After a long winter (which doesn’t seem to be over yet…), it’s hard to start thinking about Passover, also known as chag ha’aviv (the spring holiday). Our local foodies took that to heart when coming up with recipes for this year’s top 10 Passover list. Their contributions are hearty, but bright, too!

Start off your Passover Seder meal with a steaming bowl with a kick, maybe Pati Jinich’s Mushroom Jalapeño Matzah Ball Soup or Soupergirl Sara Polon’s Gingered Carrot Soup.

Then, move over, boring roast chicken. Equinox’s Todd and Ellen Gray spice it up with their Matzo-Stuffed Cornish Game Hens, while Cava Grill’s Dimitri Moshovitis has a quick and easy Skillet-Roasted Chicken with Parsnips and Fennel that you can throw together on a Passover weeknight when matzah pizza simply won’t do.

Passover restrictions certainly won’t feel so burdensome when you can have Quinoa Risotto from DGS Delicatessen’s Nick Wiseman or rich Matzah Sfogliatelle with Lamb Ragù by Amy Brandwein of soon-to-open Centrolina. But if you’re looking for something a little cooler and lighter, try Mike Friedman’s Citrus-Cured Salmon with Horseradish Crème Fraîche.

And wrap up your meal with Joan Nathan’s 15-minute Passover Almond Macaroons, Paula Shoyer’s we-can’t-believe-it’s-kosher-for-Passover Linzer Tart or Vered Guttman’s Four-Way Meringue Clouds. Once winter is over, these are the only clouds we want to see for a long, long time.

Chag sameach! Have a delicious holiday.

	Citrus-Cured Salmon with Horseradish Crème Fraîche Mike Friedman Chef and co-owner, The Red Hen
	Matzo-Stuffed Cornish Game Hens Todd Gray and Ellen Kassoff Gray Co-owners, Equinox Restaurant, and co-authors, The New Jewish Table
	Quinoa Risotto with Asparagus and Preserved Lemon Nick Wiseman Co-owner, DGS Delicatessen
	Matzah Sfogliatelle with Lamb Ragù Amy Brandwein Chef and owner, Centrolina
	Gingered Carrot Soup Sara Polon Creator and owner, Soupergirl
	Almond Macaroons Joan Nathan TV producer/host and author of 10 cookbooks
	Skillet-Roasted Chicken with Parsnips and Fennel Dimitri Moshovitis Chef and co-founder, Cava Mezze and Cava Grill
	Mushroom Jalapeño Matzah Ball Soup Pati Jinich TV host and author, Pati’s Mexican Table
	Linzer Tart Paula Shoyer Pastry chef and author, The Holiday Kosher Baker and The New Passover Menu
	Four-Way Meringue Clouds Vered Guttman Food columnist, Haaretz.com, and caterer, Cardamom & Mint