning read.

Honestly, I was the one who learned the most from this simple attempt. I have learned what foods that I could prepare for a Passover meal and what they symbolized. The true meaning of Passover and why it's important to the Jews.

My family enjoyed a meal that's different than what's normally served on our dinner plates. Even hubby said it was "cool" to try and learn something new.

Thanks all for your support. overall, I rated my attempt a success.

Al

Glad to hear it Al. Sounds like a fun and educational day!

No, sorry, it was not an offense thing, not at all, not at all. Just wanted to clarify that eating matzoh is done for religious/spiritual reasons. Sure, it has its culinary aspect too, but that's not the heart of it.

And my family loves matzoh brei so much that we will often eat it during other times of the year, just for its good taste, not for any religous reason at all. Same goes for matzoh balls.

I only added my .02 to the conversation because I thought that if you were teaching your son about different cultures you might want to know what reason for a particular practice was, what its history was, so I thought I could add something to the discussion. It was just an FYI. I have no particular investment in it as a religious practice myself, but its foundation and history is based on a religious practice, that's all I was trying to say. It was an informational post, not a criticism post, so sorry if it came across as negative in any way.

I'm also agreeing with PinkMountain and rushed through my answer. It's great to introduce kids to other traditions and cultures, (I like all holidays, myself), but I think it's important to do it in a way that's more than "Jews eat brisket". Does your town have a temple?

Wow. I didn't get the impression that Al did that at all!!! I'm wondering what it was in any of her posts that gave you that impression.

In her original post she says, "We had already talked about the history of Passover this morning." and later "As we ate, I read to them the meaning of each food served as dinner. I was surprised to hear little man telling his dad the history of Passover. Of course, he didn't remember everything we read in the morning but I was impressed that he actually paid attention to our morning read." To me, it sounds like Al covered the background rather well!

I can't remember how old Al's son is, but I thought it was fairly young, like elementary school age, yes? I think giving the history of the holiday and a sampling of the food is probably good enough to teach some cultural diversity to a child that age.

I would never want someone who is not Jewish to think that in order to teach their kids about Jewish people and traditions they have to go to a local synagogue, do in depth research and present the entire ritual.

Al, please don't be discouraged. I think what you did was great!! Especially the idea of making your own unleavened bread following the 18 minute rule! I've NEVER done that, and I wonder how many Jews on this forum have.

Sounds cool Al! I'm glad you and your son and the other kids enjoyed the meal.

My kids have all made matzah at school, but we've never made it at home since it wouldn't actually be kosher for Passover made here in my house. While the action of it isn't complex, there are a zillion rules and regulations to make it K for P.

I use grape juice in my Haroseth. And lots of cinnamon and ginger.

My kids always have lots of interesting stories and commentary during our Seder. Last night my 8 year old told me that we had to be careful not to celebrate the death of the Egyptians, since that is not something to celebrate, but rather focus on celebrating the Jews freedom from slavery. My 11 year old offered up a very long commentary on the numerology involved in the 10 plagues. It was really cool. So eventhough it's the same Seder every year we're always learning something new.

AM

AM, I like your son's thoughts, that we shouldn't celebrate death, but focus on celebrating the freedom. That's very mature thinking for an 8 year old.

Nearly everyone here knows that I'm Heathen Methodist but I have several Jewish friends, so I try to celebrate with them in spirit. My purpose was never to teach my kids everything about the Jewish religion, but to foster an acceptance of different religions, different traditions and different beliefs, rather than teaching that one way is right and is the only way.

Al, my boss loves matzoh with cream cheese for breakfast with her coffee. I make Jessica's carrot tsimmes regularly, Bruvver likes them too. I love matzoh ball soup, you might try that with the hubs and son, it's a lot like chicken and dumplings!

Annie

Thanks 1pink for your clarification. Ideefixe, I am not sure if Jewish temple is the same as synagogue. Don't know if we have a temple nearby. We do have a Jewish community in Calgary, but not anywhere near as big as the Muslim community which has many temples around the city. I have taken little man to one of the Muslim temples for a wedding ceremony, it was an interesting experience. But I haven't seen a Jewish temple myself.

Isn't that funny how we interpret each others' message differently? I guess online communication creates a gap and that we often fall into it due to a lack of direct interactions i.e. facial expression and body language.

When I did the Passover dinner, I had NO intention to teach the true cultures of Jews. Who am I to do so since I don't know much about Passover myself. My attempt was to raise awareness and acceptance so when little man meets someone with Jewish background he wouldn't be so ignorant. Plus, he would learn how to embrace diversity and to respect people regardless their cultures and background. That's the ultimate goal of my attempt.

Lowspark! Your understanding to my intention is greatly appreciated. Yes, little man has just turned 8, two months ago, so he's still pretty young.

Being a Chinese growing up in Hawaii, I have come to appreciate different cultures and practices. My husband who is a 100% white guy doesn't really understand why it's important for little man to learn about different cultures. But he still supports me so I consider myself lucky.

It always saddens me to see one race/culture perceives themselves superior to others. I believe racism is fear based and that fear is due to a lack of knowledge. If little man has been exposed to cultural diversity he will not be afraid of someone who's different than himself, therefore chances for him to become a racist in the future will be slim, so I hope.

AM, what smart children you have there! Kids are funny things... we hand them something and they cultivate the idea into something new. Isn't that great?!

Annie, matzoh with cream cheese sounds delicious. I probably will do a simple Passover meal again next year. When I read about foods for Passover I couldn't believe how ignorant I was! This is a total eye-opening experience so I really should try again. Oh the matzoh balls... don't laugh... I need to get over some fears before moving on to the matzoh balls. My fear is not matzoh balls related but the impression of matzoh balls (dumplings in soup) reminds me of one Chinese sweet treat that I really didn't like. Those were some sticky dumplings with very sweet fillings, cooked in syrup or soup. The ball was very chewy (stuck between my teeth) and the fillings were sickening sweet. I remember eating one at a Chinese pre wedding party. I wanted so much to spit it out but didn't want to offend anyone so swallowed it. Until today, I am still afraid of trying anything that resembles these sweet little devils. LOL

But hey, you said they're like chicken dumplings? I will make note and definitely will try to make some next year. Thanks Annie!

Al

Al I totally agree with everyone, I think what you did was amazing, you're a great mom. Again, like I said, it must have come across as a criticism but it was really just a little more in depth information about why the big deal about leavened vs unleavened bread during Passover, that's all. The reason I used the word "problem" was not meant to imply a problem with you or what you were doing, just a turn of phrase I used to try and explain that while matzoh may be fun (I always thought it was fun and looked forward to Passover) it is not eaten strictly for the enjoyment of eating it, the way certain foods might be considered fun to eat during a certain holiday, like turkey at Thanksgiving or latkes during Hannukah, or stollen on Christmas day. AGain, I'm totally cool with what you are doing, and I also don't think you have to go to some kind of extreme, there are lots of cute books about Jewish holidays you could read to your kids, just like I'm sure there are stories about Kwanza or Ramadan, etc. I come from a mixed heritage family and I myself LOVED learning about different cultures and cultural practices as a kid. I still do for that matter, to me it is what makes life such a wonderful thing.

1pink, thanks for your encouragement. I am looking forward to other holidays such as Kwanza and Ramadan to experience more new and enlightening experience. Cheers!

Al

How inbteresting. Al, I didnt know you are Chinese.

Now I just have to tell you this. It's kind of a small-world story.

Many years ago through some unusual situations, I traveled to Calgary on business. I somehow met Al Duerr, your former mayor. I have since become very good family friend with him, his wife and their children. We keep into touch all the time. They have even come to visit me in NYC a couple of times.

They are one of the many reasons I have gotten involved in cooking.

As you know, his wife is Chinese, and as you may know, her name is Kit.

A hind: What is her last name? Chan. In Chinese Chan and Chen are interchangeable.

Therfore she is Kit Chen.
Get it?
Kitchen!

dcarch

speaking as the original ecumenical person here...I am a member of a main stream Protestant church....and was raised as such. My son married a Jew and has converted and my daughter a Roman Catholic and has converted.
Christian roots are in Judaism....why do you think we celebrate Holy Communion? Why do we celebrate Maundy Thursday?
We are remembering the seder meal Jesus celebrated with his desciples....Remember why Jesus went to Jerusalem on Palm Sunday? To celebrate passover.
A Seder is a meal celebrating freedom....
Sure lots more....but essentially that's it.
Now for Little Man....the education in cultural diversity comes with knowing why specific parts of the meal are important....but the message is celebrating freedom from tyranny/
Ok....back to my corner.....

You're right ... and you're right. How can they both be right? You know what ... you're right, too!

But I think everyone is right here. I love what Al is doing, and how she is doing it. I wish she lived in my town. But the term "cultural tourism" strikes a chord, too (although it does NOT sound like that's what she's doing); it reminds me of the squeamish feeling I get when people use serious rituals from others' religions to make their wedding ceremonies "unique," which I find terribly disrespectful, like, I don't know, using a baptismal font as a champagne cooler.

It is true, as Lindac says, that a seder is a meal celebrating freedom. And that is certainly something that can be meaningful to everyone (I hope). But it is also true that for Jews, Passover has many other layers of meaning as well. This particular liberation story is not only a celebration of freedom qua freedom; it is also our narrative of identification -- irrespective of its historical factuality; that's how powerful it is for us. For example, you'll find the reference to coming out of Egypt in all kinds of blessings that have nothing to do with that, such as the Sabbath blessing over wine. For whatever reason(s) -- and the theories on that are fascinating, by the way -- this is THE story epitomizing our identity as a people. So, nothing wrong with others learning about and sharing seders -- in fact, it's wonderful. But something wrong if it means watering down everything to some sort of common denominator. (Which is NOT what Al, lindac, or anyone else here was doing!)

Look, we're complicated! No one ever said it's rational. So, Al, as wonderful as your goals and choices are, be careful what you wish for -- try to understand us, and you'll just make yourself crazy. We don't understand ourselves! As they say, two Jews, three opinions. Why, I don't even agree with what I wrote. :-)

Wow, what a screed. This is what too much "square wine" gets you ...!

Happy Passover, everyone!

Temple = synagogue.
If your child's in school, see if there's some parent who'll do a presentation about his/her important holidays (but you can skip Kwanza, it's a made-up holiday, and I've never met an African-American who paid any attention to it.) My kids always had these sorts of events in nursery school as well as in later years and the parents were usually thrilled to be asked.

I've done Russian Easter, myself, and it's usually a big hit, even when it's the same as plain old Easter, as it is this year.

Just to clarify, Al - my kids didn't come up with those commentaries on their own - they go to a Jewish Day School so they're taught the holiday on a much deeper level than most kids, even Jewish ones, get to experience.

I wish we lived nearby so you could be our guests at Seder and other holidays. I'm sure our boys would be buddies!

AM

Thanks Linda & gellchom for your comments. This has been a very good learning experience for myself. Very interesting indeed!

Dcarch, I didn't move to Canada until the year of 2000 (the year I got married) so Al Duerr was my mayor for only one year. I only remember him being loved by most Calgarians unfortunately he decided to step down the year after I moved here. I didn't know his wife was Chinese; that's interesting information. Thanks!

Ideefixe, Russian Easter? Have never heard of it. I will do some research on this topic. One can never learn too much! :-)

AM, now I see. At least they remember what was taught at school! LOL Little man comes home and I ask him "What did you do at school today?" He often looks at me and says "I don't remember!" Strangest thing they always remember everything we don't want them to. :-0

I wish I lived closer to all of you. I am often jealous of the CF get together. Maybe one day we will meet... just keep hoping!:-)

Al