It's a common and courteous question one often asks when invited to a seder at a friend's house: "What might I bring?"
The choices are both pretty and palate-worthy, from a helpful item for the host's kitchen to a beautiful bottle of kosher vino. A number of restaurants, shops and bakeries around Southern California honor Passover, too, with a full complement of foodstuffs, both for the sweet tooth and for guests who prefer savory.
Magnolia Bakery's Matzo Crunch includes "matzo cracker, chocolate, white chocolate and toffee." Will it be crunchy? You bet, as the name implies, but delightfully "sticky" (hello, toffee) and "decadent," too, says Magnolia. Find it at the West Third location (or peek at the main Magnolia Bakery website, which has a recipe for the hard-to-stop-eating stuff).
Eilat Bakery has been a Los Angeles Passover foods staple for "over 35 years." The sweets shop, which has locations on both Pico Boulevard and Fairfax Avenue, offers several cakes on its Passover menu, from 7-layer Vanilla to Honey Cake. Rolladas (think apricot, chocolate, raspberry, and vanilla) and almond horn cookies are dessert-nice favorites.
Macaroons are a centerpiece of many seders and Passover gatherings, but the soft and squishy coconut treats go beyond the traditional flavors. Look to Schwartz Bakery for a number of different macaroons, including sugar-free macaroons, as well as black-and-white cookies, mini pastries and many, many cakes. There are a few Schwartz locations, including one in the Valley.
For more savory-inclined eaters, though, there is the Matzah Pizza at Fresh Brothers, a crispy-crusted temptation getting love in the news and from fans of the Calabasas to Hollywood to Marina del Rey (and beyond) pie shop. There's a hashtag -- #MatzahMadness -- and good news for people who want to continue enjoying this Passover-season treat after the holiday: It's available through April 11.
