Celebrating Passover in 2014 – This ain’t Your Bubbe’s Kitchen

This week is Passover, the Jewish holiday during which, for eight days, no bread or anything else leavened – “chametz” –  is eaten. Long story short, the Jewish people were fleeing Egypt and they were kind of in a hurry – go figure – so their bread hadn’t had time to rise. While they were on their journey to freedom, they ate the flat bread. We commemorate this by doing the same. Or “to remember the afflictions of our forefathers, or something like that” as my roommate put it.

Let’s face it, matzah gets boring after about day two, and the thought of racking our brains for creative recipes for dinner while remembering what’s on the “no” list, let alone hosting a seder, gives me instant fatigue. What to do? We’re busy, short on time but want to celebrate the holiday and are in need of some inspiration. Let’s face it… this is not your Bubbe’s kitchen!

The answer (surprise surprise) is on the Internet. Social media and blogs are a virtual mine of information for awesome, creative Passover recipes! If we had to flip through recipe books, or hunt down dog-eared note cards with safe-for-Passover recipes, many of us wouldn’t celebrate. But having a plethora of simple delicious options that make the holiday feel less like one of deprivation and more like an opportunity to switch up our go-to lunch options makes it easy and, dare we say it, kind of fun.

For some Passover inspiration, search “Passover recipe” or “”matzah” on Pinterest and voila! In seconds, there’s your 15-minute dinner – hello matzah pizza! There is also a slew of fantastic blogs with tongue-in-cheek names such as  “Jewcy,” “What Jew Wanna Eat,” and “Not Your Bubbe’s Kitchen” – sources as diverse as Mashable and Martha Stewart are offering their take this year! And don’t even get me STARTED on the quinoa recipes! (Note: with the advent of quinoa’s popularity, it was recently deemed Kosher-for-Passover since it’s technically not a grain. Jews all over the world, and their digestive systems, rejoiced.)

We might not have had time to host a full-blown Seder this year, but needless to say, the yummy options available in the age of Jewish food blogs and avid pinners has my roommate and me Kvelling!