Matzo Ball Savvy

You can't help but love spring. Southern America is alive and in bloom, bursting with nature's show. When one azalea declines, another one explodes open as if to create a never-ending loop of outdoor entertainment. Passover begins on the night of the 15th day of the month of Nissan of the Hebrew calendar, in spring. So the coincidence of growth and beauty seem to be more pronounced. With it comes a continuing global effort to understand the cultures and ethnicity of the world's individuals. In my mind, there is no better way to do that than through food. Witness the advent of fusion: a popular cooking technique that could easily top your taco with fried calamari and goat cheese. This is a valiant effort to bring together mother earth's people, but there are some traditions that are defined by lines.

Is it kosher? That depends...

Let's examine the matzo ball, a key ingredient steeped in the Jewish celebration of Passover. In Hebrew, that's Pesach (pronounced PAY' sach -- you gotta get the CH thing down as if you are clearing your throat). There is only so much you can do to incorporate new and different things to make a different matzo ball. First, there's the question of what you are allowed to do to keep things ... you know, kosher. The two largest sects of Judaism differ in their beliefs when it comes to what is and isn't kosher for Passover. Ashkenazics, folks who are traditionally of a European background though not limited to Europe, don't eat corn, rice, peanuts or any type of legume during the holiday. Sephardics, those who are typically of Spanish or Italian descent, though not limited to that geography, do. So, what do you do?

Say, you're planning to do a Passover dinner, a Seder (pronounced SAY'-dehr) for the very first time. You need to first find out the extent of your guest's beliefs. If it's by the book, so to speak and your company is varied, you could be in the kitchen the rest of your life. Not good. You need to match your energy and time to the guests you invite. Essentially, know your friends and know what you're getting into. Preparing the whole Seder, even for a group of learned grandmothers, is a lofty undertaking.

The matzo ball solution

Why not try just making Matzo Balls. Now you're gonna need soup with that, but I can help clear you up with a couple of things I've got up my sleeve. I've taken the recipes of all my aunts and grandmothers and compiled them based on their region, tradition and culture to come up with two Matzo Ball recipes that will appease everyone. It's okay, you don't have to call me King David. The broth will be the same for both, and it is rich and loaded with the beautiful root vegetables that are readily available now at any supermarket.

• Absolute Best Passover Chicken Broth
• Matzo Balls Without - Ashkenazic
• Matzo Balls With - Sephardic
• Passover Seder History
• Traditional Passover Seder Foods

-- Article by special correspondent J. J. Jackson
J. J. Jackson is a career radio personality known as The Rock N' Roll Food Guy™ to radio listeners across the country. His passion for cooking has included a feature on the food pages of the Atlanta Journal Constitution, as well as spots on the Food Network's "Calling All Cooks" and "Cooking Across America." He's made several personal appearances and developed a multitude of cooking contests.

Cookbooks

•	Jewish Cooking in America
•	The New York Times Passover Cookbook
•	The Complete Passover Cookbook
•	Passover Lite Kosher Cookbook
•	More Cookbooks