Foods, Wines Play Key Roles in Maintaining Passover Tradition, History : Holiday fare: A pair of Los Angeles restaurateurs provide recipes for Passover seder.

Passover, which begins this year at sundown on Tuesday and lasts for eight days, ending on sundown April 17, commemorates the freeing of the Jewish people from slavery in Egypt.

During the seder meal, the Passover story is retold, and food and wine play an important part in the observance of the holiday. Foods displayed on the ceremonial seder plate include a roasted lamb shank, bitter herbs and a hard-cooked egg. Matzo, salted egg soup and onions dipped in salt water also are served during the evening.

An important food ingredient at the seder is the haroset, which is usually a blend of fruit, nuts and wine. We serve several types at our seder, including a Yemenite Haroset, a combination of dates, figs, sesame seeds, sweet red wine and Middle Eastern spices.

Fried Gefilte Fish is one of the dishes that Michael Franks, co-owner of Chez Melange Restaurant, remembers his mother serving at their Passover seder in England when he was growing up. A blend of ground salmon and white fish, it is served with horseradish aioli. A selection of several types of dry or semi-dry white wines will complement the gefilte fish.

A new addition to our Passover menu is Veal Goulash With Matzo Spatzel. An adapted recipe from Hans Rockenwagner, chef-owner of Rockenwagners Restaurant, the dish can be made in advance. As soon as your kitchen is prepared for Passover, cook the goulash, refrigerate and reheat before serving. For the spatzel, matzo farfel is browned with onions, simmered in chicken stock and garnished with chopped parsley.

My Passover version of Italian almond cookies is an easy-to-make holiday treat. A blend of ground almonds and matzo meal cake flour, the little cookies have a nutty-light crispness. They are sandwiched with a smooth chocolate filling. These will become a staple in anyone’s treasury of Passover pastries. If there are any leftovers, they are ideal for the children’s lunch boxes during the remaining days of Passover.

Another refreshing dessert is mini-meringue shells with a lemon filling. They do not contain any dairy products and are just the right dessert to include with a meat menu.

Wine is served throughout the seder meal and, there also is a goblet of wine poured symbolically for Elijah, a prophet who Jews believe will some day bring peace to the world.

A number of California wineries make a wide variety of Passover wines, and this year Kosher wines are available from Italy, France and Israel.

PASSOVER MENU Yemenite Haroset Fried Gefilte Fish With Horseradish Aioli Veal Goulash With Matzo Spatzel Italian Passover Cookies Passover Mini-Lemon Meringues YEMENITE HAROSET

1 cup chopped pitted dates

1/2 cup chopped dried figs

1/3 cup sweet Passover wine

3 tablespoons sesame seeds

1 teaspoon ground ginger

Dash coriander

1 small red chile, seeded and minced, or dash cayenne pepper

2 tablespoons matzo meal

Combine dates, figs and wine in large bowl. Add sesame seeds, ginger, coriander, chile and matzo meal. Blend thoroughly.

Roll into 1-inch balls or mound in serving bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Makes about 2 1/2 cups.

FRIED GEFILTE FISH

1 1/2 pounds salmon fillet, cut in chunks

1 1/2 pounds white fish fillet, cut in chunks

1 onion, cut in chunks

3 carrots, peeled and sliced

4 eggs

3 cups matzo meal

Salt, pepper

Dash sugar

Oil for frying

Horseradish Aioli

Grind salmon and white fish fillets in grinder or food processor, adding onion and carrots alternately while grinding. Grind until fairly smooth.

Transfer to large mixing bowl and blend in 3 eggs and 2 cups matzo meal. Season to taste with salt, pepper and sugar.

Beat remaining egg in shallow bowl. Shape fish mixture into round or oval patties. Dip each in beaten egg and coat with remaining matzo meal.

Fry in oil until cooked through. Serve hot with Horseradish Aioli. Makes 8 to 10 servings.

Horseradish Aioli

4 cloves garlic, pounded or crushed to paste form

3 egg yolks

Salt

2 cups oil

1/2 cup lemon juice

1 tablespoon red beet juice

1 or 2 tablespoons horseradish

Combine garlic, egg yolks and dash salt in bowl of food processor or large bowl. Pour in 1/3 cup oil, drop by drop, blending until thick.

Add 1 tablespoon lemon juice, continue beating until very thick. Add remaining lemon juice, red beet juice and horseradish to taste. Blend in remaining oil in thin stream.

Note: If sauce curdles, stir in 1 or 2 tablespoons warm water. If oil is added too quickly, aioli may separate, but save by starting again with fresh yolk in new bowl, slowly beating in separated sauce.

Note: Although many recipes call for uncooked eggs, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has found them to be a potential carrier of food-borne illness and recommends that diners avoid eating raw eggs. Commercial egg substitutes may be used in place of raw eggs in certain circumstances. Check egg substitute package for applications.

VEAL GOULASH WITH MATZO

SPATZEL

3/4 cup oil

3 onions, finely chopped

5 cloves garlic, minced

4 pounds veal shoulder, cut in 1-inch cubes

1/2 cup canned tomato paste or sauce

1/2 cup matzo cake meal

1 1/2 quarts chicken stock

3 bay leaves

Salt

Freshly ground pepper

1 tablespoon paprika

4 sweet red peppers, diced

Matzo Spatzel

Heat 1/4 cup oil in large, heavy pot and saute onions and garlic until tender.

Heat remaining oil in another pot and saute veal, turning to brown completely. Add tomato paste and matzo cake meal, blending well.

Add onion, garlic, 1 quart chicken stock, bay leaves, salt and pepper to taste and paprika, mixing well. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes.

Add red peppers and continue cooking 1 hour or until meat is tender. Serve with Matzo Spatel. Makes 8 to 10 servings.

Matzo Spatzel

2 tablespoons oil

1 small onion, finely chopped

2 1/2 cups matzo farfel

2 cups chicken stock or water

Salt, pepper

1/4 cup minced parsley

Heat oil in nonstick skillet and saute onion until tender. Add matzo farfel, cooking and stirring constantly until lightly browned.

Add chicken stock, 1/4 cup at time, and cook 1 minute until farfel is tender. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with parsley. Makes 8 to 10 servings.

ITALIAN PASSOVER COOKIES

1 1/2 cups finely ground almonds

3/4 cup sugar

1 cup matzo cake meal

3/4 cup unsalted margarine, cut in pieces

Chocolate Filling

Combine almonds, sugar and matzo cake meal in food processor bowl. Blend well. Add margarine, little at time, until mixture comes away from sides of bowl.

Transfer mixture to board, knead slightly, then pat into 1/2-inch thick, 11-inch square dough. (Use palm of hands to smooth down top and sides of dough.)

Slice into 1/2-inch long strips, then slice crosswise into 1/2-inch strips. Shape each 1/2-inch square with fingertips and carefully roll in palms of hands into small balls.

Place on baking sheet, 1/4 inch apart. Bake at 300 degrees 20 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool.

Spoon small dollop of Chocolate Filling on flat side of cookie. Top with flat side of another, forming sandwich. Place each filled cookie on edge in miniature paper cups. Makes about 3 dozen.

Chocolate Filling

1/3 cup sugar

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/3 cup unsalted margarine

Blend sugar and cocoa in bowl. Heat margarine until bubbling and blend into sugar mixture, beating with wire whisk until smooth.

PASSOVER MINI-LEMON

MERINGUES

2 tablespoons unsalted margarine, softened, optional

3 egg whites

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon lemon juice

Lemon Filling

Grated zest of 1 lemon

Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper or brush with margarine. Beat egg whites to firm peaks, about 3 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon sugar and beat 1 minute longer. Gradually add remaining sugar and beat until stiff and shiny. Beat in lemon juice.

Fit pastry bag with 1/4-inch star tip. Pipe meringue mixture onto baking sheets into 1 1/2-inch diameter pinwheels. Pipe border around outer edge of each pinwheel to form small cups.

Or, drop 1 1/2-inch mounds of meringue at 2-inch intervals on baking sheets. Use back of spoon to create hollow center in mound, forming shallow shells. Bake at 200 degrees about 55 minutes or until firm.

Carefully loosen meringues with spatula. Turn off heat and leave meringue shells in oven to dry.

Using teaspoon, fill each meringue shell with Lemon Filling. Garnish with lemon zest. Makes about 4 dozen.

Lemon Filling

1/4 cup unsalted margarine

3/4 cup sugar

Grated zest of 1 lemon

1/4 cup lemon juice

3 eggs, lightly beaten

Blend margarine, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice and eggs together in heavy-bottomed pan or in top of double boiler over simmering water. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thickened. Chill before filling meringues. Makes 1 1/2 cups.