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The Feast of Unleavened Bread is a very special time of year. During the Holy Days our diet must be changed to fulfill all the scriptural requirements of this Feast. We must eliminate all leavening (Hebrew—se’or and chametz, meaning yeast, barm, to swell up or corrupt) from our everyday lives. This includes all food sources and all products we use in our homes and on our bodies such as deodorants, toothpaste, vitamins, soap, beer, sodas, even dogfood, etc. These are our dwellings and no leavening agent may be seen in all our quarters (Exodus 12:15-19). Grain alchohol (sometimes used in extracts like vanilla) and distilled vinegar are also prohibited.

These leavening agents appear under such names as yeast (both baker’s and brewer’s), baking powder, baking soda (sodium bicarbonate), sourdough, barm (yeast), cream of tartar, or other names.

These ingredients can possibly emerge in such things as soap powder used for detergent, soup (canned, dry, or bouillon), angel food cake, table salt, vitamins, bread, crackers, cookies, cakes, soda pop, beer, and so on. This list is large, but it is important that we as True Worshipers get ALL the leavening out (Exodus 12:15, 19; Deuteronomy 16:4). Don’t forget the crumbs in the toaster or the vacuum cleaner bag (after all the clean-up)! Be sure to read every label on all product containers in your home.

All these things have to be removed from your quarters (property). See Exodus 13:7 and 1 Corinthians 5:8—you cannot save them for later use. Remember to start early, checking all ingredients on every purchase that you make, and every item in your house. Why not be a year-round label reader?

To make the Feast of Unleavened Bread a special time, the following recipes are included in this publication. Joyous eating!

Flour Tortillas

2 c. flour

1/4 c. shortening

1 tsp. salt

1/2 c. lukewarm water

Cut shortening into flour-salt mixture until size of peas. Add water. Knead. Let rest 10 minutes. Form into 2" balls. Roll to ¾" thick. Use heavy skillet or griddle, ungreased and very hot. Turn tortilla 3 times and it should be done when small dark brown spots speckle the bread.

Mayonnaise

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon dry mustard powder

1/2 teaspoon sugar (or honey)

1/2 teaspoon salt

dash cayenne pepper

2 tablespoons cider vinegar

1 cup salad oil

Put eggs, seasoning, vinegar, and 1/4 cup of oil into blender container. Cover and process at BLEND. Immediately remove feeder cap and pour in the remaining oil in a steady stream. (If necessary stop the blender, use a rubber spatula to keep mixture around processing blades. Cover and continue to process.) Store covered in the refrigerator up to 1 week. Makes about 1 1/4 cups.

Homemade Tomato Catsup

3 1/2 cups tomato sauce; use a 1-lb 13 oz. can

1/4 teaspoon celery seed

4 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons sugar (or honey)

1 3/4 teaspoons salt

1/4 t. onion power

Scant 1/8 teaspoon pepper

4 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons light corn syrup

4 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons cider vinegar

2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

Pour 1 cup of tomato sauce into a blender container and whirl at the highest speed for 1 full minute; pour the blended sauce into a heavy, high-speed, non-aluminum pot; repeat this procedure, blending only 1 cup at a time, until all the sauce has been blended. If you’re using a food processor, blend the sauce all at once until perfectly smooth, stopping once or twice to scrape down the sides of the container. In a mortar and pestle, crush the celery seed to a powder; if you don’t have a mortar and pestle, combine the celery seed, sugar, and salt in a clean, dry blender or processor container and whirl until powdered. Mix the powdered celery seed, sugar, salt, onion powder, pepper and cayenne into the pot of blended sauce. Gently boil the sauce, uncovered, for about 25 to 30 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove sauce from heat when it is as thick as a rich spaghetti sauce and able to make loose mounds—it should be just a bit thicker than you want your finished catsup to be. Cool the sauce quickly by immersing the pot in a sink of cold water while stirring the contents.

When the sauce is cool, stir in the corn syrup, vinegar, and lemon juice until blended. Pour the catsup into emptied and cleaned commercial catsup bottles. Store refrigerated for up to 6 months.

Passover Bread

3 pints milk

1 pound butter

flour

Take milk, butter, and as much flour as needed to give it a body similar to pie dough. Divide into four parts and work each until it blisters; then roll out till about the thickness of pie dough. Score or prick with fork (like a pie shell). Bake at 350° until slightly browned at the edges.

Applesauce Loaf Cake

(Yield = 1 9x5 inch loaf)

1/4 c. raw honey or pure maple syrup

1/3 c. unrefined corn germ oil

1 egg

1 3/4 c. whole wheat flour

1/2 tsp. sea salt

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. ground cloves

1 c. raisins

1 c. chopped nuts

1 c. thick applesauce

Beat the honey, oil, and egg together. Sift together and add the flour and spices. Lightly stir in raisins, nuts, and applesauce. Spoon the batter into an oiled 9x5 inch loaf pan. Bake 40 minutes at 350°.

Unbaked Chocolate Cookies

1/4 cup margarine

2 cups sugar

1/2 cup milk

3 Tbsp. cocoa

Mix together and bring to a boil:

3 cups uncooked oats

1 Tbsp. vanilla

½ cup chunky peanut butter

Remove boiled mixture from heat and add last 3 ingredients. Drop by tablespoon onto waxed paper. Let harden and cool.

Butterfingers

2 tbsp. butter

1 c. powdered sugar

1 c. peanuts, chopped

1 6 oz. pack chocolate flavored chips

1 c. chunky peanut butter

1 c. graham crumbs (either homemade or matzos can be substituted)

Mix all ingredients except chocolate until smooth. If mixture seems dry and doesn’t form a ball easily, add a little vegetable oil. Press in 7x14 inch pan and refrigerate. Melt chocolate chips in double broiler on low heat. Add about 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil to make smooth consistency. Spread chocolate over peanut mixture. Cool. Cut into squares.

Cracker Pudding

4 cups milk

2 eggs

1/2 cup sugar

2 cups cracker crumbs (substitute matzos)

1 cup shredded coconut

1 tsp. vanilla

Scald milk in top of double broiler or use a heavy saucepan. Beat egg yolks, add sugar, and mix. Add this gradually to scalded milk (stir constantly). Allow to cool one minute. Then add crackers (or matzos) and coconut. Stir until the mixture thickens. Remove from heat, add vanilla. Beat egg whites with 3 tablespoons of sugar. Fold into the pudding and cool, or you can put the egg whites on top and brown in oven (350 degrees).

Hush Puppies

1 large onion

2 c. corn meal

1 c. plain flour

2 eggs

½ tsp. salt

4 tbsp. sugar

4 tbsp. cooking oil

Mix well and drop with a teaspoon into a deep fat fryer.

Quick Enchiladas

Fry 1 dozen corn tortillas in 6 tablespoons of hot oil. These are to be soft or heated by oil. Cut in quarters. In this same oil (about 4 tablespoons should be left) place 1/2 cup of flour, 3 tablespoons of mild chili, 2 tablespoons powdered cumin, 1 tablespoon garlic salt, salt and pepper to taste, and enough water (about 5 cups) to make a chili gravy. Add to this 1 cup of grated cheese. Stir in quartered tortillas. When hot and bubbly serve topped with shredded lettuce. Tortilla chips can be substituted for tortillas.