Srugim, Sushi, and Passover
Given that shrimp and eel aren’t exactly kosher, and that us Ashkenazim don’t eat rice on Passover, Srugim, sushi, and Passover seem like a bit of a random assortment of words. For those of you who haven’t seen it, Srugim is described as Modern Orthodox Friends (with more drama, revolving around the lives of young Orthodox Jews in Jerusalem- amazing show!). I won’t give away too much, but in season 3, one of the characters who had been Modern Orthodox decided suddenly to become ultra-Orthodox (and true to the community, found a wife in 3 dates). His “modern” Orthodox brother and the other main characters, the Srugim “friends” group, of course want to celebrate the wedding of their good friend. Despite the new-found religious barrier, they hold a sheva brachot party for the newlyweds. Trouble ensues when the grooms ex-girlfriend shows up at the party not having been warned that her formerly sushi loving boyfriend no longer eats anything that is not glatt kosher, or more importantly, that he is now ultra-Orthodox (while she herself is one of the least religious of the group).
Kosher sushi seems to be recurring theme in my life recently- from a Srugim storyline, to my cousin who laments her new-found lack of good kosher sushi, to Jeff Gabel’s clever suggestion that we make gefilte fish sushi in the Prism Cooking Circle. The gefilte fish is what really got me thinking. With Passover approaching, this just seems like the perfect challenge. How can we make kosher for Passover sushi that holds its own at the Seder? We already make a Hillel sandwich with maror and charoset between two pieces of matzah, but how can that be translated into something fun, trendy, and oh-so-multicultural like sushi?
My initial thought? Seaweed rolled with matzah farfel, thin strips of horseradish (or wasabi!), and some kind of sticky sweet Sephardic charoset. But I’m far from happy enough with that to run out and buy nori.
So… Loaded with flavor and meaning, the Seder plate and Passover meal has a lot to offer a sushi roll. My challenge to all of you- how would you make Passover sushi? What would be in it, and why? Would it resemble the Hillel sandwich, or a play on gefilte fish, egg, or the ever popular Passover staple, potatoes? Join the discussion in the Prism Cooking Circle Facebook group and tell us what you think. Whether it’s dining inspiration, or just a fun 2 minute break from your day, jump in and tell us what you’d make!
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