Thread: Easter's just over two weeks away

"Bob Terwilliger" <virtualgoth@die_spammer.biz> ha scritto nel messaggio

>
> The first-draft dinner menu is:
>
> Spring-Vegetable Minestrone
> Lettuce with Spring Peas, Pea Shoots, Yellow Beets, and Mint Vinaigrette
> Angel-Hair Pasta with Asparagus and Lemon-Garlic Oil
> Veal with Egg Sauce[1]
> Stewed Artichokes with Lemons, Carrots, Fennel, and Anchovies
> Easter Foccacia[2]
> Ricotta-Chestnut Cheesecake with Honeyed Whipped Cream and Shaved
> Chocolate
>
> Anybody else planning to cook something special on Easter?

I will cook a traditional Italian meal to an international guest list that
was completely unplanned. Everybody proposed themselves to come and stay or
to come for dinner at 1. We will be only 8, however, because with people
staying in my small house, the fridge won't hold the 3 days food as well as
a huge amount for one meal.

Antipasto with an aperitivo, I am thinking my Barzottini, not sure, but it's
meant to keep people from underfoot, so whatever spatial problems it causes,
it's worth it. It just can't be table service appetiser.

Asparagus risotto
Artichoke lasagne with nettle pasta

Roast leg of lamb with chermoula
baked tiny potatoes of Norcia (too good to be true, these)
Wilted spinach or agretti
Some kind of bread will be served, but only the Italians ever eat bread
after all the rice and pasta

Colomba or agnello made with limoncello dripped inside, which is basically a
spongecake made in a traditional shape. My friend's pastry shop makes a
superb one.

Giusi wrote:

> Asparagus risotto
> Artichoke lasagne with nettle pasta

What will you drink with these? I've also got asparagus (in the pasta
course) and artichokes (in the contorno), and they're both supposed to be
difficult to match with wine.

Bob

"Bob Terwilliger" ha scritto nel messaggio
> Giusi wrote:
>
>> Asparagus risotto
>> Artichoke lasagne with nettle pasta
>
> What will you drink with these? I've also got asparagus (in the pasta >
> course) and artichokes (in the contorno), and they're both supposed to be
> difficult to match with wine.
>
> Bob

Some Italians will say Barolo for the artichokes. Boggles my mind. I don't
think asparagus is difficult. Given that I am working alone, however, I am
going to serve Prosecco with both of these. Since the artichoke effect is
to make wine taste too sweet a really dry Prosecco will suit me.

I am serving a Pugliese black wine with the meat course.

In article <[email protected]>,
"Giusi" <[email protected]> wrote:

> > Anybody else planning to cook something special on Easter?
>
> I will cook a traditional Italian meal to an international guest list that
> was completely unplanned. Everybody proposed themselves to come and stay or
> to come for dinner at 1. We will be only 8, however, because with people
> staying in my small house, the fridge won't hold the 3 days food as well as
> a huge amount for one meal.
>
> Antipasto with an aperitivo, I am thinking my Barzottini, not sure, but it's
> meant to keep people from underfoot, so whatever spatial problems it causes,
> it's worth it. It just can't be table service appetiser.
>
> Asparagus risotto
> Artichoke lasagne with nettle pasta
>
> Roast leg of lamb with chermoula
> baked tiny potatoes of Norcia (too good to be true, these)
> Wilted spinach or agretti
> Some kind of bread will be served, but only the Italians ever eat bread
> after all the rice and pasta
>
> Colomba or agnello made with limoncello dripped inside, which is basically a
> spongecake made in a traditional shape. My friend's pastry shop makes a
> superb one.

Sounds utterly marvelous. :-)
I wasn't planning on anything special, but I do have plenty of meat in
the freezer. I may thaw that turkey, spatchcock it and smoke it.

If I put the breast portions closer to the fire box, that should take
care of any thickness discrepancies.

I'll keep it simple and serve it with some steamed greens and mixed rice
pilaf.
--
Peace! Om

"Human nature seems to be to control other people until they put their foot down."
--Steve Rothstein

Web Albums: <http://picasaweb.google.com/OMPOmelet>
[email protected]
Subscribe: [email protected]

In article <4ba4a8f6$0$2252$[email protected]>,
"Bob Terwilliger" <virtualgoth@die_spammer.biz> wrote:

> Giusi wrote:
>
> > Asparagus risotto
> > Artichoke lasagne with nettle pasta
>
> What will you drink with these? I've also got asparagus (in the pasta
> course) and artichokes (in the contorno), and they're both supposed to be
> difficult to match with wine.
>
> Bob

Rose is usually a safe bet for mixed stuff like that. ;-)
--
Peace! Om

"Human nature seems to be to control other people until they put their foot down."
--Steve Rothstein

Web Albums: <http://picasaweb.google.com/OMPOmelet>
[email protected]
Subscribe: [email protected]

On Mar 19, 8:41*pm, "Bob Terwilliger" <virtualgoth@die_spammer.biz>
wrote:
> This year I'm taking a vacation which starts on Easter. Naturally, I'd like
> to kick it off in style, so I plan to make brunch and dinner that day. (I'd
> normally also make a special dinner for Palm Sunday the week before, but
> I'll be working that night.) Asparagus season is fully upon us, so I planto
> have asparagus at both meals. Artichokes are also good this time of year,so
> I'm making barigoule, a kind of artichoke stew.


don't forget to take Andy with ya!!

On Mar 19, 8:41 pm, "Bob Terwilliger" <virtualgoth@die_spammer.biz>
wrote:
> > This year I'm taking a vacation which starts on Easter. Naturally,
I'd like
> > to kick it off in style, so I plan to make brunch and dinner that
day. (I'd
> > normally also make a special dinner for Palm Sunday the week
before, but
> > I'll be working that night.) Asparagus season is fully upon us, so
I plan to
> > have asparagus at both meals. Artichokes are also good this time of
year, so
> > I'm making barigoule, a kind of artichoke stew.

Easter!? I don't have time for Easter!! Masters week starts Easter
Monday. I'll be there at the Augusta National most of the week. I have
house/golf guests arriving the day before Easter and two of them are
Jewish so not sure if an easy fail safe ham is appropriate? A
traditional leg of lamb would be perfect but is more effort than I want
to deal with- (I have a gutted bathroom full of carpenters, plumbers,
etc to finish before they come). My son who recently moved (g'bless
Google!) away may be able to come back for the weekend. So I need to
plan a bunch of meals, plus Easter celebrations, finish a bathroom
remodel,Grocery shop, stock the liquor cabinet, squeeze a few nights
trauma work in plus some day time meetings, etc. And I have *yet* to do
our taxes!! OY!
Can I just reschedule Easter...please?

Goomba wrote:

> Easter!? I don't have time for Easter!! Masters week starts Easter
> Monday. I'll be there at the Augusta National most of the week. I have
> house/golf guests arriving the day before Easter and two of them are
> Jewish so not sure if an easy fail safe ham is appropriate?


Sure it's appropriate. If you live in a Christian household, even
nominally Christian, and ham is your traditional Easter meal, then they
have to deal with the fact that they are guests at a meal on a holiday
in your religion.





> A traditional leg of lamb would be perfect but is more effort than I want
> to deal with-


Leg of lamb is a lot of work? I would be more concerned about how well
lamb might be received. I love lamb, but I know too many people who hate
it. Personally, I have no love for ham. I love roast pork, pork
tenderloin, pork ribs, pork sausage, side bacon, back bacon, but not
ham. I will eat it if it is served to me, but I have never roasted a
ham. I will admit to having bought a ham steak last month, which would
make it the third or fourth ham steak that I have bought and cooked in
the almost 37 years I have been married.



> Can I just reschedule Easter...please?

Yikes... I haven't done mine yet.

Dave Smith wrote:

> Sure it's appropriate. If you live in a Christian household, even
> nominally Christian, and ham is your traditional Easter meal, then they
> have to deal with the fact that they are guests at a meal on a holiday
> in your religion.
>

No, ham was not our custom either. Lamb was. But ham can make an easy
casual meal and a more relaxed meal to me than an entire leg of lamb.

>
> Leg of lamb is a lot of work? I would be more concerned about how well
> lamb might be received. I love lamb, but I know too many people who hate
> it.

In my home and with these guests, lamb would be very well received. It
just is more of a meal than I want to deal with. A ham meal seems to me
to be so much more casual, almost picnic food. One can serve it room
temp or hot, with down home sides that are easy to make ahead. Yet with
lamb I want everything more exquisite to compliment the much beloved
special leg of lamb. I once had a recipe for a marinated butterflied leg
of lamb that was incredible grilled, yet lost it. That would be an ideal
recipe.

On Sat, 20 Mar 2010 16:12:18 -0400, Goomba wrote:

> On Mar 19, 8:41 pm, "Bob Terwilliger" <virtualgoth@die_spammer.biz>
> wrote:
> > > This year I'm taking a vacation which starts on Easter. Naturally,
> I'd like
> > > to kick it off in style, so I plan to make brunch and dinner that
> day. (I'd
> > > normally also make a special dinner for Palm Sunday the week
> before, but
> > > I'll be working that night.) Asparagus season is fully upon us, so
> I plan to
> > > have asparagus at both meals. Artichokes are also good this time of
> year, so
> > > I'm making barigoule, a kind of artichoke stew.
>
> Easter!? I don't have time for Easter!! Masters week starts Easter
> Monday. I'll be there at the Augusta National most of the week. I have
> house/golf guests arriving the day before Easter and two of them are
> Jewish so not sure if an easy fail safe ham is appropriate?

ask them.

your pal,
blake

In article <qbn6r3x2vav3$.[email protected]>,
blake murphy <[email protected]> wrote:

> On Sat, 20 Mar 2010 16:12:18 -0400, Goomba wrote:
>
> > On Mar 19, 8:41 pm, "Bob Terwilliger" <virtualgoth@die_spammer.biz>
> > wrote:
> > > > This year I'm taking a vacation which starts on Easter. Naturally,
> > I'd like
> > > > to kick it off in style, so I plan to make brunch and dinner that
> > day. (I'd
> > > > normally also make a special dinner for Palm Sunday the week
> > before, but
> > > > I'll be working that night.) Asparagus season is fully upon us, so
> > I plan to
> > > > have asparagus at both meals. Artichokes are also good this time of
> > year, so
> > > > I'm making barigoule, a kind of artichoke stew.
> >
> > Easter!? I don't have time for Easter!! Masters week starts Easter
> > Monday. I'll be there at the Augusta National most of the week. I have
> > house/golf guests arriving the day before Easter and two of them are
> > Jewish so not sure if an easy fail safe ham is appropriate?
>
> ask them.
>
> your pal,
> blake

As long as the Ham is Kosher, it should be fine. <eg>
--
Peace! Om

Web Albums: <http://picasaweb.google.com/OMPOmelet>

"Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck." --Dalai Lama

In article <4ba443e2$0$12563$[email protected]>,
Bob Terwilliger <virtualgoth@die_spammer.biz> wrote:
>This year I'm taking a vacation which starts on Easter. Naturally, I'd like
>to kick it off in style, so I plan to make brunch and dinner that day. (I'd
>normally also make a special dinner for Palm Sunday the week before, but
>I'll be working that night.) Asparagus season is fully upon us, so I plan to
>have asparagus at both meals. Artichokes are also good this time of year, so
>I'm making barigoule, a kind of artichoke stew.
>
>The first-draft brunch menu is:
>
>Moscato d'Asti with Strawberries
>Homemade Chicken-Apple Sausages
>Multi-Grain Toast
>Fried Eggs
>Steamed Asparagus
>Blintzes with Sherry Apricots and Toasted Almonds
>Coffee
>Pomegranate Juice
>
>
>The first-draft dinner menu is:
>
>Spring-Vegetable Minestrone
>Lettuce with Spring Peas, Pea Shoots, Yellow Beets, and Mint Vinaigrette
>Angel-Hair Pasta with Asparagus and Lemon-Garlic Oil
>Veal with Egg Sauce[1]
>Stewed Artichokes with Lemons, Carrots, Fennel, and Anchovies
>Easter Foccacia[2]
>Ricotta-Chestnut Cheesecake with Honeyed Whipped Cream and Shaved Chocolate
>
>Anybody else planning to cook something special on Easter?

Wow, this looks great.

When I eat with my folks, we have:

Barbequed marinated leg of lamb
asparagus
whatever else looks good at the market

I have a heritage pig ham in my freezer so am considering cooking it, but
I really like the lamb and asparagus combo. It is hard to beat.

My church has a potluck (ham and beverages including champagne provided)
breakfast after our Vigil service. This presents a number of logistic
challenges because the service starts at 5:30a (with 4:45a call for
choir and servers, including me) and winds up just before 8a, so things
have to be able to hold. I am also usually cleaning up after the service
so am not around to attend to the food at serving time.

Last year I made chile-green cheese grits in the crockpot, which were a
large success - they cooked overnight and were on "keep warm" during the
service. The servers were handed a stick of butter and a bag of cheese
and told to mix them in at serving time. I've made egg-potato-asparagus-
cheese casseroles - if underdone they hold well in a low oven.

This year I am thinking of making a whackload of fresh ricotta cheese and
serving it with honey and balsamic strawberries, although the grits might
get a replay as well. (We are all powerfully hungry after getting up at
oh-dark-thirty and sitting/singing through a long service.) I am going to
look up the Russian Easter cream cheese things.

If I felt confident enough in my breadmaking abilities, I might make a
basket out of brioche dough as was linked on David Lebovitz' blog
recently.

Usually for the main service I do a double batch of my mom's Reese's
Peanut Butter Cup Cookies, but I'm going to do Nigella's chocolate and PB
things - gluten free.

Charlotte








--

On Mon, 22 Mar 2010 18:13:20 +0000 (UTC), [email protected]
(Charlotte L. Blackmer) wrote:

> When I eat with my folks, we have:
>
> Barbequed marinated leg of lamb
> asparagus
> whatever else looks good at the market

I like what your folks serve. It's simple, delicious and gives them
plenty of time to mingle with the guests.

--
Forget the health food. I need all the preservatives I can get.

Charlotte wrote:

> When I eat with my folks, we have:
>
> Barbequed marinated leg of lamb
> asparagus
> whatever else looks good at the market
>
> I have a heritage pig ham in my freezer so am considering cooking it, but
> I really like the lamb and asparagus combo. It is hard to beat.

I completely agree. Thing is, Lin and I have lamb and asparagus fairly
frequently this time of year, but we hardly ever have veal, so the veal
makes it a "special" meal. (Besides, I wrote about killing the fatted calf
recently, and it made me want to have veal!)


> This year I am thinking of making a whackload of fresh ricotta cheese and
> serving it with honey and balsamic strawberries

MAKING fresh ricotta? Where do you get the whey? Or are you talking about a
curdled-milk cheese like paneer?

Bob

blake murphy wrote:

> On Sat, 20 Mar 2010 16:12:18 -0400, Goomba wrote:

>>
>> Easter!? I don't have time for Easter!! Masters week starts Easter
>> Monday. I'll be there at the Augusta National most of the week. I
>> have house/golf guests arriving the day before Easter and two of them
>> are Jewish so not sure if an easy fail safe ham is appropriate?
>
> ask them.

I've never met a Jewish person who eats ham (or anything from a pig,
period). Seems to me that if one knows in advance that there will be
Jewish folks to feed at a shindig one is hosting, it doesn't take a
rocket scientist to figure out that serving ham would be somewhat
inappropriate - and ill mannered of the host, to boot.
--
Cheers
Chatty Cathy

In article <p7Yqn.111702$[email protected]>,
ChattyCathy <[email protected]> wrote:

> blake murphy wrote:
>
> > On Sat, 20 Mar 2010 16:12:18 -0400, Goomba wrote:
>
> >>
> >> Easter!? I don't have time for Easter!! Masters week starts Easter
> >> Monday. I'll be there at the Augusta National most of the week. I
> >> have house/golf guests arriving the day before Easter and two of them
> >> are Jewish so not sure if an easy fail safe ham is appropriate?
> >
> > ask them.
>
> I've never met a Jewish person who eats ham (or anything from a pig,
> period). Seems to me that if one knows in advance that there will be
> Jewish folks to feed at a shindig one is hosting, it doesn't take a
> rocket scientist to figure out that serving ham would be somewhat
> inappropriate - and ill mannered of the host, to boot.

Even if it's Kosher ham? ;-)

Om -> ducking and running!!!
--
Peace! Om

Web Albums: <http://picasaweb.google.com/OMPOmelet>
"We're all adults here, except for those of us who aren't." --Blake Murphy

ChattyCathy wrote:
> blake murphy wrote:
>
>> On Sat, 20 Mar 2010 16:12:18 -0400, Goomba wrote:
>
>>> Easter!? I don't have time for Easter!! Masters week starts Easter
>>> Monday. I'll be there at the Augusta National most of the week. I
>>> have house/golf guests arriving the day before Easter and two of them
>>> are Jewish so not sure if an easy fail safe ham is appropriate?
>> ask them.
>
> I've never met a Jewish person who eats ham (or anything from a pig,
> period). Seems to me that if one knows in advance that there will be
> Jewish folks to feed at a shindig one is hosting, it doesn't take a
> rocket scientist to figure out that serving ham would be somewhat
> inappropriate - and ill mannered of the host, to boot.

I know plenty of Jewish people who eat pork or don't keep kosher.
But, I agree serving ham would not be a good idea. I don't think I
would even ask. Just seems inappropriate to ask someone a question
like that. Perhaps you could ask if they have any dietary
restrictions. Much better than saying, "do you eat pork?"

-Tracy

ChattyCathy wrote:

> I've never met a Jewish person who eats ham (or anything from a pig,
> period). Seems to me that if one knows in advance that there will be
> Jewish folks to feed at a shindig one is hosting, it doesn't take a
> rocket scientist to figure out that serving ham would be somewhat
> inappropriate - and ill mannered of the host, to boot.

Oh I know tons of Jews who eat pork. At the other end of the spectrum,
I've never known anyone personally who kept Kosher.

Goomba wrote:
> ChattyCathy wrote:
>
>> I've never met a Jewish person who eats ham (or anything from a pig,
>> period). Seems to me that if one knows in advance that there will be
>> Jewish folks to feed at a shindig one is hosting, it doesn't take a
>> rocket scientist to figure out that serving ham would be somewhat
>> inappropriate - and ill mannered of the host, to boot.
>
> Oh I know tons of Jews who eat pork. At the other end of the spectrum,
> I've never known anyone personally who kept Kosher.


I knew people who did back the 50's and 60's. The Boomer generation
started drifting away from that.... in fact, drifting away from most
organized religions back in the 70's.

George L