Down Bad

Preparing for Passover with a cold

Apr 22, 2024

Hi friends,

I’m still congested from the seasonal allergies turned head cold but am looking forward to Seder later tonight with my family and friends. My parents have been writing their own Haggadah for years, which is always tailored to the moment (like our virtual one in 2020 , our outdoor one in 2021 and many others). This year, of course, we will talk about Gaza, it would feel inappropriate to carry on as normal especially whose theme of freedom is being contradicted so directly right now. I'll report back and am really grateful to my parents for being so thoughtful in how we observe this holiday.

Something to cook:

I made a double batch of chocolate matzoh crackers, adding sliced almonds and sprinkles (I could only find Christmas sprinkles after going to multiple stores but that’s America). They’re delicious as always

The Christmas sprinkles are nice touch, right?

I made a cherry tomato pasta with pesto (I started with this recipe and then stirred in pesto at the end since I didn’t have any herbs). I finished it with feta and it was delicious and fresh.

Something to order:

I went to pop culture trivia at Talea with Leah and Julia, which was a lot of fun. I didn’t realize it would get so packed—it starts at 7 most Tuesdays but I would recommend getting there by 6 at the latest to get a table. They have WIFI so you can finish working while saving a spot.

I had some pre Passover essentials like a breakfast burrito from Santa Fe (with potatoes and Hatch chili salsa), a bagel, and a slice of pizza from Joe’s in the East Village.

I stopped in Pronto, the new Trader Joe’s quick spot where the old wine shop was (it’s like an express checkout store with grab and go items). I picked up pesto, peanut butter pretzels, Persian cucumbers, and peanut butter cups and there was no line.