A friend told me a story about preparing a traditional Passover meal. Children were seated at the kitchen table licking beaters and bowls when the adults began discussing the many meanings attached to matzo — the unleavened bread that is a staple of Passover and the Seder.

"As the Jews fled Egypt toward freedom," someone said, "they couldn't even delay for the time it takes bread to rise, so the dough was made into flat — or unleavened — bread."

"So that means," asked one of the kids, "that matzo was the first fast food?"

That was not quite the message the adults were trying to convey, but this child was seeing matzo in the context of his own, modern life. And why not?

Matzo claims an exalted position at the Seder because no other single food commemorates so well the Jews' flight to freedom. It symbolizes swift redemption — one day people were slaves and the next they were free. As the "poor man's bread" of slavery, it is a reminder of the past and an appeal for humility. It is about freedom, choices, appreciation and bare essentials of life.

In our house — built upon both Christian and Jewish beliefs — matzo is a year-round ingredient. It is used as the crust in sweet desserts and is ground into meal that thickens soups and stews.

Matzo is the cracker-like bread that results from the mixture of flour and water that has been quickly baked. The 18-minute time constraint comes from an interpretation of the Talmud, where it is said that matzo should take no longer to make than it takes to walk a Roman mile — about 18 minutes. The lack of leavening combined with the short time of working the dough, ensures that matzo will not rise.

Matzo meal is matzo bread that has been coarsely ground. Matzo cake meal is from the same source, but ground much more finely. Because the matzo has been cooked before it's ground, there is little likelihood of subsequent fermentation when combined with shortening or liquid, which is one reason it is used in place of other grains in Passover recipes. Both matzo meal and cake meal are available as distinct grocery products, but as long as you have a food processor, coffee grinder or even a rolling pin, you can grind matzo bread to any fineness specified in your recipe.

Versatile matzo meal

Through the years, I have used matzo meal in place of flour, bread crumbs or other grains to change the characteristics of certain foods. If you want a heartier texture to your crab cakes, replace the flour called for in the recipe with coarse matzo meal. Looking for meatballs that are more tender than the usual? Use chicken broth instead of milk and replace the breadcrumbs with matzo meal. Mixed with savory herbs, matzo meal makes a great coating for fried chicken or chicken-fried steak. If you are stuffing tomatoes or bell peppers, try mixing the ground meat with matzo meal in place of bread crumbs, which can become soggy from the fat in the meat.

Matzo cake meal lends a light quality to desserts and other recipes that call for flour. Fresh pasta, typically made with 2 eggs to 1 cup of flour and a dash of water, is extremely light when finely-ground matzo cake meal is used in place of flour. Food writer Melissa Roberts has contributed a terrific fresh pasta recipe to the April issue of Gourmet magazine, replacing the graininess of semolina with fine matzo cake meal.

But what about the air pockets created by leavening that give baked goods their characteristic lightness? Passover recipes, especially those with eggs, typically call for the use of an electric beater for extended periods of time when mixing ingredients. The beater draws air into the mix, and, while the result will not be as light as baked goods containing leavening, it will not be as dense as if mixed by hand.

Here are two recipes that will give you great acclaim any time of year. The first is a torte published in the April 2005 issue of Bon Appétit that was created by Rozanne Gold. Be sure to use an electric mixer when called for and beat for the length of time indicated to ensure the lightest texture possible. The second recipe is an adaptation of one published in the April 2004 issue of Gourmet magazine. Jewish or not, you will not miss the leavening in either of these atypical Passover desserts.

MAPLE WALNUT ESPRESSO TORTE
(Serves 8)

For the torte:
2 cups walnuts
1/3 cup matzo meal
4 large eggs
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 teaspoons instant espresso powder
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon peel
2 teaspoons ground cardamom
For the syrup:
1 cup water
2/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons maple syrup
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon instant espresso powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
For decoration:
8-12 fresh raspberries or walnut halves

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Lightly oil an 8-inch spring-form pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper. Blend walnuts and matzo meal in a food processor until nuts are finely ground. Using an electric mixer, beat eggs, maple syrup, sugar and salt in a large bowl at high speed for 5 minutes. Add espresso, lemon peel, and cardamom and beat until mixture begins to thicken, about 5 minutes longer. Gently fold in nut mixture in several additions. Pour batter into pan. Bake torte until top is brown and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 45 minutes.

While torte is baking, make the syrup: Bring all syrup ingredients to a boil in a heavy medium saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Boil until syrup thickens slightly and is reduced to 1 cup, about 8 minutes.

Remove torte from oven and transfer to a rack leaving the torte in the pan. Spoon 6 to 8 tablespoons of syrup over the torte. Cool completely.

Cut around sides of pan to loosen. Remove pan sides. Decorate with fresh raspberries or walnut halves. Cut torte into wedges and serve with remaining syrup.

For compote:
2/3 cups sugar
1-1/2 tablespoons potato starch
1 pound fresh strawberries, trimmed and quartered (about 3 cups)
3/4 pound rhubarb stalks, cut crosswise (and once lengthwise if stalk is thick)     into 1/2-inch slices (about 2 cups)
1-1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon finely grated fresh lemon zest
For streusel topping:
2/3 cups matzo cake meal (or matzo ground to the consistency of fine flour)
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
2 tablespoons potato starch
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons non-dairy margarine or unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat to 425 degrees. Prepare compote: Stir together sugar and potato starch, then gently toss with strawberries, lemon juice and zest. Transfer mixture to a shallow, ungreased 7- by 11-inch dish. Set aside.

Make topping: Whisk together matzo cake meal, brown sugar, potato starch, cinnamon and salt. Blend in shortening with fingertips until small clumps form.

Crumble streusel evenly over compote and bake until fruit is bubbling and topping is golden, about 30 minutes. Serve warm.