Are You Zooming Your Spring Holiday Gathering?

By Edible East Bay | April 7, 2020
When you can’t hop to the store for last-minute provisions, a seder plate can get a bit inventive! Here we have chips as matzo, kimchi as horseradish (maror), and a deconstructed charoset. All considered, not bad!
When you can’t hop to the store for last-minute provisions, a seder plate can get a bit inventive! Here we have chips as matzo, kimchi as horseradish (maror), and a deconstructed charoset. All considered, not bad!

So much of life is happening these days on Zoom, and you might be among those who are holding one of these virtual holiday gatherings with family and friends right now. For large groups, Zoom’s breakout rooms allow people to talk in small clusters. To celebrate with just one or two far-away friends, FaceTime can work well too.

One silver lining is the chance to host guests from around the country (or the world!) at the same virtual table, and many home cooks are getting competitive with ambitious cooking projects to show off on screen. Here are some gorgeous-looking holiday recipes you might like to try:

A Russian Easter Bread from Beyond the North Wind by Darra Goldstein

Date-Filled Cookies from Feast: Food of the Islamic World by Anissa Helou

And from our magazine and newsletter archives, here's a charoset from Market Hall and a lamb braise from the much-missed Cafe Rouge.

If you’d rather celebrate with take-out: Rockridge Market Hall offers both Easter and Passover menus, with foods available on a first-come, first-served basis at the Rockridge store only. Passover menu is available through Thursday, April 9; the Easter Menu is available Thursday, April 9–Saturday, April 11. Both stores have festive Easter confections and Easter baskets. Info: here.

The photo above is by Clara Rice, taken April 8, 2020, as she celebrated the first day of Passover with her family. "This isn't a very legit passover plate," she says. "Very hacked together from what's in my house, with chips instead of matzo. But the reality of now is part of the charm.

Posted in Newsletter