When Passover approaches, Jewish families pull out such treasured family recipes as gelfilte fish or matzo ball soup. Lisa and Mark Silberg bring out their 10-by-12-foot Eddie Bauer canopy tent.

	Lake Fong, Post-Gazette Gathered under the family's Passover tent, are, clockwise from left: Kory, 13, Mark, Sam, 11, Lisa and Max Silberg, 6, with their dog Chai in their Indiana Township living room. Click photo for larger image. Related information We like fresh, but canned foods work

T hen they pitch it in their sunken living room. "We only use it during Passover," says Lisa. The idea is to engage the imagination of the children and inspire them to participate.

"We're trying to imagine what it would have been like to have the temple not there, to do things in a tent" as the Jews fled slavery in Egypt, she says.

"It was so magical that I had to do it again and again."

The mother of three says the special setting "makes it more fun for kids. The Seder feast is very long. If you don't make it fun, they could dread the holiday."

As Tevye sings in "Fiddler on the Roof," "Tradition!" Tradition?

"The tent has become one in our house," says Lisa. "This is our third year. The kids begged to do it again this year."

The 29 guests invited this year will be "mishmashed together" in the tent for the reading of the Haggadah, she says. "The kids sit on the floor. People sit on each other's laps."

The Seder, which means order, can be trying for the little ones as they struggle to understand the adult themes that chronicle the exodus of the Jews out of Egypt, a leave-taking that happened so quickly there wasn't time for the bread to rise. Thus, unleavened bread, or matzo, is at the core of the seven-day observance of the ancient Hebrews' escape from slavery, and Jewish law specifies that they abstain from many familiar foods, such as bread, rolls, cakes and cookies -- anything with leavening.

On Friday, the Silbergs and their sons, Kory, 13, Sam, 11, and Max, 6, will rid their home of the forbidden food, or hametz.

"They have a feather to sweep up every crumb," she says. "The next morning it is burned."

The family will have 20 adults and nine kids in their tent, which is decorated with ersatz palm trees and large colorful paintings the children created to illustrate the 10 plagues of Egypt.

Last year, the tent was pitched in the dining room, but this time it sits over a sectional sofa and is secured by pegs driven into the floor to hold it stable. It is an intimate setting for the candleight service, which will be read by her husband, Dr. Mark Silberg, a periodontist who practices in Robinson.

Mark says Passover is the most widely celebrated Jewish holiday. "It's about freedom," he says. "When we tell the story of the exodus from Egypt, about being oppressed, it's not just us and the pharaoh. Until everyone is free, no one is free."

Dr. Silberg's parents, Lillian and Jules Silberg, will come from Sarasota, Fla., for Passover. Not all the guests will be Jewish.

"My cousin comes," Lisa says. "He always says, 'I get to be Jewish for a whole day.' "

Lisa is a convert. She studied Judaism for four years before she married her husband, whom she had met through his former partner. She says she didn't want their children to be confused about their religion. "The more Mark told me about his religion ...," she recalls. "I fell in love with the Jewish traditions."

She's still learning. The family attends Adat Shalom in Cheswick. For the children, there is Hebrew School on Tuesdays and Sunday school, too. Before they moved to their home in Indiana Township 11 years ago, they lived in Squirrel Hill for six years. "More Jewish people were moving out here at that time," she says.

Lake Fong, Post-Gazette photo Max Silberg shows his handmade Seder plate, complete with illustrations of the traditional foods. Click photo for larger image.

The Fox Chapel Area School District -- the children attend Dorseyville Middle School and Fairview Elementary -- has responded, she says. "They would have school on Rosh Hashana," and there were many empty seats. "They now have Jewish holidays printed on their calendar," though not all of them mean a day off.

Lisa grew up in Hampton and she's happy to live only five minutes from her mother, Elsie Chalfant, who will also attend the Seder.

In addition to the ritual foods on the Seder plate, Passover is a feast indeed. Lisa worked in the kitchen of nearby Hartwood Restaurant for two years and once considered attending culinary school. Those plans were scuttled when she became pregnant with their youngest son. Her husband calls her "my chef diva."

Still, cooking remains a creative interest, right along with her stunning beadwork. The home reflects her artistic eye with paintings and beautifully framed artwork by her children. An array of menorahs, which are used in marking Hanukkah, sits in a prominent place. "The middle one belonged to Mark's grandfather," she says. "You can tell how old it is -- it doesn't have candles. It uses oil and a wick."

Lisa is happy to be in the country, where her street has a dozen children. "My boys are so busy," she says. "They drive me crazy sometimes." But she feels grateful that she can be a full-time homemaker. She laughs. "By Sunday night, my husband is glad to go back to work."

One of her greatest pleasures at Passover is working in the kitchen with her mother-in-law, Lillian. The two have great fun together as her mother-in-law shares the secrets of her chicken matzo ball soup. They make haroset, a fruit mixture that represents the mortar that the enslaved Jews used in building the pyramids.

A Conservative Jew, Lisa keeps kosher, with some exceptions. She has, for example, different silverware for meat meals and dairy meals, but "I use the same pots and pans. Lil says I shouldn't feel bad about that," and Lisa may add additional kosher practices a little at a time.

Although the service will be in the tent, where 6-year-old Max has created a Seder plate for his grandfather, the group will move to the dining room for the dinner, which will be served on colorful paper plates. Lisa, who says she likes to think outside the box, likes to try new dishes each year. Usually, it's a meat rather than a dairy meal.

On the menu this year are Moroccan Lamb and Eggplant Matzo Pie, a recipe she found on epicurious.com; Wild Mushroom and Wild Leek Farfel Kugel; and Raspberry & Peach Parfait Cake from Bon Appetit magazine. She and Mark made their own gefilte fish last year, but this year they're buying it at Food Glorious Food in Highland Park. Says Mark: "You have three kids and try to make the time to follow tradition and make memories, but sometimes you just run out of time. "

Surely some of those memories will revolve around the tent he bolted into the living room floor. "We try to have fun with it," he says.

Lisa looked at the three tables already set for the first night of Passover: "I have to find a place for one more person," she says. She was talking to a longtime friend and insisted he attend.

"Just like the Italians, we can't stand to have anybody left out," she says with a grin.

Lisa and Mark Silberg will find a place for everybody in building upon the spirit of Passover. "In my household, under my roof, we will tighten the bond to make a difference in our Jewish community."

PG Tested: Passover 'Brown Bubbie'

Moosewood's Jewish version of brown betty uses matzo meal and no flour or leavening in accordance with Passover dietary guidelines. This is a homey, simple dessert with the ever-loved flavors of fruit, spice, and nuts. The fruit filling, if made ahead, will keep for 1 to 2 days when stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator. This is a delicious recipe.

• Filling:
  
• 6 cups peeled and sliced pears (we used red pears)
  
• 1/2 cup sugar
  
• 1/2 cup raisins
  
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  
• 
  
• Topping:
  
• 1 cup matzo meal
  
• 1/3 cup sugar
  
• 1 cup chopped toasted walnuts (see note)
  
• 1 tablespoon melted butter or vegetable oil (we used vegetable oil for a meat meal for Passover)
  
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Note: Toast walnuts in a single layer on an unoiled baking tray at 350 degrees for about 5 minutes, until fragrant and golden brown.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly oil an 8-by-10-inch glass baking pan.

In a bowl, combine all of the filling ingredients and pour them into the prepared pan. In a separate bowl, mix together all for the topping ingredients. Sprinkle the topping evenly over the filling.

Bake, uncovered, for 40 minutes, or until the fruit is tender and the topping is slightly browned. Cool for at least 15 minutes before serving. Enjoy, bubbeleh.

Serves 6 to 8.

"Moosewood Restaurant Celebrates Festive Meals For Holidays and Special Occasions" by The Moosewood Collective

PG Tested: Spiced Pineapple-Carrot Kugel

Easy to prepare, kugel contributes both its vegetable and fruit benefits, along with plenty of spicy-sweet flavor.

Preparation time: Approximately 10 minutes.

Cook time: Approximately 1 hour.

• Vegetable oil spray
  
• 15-ounce can sliced carrots, drained
  
• 8-ounce can crushed pine- apple in juice, drained (see note)
  
• 2 apples, cored and chopped (we used Empire)
  
• 1/2 cup matzo meal
  
• 1/4 cup dried cranberries or raisins (we used cranberries)
  
• 3 large eggs, separated
  
• 1/4 cup slivered almonds, toasted
  
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Coat an 8-by-8-inch baking dish with vegetable oil spray. Combine sliced carrots, pineapple, apples, matzo meal, cranberries, slightly-beaten egg yolks, almonds, cinnamon and coriander in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, beat eggs whites until stiff; gently fold them into the carrot-pineapple mixture. Pour into the baking dish; bake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until lightly browned.

Serves 12.

Tester's note: Our kugel, though tasty, seemed dry. Next time we will not drain the pineapple, and we may peel the apples, although the recipe didn't call for that.

Nutrition information: calories 90; total fat 3 grams; cholesterol 55 milligrams; sodium 105 milligrams; carbohydrate 15 grams; fiber 2 grams; protein 3 grams.

Canned Food Alliance

PG Tested: Rosemary Roasted Lamb With Apricot-Citrus Sauce

Lamb, infused with rosemary and garlic, makes a delicious entree for Passover meals. Complemented with apricot-citrus sauce, it's another easy way to fit fruit into a meal -- and enjoy its sweet flavor.

Preparation time: Approximately 15 minutes.

Cooking time: Approximately 2 1/2 hours (25 to 30 minutes per pound of lamb).

• 5 pounds lamb roast, 1/8-inch trim
  
• 1/4 cup matzo meal, optional (see note)
  
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary, divided
  
• 1 garlic clove, chopped
  
• 1 teaspoon paprika
  
• 1 teaspoon black pepper, divided
  
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
  
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
  
• 15-ounce can apricots in juice, drained (reserve juice)
  
• 11-ounce can Mandarin oranges in juice, drained (reserve juice)

Heat the oven to 325 degrees. Place lamb in a roasting pan. Combine matzo meal, 1 tablespoon rosemary, garlic, paprika, 1/2 teaspoon pepper and salt in a small bowl. Rub matzo-herb mixture over lamb, then drizzle with the olive oil. Roast lamb for 1 hour.

Meanwhile, combine juices; pour over lamb then roast for an additional 1 1/2 hours until tender. To check for doneness, insert a meat thermometer in the thickest part of the muscle, being careful not to let the thermometer rest against a bone; roast until lamb reaches an internal temperature of 160 degrees.

Remove the lamb from the roasting pan. Skim off and discard fat drippings from pan. (We had almost no fat.) Add apricots, mandarin oranges, and remaining 1 tablespoon rosemary and 1/2 teaspoon pepper; heat through.

Serves 12.

Notes: Nutritional information for this recipe is based on leg of lamb. For a kosher meal, use a shoulder cut. Most supermarkets carry matzo meal. At other times (not Passover), bread crumbs can be substituted for matzo.

Nutrition information: calories 410; total fat 24 grams; cholesterol 125 milligrams; sodium 160 milligrams; carbohydrate 9 grams; fiber 1 gram; protein 37 grams (does not reflect fat removed after skimming pan juices).

Canned Food Alliance