A week without bread, pasta, cereal, or cake is a tough time for the carb lover.

But after more than 30 years of following the strictures of Passover, Sandra Armstrong just shrugs off the deprivation. “Who needs bread?” she says.

For the eight days of Passover that begin today, Armstrong has purged her home of every single morsel or smidgen of leavened bread or related products — which also meant deep-cleaning her kitchen and everything in it. She replaced those starches with matzo, the bland, cracker-like bread specially prepared by kosher bakeries so that it has not been given time to rise.

“Eating matzo is a re-enactment of our journey from slavery to freedom,” a reminder of how the Jews had to flee Egypt before their bread had a chance to rise, said Armstrong, president of Congregation Sof Ma’arav. She and her husband, Don, a longtime leader of the group, have hosted many a Seder dinner in their Kailua home, highlighted by symbolic foods and religious rituals. Their Seders normally include some 20 people, but this year, as a precaution against the spread of the coronavirus, only her family will be present, and she’s saddened that many will be alone on this meaningful occasion.

Although matzo ball soup is one of the best known dishes traditionally served during Passover, matzo also can be transformed into appetizers, sandwiches, kugels (casseroles), pizza, even desserts. For example,“my kids make me chocolate-covered matzo,” Armstrong says, and she makes pancakes with matzo all through the year. Recently she tried a new recipe for a dessert, similar to a bread pudding that wasn’t overly sweet, and could also be served as a side dish.

Made with just flour and water, matzo still carries carbohydrates, but can be the base of dishes incorporating lots of fruits and vegetables, and using less fat and sugar, to suit people’s dietary needs. For Armstrong, Passover means far fewer carbs, of which, perhaps, we eat too much anyway.

“What cuts the carbs is the inability to eat your usual sandwiches with rolls or two pieces of bread, or that nice plate of pasta, or pancakes and French toast,” Armstrong said. “You learn to adapt to a different way of eating, and you realize you no longer have to eat a lot of bread or pasta.”

Removing leavened bread products from the home is also symbolic of purging negative factors hampering your life, so it’s an eye-opening process, she said. “You alter yourself spiritually.”

Filled with the aroma of simmering chicken soup, Armstrong’s kitchen was warm and welcoming the day she demonstrated how to make the matzo balls to go with her soup.

“I love it; I make it all year-round,” she said, stirring a pot of stock afloat with pieces of carrots, onions and celery. While she always makes the chicken soup from scratch, Armstrong takes a shortcut with the matzo balls, using Streit’s brand mix, which comes seasoned with onion and garlic powders, salt and pepper. (Manischewitz also makes a good mix, and can be found easily in most grocery stores, she added.)

All she has to do is add eggs and a little oil, then refrigerate the dough at least 15 minutes to get it cold enough to shape more easily.

“It makes a really nice ball, nice and firm,” she said as she rolled the balls between her palms. “Then we plop it into boiling water.” Once they’re cooked, she puts them into the soup, where they absorb more flavor.

Precooking the balls keeps their shape and texture consistent. “The soup already has vegetables in it and this might obstruct the (cooking) process; and occasionally a matzo ball might fall apart, so it’s better in the hot water than the soup,” she said.

“I always ask people if they want one or two balls when I serve the soup, and often people come back for more.”

EASY MATZO BALL SOUP

• 1 whole chicken carcass, preferably from kosher chicken
• 4 quarts water
• 3 cups chopped carrots
• 3 cups chopped celery
• 2 chicken bouillon cubes
• 1 medium to large onion (chopped or left whole)
• >> Matzo balls
• 1 packet Streit’s Matzo Ball Mix (or other brand, about 2 ounces)
• 2 eggs
• 2 tablespoons oil
• 8 cups boiling water

Place chicken carcass in a big pot with water; bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer, covered, 2 hours. Strain broth, removing bones.

Return broth to pot on stove. Bring to boil; add carrots, celery, bouillon cubes and onion. Simmer 1 hour.

Meanwhile, make matzo balls: In a small bowl, mix matzo meal with eggs; add oil and combine. Refrigerate at least 15 minutes, until easy to handle.

Bring a pot of water to a boil. Roll matzo dough into balls about an inch in diameter (about 8 balls). Drop into boiling water, then reduce heat to simmer for 30 minutes with cover on.

When balls are firm, drop into chicken soup; simmer 15 minutes. Serves 4 to 6.

Approximate nutritional information, per serving (based on 4 servings with 2 matzo balls each): 250 calories, 10 g fat, 1.5 g saturated fat, 95 mg cholesterol, at least 1,400 mg sodium, 28 g carbohydrate, 5 g fiber, 9 g sugar, 14 g protein

MATZO BREI (PANCAKES)

• 4 pieces matzo (about 7-by-7 inches)
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 cup milk

>> Garnish: Fresh bananas or other fruit and maple syrup

Soak matzo in water until soft. Drain and press out water. Mix in eggs and milk.

Heat a 12-inch frying pan over medium. Melt butter in pan. Pour batter into pan to edges; fry until golden brown and the edges start to curl. Flip and fry the other side. Cut into 4 wedges. Serve with fruit and syrup. Serves 2.

Nutritional information unavailable.

THIS YEAR Armstrong made this dessert for the first time, which brought back memories of her friend Bernice Freeman, who named the recipe after her granddaughter. It was published in “The When You Live in Hawaii, You Get Very Creative During Passover Cookbook,” issued by Sof Ma’arav members and friends in 1989. It is now out of print.

RACHAEL’S FARFEL PUDDING

• 2 rounded cups matzo farfel (see note)
• 4 eggs, separated
• 2 to 3 ounces frozen orange juice, undiluted
• 4 tart apples, peeled and grated
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• Grated rind of 1 orange
• 2 ounces butter or margarine
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Heat oven to 325 degrees. Grease an 8-by-11-inch pan with melted butter.

Rinse farfel in cold water and drain; set aside .

In a separate bowl, beat egg yolks, mix in orange juice, apples, sugar, salt and orange rind. Combine with farfel.

Beat egg whites separately until stiff but not dry; gently fold into egg and farfel mixture.

Pour batter into prepared pan. Top with sugar, cinnamon and walnuts. Bake 35 to 40 minutes. Serves 8 to 10.

>> NOTE: Farfel is matzo broken into uniform pieces about the size of a dime. Armstrong ordered hers online, but it would be simple enough to crumble it yourself.

Nutritional information unavailable.