Gluten Free Matzah Ball Soup
Matzah ball soup is pretty
synonymous with the Passover holiday. For some, gluten-free matzah ball soup is too. I can’t quite say when matzah balls first appeared
into Jewish homes, but lets just say they’ve been a”round” for a while. They are traditionally made from matzah meal,
eggs, water, and a fat, such as oil, margarine, or chicken fat. They can be yummy and fluffy or like little canon balls. Some are floaters and some are sinkers.
Eat and enjoy!
Then take a quick trip to your local cardiologist.
Well, about a week ago, we were eating Shabbos lunch at our
synagogue. Apparently we, along with the other ½ of our synagogue members suffering
from OPD (obsessive Passover disorder), had already emptied out most of the
chametz (leaven) from our homes. So, we were all huddled in our syngagogue eating
our last supper, I mean Shabbos meal before Passover. Anyway, our rebbetzin had
this phenomenal idea of asking 150 people what their favorite part of the seder
is. Last year it was “what is your favorite Passover memory,” so this was quite
a reprieve. So, around we went mentioning parts of the seder that appealed to
us the most. Of course, once a topic was picked, no one wanted to repeat it,
which seemed unfair to the 2nd half of the group. Anyway, our friend Bob, who happens to be
attending our seder this year said, “Well, my favorite part is taking the first
bite of my matzah ball. It reminds me of my grandmothers house.” He then went
on to explain the intricacies of this culinary memory. My husband, who a couple
years ago decided to forgo anything made with matzah and water (gebrachs)
replied, “Well you wont have any this year.” I wanted to crawl under the table.
I was feeling for Bob and his matzah ball. I couldn’t stand the thought of
being the cause of Bob not reliving his favorite Passover childhood memory. Plus,
there was no way my daughter was going to put up with this menu change.
And, there’s no reason everyone should have to go without a matzah ball,
just because my husband and the rest of the Hasidic world is obsessed with adding
stringencies. So, I decided that it might be a good idea to make matzah balls
(for Bob and the rest of us regular people) and Potato Balls (the gluten-free
matzah ball) for the OPDers. Well, I have 2 bowls ready to go for seder night:
one-matzah balls and one-potato balls.
I’ll keep you posted on how this all goes. Honestly at 12
midnight (about the time we start eating), no one will care whether their
ingesting potato balls, matzah balls or cotton balls. I’m guessing I’m going to
have a lot left over. But it’s all for the good: I’m building character… and enabling
a non-gebrachs habit at the same time, which may at first glance seem obsessive but is honestly rooted in upholding one of the most important commandments we have. Do Not Eat Leaven. Period.
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