Flowers, Yul Brunner and Chick Peas

How was last night unlike any other night?

Well, first off there was a gorgeous spring bouquet from my pal Grant. He had let me know the day before that he was going to be unable to attend my Passover seder dinner and decided to send some flowers to make up for his lack of presence.

He was missed. But dang, if the fleurs weren't purty!

The adoration of the fleurs was followed by an abbreviated read through the Haggadah, avec homemade charoseth and a technicolor display of the plagues, compliments of a VHS tape of the 1956 film version of "The Ten Commandments." The movie was cued to the scene where Moses turns the waters of Egypt to blood. Great stuff.

What can follow blood, frogs, vermin, flies, murrain, boils, hail, locusts, darkness and the slaying of the first born? Homemade Matzoh Ball soup!

Hard to top that. But I tried with plates of Lamb Shanks Stewed with Pomegranate and Cinnamon, alongside Chick Peas with Saffron, Cardamom and Chopped Pistachios, and Cucumber Salad with a Thyme Vinaigrette.

Looks pretty good, doesn't it?

Capped off the evening with my Strawberry-Mint and Grapefrut-Rosemary Sorbets with Coconut Macaroons.

Not a bad seder, if I do say myself.

And, I do.