Taraneh's Charoses 04.07.2012

We attended a Seder last night, and I was reminded (as I am every year at Seder) about flavors that are associated with Seder: I make a mental note to myself that I will eat those things on nights that are not Seder.  But I don't.  Oy.

Why is that that matzoh tastes so good?  Is it because we are all starving?  Possibly.

What really got me last night was the charoses -- it's a mixture of apple, nuts, wine, and cinnamon.  The dish is a reminder of the mortar used by the Jews in the construction of buildings as slaves.  Well, let me tell you this:  my friend Taraneh's charoses was so delicious, I could have eaten a giant bowl of that for dinner and been perfectly happy.  We placed spoonfuls of it on matzoh bread:  heaven!

I'm thinking about using the charoses mixture in a pie, a la apple pie.  Doesn't that sound fantastic?

Here is Taraneh's charoses recipe.  I dare you not to fall in love with it!

Taraneh's Charoses Recipe

6 Fiji apples, chopped into little cubes
1 cup of chopped walnuts
1/2 cup of chopped dates
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1/2 cup of fresh orange juice with pulp
Generous amount of cinnamon
1/2 cup of brown sugar
Handful of dried cherries
1/4 cup of Manischewitz wine

Mix all ingredients well
Place covered in fridge until you're ready to eat

It's just that simple.

One note about the cinnamon:  Taraneh says to keep putting it in until everything is cinnamony.  And if you had eaten her charoses last night, you would know exactly what that meant.  There was a lot of cinnamon and it was incredible mixed with all the other flavors.

Now, how to remind myself to enjoy Seder flavors on non-Seder nights?  I'll keep you posted.  I'm determined to make charoses pie.

Happy eating all!

The main meal:  Citrus Carrots, Kugel, Eggplant, Tender Beef, and Beans