Passover tablescape 2024

If you know you know. I absolutely love to create a beautiful tablescape for any occasion. My mom taught me that if it’s a holiday you pull out all the fine china and silverware. I mean, what else is it for? I will admit that my laziness lately has been an issue. The convenience of throwing some good quality plastic disposable plates onto the table is such a pleasure. And, at the end of the meal there is nothing to wash. HOWEVER. And this is a big HOWEVER. When you have the opportunity to bust out the good stuff it makes a huge difference to the overall theme. Putting my laziness aside, I really love the way this looks so it’s worth it.

Technically, the arrival of Passover also coincides with the arrival of spring. What better way to showcase the season than to start with spring inspired florals for my Seder tablescape. I like to begin by anchoring the table with a light chiffon runner and bright placemats such as these gorgeous coral ones which of course I snagged at HomeSense (my home away frome home).

I also found these Kate Spade wine glasses and some simple white dishes to round out the place setting. I have been using my Zara Home gold flatware for years and to be honest, they are so pretty but not dishwasher safe so I consider them a pain in the tush to use (sorry, that’s my laziness talking again).

As for the flowers, this year I’m honouring my late mom and sister with two of their favourites – tulips and carnations. I chose colours that would blend into the general colourscape – blush and soft pink. My sister used to buy tulips on a weekly basis to display next to her shabbat candles on a Friday night. I will never look at a tulip and not think of her when I see a bouquet of these flowers. As far as my mom’s taste in florals went, for some reason she leaned towards carnations. I could never understand why but I learned to love them because she did and guess what? If you get them in beautiful soft colours they are so pretty!

A tradition of Passover revolves around the eating of matzo which as many of you know is a cracker-like unleavened flatbread. We don’t eat leavened bread for eight days while we observe this holiday. Another pain in the tush literally. Today, as I was setting my table, I asked Steve where our fancy matzo box is? He said, “I dunno. The truth of the matter is, I have owned a lucite matzo box since 1981 and I’m fairly sure I threw out as it was getting old and sticky. Did I ever think of replacing it? No. So now I’m boxless and I will have to improvise by putting the matzo on a nice plate.

Normally I would line the centre length of the table with low tea candles but I learned my lesson last year by using REAL fire as a feature of the tablescape. We have three young grandchildren who clearly love to touch stuff and the candles were definitely not a good idea to have near their little hands. Now I’m both BOXLESS AND CANDLELESS this year. Life goes on.

As far as the food goes….. I have been cooking for a month with Passover in mind. Here’s a story before I continue. I made everything K4P which stands for Kosher for Passover. This means using ingredients that are permitted during the eight LONGGGGG days of Passover. As I was finishing off my list of things to do today, I asked Steve if we need to add in a refreshing salad. I love making a Thai inspired coleslaw which has crunchy ramen noodles as a base. But wait. Ramen noodles are NOT K4P. But wait again. Steve reminded me that we are hosting this meal a day BEFORE Passover officially begins! Which means two things.

I CAN MAKE MY SALAD and
I didn’t need to make ANY of the dishes I have prepared K4P

I do many make ahead dishes that freeze well such as chicken soup, meatballs, kugel, chicken etc. The majority of these recipes are my mom’s and if you have been an avid reader of this blog you know that her recipes were not measured. It’s always a hope and a prayer that I will duplicate what she served me and my family of decades. Now I know why she used to ask us if everything tasted okay at the end of our holiday meals. Because it never came out the same twice! I have to say, I think I have nailed the dishes down pat and if the reviews are good at the end of our meal I’m happy.

Check out some of my favourite passover dessert recipes on the blog such as these flourless chocolate cookies and these delectable coconut macaroons. I truly believe that setting the Passover table is essential for a simply beautiful holiday. With the right attention to detail and imagination, you can create a inviting table setting that will make the occasion special and memorable. Happy Passover !