Passover

Even for the most secular Jews, Passover is revered as a sacred time that represents the arrival of spring and a time of renewal. Of the major Jewish holidays, Passover ranks as the most spiritual and generally follows weeks of in-house preparations for the holiday and the new season: cleaning, purifying and making the home kosher in the lead up to the Seder ritual, which is held on the 14^th day of Nisan on the Hebrew Calendar.

Orthodox Jews will often burn the leftovers of non-kosher foods as the holiday approaches and will go to great lengths to ensure all evidence of leavened bread is removed from the property. For the more secular, Passover is the ideal time to begin a spring cleaning regimen that will often include the donation of old clothing to various charities and vigorous housekeeping.

The annual holiday meal at Passover is also called a Seder, which literally means “order” in Hebrew. The Seder involves the retelling of the liberation of the Israelites from slavery in Ancient Egypt, often told by an elder in the community or within the family. Traditionally, family and friends will gather in the evening to read the text of the Haggadah, a spiritual work that contains the story of the exodus of the Jews from Egypt. It includes special blessings and rituals, commentaries from the Talmud and special Passover songs.

Ronnie Elgavish, an architect, designer and writer working in Israel, styled the Passover scenes you see in these photographs by Michal Lenart, which were published for hafatzim.com. Ronnie, whose blog theroomservice.net features expository texts on lifestyle and design, is a friend of mine (and a fan of Martha’s!) and he told me a bit about the Seder in a recent discussion:

The complete holiday spiel might take around 3-4 hours of reading the book, singing about 5 traditional songs, drinking a few glasses of sweet, red wine – in sync with various phases of the storyline, enjoying the meal – and exchanging gifts. Since bread is traditionally forbidden during the 10 days of Passover, Matza bread is eaten instead – in commemoration of the quickly cooked dough made during exodus. As part of the Ritual, the Matza bread (usually shaped Orthogonal or Circular with tiny holes) is revealed for the first time- on top of the Seder table; and since Passover is a holiday with a very specific type of Kosher-ness, many families hold a separate set of dinnerware for this holiday only.

Because of the emphasis placed on fine dinnerware, Ronnie says that houseware stores in Israel often see a big spike in their sales:

Sales are increased in ridiculous percents as shoppers are not only looking for a nice display as entertainers – but for giving away gifts as well. New collections of all brands and designers, local and international - are therefore presented everywhere – from mid February onwards.

The Seder table is traditionally set in a formal manner, and family members come to the table dressed in their holiday clothes. For the first half of the Seder, each participant will only need a plate and a wine glass.

At the head of the table is a Seder Plate containing various symbolic foods that will be eaten or pointed out during the course of the Seder. Placed nearby is a plate with three matzot and dishes of salt water for dipping.

The six items on the Seder plate, include:

• Maror and Chazeret: Two types of bitter herbs, symbolizing the bitterness and harshness of the slavery which the Jews endured in Ancient Egypt. For maror, many people use freshly grated horseradish or whole horseradish root. Chazeret is typically romaine lettuce, whose roots are bitter-tasting. Either the horseradish or romaine lettuce may be eaten in fulfillment of the mitzvah of eating bitter herbs during the Seder.
  
• Charoset: A sweet, brown, pebbly paste of fruits and nuts, representing the mortar used by the Jewish slaves to build the storehouses of Egypt.


• Karpas: A vegetable other than bitter herbs, usually parsley but sometimes something such as celery or cooked potato, which is dipped into salt water, vinegar, or charoset at the beginning of the Seder.


• Zeroa: A roasted lamb bone, symbolizing the Pesach sacrifice, which was a lamb offered in the Temple in Jerusalem and was then roasted and eaten as part of the meal on Seder night.


• Beitzah: A roasted egg, symbolizing the korban chagigah festival sacrifice that was offered in the Temple in Jerusalem and was then eaten as part of the meal on Seder night.

For a lovely description of a traditional Passover menu, including recipes, visit epicurious.com.

Chag Semeach! (Happy Holiday!)

Holiday Hearths

I always assume that Santa has an eye for holiday decorating and that he secretly ranks his favourite holiday hearths after he crahses down chimney after chimney, loaded down with gifts. I say, why not give him something to marvel at while he snacks on chocolate-chip cookies and milk? While the imagery below consists primarily of hearths in large, expensive homes, I feel the ideas behind the decorating concepts are easy to attain on the simplest of brick fireplaces - or even on the mantels of inexpensive electric versions! It just takes imagination, the proper tools and materials, an understanding of the design you're going for and some holiday spirit.


Hearths and mantels lend themselves so well to decoration: an artistic tableau of various flower arrangements, for example, anchored by a central focal point, such as a mirror or portrait over the fireplace can transform the fireplace into a focal point. During holiday time, decorative flights of fancy let the imagination soar. In the photo above, a simple garland of spruce and pine boughs is given a luxe treatment with flowing white silk ribbon, large California pinecones and Christmas bulbs in two shades, a light gold and a cream. It creates an understated and elegant look in this formal living room.

Taking cues from the citrus tones of this Manhattan penthouse, a spruce garland is festooned with California pine cones, orange Christmas bulbs and and a winding trail of rustic cord made of raffia.

The pine boughs in this garland are barely visible under the array of various pinecones and numerous white poinsettia bracts. Mistletoe and little white lights complete the modern look. Huge arrangements of white amaryllis and Japanese chrysanthemums rest atop twin tables.

Amaryllis flowers are kept individually hydrated in tiny vessels tucked into a cedar garland. It looks robust and rustic in traditional red and green in this country house.

The red walls of this library are ideally suited to a Christmas hearth. Here, the designers opted for a symmetrical display of winter-berry topiaries flanking a rectangular planter filled with red poinsettia and a toy monkey dressed to the nines in holiday finery. A Santa stauette lends to the whimsical touch.

Another study in symmetry, this hearth makes an understated holiday tableau. An arrangment of tall amaryllis holds the center of the display, volumized by its reflection in the large mirror, while long swags of spruce and pine boughs hold pinecones, green and white ribbon and white lights.

In the same house, the library fireplace is elevated with an arrangement of winter pine branches and berries in a black iron urn. Magnolia leaves, holly boughs and pinecones nestle together under the striking round mirror, which is made of seashells.

The cedar garland in this New York atelier climbs the gilded mirror over the fireplace. It is unadorned except for a few red berries. A tabletop arrangement of red carnations, cedar branches, red ribbon and glazed pommegrantes lends heeps of drama to the scene.

An amaryllis lover, like myself, will adore this festive scene. Various potted varieties of the stunning holiday flower look elegant and unusual grouped together around the hearth and mantel. Covering the soil in each pot is a layer of dried pine needles. Tucked into a wreath above the fireplace, the flowers take on a truly festive air.

Fanciful Christmas Trees

If ever there is a time to be over-the-top and indulge your flights of fancy, it is during the holidays. Extravagance is delicious in small, temporary doses. When spread upon the Christmas tree - the ideal canvas - opulence looks extraordinary. I've compiled a few images of fanciful Christmas trees below for inspiration.

What makes this spruce tree remarkable is the use of oversized ornaments in a monochromatic palette that perfectly suits the pale tones and formal mood of the room. Silver and white dominate the scheme with long, shiny ornaments elongating the form. (The plastercast reindeer adds a whimsical and dramatic touch!)

This tree in this California home looks luxe with its peacock tree-topper. Ornaments in warm oranges and ocres are offset by punches of cool blue and green. Thick, flowing bands of wide ribbon running vertically down the length of the tree add to the dramatic height.

The entrance to this New Orleans condominium is a study in theatricality with its trio of hanging chandeliers and dramatic floral arrangements. The tree, a fragrant cypress, is an unusual and beautiful choice. It is decroated in gold and red tassles and hand-sewn ornaments. Several starburst mirrors are tucked into the branches for added brilliance.

This Manhattan atelier is transformed into a holiday vision with a 15-foot high tree decorated in 8,000 tiny lights and a multitude of red, green and white ornaments.

A diminutive tree in a rustic kitchen in Connecticut is decorated in citrus tones - pale limes and orange hues interspersed with white and silver accents.

Holiday Wrapping: White and Green

Each year I like to have a loose colour palette in mind when I wrap my gifts. I enjoy having a "collection" that speaks to the season and one that is personalized. Everyone will know this year, for example, that my gifts will be in white and green trim: "This must be from Andrew!"

Ideas for these sorts of whimsies come to me primarily from the pages of magazines. I may see a colour combination in a room that I love and run with it during holiday decorating time, letting it taint all of my little holiday projects, from tree trim to wrapping.

Last year, I wrapped my gifts in a white and gold motif, as shown above. I liked the white base enough to keep it around for a second year. It infers snow and ice. The gold brought some warmth to the palette. I used a gold toile wrapping as accent trim and gold rope in place of ribbon. I also used a very broad white ribbon on some of the larger gifts and recycled some gold gift bags from Christmases-past, stuffed with gold and white tissue.

Below are some inspiration photos for the green and white motif I'm going with this year. I will have a follow-up post to show you how the gift wrapping is going later next month. (I am 90% finished my Christmas shopping, but there are still a few key items to put together before I set up my wrapping station!) Is anyone else inspired by certain colour combinations this year?

These two images from Veranda magazine demonstrate the clean, cool look of white and green. Above, gorgeous arrangements of white roses and thistle are nested into large glass vases filled around the rims with white pebbles. Green pears at each place setting add an additional pop of chartreuse. The room, with its desaturated palette of creams, whites and beiges, benefits greatly from the vibrant hue.

Here, again, a neutral dining room in warm gray tones, makes an excellent backdrop to the powerful punch of green filigree. Potted paperwhites look graceful on a natural 'runner' of moss and cedar sprigs. Cedar boughs tucked into the curls of the chandelier give the effect of a dangling Christmas tree overhead. The cedar motif is carried to the garland around the bay window and a large urn filled with olive branches adds a decadent touch.

Some vibrant green and white dinnerware.

Extending the white and green motif from home decor to gift wrapping is the next step. Here, various kinds of giftwrap in shades of white and cream (with silver accents) look lovely with green trim, including sprigs of ivy and white flowers.

My Aunt Sharron sent me this photograph of a holiday craft she created yesterday. It's a glass block with a string of 35 LED lights inside (white or multi-coloured), wrapped to look like an icy present. Select a glass block that is hollow inside then simply drill a small hole into the side of the block using a special glass cutting drill, which has a diamond head that does not break the glass. The drill bit should be one inch in diameter to allow the lights to fit through. Wear goggles and gloves while doing this to avoid glass particles. Carefully insert the LED lights (it takes a bit of practice, I'm told) and leave the plug for the cord exposed. Wrap the glass block in pretty ribbon and place it near an electrical socket to plug it in. Sharron has two - one on the kitchen counter and one in the family room. As you can see in her photograph, it creates a warm, festive glow. Sharron also says you can add a string of glass beads into the block to fill some of the empty gaps and to add to the sparkle.

Although I'm fully aware that 99% of all Christmas wrapping paper eventually ends up torn to shreds on the living room floor, I just can never bring myself to wrap my presents haphazardly; there is always a theme, usually based on a colour scheme or a pattern. This is not to say that I spend a fortune on wrapping paper. As noted, most of it will eventually be tossed (hopefully recycled!) and I'm nothing if not frugal.

I generally splurge on one deluxe roll of wrapping paper and then supplement the rest of my wrapping with plain paper, tissue paper and gift bags.

This year I went with gold and white as my theme. I was inspired by beautiful gold toile wrapping paper I found at Hallmark. The gold is warm and traditional, while the white is modern and cool. I liked the mix.

Knowing I had a stash of gold and white gift bags at home from Christmases past, I decided on the theme. I then used plain white wrapping paper that I had purchased earlier in the year at a discount price to wrap the rest. To make the plain white paper more festive, I used some gold twine as ribbon and labeled the gifts with Martha Stewart Crafts label stickers.

A gold toile pattern on the Hallmark wrapping paper is fitted with a plain white ribbon.

Leftover strips of the toile wrapping paper were used as embellishments on the plain white wrapping, making it look like part of a collection. Two gold gift bags from last year fit in perfectly with the theme.
Inexpensive gold twine found at a craft store dresses up the plain white wrapping. I also bought a small gold gift bag in the same toile pattern as the wrapping paper.

Small Martha Stewart label stickers were used to identify the packages.
European chocolate bars for stocking stuffers are wrapped in plain gold tissue paper and then embellished with scrabook paper. The names of the recipients will be written in gold ink on the brown sections.

My stationery this year was also gold and white (in red envelopes.) This beautiful partridge/pear tree letterpress design was found on Etsy.com.

Andrew's Wrapping Paper Tips:

1. Shop early for the most unique patterns on wrappings; they go the fastest. I got my gold toile wrapping in early November. I also bought a roll of lovely blue and silver snowflake-patterned wrapping paper for next year.

2. Wait until a week before Christmas to buy wrapping paper in bulk. It invariably goes on sale by December 15th.

3. Stock up for next year by buying the leftover holiday wrapping paper in January, when it's the cheapest you'll ever find it. (I once bought three deluxe rolls for just one dollar each.)

4. Look for wrapping paper in unusual places: Dollar Stores and many grocery stores have bins of discounted wrapping paper. While the quality is not the best, it's ideal if you're wrapping lots of gifts for children who couldn't care less about the pattern or quality of the wrapping paper. (Although, I did. But I was weird.)

5. Use plain paper or craft paper for smaller gifts, like books or perfume. If you've got a stash of scrapbook paper, a roll or two of butcher paper or large sheets of plain newsprint, use it for wrapping. Just embellish the gifts with holiday ribbon for a clean, modern look.

6. I'm not a fan of regifting, but I do reuse some of the wrapping paper that covers the gifts I open on Christmas day. I have a small bin of wrapping paper scraps that comes in handy for making homemade cards and even in scrapbooking.

7. Keep wine bags that you're given, as well as gift bags, and reuse them next year.

8. Think about how you want your wrapping to look before you buy it. Do you want it to be traditional or more modern? What are your favourite colours? Are you into plaid this year? Ask yourself what you are most attracted to.

9. Instead of buying oodles of ribbon, use twine, yarn or scraps of cut wrapping paper to embellish the wrapped gifts.

10. Recycle the ripped up wrapping on Christmas night!

I thought it would be nice to feature a gallery of some of the best Christmas trees dreamed up by the staff at Martha Stewart Living magazine, most of whom work under the guidance of Eric Pike, the magazine's "Father Christmas" as he's been called. The photos I've selected below are the ones I think are the most alluring and beautiful, and also timeless in their elegance. There is nothing like a beautiful Christmas tree. When I was very young I used to ask to have my nap time right beside the Christmas tree during the holiday season. It didn't matter where I was - at my grandparents' house, at the babysitter's place, or just in my parents' living room - when it was time for my nap I'd demand to sleep near, or even under, the tree...with the lights on. Most of the time I got my wish and I recall falling asleep staring up into the maze of decorated branches, all lit up. The best nap times ever! Anyhow, enjoy the gallery of Christmas trees from Martha Stewart Living issues past and present, and please consider having a nap among the presents.

Every year my family gathers to make the annual Christmas cakes. This past weekend we all took part yet again. It involves not only baking, but wishing! Below are some of my photographs taken at this family tradition three years ago along with a description of the history of these traditional English cakes and the customary wishful stir that is involved while making them. I've also included the recipe. Hopefully I didn't miss a step in transcribing it! Enjoy!

For over 80 years, the descendants of the McLaren clan (my mother's side of the family) have been making wishes over bowls of raisins, cherries and nuts. If it sounds a little fruity, you're right. "We did it when I was a girl," says Valerie McLaren, an 85 year-old war bride from England, who also happens to be my grandmother. (She will henceforth be referred to as Nana.)

She, along with her sister, Eileen Hornsby, made traditional Christmas cakes with her family in Bedford, England, in the 1920s and '30s. Today, a variation on that same recipe and the tradition of the wishful stir are still enjoyed in the home of her daughter, Gail Ritchie, who also happens to be my mom.

"We'd take turns stirring the ingredients and making wishes as we stirred. It's an old English tradition," says Nana.

After adding several spoonfuls of mixed fruit and dry ingredients at a time, participants take turns stirring the glutinous mass while making a secret Christmas wish. For the last nine years, this tradition has been enjoyed by four generations in our family - the most inclusive it's ever been - with the participation of my nephew Jacob and his dad (my brother) Adam.

From left to right: My mother Gail, my grandmother Valerie (85) and my brother Adam look on as my nephew Jacob makes his holiday wish.

My mom makes her annual wish with a good stir of the ingredients. It's important to keep the wish a secret!

The scene is my parents' kitchen in Osgoode, just south of Ottawa, where three lined and buttered cake tins await the gigantic batch of batter, nuts, raisins and candied fruit, which is all mixed and wished over in a huge roasting pan for convenience.

It should be noted for the sake of pride and prejudice that this recipe is NOT a fruitcake – neither literally, nor figuratively - even if some of its makers are. It mostly consists of mixed fruits and nuts with a hint of batter to hold it all together, giving it an extremely dark, dense and robust look when cooked and an almost intoxicating flavour when served: deeply rich, not at all like those white, unpopular fruitcakes with the sporadic bits of dried fruit.

Lots of raisins - three varieties - keep the cakes moist and dense.

The three sizes of cake tins are shown with the unbaked batter. The tins are prepared by lining them with greased parchment paper on the bottom and along the sides. This ensures they do not stick to the pans and helps to easily remove them.

Many fruitcake snobs lower their defenses when presented with a moist slice of this decadent dessert, which is best enjoyed on its own, either cool or slightly warm. Nana permits serving it with tea or coffee, but please no eggnog: your arteries wouldn't survive.

The recipe below makes enough for three cakes in three sizes: a 5 and a half inch pan, a 6 and a half inch pan and a 9 inch pan. The smallest cake size is ideal to give as a gift to any dessert-lover on your list. Two 9 inch pans would work to make two large cakes instead. These cakes are ideally made a few weeks before Christmas to allow the flavours to develop. Once cooled, the cakes should be tightly wrapped in foil and kept in tins in a cool, dark place until they’re ready to serve.

I took a photograph of the original recipe that my grandmother wrote out for my mom in 1973, the year she was married. As you can see, it's been well used since then: torn, burned and pieced together with tape.

NANA’S CHRISTMAS CAKE RECIPE (MAKES 3 CAKES)

Ingredients:

1 lb currants

1 lb dark, seeded raisins

1 lb light, seeded raisins

1 lb golden, seeded raisins
half cup water

half lb candied fruit

half lb mixed peel

quarter lb chopped walnuts

quarter lb chopped blanched almonds

quarter lb glacé cherries

1 cup crushed pineapple

1 cup pineapple juice

half lb butter

1 + half cups brown sugar

6 eggs
3 cups flour

1 + half teaspoons cinnamon

half teaspoon each: nutmeg, ginger, Allspice

1 teaspoon of salt

1 + half teaspoons baking powder

Instructions:

Day Before: prepare fruit Combine raisins and currants in a saucepan

Add water and simmer on high heat for five minutes

Add mixed peelCover and let stand overnight.
In a separate dish, combine cherries, candied fruit, walnuts, almonds, pineapple and pineapple juice. Cover and let stand overnight.

Next day: Prepare three round cake tins of varying sizes (9 inches, 6 + half inches, 5 + half inches) or two large tins (9 to 10 inches) that are at least four inches deep by lining them with three layers of parchment, greasing the layer that will touch the cake mix

Preheat the oven to 275

Measure flour, spices, baking powder and salt into a bowl

Whisk to combine

Cream butter, sugar and eggs into a large mixing bowl (a deep roasting pan works well for a recipe this size)
Sift part of dry mixture into butter mixture
Combine well

Add part of prepared fruit, alternating with dry mixture between stirs

Turn mixture into prepared tins

Bake at 275

4 hours for the large cake(s)

3 hours for the medium cake

2 hours and 45 minutes for the small cake

COOKING TIPS -Place a shallow pan of water at the bottom of the oven before baking to ensure the cakes retain their moistness. -When cooling the cakes, place clean, damp dish towels over them to keep the moisture in.

The finished cake is a dark, rich treat that looks festive when decorated with glazed pecans, dried figs, almonds and other glazed, dried fruits.