to life!

Passover begins this Saturday, and now, bottle upon bottle of the Jewish version of fine wine (also known a Kosher Sweet Concord Grape Wine) are flooding stores promising to add an unquestionable delight to the celebration.It’s true, as a people we are not really known for our consumption of alcohol. We tend to gravitate more toward food items: a tender brisket, an unbeatable chopped liver, homemade kugel, and, of course, the famous cure-all chicken soup. Yes, name the place and the occasion and we will be there. We will chug mouthfuls in the blink of an eye and come back for more.Still, holidays are created to forge exceptions, and Passover, one of the most festive and culinarily charged celebrations, paves the way in placing alcohol on the same pedestal of food.Wine is introduced in an all-inclusive package: from cup after cup after cup, carefully paced throughout the reading of the Haggadah (the book that recounts the tale of the Jews’ escape from slavery in Egypt), we toast, drink, toast, drink, splatter drops of wine on plates and drink some more. It is a night of jovial lunacy that would make even the Irish proud.Growing up as a young child in Venezuela, I was pretty much the only Jew around. Even though we were surrounded by statues of saints and churches, I could always count on my parents’ ingenuity in somehow finding Kosher sweet wine, so we could, as all good Jews should, enjoy one night (or two, if you are lucky) of total, dizzying celebration.My mother, a convert with deep-rooted Irish stock, could not help herself and found clever ways to include the intoxicatingly sweet wine throughout the meal, beginning with a Tropical Passover Sangria and finalizing with the show-stopper of the evening: Matzo Chocolate Cake (the secret is in the soaking the matzo in the wine before assembling the cake). Bottoms up and l’chaim!TROPICAL PASSOVER SANGRIA1 (750 ml) bottle Kosher Sweet Concord Grape Wine64 ounces fresh tropical juice blend (orange/strawberry/banana)2 Granny Smith apples, peeled and cut in 1-inch cubes2 peaches, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes4 bananas, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes1 mango, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes1 cup seedless red grapes1 cup seedless green grapes2 kiwis, peeled and cut in 1-inch cubesthin orange slices for garnishCombine all ingredients except the orang slices in a large pitcher. Add ice, if necessary and granish with orange slices. Stir well.When serving, garnish glass with orange slice, coop out some of the fruit into the glass and pour sangria. Makes 12-15 8 ounce servings.DRUNK MATZO CHOCOLATE CAKE6 ounces semisweet chocolate2 ounces unsweetened chocolate1 cup milk1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk2 tablespoons cornstarch2 tablespoons vanilla extract1/2 cup Kosher Sweet Concord Grape Wine1 1/2 boxes regular matzo2 cups walnuts, ground finely in a food processorOver medium-low heat, melt both chocolates with 1 cup milk. Add condensed milk and cornstarch and mix over heat, cooking for 2 minutes or until slightly thickened. Mixture will thicken more as it cools. Remove form heat and add vanilla extract.Pour wine in a shallow dish. Dip matzo pieces in wine, making sure they become fully moist. Then place a layer in a 9 x 13-inch pan. You may have to break some of the matzo to make it fit. Drizzle with 1/4 cup of chocolate and sprinkle with 1/4 cup nuts.Continue to layer like a lasagna until you have 4 layers. End layering with chocolate mixture, then sprinkle with remaining nuts. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours.Makes 16 servings.