Passover Pays Off

[multipurposegoddess]

I'm allergic to corn, especially in the form of corn starch and corn syrup. I used to be able to find all kinds of nummy corn-free treats around Passover time because kosher-for-Passover used to mean corn-free. Around the time I converted, a bunch of rabbis agreed that corn syrup and corn starch were too far removed from the grainy source to count as a contaminant, and the joy of Pesach as the time when I didn't necessarily have to read every label was just a little bit tarnished for me.

Yesterday, Henry and I stopped off at our local Raley's to pick up some snacks for a little 10th Anniversary Buffy marathon and came upon a nice collection of Passover-prep kosher foods nicely displayed in the middle of the back aisle. So we added a case of Yehuda matzah and a yahrzeit candle to our basket already brimming with smoked oysters and chocolate eggs. Then I noticed the marshmallows. With hardly any hope, I read the ingredients. No corn. Corn-free marshmallows have been a holy grail of mine since before I knew that the reason I couldn't eat marshmallows was corn. Well, no, that's logically ridiculous, but as near as all my life as makes no difference. And I found them!

I haven't opened them yet. I'm a little afraid - what if they just aren't that tasty? What if marshmallows are only delicious when they are taboo? But the day will come, and soon, when I will light up the outdoor fireplace, toast myself some marshmallows and have my first ever s'more.

Also found some corn-free yellow cake mix (which I use to make pie, but that's another story) and a kosher-for-passover Count Chocula knock-off that I just had to try. Sweet cereals are mostly a thing that I just don't understand, and I couldn't pass this one up. It's chocolate, for breakfast! A must to try.

So, thank you manufacturers, for keeping your recipes and standards from a simpler time and making the magic of Passover that much brighter.

Comments

[thezzyzx.livejournal.com]

I don't think Mel ruled out beer last year for herself. I probably should break that to her, but she could always pull out the, "I'm not Jewish" card...

[tskaredoff.livejournal.com]

It's pretty much liquid bread. Wine's okay, of course. Not being Jewish gives her a LOT of leeway, though.

[thezzyzx.livejournal.com]

Well the good news is that beer is made of barley and we decided that the kitten we will be getting next year will be named that to keep our grains theme.

[tskaredoff.livejournal.com]

Cous 1, Cous 2, and Barley? Cute.

It's not a theme that will put much of a natural limit on your cat acquisition.

[thezzyzx.livejournal.com]

Well if we were going for two cats at once, they'd be Chickpea and Garbanzo which would have been a different theme.

There's an off chance we'd name it Cornmeal instead if it's orange, but whenever the word "barley" is said in the house, Mel gets all excited about how much she loves this not yet born cat, so that'll probably be the name.

[thezzyzx.livejournal.com]

So I just woke her up from her pre-night job nap and we had the conversation:

Me: I have bad news, beer isn't kosher for passover at all.

Mel: Not in my world.

Me: It's not even close though. The good news though is that it's made from barley.

Mel: Awwwww Barley!

[tskaredoff.livejournal.com]

That's adorable! I'm glad you told me the backstory sp I could appreciate it.

[thezzyzx.livejournal.com]

I was just amused because I completely predicted her end of the conversation while she was still asleep.

[tskaredoff.livejournal.com]

That's a big part of why it's adorable. Y'all are so cute.

[thezzyzx.livejournal.com]

Either that or my girlfriend would have trouble passing a turing test ;)

I wonder if I could make a Melissa simulator... Hmmmmmm....

[tskaredoff.livejournal.com]

Heh. Henry's minions at OCA made an automatic responder to take his place when he was on vacation once - a cardboard cutout of him with interchangeable voice balloons. One of them was "No, it's not the servers", I forget the rest. He had to admit it covered an awful lot of cases.