From homemade matzo to succulent brisket, here's how to cook up your tastiest seder ever.

Homemade Matzos
Homemade Matzos
This easy recipe, served at Wise Sons' Seder pop-up in San Francisco, is from Beauty's Bagel Shop in Oakland, CA.

Ingredients
About 2 3/4 cups flour, divided
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/3 cup olive oil
About 1/2 tsp. fine sea salt

Preparation
1. Set a pizza stone on an oven rack and heat oven to 500° for about 45 minutes (if you don't have a pizza stone, set a large baking sheet on a rack and heat until oven is hot).
2. Put 2 1/4 cups flour, kosher salt, and oil in a food processor. With motor running, slowly add 1/2 cup water. Dough will come together into a ball and should feel soft and supple; if it is sticky at all, add more flour, 1 tbsp. at a time.
3. Divide dough into 12 portions. Using a floured rolling pin, roll 1 portion at a time on a well-floured work surface into a round about 8 in. wide and just thin enough to see through. Lightly

The secret to perfect eggsEggs are a traditional symbol of spring and have a special place on both the Easter and Passover table. Unfortunately, the delicious simplicity of a hardboiled egg is frequently marred by a cracked shell, greenish yolk, or sulfuric odor. With the holidays around the corner, wouldn't be it be nice to have a perfect dozen (or more) to decorate, display, and eat? It's easy if you follow these steps:

1. Buy eggs that are about a week old.

This is one time to purchase less-than-fresh food. Food science writer Harold McGee says that older eggs firm up more smoothly and peel easier. If you can only find super fresh eggs, add a half-teaspoon of baking soda per quart of water.

Related: How to Read an Egg Carton

2. Start with room temperature eggs.

Eggs that have been sitting on the kitchen counter for up to an hour are less prone to cracking when the cooking water rapidly heats up than ones that come straight from a cold fridge. The USDA says don't keep raw eggs out of the

by Gourmet

Spruce up your Seder with these delicious kosher dessert recipes from the editors of Gourmet. Learn how to make tasty treats like almond thumbprint cookies, lemon cheesecake and a chocolate hazelnut torte that mixes moist, light and crunchy textures. Passover has never been sweeter.

Related: Top 10 Seder Faux Pas

Passover Lemon Cheesecake Photo: Romulo Yanes

Serves 8-10 | Active time: 30 min | Start to finish: 5 hr

Almonds and matzo cake meal make a wonderfully textured crust for this refreshing, citrusy cheesecake. After Passover, instead of pulling out the graham crackers again, experiment with other cookie crusts such as one made with shortbread.

For crust
• 3/4 cup sliced blanched almonds, toasted and cooled
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 2/3 cup matzo cake meal
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 stick unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly

For filling
• 3 (8-oz) packages cream cheese, softened
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Just as Passover is about the story of the Jewish peoples' exodus from Egypt, there is a (less epic) story behind this post as well. In putting together our Passover menu, we were hyper-aware of the fact that the Passover meal comes with many rules and rituals, and in the interest of getting it right, we sought help from a few of our practicing friends. Though the debate was friendly and genial, debate there was! Turns out, as with so many religious events, peoples' Passover traditions are both widely varied and closely held.

This menu is a suggestion, a delicious idea -- we've stayed away from the mixing of meat and dairy, and of course, from leavened bread, but we've included a roasted meat, which is a no-no in some sects -- so take our menu as a starting point. Feel free to adapt it, to cherry pick, and tell us about your Passover traditions in the comments!

• Check out more Passover-friendly recipes to whip up all week long.

• Celebrating Easter? See our Springy Easter Dinner

Source: Simple Tip: Cook Bacon in the Oven

A couple of years ago I watched the Barefoot Contessa roast bacon in the oven. She was making a BLT and didn't need the bacon fat. I had never thought to bake bacon, and the idea has changed my life! Now, I roast bacon all the time. It's an easy, convenient, and splatter-free way to cook it.

Here's what you do:

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Cover a large cookie sheet with parchment paper or foil.
2. Place the raw bacon in a row on the parchment paper.
3. Roast in the oven for 15-20 minutes until bacon is crisp and cooked.
4. Remove bacon to paper towel lined plates, pat dry, and use however you want.

Do you ever cook bacon in the oven?


Related Content:
Homemade Chocolate-Covered Bacon
Killer App: Bacon Wrapped Dates
Make Someone's Morning With a Breakfast Tart


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Source: Plan a Picnic to Celebrate Spring

Warm Spring weather calls for alfresco dining, so it's the perfect time to bring out your favorite blanket and have a picnic. Whether it's a group affair or a romantic meal for two, a great picnic requires a gorgeous location and a tasty, convenient menu. Not sure what to pack? For our favorite picnic picks, keep reading.

Drinks
Simplicity is key, so if you plan to pack alcohol, stick to a bottle of wine, beer, or cocktails with two to three ingredients, like fruity mimosas. Add some charm to your meal with striped straws, or consider keeping your drinks in closed mason jars for a cute but practical choice.

Appetizers
You can't go wrong with a delicious loaf of rustic bread. Pair it with a rich cheese, creamy herb butter, or your favorite dip. Choose appetizers that you can eat without a dish or utensils, like cheese biscuits, spicy marinated olives, or premade Greek salad bites.

Entrées
Sandwiches are an obvious choice, but skip the

Roasted Leg of Lamb
Serves 10 | Cost per Serving: $3.20
This succulent, affordable Roasted Leg of Lamb recipe will make your meal memorable. If you can't find a 5-pound leg of lamb (they're often larger), look for a half leg.

Roasted Leg of LambIngredients
-1 boned leg of lamb, about 5 lb., rolled and tied
- 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced lengthwise
-3 sprigs fresh rosemary 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- Salt and pepper
-1 cup low-sodium chicken broth

Directions
1. Bring lamb to room temperature. Preheat oven to 450°F. Using the point of a sharp knife, make 1-inch deep incisions over surface of lamb. Fill each incision with a piece of sliced garlic and a few rosemary leaves, pushing them completely into the meat. Rub lamb all over with olive oil and lemon juice. Season generously with salt and pepper.

2. Place lamb on a rack set inside a large roasting pan. Roast lamb, uncovered, for 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F. Continue roasting lamb until a meat thermometer

Hand-painted Easter egg cookiesWith Easter right around the corner, I wanted to make something special with the tot to celebrate. When I think of Easter memories of candy, cookies, candy, a few Easter egg hunts, candy, and more cookies come to mind. Vanilla, lemon, sugar, whipped cream, and chocolate top my list of Easter goodie must-haves. We had some lovely fresh lemons, which were perfect for tossing together these wonderfully tangy cookies. And we topped them in a really special way - by hand-painting them with vanilla flavored edible paints.

Adorable.

This is just about the easiest cookie recipe to put together (resulting with about 24-28 oval goodies) and inviting the kiddies to slather tangy egg-shaped cookies with edible paint is a perfect way to spend Easter together. Not up for the baking part? Simply pick up a roll of store-bought refrigerated sugar cookie dough and you're good to go.

Ingredients

1/2 c room temperature butter, cut into small cubes

1/4 c powdered sugar

1/4 c sugar