By Marla Cohen

Even though we are suffering from a plague of Nor’easters, Passover is coming. Time to make lists and pull out the things we haven’t seen since we packed them away last spring.

Here are a few items to help ease your getting-ready-for-Pesach anxiety.

The Haggadah

In the market for some new and different Haggadot? There are endless varieties to choose from. For the younger crowd there’s The Family and Frog Haggadah from Behrman House, filled with tons of “froggy” comments on the seder. Also fun is Bird’s Head pop-up coffee table Haggadah. If you loved the Jerusalem Post’s Dry Bones cartoon, you’ll love The Dry Bones Haggadah – a colorful and cartoony offering from Dry Bones creator Yaakov Kirschen, now available in the U.S. For a more thought-provoking interpretation of the Passover story there is the Sacks Haggadah, or the Ethiopian Haggadah.

The Seder Songs

Can’t recall those seder tunes? Perennial favorite CD’s from Paul Zim or David & The High Spirit will give you instant recall for the traditional melodies and teach you new ones.

The Plagues?

New this year are cute finger puppets made of flexible vinyl and a stuffed cuddly frog. There is also a can of all 10 plagues.

What’s Cookin’

A few new cookbooks can help you vary your Passover menus. The best of this year’s selections are the beautifully illustrated Perfect for Pesach, as well as A Taste of Pesach and A Taste of Pesach 2 (Mesorah). There is also the straight forward, perpetual favorite (no pictures) Complete Passover Cookbook, by Hartford’s own Frances AvRutick z”l.

From A Taste of Pesach:
Chocolate Almond Souffle Cookies

6 ozs bittersweet chocolate
3 egg whites
1 tablespoon vanilla sugar
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cups chopped roasted almonds

Preheat oven to 350. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler. Cool slightly. Beat egg whites until foamy. Add sugar and continue beating until stiff peaks are formed. Fold in chocolate and nuts. Drop by the teaspoon, leaving 2” between. Bake 10-12 minutes. Cool on baking sheet.

Marla Cohen is manager of The Judaica Store (rivkajudaica.com).