An Easter Parade An Easter Parade of Food

from #270 April 2023

An Easter Parade of Food

Continued from page 8 from the “jumbo” that she bought at the Quaker Market in big hunks.

My Italian grandmother, on the other hand, always had something we called “garlic pizza,” a kind of bread that nowadays we refer to as “focaccia.” It was simply delightful. Hearty and thick with hunks of garlic pressed into the top and drizzled with olive oil, Gram’s pizza bread was always out on the counter on Easter Day. We cut slabs of it with one of Grandfather’s homemade butcher knives, and we sat outside on the porch and chomped into it. Everyone who entered the house immediately went to the “garlic pizza,” and cut themselves a big hunk. It was a grand tradition! No, there was no sauce or fancy toppings or pepperoni; it was Gram’s bread recipe with some simple ingredients, salt, oregano and black pepper. Simple is usually the best, and this pizza was the BEST.

I would be remiss if I forgot to mention nut rolls. My mother’s sisters and she all seemed to have a nut roll competition –who had the best recipe? Who could make a nut roll that didn’t crack? Who made a nut roll that was stuffed with the most filling (that didn’t leak)? And who made the most nut roll? I am not sure who won the Nut Roll Competition, but I do know that they were all different; yet, equally tasty. I can still see my father cutting slabs off the long pastry and slathering butter on the top of his slices. It was simply the best dessert in the world! Heck! I even learned

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Ricotta Pie

6 eggs

3/4 c. of sugar

1/2 tsp. vanilla

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. lemon rind

1 1/4 lb. ricotta cheese

1/2 c. cooked rice (not hot – room temperature)

1/4/ c. yellow raisins

1/4 c. chopped ham (optional)

Mix the eggs, sugar, vanilla, spices, and lemon rind. Add the ricotta and blend. Add the rice. Pour in a greased deep dish pie pan. Sprinkle the raisins and ham on top and bake at 350 for about 1 hour or until it is cooked through and golden brown.

Ham Salad Spread

1 lb. ham - ground up

1 lb. - 2 lb. bologna – ground up (amount depending on ham availability)

1/2 c. Miracle Whip

1/4 - 1/3 c. mayo

1 tsp. yellow mustard

1 T. ground onion

1/3 cup ground sweet pickles

1 T. dill pickle juice

Easter Bread:

Pane Di Pasqua

1 c. scalded milk and cooled to warm

6 eggs

1 package dry yeast

5 1/2 - 6 1/2 c. flour

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 c. sugar

1/2 c. butter or margarine

1 tsp. vanilla or lemon extract if you like.

2 T grated lemon peel (optional)

1/2 c. golden raisins (optional)

1 egg yolk mixed with a little water to brush on dough before baking

Glaze

Powdered sugar, warm milk, and flavoring

Pour the tepid milk over the yeast and stir until dissolved. Beat in eggs, half of the flour, salt, sugar, butter and vanilla. Combine the rest of the flour with raisins and lemon peel. Add this to the dough. Turn the dough on a floured board and knead until smooth and elastic. Let rise for about 2 hours. Knead again and shape into desired buns, loaves or braids. Cover and let rise again for about 1 - 1 1/2 hours. Brush with egg yolk mixture and Bake at 350 degrees for 30 min or until your bread is golden brown. Glaze if desired.

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An Easter Parade

Continued from previous page to love poppy seed rolls as well.

In addition to the breads, another delightful food could always be seen hanging out on Gram’s kitchen counter near the stove – her Italian ricotta pie. For those of you who never tasted this delicacy, you are missing a big part of life! It is a mixture of rice, ricotta, whole milk, eggs, golden raisins, and sometimes chunks of ham – all served in a flaky pie crust. My mother also got very excited when she made her ricotta pies without a crust in order to cut a few calories. This beautiful concoction was served hot or cold on Easter day. You simply cut chunks of it out of its pie dish and enjoy the rich ingredients with just a hint of lemon. What would Easter be without pickled eggs and colored eggs? Do you remember the little kits with the metal dippers that we used for coloring the eggs? Four primary colors made such creative masterpieces. After we got out several bowls and the vinegar, we whipped up our colors. And we all learned that if we mixed several colors, we would get brown! Sometimes, if my mom got really fancy, she tried to decorate the egg by dripping a little hot wax on the shell. Sometimes, we drew little flowers with the resist. The egg coloring kit even included a tiny wax crayon that we could use to write on the egg!

Pickled eggs were a different matter altogether. My mother had a secret formula for her egg cooking. I called it the 7-7-7 plan. She boiled the eggs for 7 minutes. Next she let them sit in the hot water for

7 minutes and finally put them in cold water for 7 minutes. Now, I don’t know if the 7-7-7 plan is magical or the only way to cook eggs. All I know is that method is the only one my mother, the Egg Wizard, used. I must admit, she turned out some awesome hard boiled eggs for pickling.

Soon, the April celebration will arrive. Eggs, ham, fancy breads, and beets will pop up on many menus. No matter what traditions you have for Easter, please and hold onto them. Stuff yourself with those memories. Think about past baskets, and bonnets, and all the wonderful times that you shared with family and friends. Enjoy our Easter parade of recipes and even try some of them! From beets to bread to bunnies, may you have a wonderful holiday!