Orthodox Easter Fasts And Feasts

This is Holy Week in both Greek and Russian Orthodoxy, It is a time of strict fasting followed by glorious feasting celebrating the Lord's resurrection. Ancient traditions are honored and acted upon with recipes passed down for generations. They reflect the people and the lands that created them.

The Orthodox  Easter has to follow Passover , since it takes the New Testament literally and is
based on the Julian calendar (while Catholics and Protestants celebrate the Gregorian calendar one). Both religions have heavy fasting periods, especially around Lent (there is also a Christmas fast too). Even the weeks before Lent have purifying fasts where meat and other animal products are not allowed but dairy and eggs are permissible . The Lenten period kicked off with a Clean Monday fast where no food is eaten the first Monday until Wednesday evening. This is the longest fast in the church calendar. The second through the sixth  weeks sees them nix almost everything except fruits vegetables, wheat products and water. This makes for sparse  but healthy eating. Luckily they can eat nuts so peanut butter and bread provide some sustenance Wine and oil are only allowed on the weekends. There is a meal eaten on Holy Thursday then strict fasting (absolutely no food) on Good Friday. It is broken on Holy Saturday after the liturgy of Saint Basil. Fruit and some wine are allowed for sustenance.

Both Greek and Russian Easters are glorious affairs . The Greeks have a light meal after midnight mass to ease into eating. Some roast a whole lamb on a spit while others also roast goaton Easter Sunday. Both are usually stuffed with rice, pine nuts, cinnamon and raisins. The Russians  celebrate with   the tasty stroganoff, beef strips in smetana or sour cream or chicken kiev, a rolled and breaded chicken breast filled with garlic butter and herbs. Bread is important with both. The Greek Orthodox bake a fluffy challah like loaf studded with bright red eggs. The braids  called tsoureki symbolizes the Holy Trinity while the eggs are symbolic of Christ's blood. The Russians go wild with their Easter breads too and create the large airy kulich. This is a bread that bakes in coffee or juice cans and resembles the Italian panettone or pan d'oro in shape and height but is spiced with saffron and cardamon. A thick confectioner's glaze is poured on top and then topped with a heavy dose of colorful sprinkles. Cheese is also a big Easter treat There is pashka a kind of cheesecake mold that has Pascals symbols on it.It's  a rich mix of farmer's cheese , heavy cream , egg yolk and sugar. The Greeks have a savory  and sweet cheese dishes ,depending on the location.

The Oerhodox Holy week is an interesting time, beginning with fasts and ending with feasts. The foods to end celebrate are amazing, rich in tradition and in flavor. They are true gems passed dow from generation to generation.

Uh Oh, Leftovers

One of the best and worst aspects of Thanksgiving is leftovers. Eating cold turkey can be a blessing or a curse.Luckily there are some good recipes to deal with all that turkey meat.It's like  having another feast.

The New York Times Food section realized that with Thanksgiving comes leftovers.Unless you've had a table of voracious eaters you probably have a pound or two waiting to be repurposed in the fridge, Dave Tanis of the A City Kitchen  gives us the recipe of turkey hash.It's a pretty easy dish. Just chop up leftover turkey , using both light and dark meat.Also throw in the leftover veggies too Mr. Tanis recommends adding parsnips along with onions and Brussels sprouts.If you want a fresh er tasting one then use fresh veggies. Bacon is also added for smokiness and a dash of saltiness. He adds jalapeno which is great if you want your hash t have a spark. Use a splash of turkey broth to meld the flavors so everything blends nicely and the variety of  gamy, fiery and sweet mesh. . Finally add as many eggs  as you have eaters  as it's cooking in the skillet.This way everyone gets a nice, runny yolk , a perfect dip for a forkful of hash.

Of course turkey is also healthy too. Martha Rose Shulman, who usually contributes good for you recipes  for the  online Tuesday Science and Health section, has three good recipes. One is the refreshing Turkey Waldorf Salad.This has two cups of diced or shredded turkey along with the tangy tart Granny Smith apples as well as raisins and walnuts. Yogurt and mayo are added to moisten the ingredients but if you feel this is too much use Nayonaisse which is made with out eggs and Greek yogurt which is much lower in calories than regular yogurt.The carcass can also be boiled for stock and Ms Shulman plans on making the light, lemony Greek egg soup,avgolomono  which also has shredded turkey for some weight, The last recipe is stir fried turkey with Brussels sprouts and bell peppers.The bird is given zing with ginger and red pepper flakes. Also it can be served with rice or noodles for a nice Asian twist.

If you're looking for something exciting to do with your leftovers, try any of these recipes. They elevate the turkey into a whole other stratosphere. It's not just turkey. It's a great feast! Again!

Holiday Feasting

Tomorrow is the day when American foodies go wild and feast like crazy. However there are some parts of the world that also have great dinners, full of delicious meals and sumptuous courses. All account for memorable meals and enjoyable times.

Maybe it's from their Etruscan ancestors or Roman influences but the Tuscans of central Italy know how to put on a good feast. Not only do they have pasta but also roasted boar and piglet to round out the meal. There are also soups and salads as well along with various flatbreads the Tuscani are known for.

On the other side of the world the Indians make luscious feasts too to celebrate weddings. There is always nan, along with a multitude of curries and kabobs. Chicken is done up several ways , in creamy sauces or sometimes grilled. There are Indian sweets to finish the meal off with.

Of course in America we're a country of foodies. We love any opportunity to throw a party whether it's for the Super Bowl or Christmas party. We love our summers of endless barbecues where four or five different meats are grilled or birthday parties where favorite foods are given to the birthday boy or girl , then finished off with a gooey cake. It's just who we are I guess.


Enjoy tomorrow's feasting. Take it easy and savor all that's on your table. Most of all be thankful for what you have.