Finishing Instructions:
Zuppa a la Toscana: This soup is loosely based on the famous Soupe au Pistou Brad learned to make when he spent some time in the kitchens of Provence. But Haley being Haley and Brad not having the fondest memories of the kitchens of Provence (there are stories), a lot of the ingredients changed. And Brad was indoctrinated just enough in France to know that we can’t call it Soupe au Pistou anymore. But we still keep the hot soup (which you could pop in the microwave for 30 seconds if it’s taken some time to get there) separate from the cold pesto. So you may now stir it into, or dollup it onto, the hot soup like they do in Provence and we’re pretty sure a lot of other places; maybe even Tuscany.
Lollo Rosso Salad: This salad is designed to dress and eat. Simple enough, right? Well that’s why we’re in the restaurant business and you’re not. We excel in making the simple things complicated. So whereas an amateur would just give you a salad with what they believe is “the right amount of dressing”, we have evolved to the point where we understand that we really have no idea how much dressing you like on your salad. So we gave you what Chef thinks is probably about 17% too much dressing. Our best advice to you is to gently shake the dressing in its little container, then pour 83% of it (or more, or less) onto the salad in its box, close the box and then make like the San Andreas fault. Now eat it out of the box if you’re a Philistine (like us), or transfer to a plate or bowl, the tender lettuce leaves first, then the heavier bits on top. Also we just tasted this salad and half of us thought it needed salt.
Asparagus: It’s conceivable that you opened up the box that said “asparagus,” and, having forgotten that what you really ordered was “Roasted asparagus with sauce gribiche,” thought to yourself, “leave it to those snobby, yet really nice and not totally unfortunate looking folks at Firefly to highlight our local agricultural bounty by serving us asparagus that has been only expertly roasted, with no distracting and superfluous elements. But now that you’ve been reminded of what you actually ordered, find that little container of superfluous, yet delicious and classically French sauce gribiche, and drizzle it over the top. If you like your asparagus steamy hot, heat it up briefly in the microwave, oven, toaster oven or saute´ pan before you desecrate it with your fancy superfluous sauce.
Daikon Radish Cake: We know a simple life is a good life. So we hate burdening you with choices, especially now that you have your food, and maybe even a hungry brood. So you have our permission to just take that little container of sauce that we set aside so it wouldn’t get soaked up by the sauce-greedy daikon cakes, pour some (everyone agrees there’s too much but we don’t want to deny you the opportunity to over-indulge) over the top and have at it. But for those who want to share in the credit for the ensuing deliciousness, throw the cakes, mushrooms and scallions on a small baking sheet and into a hot oven for 4-6 minutes, then you can drizzle the sauce over everything
Meatloaf: A lot has gone into this meatloaf. Not only does it have a lot of ingredients, but inside there is the collective experience, culinary and otherwise, of all of us and all of you. On the outside there is bacon. This is because we like the smoky glaze it gives the meatloaf as it cooks. We are told that there are people who remove the bacon before serving and continue to lead happy, productive lives. So be it. But as good as bacon is, it is even better when cooked on a meatloaf. Nuf said. Now you can eat the meatloaf as is because we’ve spent too much time talking about it. Or you can put the meatloaf in a 400° oven for 6-8 minutes. Or you can put it in the refrigerator and make sandwiches tomorrow for lunch.
Fried chicken: As we all know, Fried chicken is good. And it will be good hot, warm, tepid, cold and maybe even frozen. Your chicken likely arrived to you warm. If you want it hotter (again, not judging) throw it in a hot oven for a few minutes. You could even microwave it. We don’t really recommend this but we’re not going to say it won’t be good because we already told you it would be good frozen.
Mashed potatoes: and microwaves were a match made in heaven. Maybe wait until the last few minutes to put the gravy on.
Biscuits and cornbread: Here we have to draw the line. DO NOT MICROWAVE YOUR BISCUITS, either literally or figuratively. Throw them in a hot oven for 5-10 minutes if they’re cold, 3-5 if they’re still warm; same goes for the cornbread.
Mahi: Easiest: take the little container of sunomono (looks remarkably similar to marinated cucumbers) out of the box, drizzle the curry sauce around and about the fish, rice and broccoli, then plop the sunomono alongside. Also easiest: pour the sauce on a plate, gently transfer the fish, rice and broccoli onto the sauce. At this point, if you want everything hotter, you can put that plate in the microwave for about 30 to 60 seconds, depending on too many things to mention here. Then add the sunomono and have at it.
The cupcake: Chef says microwave the cupcake for 8 seconds. I said what about if it’s been a couple of hours at room temperature. She said doesn’t matter. I said what about the fact that microwaves vary and suggested times may need adjusting based on the power of microwaves. She says that doesn’t matter either. I said what if it is straight out of the refrigerator and your microwave is avocado green colored. She screamed “science” and I can’t argue with that. Chef has rarely steered me wrong. Just don’t eat it cold, please.
The pudding: scatter your perfectly crunched crispy corn flakes onto your pudding and stir or do not stir. There is no need to curb or restrict creativity. You decide freedom. Life need not be a burden.
Firefly Passover 5781
REHEATING INSTRUCTIONS:
What follows are only our suggestions and humble advice. There are lots of ways to do things. Cooking times may vary.
Always heat until internal temperature reaches 165°. Let things come close to room temperature (30-45 minutes) before heating. If you’re heating straight from the refrigerator, you may need to add 5-10 minutes extra heating time.
On all other nights we use the microwave to heat up our takeout food. So why on this night do we suggest that there may be better ways? Well, most of the food is designed to be heated in the oven or on the stovetop. That doesn’t mean a zap here and there wouldn’t be appropriate. After all, Passover is a story about our ancestors cooking food on rocks, which might work for stale dry unleavened bread. But please don’t try this with your soup.
Soup: Heat soup in a saucepan until just below boiling. We’ve seasoned the soup to our own tastes. Season yours with salt and black pepper if you like it saltier and black pepperier than we do.
Matzo balls: In the matzo ball community there are floaters and sinkers. We appreciate both factions, and have created balls that neither sink nor float, called suspenders; very delicious but not intended for sport. Transfer them ever so carefully to the soup and heat up gently with the broth. Haley’s mom pops hers in the microwave for exactly 1 minute, which is also fine, at least for Haley’s mom.
Brisket: Heat covered at 400° for about 15-20 minutes. You can pop it in the oven in the container it came in. And we certainly won’t judge you if you serve it in that same foil pan. We’ve all been through a lot. But if you feel fancy or have your Bubbie’s casserole that has held your Passover brisket for generations, please note that the meat will be considerably more tender when hot and will be more difficult to transfer to Bubbie’s dish than if you transferred it cold before heating (covered). There is gravy already in the pan with brisket and were that all there was, Dayenu! But there is also a side container of extra gravy that you can serve on the side for extra Passover permitted gluttony. Feel free to heat that extra gravy in the microwave; or a little saucepan on the stove works fine, too.
Kugel: heat uncovered in a 400° oven for 15-20 minutes. If it looks like it’s getting too crunchy or if you prefer your world with fewer crunchy things, leave the lid on for the first 10 minutes.
Tzimmes: Heat covered in its own foil dish or in an oven proof casserole at 400° for 15-20 minutes. You can remove the lid for the last 5 minutes if you want it to get a little crisp.
Horseradish: BE CAREFUL. This is the hottest horseradish we have ever made. Also, we made it for the gefilte, but give it a try with your brisket or just on a piece of matzo. Did we say BE CAREFUL?!?!?
INGREDIENTS:
Charoset: granny smith apples, walnuts, Manischewitz concord wine, sugar, salt, cinnamon
Livers: onion, duck fat, hard-boiled egg, salt, pepper
Gefiltefish: sable fish (black cod), Striped Bass, Halibut, onions, egg whites, salt, sugar, GF matzo meal (Tapioca starch, water, potato starch, potato flour, palm oil, vinegar, honey, egg yolks, salt), fish stock, fish gelatin
Horseradish: red & yellow beets, fresh horseradish, white vinegar, salt, sugar
Soup: Chicken, onions, carrots, celery, yams, salt, black pepper, water
MatzoBalls: Matzo meal, salt, sugar, canola oil, eggs
GF balls: Potato, gf matzo meal, salt, onions, baking powder, canola oil
Brisket: onion, carrot, celery, red wine, beef stock, paprika, granulated garlic, olive oil, bob’s GFAP
Kugel: potato, egg, onion, salt, pepper, canola, bob’s gluten free ap flour (garbanzo bean flour, potato starch, tapioca flour, whole grain sweet white sorghum flour, fava bean flour), baking powder
Tzimmes: olive oil, canola, carrot, beef stock, apple juice, white wine, golden raisins, thyme, salt, pepper, sweet potato