Anyone still planning their Passover and Easter menus?

no? just us?

Welcome to A Newsletter! Thank you for being here. If you’ve found your way over by some miracle but are not yet subscribed, let me help you with that:

Full transparency, I’ve had a real WEEK! My promised carrot/date side will be published tomorrow after I make it tonight (lol). I’m not proud of the chaos, but we are all just doing our best, and sometimes your best means you’re late! Meanwhile, here are some recipes from the archives to remind you that yeah, I *do* think you should be making chopped liver and eating it on matzo. - AR

Chag Sameach, Happy Easter, and for those who observe BOTH, I’m jealous of all the food you get to enjoy this weekend. I’ll be celebrating Easter with my family, which means eating fried chicken and pimento cheese sandwiches, hanging with my family, and watching the kids go absolutely nuts for plastic eggs filled with candy.

No matter what you’re celebrating (“spring” is reason enough), here are some AR recipe ideas to finalize your weekend plans.

Braised Brisket with Horseradish and Shallots

ICYMI, Alison published this recipe for tangy, spicy brisket this week that’ll absolutely be the star of your Passover table. It’s perfect as-is, but read up here on how to further customize it.

Tiny Boiled Potatoes with Butter and Chives

Passover or Easter, Brisket or Lamb, lunch or dinner— anything goes, these potatoes want to party with you. They’re the least fussy side you could make, so you can focus on the other things in the spread.

Matzo Ball Soup

Frankly, I’m always looking for more excuses to eat matzo ball soup, and this foolproof recipe is the only one I make. These matzo balls are impossibly light and fluffy, perfectly schmaltzy, and the soup is full of celery and dill—our favorite things.

Matzo Brei

This matzo brei is the best way to use up any extra matzo and the ideal breakfast for Passover (or any other day ever). I had never had it until on a recent video shoot, now it’s the only way I like my scrambled eggs. Life comes at you fast! Dan Roman, I love your work.

Ham Party

What is an Easter meal if not an excuse for a ham party? Basically a Hot Dog Party, but with ham, this newsletter from the archives will give you a rundown of how to make the best ham, and the mustards you must have for it. Ham sliders on Martin’s party potato rolls? I’ll take 8, TYSM.

Garlicky, Buttered Carrots

You won’t find many recipes for sweet vegetables here at A Newsletter/Home Movies HQ, so when there is one, you can trust that it’s excellent. These carrots are cooked till just tender, punchy with a little help from chili flakes and grated garlic, and thanks to the tiny coin shape, objectively fun to eat.

Tangy Potato Salad with Celery and Mustard

I think about this potato salad more often than is probably appropriate. It’s mustardy and vinegary, FILLED with celery, dill, and parsley (our holy trinity), more salad than potato, and tastes like spring. Also happens to go great with fried chicken.

Chopped Liver on Matzo

If you’re looking for a Passover snack, this is the one to beat. It’s funky in the best way, deeply savory, and is sure to convert at least a few people who are less than thrilled by the idea of chopped liver.

Tiny, Salty, Chocolaty Cookies

These tiny, mighty cookies are one of my favorite desserts ever. They’re easy to make, with no special equipment or chilling time needed, and taste like the chewy tops of brownies. They just so happen to be flourless, what a blessing.

Parsley Salad With Fennel and Horseradish

For an always much-needed lighter, brighter, herby moment on your table, this shaved fennel, and parsley salad will do the trick. It’s bitter, lemony (sorry lol), and the type of thing that’ll allow you to eat more of everything else on the table.

Spicy Fried Chicken

Is fried chicken traditional for Easter? I literally have no idea. Does my mom make it every year? Without fail. I’ll be making this recipe without the spice because at my Easter, there are seven young children who “can’t take the heat,” but if your crew can handle it, I do recommend the spicy version.

Spiced Lamb Chops With Fennel and Cucumber

Now what is traditional for an Easter meal is lamb, and this recipe gives you all the flavor without the work of making an entire rack of lamb. Any type of chop will work here, a good idea for anyone doing smol Easter this year.

Apples with Honey and Crushed Walnuts

If Passover, consider this your charoset moment, if Easter, consider it a great salad to eat with ham or lamb. An unsuspecting favorite every year.

Little Gems with Garlicky Lemon and Pistachio

This salad goes with just about any meal you could make, and will absolutely shock everyone at your table when they realize the salad might be their favorite part of the meal. And yes— you use *the whole* lemon.

Crispy Potato Kugel

This is for our savory kugel lovers. Basically a cross between a giant, crispy latke, and a creamy, dreamy Spanish tortilla. Cast iron will produce great results but it can also be baked in any oven-safe vessel.

Citrusy Cheesecake

Our gorgeous girl, our star of the week, she is the moment. This cheesecake has already been requested by my mom for our brunch this weekend. You got it, Carla! It’s light, fluffy, and tastes like a creamsicle (the best flavor), I truly can’t wait.