Passover is my least favorite Jewish holiday, even in a roster of celebrations that includes Yom Kippur, a day when you are supposed to fast while you think of all the people you've hurt in the last year. Passover is the worst because it lasts an entire week and comes right before Easter. I remember sitting quietly at lunch in elementary school, listening to my friends talk excitedly of all the chocolate they had eaten on Sunday, while I slowly chewed on my matzo. In fact, matzo in some form or another is the base of almost everything that one can eat during Passover. For those who don't know, matzo is a dry, sheet-like cracker. The entire baking process that goes into creating it, from mixing the dough to placing it in the oven, must be completed in less than a surprisingly specific 18 minutes, or else it must be thrown out.
Matzo has neither taste nor pleasant texture to recommend it, and it is terribly unwieldy to eat. The slightest pressure applied to the cracker will invariably break it, making most attempts to apply jam or some other spread futile and frustrating.
In spite of this, there are some delicious ways to prepare matzo. Matzo ball soup, for example, is made with ground-up matzo called "matzo meal." The cracker is also good dipped in chocolate, or slathered in room-temperature butter with honey or cinnamon and sugar poured on top. But in my opinion, matzo is at its best when soaked in egg and made into matzo brei. Served with jam, honey, cinnamon and sugar, or the traditional salt, Matzo brei is a delicious breakfast even after Passover ends.
Ingredients:
Matzo—2 sheets probably serves one person
1 egg per sheet of matzo
Topping of your choice. My personal favorites are is cinnamon and sugar.
Step one: Crack egg or eggs into a medium size mixing bowl, and scramble them.
Step two: Break matzo into bite-size pieces and pour into the eggs. Let sit until the matzo has been completely soaked, about 10 minutes.
Step three:
Put a half tablespoon of butter into a pan, and turn the heat to medium high.
Step four:
When the butter has melted, pour the matzo pieces into the pan.
Step five:
Stir slowly while the matzo cooks. When it is done, it should be soft and pliable, but still chewy. Pour your topping on to taste, and enjoy!