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ByJessicaYadegaran FortheContraCostaTimes Putthatjarofgefiltefish back on the shelf. And don't even bother buying a bot- tle of Manischewitz this year. Just in time for Pass- over, Jeff and Jodie Mor- gan, of Berkeley's Covenant Wines, have released their much-anticipated eighth cookbook, "The Covenant Kitchen: Food and Wine for the New Jewish Table." The book (Schocken/ Random House, $35, 272 pages), features more than 100 easy-to-prepare kosher recipes and sug- gested wine pairings in- spired by the Morgans' travels to France, Asia and Israel and their time in Napa Valley, where Cov- enant started in 2002. Their status as gour- mets goes back even fur- ther — Jeff was the wine director at the upscale Dean & DeLuca, while Jodie served as executive director for the American Institute of Wine & Food, an organization founded by Robert Mondavi and Julia Child. From slow-braised Flan- ken Pot Au Feu and Cow- boy Cholent, studded with lamb sausage, to the fresh, pink-hued salmon Gefilte Quenelles for Passover, "The Covenant Kitchen" of- fers a contemporary spin on one of the world's oldest cu- linary traditions. No horse- radish required. Naturally, we had ques- tions — and Jeff was happy to dish. Q. Great kosher wines, trendy delicatessens. The Jewish food scene is so hip right now, and it has such an international presence. How does your cookbook fit into that new perspec- tive? A. There's a renaissance right now in Jewish din- ing and a rising conscious- ness both in the Jewish and non-Jewish food worlds about what people eat. That includes the farm-to- table movement and buy- ing wines from small win- eries like ours to enhance the daily dining experience. Q. You've said that the Passover Seder is ideal for wine pairings. Is that be- cause the ritual that accom- panies the feast requires four cups of wine? A It's possibly the longest meal of the year for Jews, and it involves a plethora of courses. We'll serve six or seven different wines. In addition to the required four cups, you've got a lot of memorable opportunities to drink wine. Q. Your matzo ball soup is fish-based, instead of the usual chicken stock. What was the inspiration? A. I lived in the south of France for over five years and really fell in love with soupe de poisson. Instead of the traditional croutons that come on top of the soup, I thought it would be fun to do matzo balls. Q. And your Gefilte Quenelles: Also inspired by your time in France? A. My grandmother Al- ice used to make gefilte fish from the fresh northern pike that my grandfather Lester would catch in the lake outside their summer cabin in Wisconsin. The light texture reminded me of the fish dumplings we of- ten enjoyed in France. This recipe also has an Asian quality to it because of the ginger and coriander, so you don't have to hold your nose and get through it. You can linger with it and a great glass of wine, like a crisp rosé. Q. Flanken Pot Au Feu sounds so dreamy. It erases all memories of the tradi- tional boiled version. A. Yes, I really love slow- braised meats that create a rich broth and meat so ten- der, it's like butter. In East- ern Europe, the shortcut short ribs were tradition- ally boiled and served with horseradish. I suppose it was the answer to no wine at the table, because it was hard to come by at the time. But this one just begs for a rich, big red. Q. What else will be fea- tured on your Seder table this year? A. We're going to the home of our cellarmaster, Eli Silins. But typically, we have soup, a salad or two, a fish course and then a meat course. In the back of the cookbook we offer holiday menus. The Pass- over menu includes Braised Beef Short Ribs with Root Vegetables and, of course, Toasted Coconut Maca- roons with Chocolate Driz- zle. Our meals on Pesach (Passover) last three or four hours, and we always sing songs after. BraisedBeefShort Ribs With Root Vegetables and Garlic Confit Mashed Potatoes Serves4to6 Salt and freshly ground pepper 10beef short ribs (4pounds) 1onion, coarsely chopped 3carrots, cut into 2-inch lengths 2leeks, white parts only, well-washed and sliced 1/2 - 2-inch-thick 2parsnips, peeled and cut in 2-inch lengths 21cloves garlic: 6peeled and halved, 15peeled and le whole 1bay leaf 6to 8sprigs fresh thyme or 2teaspoons dried thyme 1bottle dry red wine (about 31/2 cups) 3tablespoons plus 1cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided 3pounds medium thin- skinned white potatoes, quartered 1. Lightly salt and pep- per short ribs. Place in a large zip-sealed plastic bag with onions, carrots, leeks, parsnips, the 6halved garlic cloves, bay leaf, thyme and wine. (If you need 2bags, di- vide the ingredients evenly). Gently massage ingredients for a minute; refrigerate 6to 24hours, turning the bag(s) over every few hours. 2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove meat from bag(s); reserve marinade and vegetables. In a Dutch oven, heat 3tablespoons oil over medium-high heat. Working in batches, if necessary, sear meat until browned, about 3minutes per side. Set aside. 3. Reduce heat to medium; add vegetables from the marinade. Saute until they so en, about 10minutes, stirring regularly. Add mari- nade, then bring to a boil. Remove from heat. 4. Return short ribs to the pot, tucking them into the marinade. Cover and bake, turning the ribs over in the pot every 45minutes, until the meat is tender and eas- ily separates from the bone, 2to 21/2 hours. If the liquid runs low, add an additional cup of wine or water and mix thoroughly. 5. Meanwhile, place the remaining 15whole garlic cloves in a small saucepan; cover with 1cup olive oil. (Add more oil, if neces- sary, to fully submerge the cloves). Heat over medium heat until the oil starts to bubble. Reduce heat to low and simmer until the garlic is golden in color and so textured, about 30minutes. 6. Fill a large pot one-third with cold water; add po- tatoes. Bring to a boil over high heat; lower heat and simmer until potatoes can be easily pierced with a fork, about 20minutes. Drain potatoes, then return them to the pot. Add garlic cloves, the oil and 3/4 teaspoon salt. Using a potato masher, mash potatoes until they are fairly smooth. Cover pot and set aside. (The potatoes can be reheated for 5minutes over low heat, stirring occa- sionally, before serving.) 7. When meat is ready, discard the bay leaf and thyme stems. Divide po- tatoes among individual plates and place one or two short ribs angled up against the potatoes. Garnish with vegetables and gravy from the pot. — Jeff and Jodie Morgan, "The Covenant Kitchen: Food and Wine for the New Jewish Table" (Schocken/ Random House, $35. MODERN PASSOVER Co ok bo ok s pe ll s ou t ho w th e 'New Jewish Table' should look KRISTOPHER SKINNER-BAY AREA NEWS GROUP The smoked salmon caprese with endive salad from the Covenant Winery cookbook by winery owners Jeff and Jodie Morgan. KRISTOPHER SKINNER-BAY AREA NEWS GROUP Covenant Winery owners Jeff and Jodie Morgan are seen with a pairing of one of their white wines and a smoked salmon caprese with endive salad in Berkeley. By Jackie Burrell Contra Costa Times We have nothing against jelly beans and marshmal- low bunnies. Easter bas- kets are a charming tradi- tion. But why should kids have all the fun? They get the egg hunt, the chocolate bunnies and the candy-filled bas- ket — while we grown- ups are tasked with hid- ing the eggs and stocking the stash. It's high time for a new tradition — a grown-up Easter basket, sans Peeps. And we've corralled a few experts to help us stock this lovely thing with the treats that parental palates prefer. Suffice it to say, you won't find any of these in the dol- lar-store holiday aisle. But you'll be vastly happier su- pervising the madcap egg hunt if you've got a Johnny Cottontail cocktail in your hand. Meg Ray, who owns Mi- ette patisserie, which has two outposts in San Fran- cisco, as well as a spot in Oakland's Jack London Square and at Larkspur Landing, has a soft spot for traditional Easter bas- ket fare. Hers includes high-qual- ity chocolate rabbits, vanilla bean marshmallows and tasty little carrot cupcakes. (And Ray hopes someone will tuck world peace and a set of French steak knives in that basket, too.) Those little carrot cakes are a beautifully balanced sweet, filled with shred- ded carrots, currants, toasted walnuts and co- conut. They're sized just right for nibbling at brunch or a garden party alongside that rabbit-themed cocktail. All sorts of Easter brunch cock- tails are floating around Pinterest, including some singularly ill-advised riffs on the Marshmallow Peep theme. But the Johnny Cotton- tail is no harebrained liba- tion. This bright blend of rye, carrot juice, lime and Angostura bitters hails from Matty McGee, the bar manager at Oakland's Flora restaurant and the Fauna bar next door. Prefer a Pimm's Cup vari- ation? McGee's version, an Evening Tea, is "based off an English fruit cup with an eye on nights on the patio," he says. "It's light, refresh- ing and familiar. (This) is the perfect time of year to break these out for house- guests." Why should kids have all the fun on Easter? EASTER TREATS DAN ROSENSTRAUCH-BAY AREA NEWS GROUP A Johnny Cottontail drink is surrounded by Easter treats made of high-quality chocolates in Walnut Creek. 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