Cookin' n Heels

This Saturday evening begins the 8 day celebration of Passover. Passover is a major Jewish holiday that commemorates the Exodus of the Jews from slavery. The Exodus story is a familiar story; you know Moses, Rameses, the plagues, the parting of the Red Sea, and let my people go! The holiday is a celebration of freedom, and the Exodus story is one that is not only meaningful to Jews, but people of other faiths as well. As a Jew of Color, Passover hits home; its one of my favorite holidays. I love to retell the story that happened thousands of years ago, but unfortunately as a Black Jew this story of oppression and freedom, relates very much to me and my family, not in far away Egypt land, but right here in America.

Some folks look at Passover as being extremely stressful and restrictive. You have to clean the house, get rid of all the chametz (leavening, or food with leavening), and for 8 whole days we can’t eat any chametz. So yep you guessed it no bread, cake, cookies, yeast..so there’s no challah at this celebration! Some families also do not consume kitniyot (rice, beans, legumes, corn, seeds). But to me, Passover isn’t stressful at all. It’s a joyous time. It is one of the holidays when I am the most mindful. The cleaning part actually makes me feel as if I am starting a new chapter. With Spring coming in, it is as if I am sweeping out the gloomy winter and bringing in the sunshine and positive energy. It is a great time for me to practice mindful eating, and cooking for the Seder is one of my favorite parts.

The Passover Seder (order) is a festive holiday meal, the meal is done in a certain order and tells the story from slavery to freedom. There are questions, songs, and 4 glasses of wine! My first Passover was a learning experience. I did drive myself a little batshit with researching on what to do, when to do it, and how to do it. But I took a deep breath and said to myself it’s all in the meaning. As for the food, there are traditional passover foods: matzo ball soup, brisket, gelfite fish (as much of a foodie as I am I refuse to try it) and there’s a Mediterranean spin for Sephardic Jews (Mediterranean and Spanish). I did not know how to make any of these dishes, and I said out loud at a Sisterhood event I didn’t know how to cook a brisket and you legit heard the gasp of disbelief. It was like the old salsa commercial where the dude said he got his salsa from New York City [New York City!]. Despite the obvious disbelief, I got no less than 10 recipes and while I am extremely appreciative, I always make it a point to infuse my Southern roots into my Jewish holiday celebrations. In doing this, I knew what I would make for the main course- you can’t go wrong with chicken. But what about the sides? And then it hit me; potato salad!

Southern Potato Salad

Potato salad can be a hit or a miss. In fact, it’s not uncommon at any function to hear “Who made the potato salad?” You might think it sounds super easy but you’re WRONG! Potato salad is one of those dishes that has to be done with such meticulousness and attention to detail that I have to be mindful when making it. In fact, it connects me to the ancestors and best believe when I’m about to go just a little too far it’s almost as if I can hear a whisper in my ear say ‘girl you bout to mess this up.’ I like a good Southern potato salad. It’s a beautiful yellow. Lots of eggs. Pickle relish. And don’t forget the magic dust…paprika! Now sometimes I add a little razzle dazzle, but my boys are like nope make the potato salad the way your mama and ‘nem taught you . BTW..my Aunt Marcia makes the best potato salad in the world! With the restrictions of Passover, potato salad makes a good lunch, a perfect side, and for me it is a staple for any cookout, light lunch, and now it is a part of our Passover celebration. Happy Passover!

• 3 lbs Russet Potatoes (about 4-5 potatoes)
• 4 Hard Boiled Eggs
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 Cup Mayonnaise (I highly recommend Duke’s mayonnaise)
• 3 Tbsp Yellow Mustard
• 2 Tbsp Sweet Pickle Relish
• 1 Tbsp Sugar
• 1 Tsp Celery Seed
• 1 Tsp Paprika
• Salt and Pepper to Taste
• Paprika for garnish

Note: Season and taste as you prepare

• Peel your potatoes and cut into cubes. Boil the potatoes for about 10 mins. You don’t want them to be too soft or you will have mashed potatoes. Place in a mixing bowl
• Cut up hard boiled eggs into chunks. Add to the bowl with potatoes.
• Mix in the mayonnaise, mustard, sugar, celery seed, onions, paprika, salt and pepper.
• Season to your taste. The key is not to have mushy potato salad.
• Garnish with paprika
• Refrigerate and serve chilled