When Passover begins again next week, I will stage my millionth attempt to rescue some meaningful spark from its story -- this time, by exploring charoset as a glorious dish at once ancient and futuristic, traditional and infinitely adaptable.
There isn't much you can do to change bitter herbs, a roasted lamb shank, a roasted egg, and a green vegetable. But one -- charoset (sometimes spelled haroset or charoses) -- lets you roam, in a good way.
Charoses is, like bagels, one of the greatest gifts of the Jewish culinary canon, and it is too tasty to be served only once a year, and then only to Jews.