"French Toast" Matzoh Brei

(IT'S NOT YOUR BUBBIE'S MATZOH BREI)

 Are you adventurous when it comes to trying different foods?

I'm a huge fan of ethnic foods, and fairly open to trying new things,
as long as certain animals and/or parts of their anatomy aren't involved. 
I still can picture the day my mother took me into a kosher deli,
and I saw a big, fat cow's tongue sitting in the deli case next to the pastrami.
Gross.
I haven't eaten tongue since, and I still can't look at it today.   
 
I realize that many of my readers are not Jewish, 
so our cuisine may not even be on your ethnic radar screen. 
And granted, this picture of maztoh brei may not be the thing to convert you, 
as it surely doesn't look as appetizing as a big stack of pancakes. 

But, hopefully, in the spirit of learning something new, 
you'll stick around for a little Jewish cooking lesson.

It's been said that all Jewish holidays can be summed up like this:
"They tried to kill us; we won; let's eat."
Passover? True, that.
  
 On Passover, we eat foods that symbolize the Jews' release from slavery 
several thousand years ago.

The food most widely associated with Passover is matzoh.

It reminds us of the exodus from Egypt,

when the Jews didn't have time to fully bake their bread.

They packed up their unleavened bread, aka, matzoh,
and followed Moses into the desert in search of the promised land.

Today, we still eat matzoh on Passover to remind us of our freedom. 

Over the eight days of the Passover holiday,

we eat "lotsa" matzoh.

This can cause some unpleasant gastro issues, 

which gives a whole new meaning to "Let my people go." 

It's no surprise that there are many matzoh-centric recipes,
to keep our palates from getting bored during the week of Passover. 

In addition to special foods we do eat on Passover,
there are certain things which are forbidden.
The "biggie" is that anything made with flour, like bread and pasta, is a no-no. 
Think about how many foods have flour in them, 
 and you'll have some understanding as to how limiting the Passover menu can seem.
(If you're gluten-free, you know exactly what I'm talking about).

But, DON'T WORRY!
We'll be FINE! 
We won't STARVE!
We've had thousand of years to come up with alternative recipes.  

One of my favorite Passover breakfast treats is Matzoh brei
('brei' rhymes with 'try'), 

a pan-fried concoction of matzoh, egg and butter.

Jewish people usually fall on one side of the matzoh-brei fence - 

with strong opinions as to whether it should be served salty or sweet. 

Me?
I straddle that fence, enjoying it both ways.

  It occurred to me that with just a couple of extra ingredients -- 
milk and vanilla extract --

traditional matzoh brei could be made to taste like French toast.  

If you strictly observe Passover's dietary rules, 

you are aware that vanilla extract is not considered Kosher for Passover (KFP).

You can either make your own, or substitute KFP vanilla sugar.

For the record, I used regular vanilla extract in my recipe.   

Some Helpful Hints:

The matzoh must soak in the warm water to soften for about three minutes; then drained. 
After adding the egg mixture to the softened matzohs,
let it sit for 2-3 minutes so the eggs soak into the matzoh.
This recipe fits perfectly into a 10" skillet.
Matzoh brei is best when it is a little crispy,
so let it fry in the butter for a few minutes before turning it over.
 If you can flip it like a pancake, hey, power to you.
I can't, so I cut it into about four pieces and then turn it over.
It really doesn't matter, since it will be broken into small pieces anyway.     
Although I have reheated leftover matzoh brei in the microwave,
it is best when served immediately.    

Matzoh Brei "French Toast"

Yield: 2-3 servings

4 Sheets Matzoh
2 eggs
2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract (or Kosher-for-Passover vanilla extract, or vanilla sugar)
1/4 tsp cinnamon
2-3 tablespoons raisins (optional)
2 tablespoons butter  

In a large bowl, soak matzoh in hot water until very soft, about 3 minutes; drain off water.
In a small bowl, beat eggs with a fork.  Add in sugar, vanilla (or vanilla sugar), cinnamon, and raisins, if using. Mix well.
Stir egg mixture into softened matzohs. Let it sit 2-3 minutes to soak up the egg.  
Melt butter in a 10-inch skillet over medium heat. 
Add matzoh mixture, and use a spatula to press into pan.
Let it cook undisturbed for 3-4 minutes.
Using a spatula, break up into 3 or 4 smaller pieces, so it can be flipped. 
Once flipped, let it cook for 1-2 minutes, and then break up into bite-size pieces (like you would for scrambled eggs), so that all pieces can cook and get a little browned.

Serve with Kosher-for-Passover maple syrup, cinnamon and sugar, or jam. 

If you didn't click away after the tongue story up at the top, 
and want to have a chuckle,
watch this video from Buzz Feed of non-Jewish people trying different Jewish foods, 
such as kugel and rugelach 
(frankly, I'm surprised about the kugel reaction - it's delicious!).

Matzoh brei is one of those things that my stomach seems to know no bounds. 

Truth be told, that although this recipe serves two to three,

I can eat the entire thing myself, which of course, I haven't ever done.
Lately.
 

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