Preparing for Passover

Some year-round table- and kitchenware may be made kosher-for-Passover by scalding them in boiling water or heating them until they are red-hot. But anything that cannot be made kosher is stored away, and the special dishes, cutlery, and utensils reserved for Passover use alone are unpacked and arranged in the newly clean cabinets. We would set Great-Aunt Anna’s huge white-and-gold porcelain service on the buffet, and my mother cringed every time my dad slapped a serving of sizzling matzoh brie on the eggshell-thin plates. Now it is my turn to cringe: the beautiful heirloom plates grace my cabinets.