No Passover Panko for me!

This week I went shopping for Passover, things like Matzo, Matzo Meal, nuts, etc.  The grocery store where I shop opens 5 rooms full of Passover items.  Every year it seems like there are more Kosher-for-Passover everyday items, such as garlic flavored wholewheat Matzo , Passover pancakes, boutique flavored marshmallows.  But this year they have really gone all the way with Passover noodles, Passover Panko, Passover red velvet cake mix.  What is going on here??  There is no way these items are as tasty as their non-Passover counterparts, so why bother?  Seriously, can't one live without noodles for a week?  What makes celebrating this holiday, or any holiday, special?  Making it as close to what is done on regular days so that we don't give anything up or aren't inconvenienced in any way?  Or is it so we do things differently?  Make it memorable.  Eat the Passover way for a week.  Can't be that hard!

Here is one of my favorite, very easy, recipes for a Kosher-for-Passover dessert, (or any special event dessert).  I translated it for you:

Chocolate Mousse Cake

In case you want the Hebrew...

Cake bottom:

4 egg whites

1.5 cup sugar

1.5 cup shredded coconut

Mousse:
7 oz bittersweet chocolate
4 egg yolks
1 cup heavy cream
1.5 tablespoons sugar


For the cake bottom...
Heat your oven to 360°.  Beat egg whites with sugar at medium speed till stiff.
Add the shredded coconut  by folding it into the egg whites.
Spread on the bottom of a 10" round cake pan or a 10" x 12" glass dish.
Bake for 20 minutes.  Let cool.

For the mousse...
Melt the chocolate.
Add one yolk at a time to the chocolate, mixing each one in well.
Whip the heavy cream with the sugar until fluffy and soft.
Mix 1/4 of the whip cream into the melted chocolate until smooth.
Add the chocolate/whip cream mix to the rest of the whip cream and fold in.

Pour the mousse on to the coconut bottom and chill for 4-5 hours.