Mail-Order Passover

There is no substitute for celebrating with our extended families, or the rituals, the recipes, and the ephemera that are part of the Passover seder. Even so, comfort can be found in food. Though the meticulous shopping and marketing that some of us partake in around the holidays are not part of the plan this year, there are still ways to get beloved Passover victuals onto your table. Here is a list of establishments that are intent on bringing Pesach home to you, be it in the form of date charoset, ethically-raised kosher brisket, Joyva jelly rings, gefilte fish, or special flours for unleavened baking. And yes, there is matzo. Can’t forget the matzo.

Many of the vendors listed below are online locations for brick and mortar stores that have had to close their doors or seriously limit their hours due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Patronizing them will be a mitzvah to these business owners and also to your bellies. All ship nationally, and if you live in the area, most are available for local pickup as well.

Mansoura

This kosher, family-run Syrian-Jewish bakery in Gravesend, Brooklyn, makes unrivaled Passover sweets. Each year, they put their usual repertoire on hold—think the flakiest baklava you can imagine—for a varied Passover production. Their offerings range from a variety of choice hand-dipped dried fruits and nuts to delicacies such as Turkish delight, marzipan rolls, and dainty almond macaroon sandwiches with orange blossom water-pistachio filling. There’s also an excellent date haroset, and for snacking, kaak, a satisfyingly crunchy cookie that’s perfect with coffee or tea. Order before 2pm EST on April 6 for April 8 delivery. mansoura.com

Economy Candy

The ultimate retro Lower East Side candy store, in business since 1937, is your source for old-school Passover favorites. Think Joyva jelly rings, marshmallow twists, jelly fruit slices, chocolate-covered macaroons, and a respectable array of dried fruit and nuts, all sold by the pound. Pick and choose your assortment, or consider a kosher-for-Passover gift basket with a little of everything, in cleverly named one-seder ($50), two-seder ($80), and wandering-the-desert-for-40-years ($120) sizes. economycandy.com

William Greenberg

After closing its doors following Governor Andrew Cuomo’s stay-at-home order last month, the 74-year-old kosher bakeshop decided to reopen temporarily to bake for the Passover holiday. A limited kosher-for-Pesach menu of American Jewish classics, including their famous black and white cookies, flourless chocolate cake, sponge cake, and macaroons (coconut and almond varieties), are available to order prior to the holiday only. Orders accepted through Saturday, April 4; all orders are shipped on April 6. wmgreenbergdesserts.com

Grow and Behold

Naf & Anna Hanau’s online source of sustainably-farmed kosher meats is a cornucopia of gorgeously butchered beef, lamb, veal, poultry and fish. As of now there is still whole brisket in stock, but why not branch out with a rack of lamb, veal osso bucco, wild salmon, or a whole duck? Pro tip, Grow and Behold also sells tasty bits such as chicken carcasses and chicken feet, perfect for a lip-smacking chicken soup, as well as chicken skin, for the homemade gribenes to top your chopped liver with (they sell chicken livers, too). Overnight delivery is available. growandbehold.com

Snuk

The online grocery Snuk has added a small selection of Passover offerings, many of them certified kosher for Passover, to its wide array of global kitchen staples. There are practical ingredients, such as matzo meal and Fatworks chicken schmaltz—both essential for making matzo balls—as well as grocery store goodies, like Manischewitz coconut marshmallows and chocolate-covered matzot. To broaden your Passover cooking repertoire, consider adding a bottle of kosher-certified Passover Red Boat fish sauce to your pantry. Order by 6pm EST on April 3 for April 8 delivery. snukfoods.com

NY Shuk

Liven up your Passover cooking with spice blends and condiments from Ron and Leetal Arazi, the talented couple behind this mom-and-pop spice shop. Add a few pinches of ras el hanout, an aromatic blend of coriander seeds, ginger, clove, black cardamom, turmeric and other spices, to give your charoset a je ne sais quoi. Do as the Yemenites do and sprinkle hawaij, a heady mixture of cumin, black pepper and cardamom, into chicken soup. Or spoon one their wonderful harissas, such as the tangy preserved lemon, over a savory matzo brei. Bonus, there are plenty of recipes—harissa brisket, anyone?—on their site for inspiration. Condiments are kosher-style; spices are OU-certified. nyshuk.com

Matzo Project

According to Ashley Albert, co-owner of this sassy matzo company, “We make 100% unleavened, made-in-18-minutes, kosher-certified, rabbi-blessed, totally legit matzo—we are also a tiny artisanal maker and don’t spring for the extra ‘Kosher for Passover’ stamp.” If that and flavor are compelling to you, consider springing for a box of the Matzo Project stuff, which tastes more like yummy flatbread than matzo. They also sell a quality matzo ball mix that can easily pass for homemade. For a matzo medley, consider going in for The Whole Megillah ($49.95), a smorgasbord of matzot, matzo chips in flavors like Cinnamon Sugar and Everything, matzo ball mix and a matzo ball soup kit. Order by 6pm EST on April 3 for April 8 delivery. matzoproject.com

Shelsky’s

Peter Shelsky’s Brooklyn appetizing shop has everything you could possibly need for Passover, from the lamb shank for your seder plate to Brooklyn’s own Gefilteria gefilte fish loaf, a sustainable, certified kosher for Passover marvel that feeds up to 12. Prepared foods from Shelsky’s include matzo ball soup, sweet potato and celeriac latkes, and three kinds of house-made horseradish (white, beet and apple). NB: Shelsky’s prepared foods are not kosher-certified; Gefilteria gefilte fish and boxed matzot, also for sale, are certified kosher for Passover. Place order before 4pm EST on April 6 for April 8 delivery. For shipping, e-mail [email protected] or call (718) 855-8817 and dial 0. shelskys.com

Breads Bakery

Though this Israeli bakery is best known for its buttery babkas, it also bakes rich Passover-friendly (flourless, yes, but not certified kosher for Passover) desserts worthy of your holiday table. A small selection, including a coconut chocolate chip cake, a deep, dark brownie cake and an assortment of coconut and almond cookies, can be purchased while supplies last. Order by the morning of April 6 to receive by April 8. breadsbakery.com

Liebman’s Deli

One of New York’s last remaining kosher delicatessens, serving up deli realness in the Bronx since 1953, is delivering a complete certified kosher for Passover meal via the food delivery service Goldbelly. That means six pints of matzo ball soup, a tray of potato kugel, 2 ½ pounds of sliced brisket, pickles, gravy, cole slaw, and your choice of appetizer (a tough choice between gefilte fish, chopped liver, or mini stuffed cabbage), all for $249. It serves 6 to 8 by Ashkenazi standards, which may mean 10 or more for everyone else. Order by April 6 at noon EST to receive by April 8. goldbelly.com/liebmans-deli

Oh Nuts

This New York-based kosher emporium is your one-stop shop for certified kosher for Passover staples, be it nut flours for baking, rainbow cookies for snacking, a slew of matzot, from shmura to dark chocolate-dipped, piles of gummies, Israeli chewing gum like Must and Bazooka, or sundry everyday foods, be it grape juice, potato chips, or quinoa. And, as the name suggests, there are nuts—lots and lots of nuts. Expedited shipping available. ohnuts.com

Seed + Mill

For the sesame connoisseur (and the kitniyot tolerant), you can’t do much better than Seed + Mill, the premium makers of halva and tahini based in New York City. You can purchase organic tahini by the pound or by the bucket, and halva in imaginative flavors such as crunchy peanut butter, cardamom and sea salt dark chocolate, by the slice or by the cake. Seed + Mill products are certified kosher, but not certified kosher for Passover. Seedandmill.com

Danny’s Macaroons

Dan Cohen, owner of Danny’s Macaroons in New York City, whose fluffy coconut creations are beloved by food cognoscenti such as Molly Yeh, keeps it simple. His gluten-free macaroons are made from flake coconut, sweetened condensed milk, egg whites, vanilla extract, and sea salt, and dayenu, that’s enough. The plain macaroons are exemplary, though outside-the-box flavors such as matcha and salted caramel have loyal followings, too. According to Danny, the macaroons are kosher certified and kosher for Passover “style”—i.e., he does not pay for additional kosher for Passover supervision. Order by April 6 to receive by April 8. dannymacaroons.com