MAKE THIS PASSOVER DIFFERENT FROM ALL OTHERS.

Byline: Natalie Haughton Food Editor

Even though Passover, which begins at sundown Saturday, is steeped in tradition, today's cooks have branched out, presenting updated old and new food creations for the eight-day celebration.

``When I first started writing about Jewish food 30 years ago, there wasn't the diversity of foods, or people didn't think about anything other than what their parents made for Passover and all holidays,'' says Joan Nathan, a Washington, D.C.-based Jewish cooking expert who has written eight Jewish cookbooks, including ``Jewish Cooking in America.''

The availability of many more kosher-for-Passover food items in supermarkets and Jewish stores, along with modern Jewish cookbooks, have made cooking much easier - and more creative.

Nathan blends spruced-up traditional family favorites with modern innovations. She still serves her mother-in-law's traditional gefilte fish, but with a little chopped parsley and carrots tossed in for color. It's much simpler to make because ground fish is now available at supermarkets. Chopped fresh parsley and ginger jazz up her matzo balls - and traditional brisket gets updated with apricots and other dried fruits, or sun-dried tomatoes.

``Planning ahead is the key,'' continues Nathan.

Make lists - of your menu, for shopping ahead and last-minute, for the daily countdown, preparing recipes, etc. Set the table, arrange the flowers and plan the seating a day in advance.

In the recently released ``Kosher by Design Entertains''(Mesorah Publications Ltd.; $34.99), author Susie Fishbein offers 70 inspired, contemporary recipes that would be wonderful additions to the Passover table. Although the recipes are not specifically designed for the holiday, Fishbein includes a chart highlighting ingredient adjustments needed for Passover.

Among the offerings (hardly what your grandmother served) are a roasted beet or Mediterranean fatoush salad (with matzo crisps), tri-colored matzo balls, hazelnut- and honey-crusted veal or lamb chops, garlic chicken with dried fruits and nuts, rib roast with melted tomatoes, sorbet ruffles and chocolate explosion (some of the recipes included here).

Fishbein belongs to the ``make everything fresh'' school (taste and texture suffer with freezing, she says) but notes that some preparation tasks can be completed a few days in advance to streamline last-minute cooking. For instance, if making her roasted beet salad, roast the beets and assemble the salad dressing two days ahead and refrigerate. While it's feasible to make the chocolate explosion a couple of days ahead (don't overbake it), it must be well wrapped to protect it from absorbing odors of other foods in your fridge.

Since the holiday has several food restrictions (i.e. matzo replaces bread, and leavened baked goods are not allowed, etc.), if you are a first-time Passover cook, ``Focus your meals on things you can do - potato kugel, meats, chicken, vegetables and salads - things where you don't have to make too many changes so you don't lose texture and flavor,'' advises Fishbein.

The concept of Fishbein's latest book, her second, is ``getting comfortable with the idea of opening up your home to your friends and family for all the occasions of your life - celebrations outside a holiday.'' Don't be tempted to call a caterer or go to a restaurant for memorable events like a special anniversary, a bridal shower, or your husband's birthday. Instead, entertain at home with unforgettable, gracious parties.

``My goal is give people simple but fabulous recipes and entertaining ideas to inspire them. But this is not a meals-in-minutes book,'' emphasizes Fishbein.

The book showcases nine different party formats - such as cocktail, luncheon, dessert buffet, buffet, family-style dinner - that have been paired with nine different celebrations or themes: engagement party, housewarming party, anniversary party, etc.

Fishbein hopes the book, filled with loads of beautiful color photographs, will appeal to more than just kosher cooks. ``Every recipe is kosher, but there is nothing Jewish about these recipes. It is not traditional Jewish food.''

Natalie Haughton, [phone]

natalie.haughton(at)dailynews.com

TRIPLE CHOCOLATE EXPLOSION (PAREVE OR DAIRY)

CAKE:

24 ounces semisweet OR bittersweet chocolate, cut in small pieces

3/4 cup margarine OR butter

6 eggs, separated, at room temperature

2 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons Passover cake meal

GANACHE:

3/4 cup nondairy whipping cream OR dairy heavy whipping cream 

6 ounces semisweet OR bittersweet chocolate, chopped in small pieces

1/2 teaspoon imitation vanilla

GLAZE:

1/2 cup (1 stick) margarine OR butter

6 ounces semisweet chocolate chips

Lightly grease a 9-inch springform pan. To make cake, heat 24 ounces chocolate over a double boiler until melted and smooth. Stir in margarine and set aside.

Beat egg whites at high speed with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form; set aside.

Beat egg yolks at high speed with an electric mixer until thick and pale yellow. Turn down speed and gradually add sugar, beating constantly. Return to high speed and beat 1 minute. Add cake meal to yolk mixture and beat until just blended. Stir in chocolate mixture.

Fold chocolate mixture into egg whites with a wire whisk. Spoon into prepared pan.

Place in a preheated 375-degree oven and immediately reduce heat to 350 degrees F. Bake 35 minutes. Cool completely. Place in refrigerator.

Prepare chocolate Ganache layer. In a small saucepan over low heat, heat cream until it comes to a simmer. Immediately add 6 ounces chocolate and turn off heat. Let stand 1 minute so chocolate begins to melt. Add vanilla and stir until chocolate has melted.

Allow Ganache to stand 10 minutes to thicken. Spread over cake. Smooth with a spatula. Return to refrigerator 1 hour or freezer for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare Glaze. In a small saucepan over low heat, heat margarine and chocolate chips. Stir until mixture melts.

Release and remove sides of springform pan. Set cake on a platter. Slide strips of waxed paper, parchment or foil under bottom of cake to catch drippings. Pour Glaze over cake, tilting cake to help it run down sides. Refrigerate 3 hours or overnight.

Remove from refrigerator 20 minutes before serving. Remove strips that caught drippings and discard. Garnish with edible glitter (available at cake decorating supply stores or online at www.beryls.safeshopper.com). Serve with a few berries, if desired. Makes 12 servings.

HAZELNUT AND HONEY CRUSTED VEAL CHOP (MEAT)

1 1/2 cups shelled hazelnuts

1 clove garlic, sliced

1 shallot, sliced

4 tablespoons honey

2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives, plus extra for garnish

6 (1 1/2-inch thick) veal OR lamb chops

Salt

Ground white pepper

In bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade, process nuts, garlic and shallot until finely minced. Add honey and pulse to make a paste. Stir in 2 tablespoons chopped chives. Set aside.

Season chops on both sides with salt and pepper. Place on a broiler pan 6 inches from heat source in a preheated broiler and broil 5 minutes per side.

Spread a layer of honey paste over top side of each veal chop. Return pan, uncovered, to oven on rack farthest from heat. Broil 10 minutes longer, checking to make sure honey crust is not burning. Garnish with chopped chives. Makes 6 servings.

ROASTED BEET SALAD (PAREVE OR DAIRY)

2 medium/large red beets, scrubbed but not peeled

2 medium/large golden beets, scrubbed but not peeled (if you can't locate golden beets, double the amount of red beets)

Olive oil

Kosher salt

Dried thyme

1 tablespoon honey

1 tablespoon Passover imitation Dijon mustard

3 tablespoons orange juice

1 tablespoon balsamic OR apple cider vinegar

Pepper

2 ounces frisee lettuce

3 ounces red leaf lettuce

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

3 ounces blue OR Gorgonzola cheese (use only for dairy meals)

Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Slice off top and bottom of each beet. Slice into rounds (on newspaper to protect counters) as thin as possible, 1/4-inch thick or less. Drizzle each beet slice with olive oil, brushing to evenly coat. Sprinkle with coarse salt and thyme. Place on prepared baking sheet. Roast in a preheated 450-degree oven 18 to 22 minutes, until beets are soft and slightly shrunken. Watch carefully so beets don't burn. Remove from oven and set aside. Keep colors separate to avoid bleeding.

Prepare dressing. Using an immersion blender or with a whisk, combine honey, mustard, orange juice, 3 tablespoons olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Blend or whisk until emulsified. Season with salt and pepper.

Place frisee and red leaf lettuce leaves into a bowl and lightly dress, tossing to combine, reserving 6 teaspoons dressing.

Arrange roasted beet slices, in alternating colors in a single layer around edges of each plate. Drizzle a scant teaspoon of dressing over beets. Place a tall mound of greens in center of each plate, allowing beets to show. Sprinkle each salad with walnuts, dividing evenly. If using cheese, crumble over lettuce. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

SORBET RUFFLES (PAREVE OR DAIRY)

1 pint raspberry sorbet

1 pint coconut OR pineapple sorbet OR 1 pint vanilla ice cream

1 pint mango, passion fruit OR lemon sorbet

16 (2 1/2-inch) pleated paper muffin baking cups

Pareve dessert sauces (chocolate, vanilla, kiwi, mango, raspberry) OR pareve chocolate syrup like Bosco

16 raspberries

Let sorbets stand at room temperature for 15 minutes to soften. Transfer sorbets to bowls for ease in stirring to make them spreadable.

Place muffin cups in metal muffin tins. If you don't have muffin tins, create a double thickness of paper muffin cups and place in a metal baking pan so they support each other.

Spread an even layer of raspberry sorbet in bottom 1/3 of each cup. Place in freezer 15 minutes. Remove from freezer and spread dollops of coconut sorbet to evenly cover raspberry layer and come up to the second 1/3 of the cup. Return to freezer 15 minutes. Repeat procedure with mango sorbet (so it comes to top of cup). Cover pan with plastic wrap. Freeze overnight. Can be made 4 days ahead; keep frozen.

When ready to serve, invert each sorbet cup onto a dessert plate. Remove paper muffin cup. Decorate plate with desired sauce. Top each with a fresh raspberry. Makes 16 servings.

OVEN ROASTED ASPARAGUS (PAREVE)

1 1/2 pounds fresh asparagus

Extra virgin olive oil

Fleur de Sel, coarse sea salt OR kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Trim off very bottom of spears, leaving as much of the length as possible. Using a vegetable peeler, slice down the sides of spears to trim off thorns. Lay spears on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast in a preheated 400-degree oven 15 to 20 minutes, until fork tender and bright green. Cooking time will depend on thickness of spears. Do not overcook or asparagus will burn and shrivel. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

CAPTION(S):

5 photos

Photo:

(1 -- cover -- color) SORBET RUFFLES

Photo by John Uher from ``Kosher By Design Entertains''/Mesorah Publications, Ltd. (2 -- color) TRIPLE CHOCOLATE EXPLOSION

(3 -- color) HAZELNUT AND HONEY CRUSTED VEAL CHOP

(4 -- color) ROASTED BEET SALAD

(5 -- color) OVEN ROASTED ASPARAGUS