Why is this night different?

We hosted a gay seder on Saturday for 16 men. It was a big success. Guests started to arrive around 6:30 pm. We had a brief Havdalah ceremony outside to mark the end of Shabbat. The service around the table began at 7:20 and everyone was gone by 12:15. Our seder meal featured mostly Sephardic dishes. The recipes called for ingredients and spice more akin to Mediterranean dishes than Eastern European ones. Everyone was impressed with E’s culinary choices. Many friends said this was not their parent’s type of seder. We used the same extra readings in the Haggadah as last year including the ten additional plagues gays and lesbians have suffered.

The Passover meal:
* Canyon Ranch Charoset (dried cherries/apricots/raisins, walnuts/almonds, etc.)
* Irma Carbizer's Charoset (coconut, nuts, dried pears/apples/prunes/dates, cherry preserves ... cooked)
* Moroccan Charoset (dried dates/figs, oranges, lime, etc.)

* Baked Seabass with Saffron and Red Bell Pepper Sauce

* Roasted Vegetable Stock with Spring Vegetables and Herbs

* Cornish Hens with Apricots, Tomatoes, Onions, and Spices
* Five Wild Mushroom Saute over Matzah Polenta
* Ten Vegetable Gratin

* Strawberry-Apple Macaroon Crumble
* Fudgy Nutty Coconut Macaroons
* Almond Meringues
* Home-made Vanilla Ice Cream
* Kosher Galil Chardonnay wine from Israel