By Ben Tinsley
bent@tjpnews.com

DALLAS — Preparation for Passover can be quite an involved process.
Cleaning tends to extend into every portion of the home — including vigorous cleaning of stoves, microwave ovens, sinks, tables, counters, napkins, tablecloths, refrigerators, freezers, cupboards, rooms, cars and garages, according to www.chabad.org.
But the preparation to make a home truly Passover-savvy focuses on the kitchen where the Passover food is prepared.
Indeed, special sets of dishes, silverware, pots, pans and other utensils are needed for Passover use only.
And even when all that is done to perfection, little things can still change from year to year, making imperfections and mistakes very possible, explained Miranda Winer, executive director of Dallas Kosher.
“Every year the details change,” she explained. “You might have had a product last year that was kosher and it may or may not still be. You need to update your information and Dallas Kosher is your guide for doing that. It’s important for people to have a resource like this that they can rely on.”
Each year DK publishes a Passover guide full of instructions on how to make use of kosher items, Winer said.
“It’s all about what they bring each year that is kosher and can be used for Passover,” she said. “There are a lot of details involving the keeping of Passover. The laws are pretty clear and we try to help people understand the procedures for their kitchen. We also try to inform them about the things they can look for in the supermarket.”
Dallas Kosher’s 16-page newsletter — available on DK’s website, www.dallaskosher.org — offers a strong glimpse into local resources, Winer said.
“We are a member-supported organization providing all kinds of support for the community,” she said. “People call us all the times and text us with questions — especially at Passover.”
 
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Top 10 Countdown

Miranda Winer offered a list of reasons to support Dallas Kosher during Passover.
Winer said DK’s top 10 list includes information from various caterers that do Passover catering. There also is information from Whole Foods Market, two Tom Thumb stores, and Minyard’s Sun Fresh Market on Arapaho.
“We help people to make their equipment kosher for Passover, and assist them in kashering their metal equipment,” she said.

Top 10 list

• 10. Dallas Kosher rabbis conduct Passover preparation classes at area shuls. Bring your questions or call them at 214-739-6535.
• 9. Dallas Kosher will kasher utensils and silver for Passover for Dallas Kosher members Sunday, April 17, at Ohr Hatorah and Chabad of Dallas. Call office for details.
• 8. For a great hostess gift, try Dallas Kosher-P fresh fruit trays at Whole Foods Market Forest or Tom Thumb Preston Forest.
• 7. Dallas Kosher-P certified lunch program at JCC — not just for seniors! Call for details: 214-239-7100.
• 6. Dallas Kosher-P supervised catering by Simcha Catering — order a complete Seder or just sides. Texas Kosher BBQ and NoshNook at the JCC also offer Passover catering. Contact them for details.
• 5. Dallas Kosher-P supervised milk at Whole Foods Forest beginning April 18. Look for the 365 label.
• 4. Dallas Kosher-P certified ground fish — delicious gefilte fish — at Tom Thumb Preston Forest. Order by April 13.
• 3. Dallas Kosher rabbis available to handle sale of chometz — call for the form and do another mitzvah.
• 2. Dallas Kosher-P fresh meat, deli and select prepared foods at Tom Thumb Preston and Forest and Coit and Campbell locations beginning April 17.
• 1. Dallas Kosher Passover hotline and special Pre-Passover edition of Voice Newsletter.