A seder at Spago? Absolutely. Wolfgang Puck’s Spago Chicago is following the lead of Spago in Los Angeles by celebrating Passover with a traditional seder feast. Passover seders are held at home conventionally, not in restaurants. But there is passion and personal commitment in this restaurant seder, as Barbara Lazaroff, Puck’s talented designer wife, who is Jewish, describes it.
More than 10 years ago, at Lazaroff’s suggestion, the seder tradition started at the Los Angeles restaurant, and it was a huge success from the start. It’s a spiritual, personal evening based on Lazaroff’s cherished memories of celebrating Passover at her uncle’s Bronx apartment.
Dessert will include carrot cake and flourless chocolate chocolate chip cake. For a touch of Spago at your seder, try these at home.
The Spago Chicago seder will be held April 1 at the restaurant, 520 N. Dearborn St. The cost is $100 for adults, $35 for children under 12, with proceeds benefiting Mazon, an international hunger-relief program. Reservations are required; call 312-527-3700.
This is a delicious plain cake that is neither too sweet nor too rich.
SPAGO’S PASSOVER CARROT CAKE
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Baking time: 55 minutes
Yield: 9 servings (8-inch-square cake)
5 large eggs, separated, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 cup almond meal or finely ground almonds
1/2 cup matzo meal
1/4 cup matzo cake meal
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup each: grated carrots, sliced almonds
2/3 cup toasted sweetened coconut flakes for garnish, see note
1. Heat oven to 300 degrees. Beat yolks and 1/2 cup of the sugar in bowl of electric mixer on medium speed until thick and pale yellow, about 4 minutes. Add almond meal, matzo meal, matzo cake meal, cinnamon and baking powder. Mix on low speed until combined. Stir in carrots and sliced almonds by hand. Set aside.
2. Beat egg whites in clean bowl of electric mixer on medium speed until frothy. Add remaining 1/2 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, until whites hold soft, moist peaks.
3. Fold 1/4 of the whites into carrot mixture to lighten texture. Fold in remaining whites. Transfer to 8-inch-square pan sprayed with non-stick vegetable-oil spray and dusted with matzo cake meal. Smooth top.
4. Bake until wood pick inserted in center comes out clean, about 55 minutes. Cool on rack.
5. To serve, cut into 9 equal squares. Place on dessert plates. Sprinkle each with toasted coconut.
Note: To toast coconut, spread single layer on baking sheet. Bake in 350-degree oven, stirring once, until lightly browned, about 5 to 8 minutes. Watch carefully so coconut does not burn.
Nutrition information per serving:
Calories ………. 340 Fat ………… 18 g Sat. fat …….. 4 g
% cal. from fat …. 46 Chol. …….. 118 mg Sodium …….. 87 mg
Carb. ………… 38 g Protein …….. 10 g Fiber ……….. 4 g
Nutritional analysis by Jodie Shield
Melted and chopped chocolate make this cake rich and moist.
FLOURLESS CHOCOLATE CHOCOLATE CHIP CAKE
Preparation time: 35 minutes
Baking time: 35 minutes
Yield: about 8-10 servings (9-inch round cake)
7 ounces peeled hazelnuts, finely ground, see note
7 large eggs, room temperature, separated
1/2 cup sugar
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped, 1/4 cup reserved, remainder melted and cooled
Fresh raspberry coulis, recipe follows
1. Heat oven to 325 degrees. Put ground hazelnuts in even layer on baking sheet. Bake until lightly golden and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Set aside to cool.
2. Beat yolks and 1/4 cup of the sugar in bowl of electric mixer on medium speed until thick and pale yellow, about 4 minutes. Add ground hazelnuts and melted chocolate. Mix until well combined. Set aside.
3. Whip egg whites in clean bowl of electric mixer on medium speed until frothy. Add remaining 1/4 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, until whites hold soft, moist peaks.
4. Stir 1/4 of the whites into chocolate mixture to lighten texture. Fold in remaining whites and reserved chopped chocolate. Transfer to 9-inch round cake pan sprayed with non-stick vegetable-oil spray, bottom lined with parchment paper. Smooth top.
5. Bake until top is dry and wood pick inserted in center comes out clean, about 35 minutes.
6. To serve, cut cake into 8-10 equal wedges. Serve with raspberry coulis.
Note: To peel hazelnuts, put nuts in boiling water 1 minute. Drain well. Place on dish towel, fold towel over nuts and rub back and forth vigorously on counter to remove most of skins.
Nutrition information per serving:
Calories ………. 311 Fat ………… 22 g Sat. fat ……. 6 g
% cal. from fat …. 61 Chol. …….. 149 mg Sodium ……. 46 mg
Carb. ………… 23 g Protein ……… 8 g Fiber ………. 3 g
Nutritional analysis by Jodie Shield
It may seem wasteful to use fresh raspberries here but they ensure the coulis has just the right consistency and doesn’t separate at all.
FRESH RASPBERRY COULIS
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 5 minutes
Yield: 1 cup
1/2 cup each: water, sugar
1 pint (2 cups) fresh raspberries
1. Put water and sugar in heavy small saucepan. Heat to boil, stirring occasionally, until all sugar is dissolved. Cook 2 minutes.
2. Add raspberries. Cook, stirring occasionally, until raspberries are softened, about 3 minutes.
3. Transfer to food processor fitted with metal blade. Puree until smooth. Pour through fine mesh sieve, pressing on seeds. Discard seeds. Can be made ahead and refrigerated up to 3 days or frozen up to 1 month. Let come to room temperature before using.
Nutrition information per serving:
Calories ………. 63 Fat ………. 0 g Sat. fat ……. 0 g
% cal. from fat …. 2 Chol. ……. 0 mg Sodium …….. 1 mg
Carb. ……….. 16 g Protein …… 0 g Fiber ………. 2 g
Nutritional analysis by Jodie Shield
