Scarsdale

Passover in the Time of a Modern Plague: Recipes for 2020

Due to the crisis, you probably won't have all the usuals around the table for Passover, which begins on April 8. Passover 2020 may be a virtual celebration with a smaller group but the theme of this holiday could not be more apt. We now have a new plague to add to the list of the ten in the Haggadah, that begins with blood and frogs and ends with darkness and the killing of the first born.

Many traditional dishes that are representative of past events will be served both at the Seders and for the week that follows. The common link that envelops the meals served during Passover are feelings of warmth among family and friends.

Following are some of my holiday favorites. With so many of us confined to our homes and with many markets offering delivery services, we are given the opportunity to spend lots of time in our kitchen preparing our holiday dishes.

We start with some suggestions for your Seder table.

Haroset Sephardic Style (1 quart)

3 pounds pitted dates
6 Tbsps. Passover sweet red wine (Concord Grape)
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 cup chopped walnuts
Place the washed dates in a heavy saucepan and add enough water to cover them. Simmer, stirring until the dates are soft. Drain them and reserve the liquid. Cool. Place the dates in a food processor and process until smooth. Fold in the wine, cinnamon and nuts and mix. If you wish a thinner consistency add a bit of the reserved water. Cool and serve at your Seder. Any leftover is a perfect spread in lieu of jam.

Brisket with Apricots (Serves 6)

1 pound dried California apricots, soaked in 4 cups water for 1 hour
4 onions, chopped
3 pounds of brisket
2 Tbsps. vegetable oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
3 Tbsps. dark brown sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon

In a Dutch oven, brown the onions and the meat in the oil. Add the salt and pepper, lemon juice, sugar, cinnamon and apricots in the soaking water and cover and simmer for about 2 ½ hours until the meat is tender. Remove the meat and cool it. Slice it thinly and arrange it in an ovenproof casserole dish. Pour the sauce and the apricots over it. Reheat in a 350 degree oven and serve.

Tzimmes (Serves 6-8)

½ pound pitted prunes
½ pound dried apricots
3 cups boiling water
2 Tbsps. vegetable oil
3 pounds brisket cut into 10 pieces
3 onions, diced
Salt and pepper to taste
3 sweet potatoes peeled and quartered
4 carrots, 2 inch pieces
½ cup honey
1 tsp. cinnamon

Soak the apricots and prunes in boiling water for ½ hour. Heat oil in a Dutch oven and brown the meat and onions in it. Season with salt and pepper and simmer for 1 hour. Add the undrained fruit and vegetables and remaining ingredients. Cover and simmer for 2 hours until the meat is tender and the liquid is absorbed.

Grammy’s Passover Stuffing (Serves 12)

1 pound matzos
1 pound ground chuck
2 onions, chopped and sautéed in canola oil
5 eggs, beaten
1 Tbsp. canola oil
Salt and pepper to taste
2 cups boiling chicken broth

Place 1 Tbsp. oil in a 9 by 13 inch oven proof baking pan. Set aside. Break up the sheets of matzos in a bowl. Pour the hot broth over it. Add the beef, onions, eggs and seasonings. Mix it very well. Spoon it evenly into the pan. Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven covered for 30 minutes. Uncover it and bake until crisp on the edges and on top or about 20 minutes more.
For the many Passover meals after your 2 Seders I suggest several dishes for brunches or dinners during the week of Passover.

Individual Matzo Kugel (12)

5 matzos
6 eggs
¼ cup sugar
¼ tsp. cinnamon
¼ cup raisins
¼ cup walnuts
4 Granny Smith apples, chopped
Grated rind of 1 orange
¼ tsp. cinnamon mixed with ½ tsp. sugar
4 Tbsps. butter, melted

Butter 12 muffin tins and set aside. In a large bowl, crumble the matzos. Add a cup of water and squeeze dry. To the dry crumbled matzos add the beaten eggs, sugar, cinnamon, raisins, nuts, apples and orange rind. Mix well. Divide among the muffin tins. Sprinkle each with the cinnamon sugar mixture. Drizzle with melted butter. Bake at 350 degrees about 25 minutes or until browned on top. Serve with sour cream or yogurt.
With asparagus in season try our springtime Asparagus Soup.
Asparagus Soup (Serves 6)
1 medium onion, chopped
2 Tbsps. olive oil
1 pound asparagus, rough ends discarded, in 1 inch pieces
1 potato peeled and diced
4 carrots, peeled and chopped
4 cups vegetable or chicken stock
1 cup dry white wine
2 Tbsps. chopped fresh dill
Salt and pepper, to taste

Saute onions in oil until golden. Add asparagus, potato, carrots and saute lightly. Add stock, wine, dill and salt and pepper. Simmer for about ½ hour or until vegetables are soft. Cool. Blend in a food processor or blender until smooth. Return to pot and heat and serve. You can garnish it with additional dill.
Every meal during the Passover holiday should end with something sweet. Here are 2 suggestions.

Pecan Meringues

3 egg whites
¾ cup granulated sugar
3 Tbsps. unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp. vanilla 1 cup coarsely chopped pecans

Beat whites until very stiff. Mix together sugar and cocoa and gently fold it into the whites. Fold in the vanilla and nuts carefully. Drop in small mounds onto an oiled cookie sheet and bake in a preheated 275 degree oven until dry or about 25 minutes. Remove with a spatula carefully while they are still warm. Handle with care since they are fragile.

Passover Brownies

2 sticks butter
¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1/3 cup matzos cake meal
2/3 cup chopped walnuts
2 Tbsps. water
16 walnut halves

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter an 8 inch square baking pan. Melt butter and let it cool. Mix together cocoa powder and sugar. Stir in beaten eggs and melted butter. Stir in matzos meal and chopped nuts until smooth. Stir in water to form a smooth mixture. Spread into prepared pan. Arrange nut halves on top. Bake for 25 minutes. Cool and cut into squares.

With best wishes to my readers for a holiday filled with family and friends beside you --either physically or virtually --all in good health.

Notable Locals Pass Away: Remembering Richard Brodsky, Earl Graves and Jane Nusbaum

Richard BrodskyFormer Assembly Member Richard Brodsky passed away on April 8 at the age of 73. Brodsky was a former County Legislator who served in the NYS Assembly from 1983 to 2010. More recently he wrote a weekly column for the Albany Times Union and wrote his last piece on how Governor Andrew Cuomo is handling the Coronavirus crisis.

Westchester District Attorney Anthony Scarpino issued the following on the passing of Brodsky: “We are saddened to learn of the passing of former State Assemblyman Richard Brodsky, who was a tireless advocate for the people of Westchester during his 28 years in public service. He was a progressive leader who cared deeply about the people he represented and was passionate in his pursuit of environmental conservation and investigating public authorities. Richard’s unexpected passing is a significant loss for the entire community. The Westchester County District Attorney’s Office extends its deepest condolences to the Brodsky family at this incredibly difficult time.”

Greenburgh Town Supervisor Paul Feiner said, “Richard was a brilliant public servant and a hard working and dedicated leader who fought hard for Greenburgh during his life. He mentored many public officials and was known for his independence. He was an effective watchdog of taxpayer dollars who was respected by leaders in Albany, Washington and locally. He pushed for numerous changes in state and local governments and devoted his life to helping others. Richard fought against the state’s Public Authorities and pushed for a more open government.”

Feiner noted that Brodsky lived in one of the oldest buildings in town. He said, “His house, built in 1793 (although its foundation dates all the way back to 1684) is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. In the late 18th and 19th centuries it served as Greenburgh Town Hall, a historical significance that Richard enjoyed talking about.”

Earl Graves

Former Scarsdale resident and founder of Black Enterprise Magazine Earl Graves died on April 6 at the age of 85. The cause of death was Alzheimer’s disease. Black Enterprise was the first magazine owned by an African American and featured black entrepreneurs.Earl Graves

Graves lived in one of Scarsdale’s premier homes at 8 Heathcote Road and raised three children there. When the home was sold, the new owners were required to maintain the façade of the home as it was deemed historic. 

In January 2006, Graves named his eldest son, Earl “Butch” Graves, the company’s new chief executive officer.

Earl G. Graves Sr. was previously chairman and CEO of Pepsi-Cola of Washington, D.C., L.P., the largest minority-controlled Pepsi-Cola franchise in the United States. He acquired the $60 million franchise in July 1990 and at the end of 1998, sold it back to the parent company for which he continued to be actively involved as chairman of the Pepsi African-American Advisory Board.

Graves was a graduate of Morgan State University and gave $1 million to the school which renamed its business school the Earl G. Graves School of Business and Management in 1995.

Jane Nusbaum

Jane Nusbaum passed away at the age of 85 on April 4, 2020. She was a past president of the League of Women Voters President, served as a Scarsdale Village Trustee for four years, and in the leadership Westchester Reform Temple. She was on the board of Scarsdale Family Counseling Service and did work on behalf of Sarah Lawrence College. Nusbaum was inducted into the Westchester Senior Citizens Hall of Fame in 2014.

This from the League of Women Voters of Scarsdale

Jane Nusbaum (right) with Debbie Miller“The League of Women Voters of Scarsdale is sad to share the passing of beloved past President, Jane Nusbaum. Jane was an active and engaged League member for many years. She graciously and generously hosted a past annual event called the "Strawberry Festival," a meeting that she held in her home for League convention attendees to report to the Board and Membership. At Jane's event, strawberry treats were served to all attendees. She provided thoughtful input in our many League discussions and made sure to attend all League luncheons for many years. The League is deeply saddened by her passing and we extend thoughts of comfort and love to her family and friends.”

Friend and neighbor Evelyn Stock said that Nusbaum was her friend for 40 years and neighbor for 35 years. She called Nusbaum “intellectual, smart, capable and committed to doing things for others.” She said a streaming funeral service was held for Nusbaum on April 9, 2020.

(Please remember your loved ones on Scarsdale10583. Send notices to scarsdalecomments@gmail.com.)

Food Shopping Grows More Perilous; H Mart Taking Employees' Temperature

(Updated April 9) Trader Joe’s on Post Road in Scarsdale is closed until Thursday April 9 after the death of an employee from Covid-19 early Monday morning, April 6. According to the Washington Post, the employee had underlying health conditions. The store is closed to give workers “time to process and grieve.”

The store will continue to pay employees during the closure and will clean and sanitize during the closure.

The Trader Joe’s in Hartsdale was closed for a few days last week from Monday March 30 to Thursday April 4 when an employee tested positive for the virus. The store was enforcing social distancing by limiting the number of shoppers in the store, having shoppers line-up outside, offering hand sanitizer and opening from 9 am – 10 am for seniors.

H Mart on Central Avenue is now taking employees' temperatures before they begin work. Sean Kim, the office manager at H Mart in Hartsdale reports these measures they are taking to keep employees and shoppers safe:

-We've been checking our employees temperature before work.
-We provide masks for our employees everyday,
-We set the first hour of business hours for seniors, (as of today, 9am to 10am)
-We reduced number of customers allowed in at one time,
-We marked 6 feet distance both outside and check-out counters for social distancing,
-We provide hand sanitizer and unused gloves also wipe the handle of shopping cart at the entrance,
-We provide a receptacle outside for used masks and gloves at the exit.

At DeCicco’s in Scarsdale, shoppers are also lined up outside and plexiglass partitions have been installed between the cashiers and shoppers. The store is well stocked.

For High School Seniors, Epidemic Impacts Spring Break, Prom, Graduation and Even College Admissions

No Prom, Graduation, and Spring Break? SHS Seniors are Less than Thrilled with the Prospect

It all happened so quickly.

Scarsdale High School seniors are struggling to come to terms with not only the burden – and worrying headlines – of an international pandemic, but also the unfinished business of a senior year suddenly and jarringly cut off. The culmination of their high school experience will never be realized in the way it has been viewed in movies and recounted by friends, parents, and older siblings. Although many students are disappointed, they are making their best effort to complete their academic obligations and enjoy their days spent at home.

“We started our education in kindergarten,” one senior said during a Zoom coronavirus discussion session hosted on April 8 during Wellness Week. “Maybe by fourth grade we were expecting the year before college to have so many good things happen.”

(The application called Zoom has been employed by the district to conduct virtual classes; a student explained his schedule as “two Zoom classes a week for each of my core academic classes, and in each half-hour class we discuss topics or ask questions, for example, about answer keys or homework.”)

He continued: “Now knowing that there’s a virus that basically put a stop to all that kind of minimizes what I feel like I’ve accomplished, and in addition, the accomplishments of people that I’ve known that I won’t see again until I come back as a college freshman.”

The most looming regret for seniors is the likely cancellation, delay, or rearrangement of a few beloved traditions: prom, spring break, and graduation.

Tickets were already being sold for prom before the extended closure was announced, and the current status of that event appears largely up in the air.

“I am really upset about prom being canceled! I went last year and I was really looking forward to it as a senior milestone,” explained senior Eve Mainster. “I also already bought my dress and I know lots of other people paid for their outfits as well, so that sucks. It would have been a great night to mingle with friends, and it’s an important life experience.”

As for graduation, Mainster conceded her disappointment, mentioning that “it is a huge milestone but the ceremony is less important than the actual achievement.”

“I hate that [these events] are cancelled and it’s disappointing, but it has to be done,” said senior Abhinav Vittal.

“I am a little upset to hear that I will probably be stuck in my house for spring break,” said Ava Girardi, another senior. Mainster expressed similar sentiments about spring break: “I was going to go to away with my friends and then see family I rarely spend time with…senior spring break is supposed to be a really fun and lighthearted time with low stress.”

As for prom, a recent email from Principal Kenneth Bonamo promised that school administrators would “do everything [they] can to preserve this event.” Graduation: “We continue to plan for our traditional ceremony on Dean Field. Should New York State require alternate planning, we will follow the State guidelines.”

In the meantime, opinions on e-learning among students have been largely mixed and conflicting.

“E-learning generally seems scattered. A lot of teachers are still shifting around when we meet, and that adds a level of confusion,” opined senior Jack Greenspan.

On the other hand, senior Ava Girardi considered e-learning a success. “E-learning is going well so far and I believe the school is doing a very good job on making this transition easier for everyone.”

“I don’t really like e-learning,” admitted senior Eve Mainster. “It is better than nothing because it gives me a sense of routine. But e-learning is like having double the homework and none of the social aspects of school. Zoom is probably getting more traffic now than ever, so it tends to be slow and glitchy. It is also hard to keep track of because teachers can change up the Zoom schedule rather than sticking to the same schedule.”

Still, other students admitted that e-learning was the best possible current solution in spite of its challenges.

“We all knew e-learning wouldn’t be as good as having a teacher,” Vittal said. “I don’t really have criticisms because I know it’s difficult for teachers to adapt.”

Another senior offered a different perspective. “I think e-learning is doing pretty well. My sister personally doesn’t like it: she doesn’t think that the teachers are using their time effectively, and that most of the time it’s a waste of time,” he said. “For me, I think my teachers did a good job of setting it up and creating a system where the way that we learn is pretty similar to how we learn in class, but also a good adaptation to a virtual platform.”

When they’re not studying, students at SHS have used numerous indoor and outdoor activities to occupy their time. The most commonly named activities include walking outside, biking outside, exercising, reading, watching movies and television on Netflix, learning new skills, and spending time with family.

“I go out pretty often,” said senior Vlad Asriev. “I try to avoid groups of people especially, but I like to bike on the Bronx River trail. It tends to be in some ways – with the ways that that path works – a little hard to stay away from people. That’s one thing that tends to be a little more worrisome.

“For the most part, I feel pretty good in quarantine,” he continued. “There’s kind of a lot to do - I never feel bored. Sometimes I might get addicted to Tik Tok [popular social media app] and just waste the day away, but I never feel like there’s nothing to do. There’s so many movies that I can watch, so many books that I can read.”

For some seniors, their social lives have hardly changed it all. Texting and FaceTime are easy avenues of communication, and stir-craziness has given students the disposition to reach out to people they would not normally contact.

“I feel like people are a bit more open to calling each other even if they’re not the closest friends,” said Asriev. “In school, you kind of have the opportunity to talk to someone really quickly, 5-10 minutes, whatever. Since you can’t really do that at home, I feel like the barrier to communication has kind of been lowered. Everybody’s a lot more willing to talk to each other and check in on people they normally wouldn’t check in with as much.”

“I’m currently trying to get my license, although my test was cancelled,” Asriev continued. “I’m still going out and doing driver’s ed. On top of that I talk to friends a lot. For the most part, I feel pretty busy, actually, and the only thing I’d change is to be a bit more productive, be more creative, things like that.”

One of the most noticeable impacts of the COVID-19 crisis, especially for seniors, rising seniors, and their parents, has been enrollment at colleges and universities. As the Regular Decision round of college admissions has come to a close, SHS families – and those of other high schools across the country – are faced with difficult and perplexing decisions due to campus closures that prevent them from visiting prior to matriculation. COVID-19 may also affect what kinds of students matriculate at these colleges. To clarify how college admissions will likely be affected at SHS, here is an unedited statement from Director of Counseling Oren Iosepovici:

SHS Director of Counseling Oren Iosepovici"This national emergency has had an impact on every segment of society, and college admissions has been no exception. Much like our world has changed over the past few weeks, many of the assumptions that colleges and universities had barely a month ago are in some cases no longer valid. International students that were due to arrive on their campus in September may no longer be able to. All across our nation, families that believed they could afford a specific institution have witnessed drastic changes to their employment and financial outlook. Institutions themselves have undergone a shock to their bottom line through lost revenue from unclaimed fees from students who are no longer on campus, a loss of endowment through the downturn of the stock market, and other economies they can usually count on. In the enrollment process, campus closures have prevented schools from marketing themselves to admitted students. All these factors have combined to make this as arguably the most challenging year for colleges in memory. We have heard from various institutions the difficulties in predicting what their incoming class would look like, and this has obviously had an impact on the admission process. Though we haven't seen final numbers, we have seen unexpected positive outcomes for students at some colleges, and anecdotal evidence that waitlist decisions increased this year as schools attempt to plan for all contingencies. How that plays out in the coming weeks (and possibly months) will be interesting to follow, and will ultimately answer the question of the true impact of this crisis on college admissions.”

On April 8, the Class of 2020 advisers, Coach Alex Greenberg and Ms. Eileen Cagner, sent an email out providing some consolation and clarification for the SHS senior class:

“We are sorry that we will not get to celebrate the way we had planned. But, that does not diminish all that you have achieved through the years. Your class has already proven that there are no limits to what you can do and that doesn’t stop even if the world around us has for the time being. With so much uncertainty right now, including what the rest of the school year will look like, there is one thing we are sure of - we will figure out the best way to honor the class of 2020 because no matter what, we are all in this together :)”

Scarsdale High School, although physically closed, is still in session. Little has changed.