Easter eggs are everywhere. But Jewish Passover feasts also involve this symbol of renewal.

“Eggs for spring. Groundbreaking.” To paraphrase Miranda Priestly in "The Devil Wears Prada," and at the risk of stating the obvious, eggs play starring roles in two major spring holidays: Easter and Passover.

Was it just a few months ago buying eggs almost required a bank loan? Christians, Jews and omelet fans can all breathe a sigh of relief as egg prices have dropped, at least a little bit.  

When Passover begins at sundown April 5, Jewish people will retell the Exodus story over a ceremonial dinner called a seder, which includes the unleavened flatbread matzah, also spelled matzo or matzoh. Why Jews eat matzah in 20 words: They were slaves in Egypt, ordered to leave, pronto. No time for dough to rise? No problem. They ate unleavened.  

To relive the Passover experience, bread and flour are off the table, literally, and eggs become their own food group. Matzah brei (rhymes with “cha-cha fry”), or fried matzah, turns an otherwise bland bread substitute into a savory or sweet breakfast, which might be eaten through the eight days of Passover.

Two of Milwaukee’s hottest chefs recently shared their favorite matzah brei recipes.  

Amilinda chef draws on mother's traditions

His father’s Venezuelan roots inspire the menu at Amilinda, 315 E. Wisconsin Ave., but chef/owner Gregory Leon incorporates his Jewish mother’s family traditions into matzah brei.

“My grandma and my aunt used eggs broken up with matzah, and they fried it all up with salt and pepper. I know people like to soak the matzah first, but I'm not a huge fan of soggy food, so I don't soak mine. I want it to still have a little bit of that crunchy texture,” Leon explained.

You can take the chef out of the heart of the restaurant, but you can’t take the restaurant out of the heart of the chef. Leon elevates the dish with garlic and green onions.

“I use a garlic infused olive oil in matzah brei,” he added.

For Leon, nothing brings up family memories quite like food. “When I eat matzah brei, I think of those who are no longer with us, like my grandparents,” Leon added. “It’s like I'm sitting at my grandma's kitchen table. This is definitely one of those foods that connects me back to my roots and my family.”

'Almost like a cake or pie'

“Matzah is underrated,” said no one, ever. But Chef Adam Siegel, co-owner of Lupi and Iris, 777 N. Van Buren St., doesn’t agree.

“I love matzah by itself; I think it's one of the greatest crackers ever,” Siegel says. “Good egg matzah, who doesn’t like that? It’s sweet, it’s not too hard on the palate, you substitute that for bread and it’s great,” he explained.  

Matzah brei will not appear on his restaurant’s menu, but the dish does hold a special place in Siegel’s heart. “During Passover, there was no French toast or pancakes or regular toast for breakfast. So all of a sudden, you're given matzah brei as a kid and you learn to like it,” Siegel recalled. “And it's actually really good."  

When it comes to matzah brei, Siegel also sticks to the basics.

“I'm a traditionalist, and I believe in making food just to the best of your ability. Most people cook the crap out of matzah brei and overdo it,” Siegel said.  

“When my kids were little, I made it at home and I was always thought I should make this more often. It's really quite easy to make,” Siegel explained. “You get some eggs in a bowl, you whip 'em up and then you break in matzah pieces and cook it in a pan, as you would scrambled eggs.

“When I was a kid, the sweet version was my favorite, and it became the French toast substitute. You go a little bit heavier on the amount of matzah and egg mixture, and you add a splash of heavy cream, a little bit of cinnamon, a little bit of sugar, and then you bake it in the pan,” Siegel said. “It became almost like a cake or a pie.”

Milwaukee helped make this dish famous

One of the earliest written recipes for matzah brei — under a slightly different name — appears in "The Settlement Cook Book," written in 1901 by Milwaukee native Lizzie Black Kander. A 1943 edition includes “Scrambled Eggs With Matzos.”

Avoiding the Yiddish name matzah brei was intentional. “The Settlement Cook Book was designed by this group of German Jewish women who were working with predominantly Eastern European Jewish girls” and trying to help the immigrants assimilate, said Ellie Gettinger, education director at the Jewish Museum Milwaukee from 2007-'21 and current director of digital learning at the Jewish Theological Seminary.

“There was a lot of intent on helping them cook like an American and this real desire to try to Americanize the population that they were working with,” Gettinger said.

What started as a practical way for immigrant girls to access recipes became a bestseller, since printed in dozens of editions and still found on Amazon.com and in stores.

“They had this little side hustle at a time in which people weren't really side hustling, but this group of women started using the cookbook as a fundraiser,” Gettinger said. “It is the most successful fundraising cookbook of all time. Most of the time the population that was buying the cookbook were Jews. In fact, most people think it's a Jewish cookbook from New York or some bigger settlement house.”

Eggs are a symbol of renewal in spring

If you’ve never tasted matzah, frying it up with eggs is a delicious and hearty way to enjoy this Passover staple.

Eggs aren’t just a practical food for Passover, they’re also symbolic. A roasted egg takes its place on the compartmentalized Seder plate that holds symbolic holiday foods.

“Passover is always in the spring, and the egg is this symbol of renewal. The Seder is embedded in a sense of being enslaved and then being free. The egg gives that idea of potential and growth and life after trauma,” Gettinger said.

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RECIPES

This recipe is from Gregory Leon, owner and chef at Amilinda. The restaurant is more Venezuelan, but his personal cooking is inspired by his mother's Jewish roots.

Gregory Leon's matzah brei

Makes 2 servings

Recipe tested by Joan Elovitz Kazan

4 large eggs, beaten 

3 lightly salted matzahs, broken into small pieces 

2 green onions, thinly sliced 

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon ground pepper

1 tablespoon garlic infused olive oil

Heat oil in a medium skillet. Add eggs and quickly stir. 

Add matzah pieces, salt and pepper and continue to stir until matzah is completely incorporated and moistened. 

Add green onions and stir until completely incorporated and eggs start to look dry.

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This recipe is from Adam Siegel, chef and co-owner of Lupi and Iris restaurant. It provides either a sweet or savory option. Siegel recommends serving with smoked salmon or turkey bacon.

Adam Siegel's matzah brei

Makes 4 servings

Recipe tested by Pete Sullivan

For savory 

4 tablespoons unsalted butter 

4 large eggs 

4 sheets matzah, lightly salted 

1 tablespoon chives, minced 

1 tablespoon flatleaf parsley, chopped 

Kosher salt and black pepper 

For sweet matzah brei, instead of the last three items, add: 

1 cup whole milk 

2 tablespoons sugar 

1 Teaspoon cinnamon 

1 teaspoon powdered sugar (for garnish) 

Fruit preserves, honey, maple syrup or other toppings 

To make savory: 

Crack the eggs into a mixing bowl and beat with a fork. Break the matzah into 1 to 3 inch (roughly) square pieces and add to the eggs. Mix thoroughly and let sit 1 to 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. 

Place a 12-inch nonstick pan (or two 8-to-10 inch) over medium heat. Add in butter. Once butter is melted, add in the egg/matzah mixture.  Then either scramble the mixture in the pan or cook on one side (like an omelet) and flip.

Once the eggs are cooked to desired doneness, place on plate and sprinkle with parsley and chives.

To make sweet: 

Crack the eggs into a mixing bowl. Add in the sugar, cinnamon and milk and beat with a fork. 

Break the matzah into 1 to 3 inch (roughly) square pieces and add to the eggs. Mix thoroughly and let sit 1 to 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. 

Place a 12 inch (or two 8-to-10 inch) nonstick pan over medium-low heat. Add in butter. Turn on oven broiler. Once butter is melted add in the egg/matzah mixture. Allow the egg mixture to slowly cook, roughly 2 minutes. Then place pan in the oven under the broiler to finish cooking. This should be barely cooked through. 

Slide the matzah brei on to a plate, sprinkle with powdered sugar. Serve with sweetened whipped crème fraiche or whipped cream, honey or maple syrup and or fruit preserves.