Passover Prep: I'm cooking for 20 people!

Your midnight vulture is back in action! Only this time I have a good excuse for staying up late. On Wednesday I'll be hosting a Passover seder for 20 of my friends. I'm so excited!

As a kid, Passover seders were usually spent with my Grandma, Grandpa, and Great Aunt Claire in good ole' Boca Raton, Florida. As a teenager, I spent one memorable Passover with my California cousins, who go all out for the holiday. They "part the red sea" by making everyone walk through a red curtain, and they even "float baby Moses down the river" by sending a baby doll in a basket down the length of their backyard pool. 40 guests -- a mix of family and friends, Jews and non-Jews -- join in their celebration. It definitely inspired me.

So, when I moved to Brooklyn 4 years ago, I decided I'd throw a seder for my friends. It became an annual tradition, and it has grown and evolved each year. This year, it's my first time hosting a seder in my very own apartment, and I've upped the headcount to 20. There's a brisket in the slow cooker, a kugel (noodle pudding) in the freezer, and matzah ball soup cooling on the stove. More dishes will be cooked in the coming days, and then Wednesday is the big night.

Tonight's Matzah Ball Soup was quite a success. My dear friend Sarah offered to come over and help me cook. Together we kerplunked little matzah balls into the boiling water and watched them expand to twice their size. As the NCAA championship began, we sat on my couch and tasted the soup. The broth was salty, the matzah balls were fluffy, and the carrots had softened to perfection. It made me even more excited for Wednesday! (Click here to see more pics of me and Sarah cooking!)

Do you have any favorite Passover or other holiday dishes? Share them here!