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Whatever you do, please for the love of all thing tasty don't bread them and deep fry them. It's a mushroom fad lately, and it ruins perfectly lovely shrooms, if you ask me.

@ maryofdoom
You're in Pittsburgh too! Ditto what you said about the soda caps.

My household stocks up on soda during Pesach. Partially because my hypoglycemic system goes into shock every year during Pesach from the lack of carbs keeping me afloat (had a near miss of passing out this year in the shower! eep!), and partially because nothing with HFCS enters my home.

We don't drink a lot of soda outside of Pesach though, so we don't buy THAT much. Just enough.

I make a few things which always go over wonderfully.

I make my own gravlax and do a carpaccio of that with thinly sliced preserved or meyer lemons and freshly grated horseradish.

I also make a vegan mock chopped liver from mushrooms and nuts.

Stuffed mushrooms using farfel works beautifully too.

Vegetable terrines always impress too.

If there is a specific type of dish (either course or ingredient) that might help in providing suggestions.

Quinoa is being debated as to whether or not it is kitniyot. Some traditions will consume kitniyot, others won't. I'm of ashkenaz tradition, so I don't consume kitniyot. This means no quinoa, legumes, corn, and a few others. Those who follow sephardic traditions will consume kitniyot during pesach.

Also, as some have mentioned about hechsers- the OU certification is a good one to follow, as long as that's what your guests pasken to as well. Some groups prefer certain kosher certifications, as each have different requirements to obtain certification. Just becuase something is kosher doesn't mean it's kosher l'pesach. You need to make sure the food is specifically marked for passover.

http://www.kashrut.com/ should be of some help for you, both in identifying kosher for passover items, but also for finding reliable hechsers for your specific area.

pre-making base ingredients and keeping them in small portions in the freezer. Things like mirepoix, copped veggies, sliced chicken breasts, etc.

I moved away from Pittsburgh the Bay Area (where there is plenty of good pizza) and i STILL crave Aiello's!!!! Pittsburgh pies do have a unique taste- its the sweeter sauce.

Ohio Valley pizza certainly deserves its own category- its pretty unique.

If you want true Ohio Valley Pizza, you have to go to the Firehouse in Ambridge, PA on Merchant street. Only open on the weekends, the business is run by firemen to support the firehouse (we're talking real social capital here). Its not my favorite (really dougy crust) but its certainly an experience.

Another experience would be Tony R's pizza in Sewickley on Nevin Ave. A tiny pizzaria run by Tony (who does all the deliveries himself) and his two sons.

@ lemons- I am jealous! Here in northern Indiana we tromped over several acres of the in-law's woods this past weekend and found a grand total of 16 'shrooms. And a very dead, very smelly cow that the FIL just hasn't gotten around to burying yet. Ugh.

As far as preparation goes, well, the only way I've ever had them is lightly floured and sauteed in butter. I just don't know if I'd want them any other way, and DEFINITELY not heavily breaded and deep fried.

@chiff- were the 'shrooms cooked??

OMG... sorry I can't tell you exactly how to fix them, but you are SO lucky... they're probably my very favoritist mushroom ever... I am green with envy...

mmmmmmm...

I"m so glad someone asked, because I was thinking the same thing - how do I get a starter? My question is this: has anyone who has made one successfully compared it with an old one from somebody else? I've heard that the flavor is better. It is always a better idea to get a portion of an old starter?

I think my wife got hers from the King Arthur Flour website.