After Easter A Week Of Leftovers

 Easter feasts usually mean one thing - a week of good leftovers. There's so many  delicious savory and sweet dishes to make with them. They're even better than the actual dish!

Ham may be the star of the Easter table but it can also be the star of leftovers too.One of the best dishes  whether fro breakfast or breakfast for dinner is ham and eggs. There's nothing like buttery scrambled eggs with big chunks of ham. You can also make a tasty Denver omelet with it too by also adding chopped green peppers and onions along with tangy cheddar cheese. Ham also makes a great base for croquettes too.Make them Cuban style by adding Bechamel sauce for a creamy middle. You can make them Americans style too with green onions and garlic powder. What about the leftover asparagus.If you just served it steamed then jazz up the leftovers Piedmontese style with a sauce for melted butter and Leon and a topping of Parmesan cheese. They;re also good  in a salad .Cut  into bite sized pieces for easy eating.Add them to omelets too for a tasty green dish.Letiver Easter eggs can be turned into  Egg salad for lunches and a light supper. Add bacon bits to it for a flavorful variation . Also deviled eggs topped with scallions is another treat.

There is also a lot of candy too. Those chocolate eggs and cute Peeos along with chocolate chicks and lambs are fun nibbles. However you can also eat so much of them. Both chocolate and marshmallow treats can be served with ice cream. Peeps go well with chocolate ice cream and chopped chocolate eggs can be used as a layer between scoops in a sundae.A fun repurposing that's a great vacation activity is making Easter bark. This is taking any kind of chocolate, milk, dark, white or pastel and melting the morsels in the microwave. The melted chocolate is then poured onto a parchment line baking sheet.Sprinkle or stick on the candy and let it set.. Break it into big or bite sized pieces for fun snacking. Another idea is using the candy, especially if it's the Easter M&M''s or Cadbury's chocolate eggs.It's the same recipe as a regular chocolate chip, using brown sugar and flour .Another idea is making shortbread cookies and then icing them with frosting. Decorate with he leftover candy bits for a burst of chocolate-y goodness.

Easter leftovers can be just as delicious as the original dish or candy. Repurpose both savory and sweet into tasty dishes everyone will love.It'sa  great way of stretching the  holiday table another week!

Ham Or Lamb Or Vega Easter Choices

 What should you serve at Easter dinner  next week? I'ts always a question when it comes to this holiday. You could cook a ham yet do you want a repeat of Christmas? Is lamb good? What are the vegan options. Don;t worry .A guide is here.

Ham is always a good choice for any  sit down dinner or buffets.It;s an easy prep and cook as well as being a crown pleaser.It's also fun to create a tasty glaze whether from ginger ale ale or pineapple juice and brown sugar. A large one, around ten to fifteen pounds can feed a whopping twenty to thirty people. It;s perfect for a large family gathering and there could even be leftovers for guests to take home. Sides with it are also simple Spring asparagus with butter and Parmesan on top ios always a good side as are baked beans and a simple potato salad. Keep in mind that these can be used for an Easter Monday picnic the next day.If you want a more traditional Easter main course then think lamb.The deep mineral rich flavor is perfect with such flavorings as lemon and oregano.Is lamb easy  to cook? Yes it's a nother easy roast like lamb.It only takes fifteen to twenty minutes per pound. You could have Greek sides such as stuffed grape leaves or a garlicky spinach dish as sides along as a fresh salad with feta.

What about the vegan options. You actually could serve ham - seitan ham which is a form of  wheat gluten (this si not good for anyone with celiac disease).It;s basically combining yeast with white beans along with other ingredients such  the binder a cup and a half of white wheat gluten.This is what sticks everything together and it forms a stick dough  - not unlike bread dough.It's glazed and cooked. You could save yourself the trouble and just buy a stuffed tofurkey loaf at your local grocery store.This is a  one hours and twenty minute roast in a  350 Farehneit degree oven. Another option is risotto. This is a wonderful change up from a meat dish and is satisfying. It can be made with asparagus for a Spring-y green flavor or it can be made with portobello mushrooms.If you;re pressed for time then  get Lidl's risotto mixes where all you add is the flavoring and water. Other ingredients can be added later. It;s a perfect Spring dinner especially when it;s served with a nice salad.

Don;t worry about next week. There are so many options for your Easter dinner. Go with meat. Go vegan.It;s up to you.

Brunch Or Sit Down

 With Easter a week away , there's an important question looming - which is better a formal holiday dinner or brunch where you can pick and mingle?

I'm kind of torn between the two. I love the formailty of a sit down dinner with the different courses however there's something about a brunch that is more relaxed and informal. YOu can eat what you like and talk with whomever you like.Anoher plus is sitting with people you already know and not having to deal with someone you've met for the first time.Although a formal dinner CNA offer a delicious sliced ham and elegant platters of asparagus.

What is your Easter vibe? Formal dinner or casual  brunch. Let us know here.

A Glazing Guide

 What makes a holiday table sing? A perfectly glazed ham . Yet glazing is a headache to many home chefs, including the most experienced. Can the perfect glaze be made? Yes. It just takes  some good ingredients and knowing how togive ham that glossy look.

Ham is nothing new at Christmas. Long before Germanic tribes embraced Christianity ,Teutonic pagans celebrated the winter solstice  or  Yule with roasted wold boar. Throughout the centuries ha was the star of any German Christmas table. It went over to England and then to the American colonies where many Founding  Fathers enjoyed cured ham as part of their holiday meal. yet glazing ham come about in the 1880's and it was usually with a savory stock that was either reduce or thickened with butter and flour .This was flavored with various herbs and spices. Any sweetness came from added wine . Ale could be added to this glaze too.The modern glaze that we know came about in the 1930's created by Harry Hoensellar in Detroit, Michigan He offered honey glazed hams to curious housewives.It clicked .The sweetness was a great foil for the meat's cured saltiness. He also in vented the spiral cut ham which made it easier for home chefs to carve at the holiday table

Throughout the recent decades home chefs have used all sorts of sweet ingredients to glaze holiday  hams, both Christmas and Easter. They include  everything from ginger ale to pineapple juice / A simple one includes dark brown sugar (which as more flavor than light brown sugar) along with honey or real maple syrup. Kickiness comes from the addition of Dijon mustard and ground cloves. Ground cinnamon and nut meg can also be added. You could go 1950's and create a different and fruity pineapple glaze. this  is more than just pouring juice onto an uncooked ham. The glaze also has brown sugar and honey to give that skin that burnished, glossy caramel look.Dijon or stone ground mustard along with apple cider vinegar cuts all that sweetness (no one want a ham that tastes like a candy). Cinnamon and clove can also be added. How do you glaze a ham? Usually with a brush and its done during the last hour or so of baking. This is usually done four times - figure every fifteen minutes.. This is also the time to score the game -r creating those squares on the outside. Add water so the bottom doesn't;t burn either.

The perfect Christmas ham is a glazed one. You can go from a simple glaze or a more elaborate one. Pick the one that you feel the most comfortable with using. The result with be a perfect marriage for salty and sweet with a kick for mustard and spices.

Too Much Salad?

 let's face salad is one of the easiest summer dishes to make and to eat. yet there could be trouble with overeating it. As tasty as it is there should be some stops on it. with any food, it should be eaten in moderation.

Yes a bowl of greens any time of the year has so many benefits. Salads provide us with roughage and fiber which eases digestion,Each bite is laded with vitamins and antioxidants , all of which we need.Those shreds of lettuce and slices of tomatoes help with heart health and even keep us hydrated.A salad also keeps our cells strong and healthy too. Yet can too much of a good thing be a band thing? Surprisingly yes. All those greens may result in bloating and even stomach cramps (and who wants those on a hot summer's day?) The stomach cramps are due to the high amounts of fiber along with certain veggies like raw broccoli and cauliflower acting on a delicate digestive system.There's also a nutritional imbalance. While salads provide essential vitamins they are lacking in protein and fat, essential macronutrients for overall health. There can also be allergies too ,especially if kids are eating a lot of them. Then there's always the threat of e coli  which doesn't.happens that much with other foods. ]

What happens then? Do you give up salads? No, you can just modify them. Keep in mind that salads are a great way of repurposing leftovers. Add shredded rotisserie chicken from last night.That leftover London Broil from last night';s barbecue will go great cubed in a salad with tomatoes and broccoli. Try a salad Nicoise that has a good dose of protein thanks to sliced hard boiled eggs and tuna fish. This is an easy and fun way to eat a salad and get a whole meal as well.You can also add other proteins like julienned ham and salame Cheese also works wells in  a bowl of greens.  Try a filling Greek salad with a salty but creamy feta , anchovies and grape leaves. AN Italian cold cut one would be made even more perfect and nutritious by a generous sprinkle of freshly grated Parmesan cheese.Another idea is subbing in pasta for the greens. You can easily make one using macaroni or fusilli as a base. Add sliced grape or cherry tomatoes,along with small broccoli florets. What's great about a pasta salad is that it can, be used as a main or a side dish.

Salad may be good but there is a bad side to it. Eat it in moderation. You'll enjoy it more with a better effect on your body.

Budget Easter

 This Easter may be a bit tough for some home chefs/ Prices are spiraling out of control. It's hard to get eggs. what to do. Budget wisely. You can have a bountiful table , full of delicious foods if you shop wisely first.

The main course for any Easter dinner is usually ham. Luckily Aldi and Wal-Mart have very good prices.Aldi starts at $12.75 for a boneless spiral one while Wal-Mart offers Kentucky Legend smoked ham. Lamb can also be served , with the ham or on it's own.Lidl has Butcher's Specialty boneless half lamb leg for $6.99 while Aldi offers ground lamb for $58.5 a pound. This can be turned into Greek kebabs, highlighted with lemon and a mix of ground cinnamon garlic and oregano. Another idea is getting smaller cuts of meat and letting the sides shine, Asparagus season is right now and many stores hare selling the stalks for under five dollars a bunch. These are versatile and can be made a variety of different ways. It's best Piedmontese style with melted butter and Parmesan cheese on top but you can also grill it after a bath in olive oil and a sprinkle of sea salt and freshly ground pepper.Smashed potatoes are another light and affordable Easter meal side.Baby gold potatoes are being sold  at $2.97 at Wal-Mart and $3.99 at Target. These are perfect for the recipe and can be made in a few minutes.

Of course the other star of the Easter meal or more specifically brunch is quiche. It's primarily made up of those  elusive ingredients: eggs. The prices of these have dropped significantly so you can create an affordable pie.One quiche does require six eggs but that's because it's basically an egg pie, You can add everything from julienned or deviled ham to chopped asparagus, cheese and peppers. since this is a rich meal, think fruit salad for dessert or even a side. Melon is a good price right now Shop Rite is offering cantaloupe for $2.50  Three of these mixed with other fruits such as sliced bananas and oranges. A bag of fresh naval orange;s are $4.99 at Wal-mart. You can also use them to create miimosas  for a lovely brunch drink.Speaking of which a bottle of Asti Spumante is only $2.79 a bottle at Total Wine and More.Acme's Liquor store is selling Barefoot Bubbly Pink Moscato Champagne for $11.99. Don't worry about Easter chocolates. Lild has a wide array of chocolates at very good prices. The chocolate is German made and the taste is that of a much more expensive candy.

This is the year for a budget holiday. Yet it can still be a tasty feast if you shop smartly for it. Don't fret. You'll still  have the Easter dinner of your dreams.

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An Affordable Easter

 With Easter only two weeks away many home chefs are panicking over high costs and what this tariff war will bring. The bestign thing to do is calm down and plan. A holiday meal that's both delicious and budget friendly can be made.It just takes shopping smarts.

Ham is always the star f  any Easter dinner. Look or Aldi and Lidl for it instead of the more expensive grocery stores. Lidl has Dulano bone in ham for only seventy-nine cents a pound while Aldi is offering Appleton Farms smoked ham but for $15.75. As for the sides you can offer baked beans and a homemade potato salad. According to the National Potato Board a pound can go from fifty cents to a $1.50 a pound. Another low cost idea is paring down on sides. Instead of three or four just stick to two.Asparagus  is always an Easter dinner go to.THis on it;s own is a great side.it has a powerful flavors and is just elegant as on only side. You may want to either make baked beans to go with the ham or potato salad which is perfect with the leftover meat.Another idea is having a pot luck Eater dinner where you provide the main course and guests can bring a side. It could be baked mac or a Brussels sprouts salad. This could even be a pot luck brunch. You still can have ham but someone can make a quiche while another brings a French toast casserole or strata.

What about Easter desserts? Stick to Aldi,Lidl and wal-Mart for cake mixes. The last has both Betty Crocker and Pilsbury mixes for a dollar. If you;re hosting a crowd then make a sheet cake . The one splurge here are the eggs that give the cake body.  As for the frosting Shop=Rite has the best price on confectioner's sugar for only three dollars a pound.Lidl is having a sale on FUnfetti cake and matching icing.  You could just make a simple Bundt cake and just give ti a dusting of confectioner's sugar on top.Again for a lovely holiday dessert table have guests make a cake or sweet of their choosing and bring it. what about Easter candy? Do you skip t or cut back? Well, you can not forgo chocolate bunnies and eggs. Look to Lidl for a lot of fun candies to put in a basket or use as favors at the dinner table. They have cute chocolate bunnies and lady bugs along with fun Easter Pez dispensers and a wide array of Pez candy flavors. Try their marshmallow bunnies too for a fun after dinner treat. 

You can have a feast for very little. Plan and shop carefully. A godo meal with a delicious dessert can be had for a reasonable price,

Your Favorite Holiday Flavor

 We all have our favorite flavors for the holiday. They could be the crispy oily earthiness of lakes,or the minty flavor of candy cane hot chocolate. These are what make the holidays, Christmas Hanukkah and Kwanzaa special. The foods that we love and the rich aromas and flavors that grace  our senses

The question of the week is what's your favorite holiday  flavor? Mine is the rich butteriness of pan 'd.oro. the sweet Italian yeast bread. There's nothing like waking up to a breakfast of a drenched in confectioner's sugar slice  with a hot cup of tea. Talk about holiday heaven. Let us know what your favorite one is, whether it be a savory ham with mustard or spicy gingerbread.

Easter Ready

 Easter is less than a week away. It;s time to get ready on a nother holiday meal that rivals a CHristmas Day one. Luckily with Easter there is leeway.Norhing has to be set in stone.

One thing to bring into the mix is the main course. This is the time to get the Easter ham. Some stores like Shop-Rite and Stop and Shop have discounts, especially if you've already spent five hundred dollars during the month of Marcn. With the ham,  ake sure you have the ingredients for the glaze.Is there enough brown sugar and honey which serve as the base? You can always buy the extras such as oranges for juice or any kind of soda at the end of the week. Another point to ponder is will there be vegans or vegetarians present. What do you serve them?Start looking at recipes on line and experiment with them. It pays to execute the recipe even once.This way you can adjust the sasonings and cooking time. You can also do this with sides too. If you want to make air fryer potatoes for the first time, then do a dress rehearsal sometime this week. Also check out pots and pans. Get new ones for both cooking and baking if you need them. If you're planning on barbecuing, make sure the grill is clean and you have charcoal for cooking.

Baking is another Easter must. Do you have the molds to make bunny and chick cakes?What about the fun holiday themed cupcake papers? (although you can use pastel ones if you cant find ones with bunnies or chicks on them)What  flavor cake do you want to make? CHocolate usually sells out faster than vanilla. Also keep in  mind that some mixes like Duncan Hines Dolly Parton mixes require a lot of eggs, butter and milk instead of the usual vegetable oil. Also make sure you have plenty of the last too because other mixes do require vegetable oil in their batters.Scratch cakes, cupcakes and cookies need flour along with different kinds of sugar. Buy now when many stores like Lidl and Aldi have good sales.Make sure there's enough vanilla and almond extract along with orange and lemon ones.Easter cakes always require coconut so buy some. It also has to be tinted green.Did you use all the green food coloring for Christmas baking?If so then you need a new bottle it along with red and blue dyes.. Do you have enough yellow to create cute chickie and duckling treats? Buy it now before it all sells out.

This is the week to get read for the big day ahead. Be prepared.Have everything you need on hand. It'll make for a smooth holiday dinner.

Pancakes Sweet And Savory

 Today is Shrove Tuesday ,a day for pancakes and to celebrate the last of lush eating before Lent begins. However pancakes can be eaten all year long .best of all they can be savory as well as sweet.

Pancakes have been around since ancient times The ancient Greeks made them as did the romans. An early recipe called for honey ,olive oil and wheat flour along with curdled milk. Toppings included sesame seeds, cheese and honey. Theyfirst came into the English language around the fifteen hundreds. Pancakes are one of the few foods that are completel international. There are versions from Oceania in the South Pacific to Scandinavia. What Americans and Canadians eat are similar to the Scottish dropped scone made with eggs ,flour milk and a leavening product. Thanks to IHOP, the International House of Pancakes and diners, pancakes have morphed into ones that have everything from fruit to chocolate chips in them. Of course many prefer the pancakes' thinner and more elegant cousin the crepe. This is France's version , cooked almost paper thin and filld with everything from savory to sweet. The Eastern European blini are also based on this, being thinner in texture.

Pancakes are one of the easiest recipes to make.It's just a basic cake recipe in a way with flour, mixed with butter eggs and milksugar and salt are added as is a leavening agent. This is baking powder which gives the texture a light ,fluffy lift. This creates an airy crumb ,perfect for capturing melted butter and maple syrup. Kids love  when a handful of chocolate chips are added but you can also add blueberries, strawberries or bananas  - or all allthree for a tasty breakfast. You could add bacon or ham bits for a different spin, especially if you;re making them for everyone's favorite - breakfast for dinner. if you want t make this world classic really fun there are pancake molds.You can buy anything from Christmas trees to teddy bears. If you want to elevate pancakes then try crepes. Are they difficult to make? They're the same batter as pancakes but with out the leavener. They have to be paper thin when they cook up .  You can buy a crepe pan (they're under ten dollars on Amazon) if you want authentic ones with  tnder interior and crispy outer edge. Also crepe batter , unlike pancake, has to be refrigerated for twenty four hours before cooking. what you put in them is up to you. Try a savory spinach and cheese or  fill them with icecreams chocolate sauce and strawberries.

Enjpy a Shrove Tuesday tack toni9ght. Pancakes are a fun good bye before we head on to Lent. Enjoy them savory or sweet.

Uh Oh Those Holiday Disasters

 Anything made in the kitchen could go wrong. That doesn;t exclude holiday baking or cooking  What to do when this happens? First, don 't panic, Secondly you cna fix this

Baking is considered an exact art. The problem is sometimes that exactness can sometimes go awry. It's even worse when you have to have a platter all set for a holiday gathering.Lt's start at the beginning. You could wind up with gooey or badly textured cookies if the butter is not at room temperature. It needs to be taken out of the refrigerator fifteen minutes before using. DO NOT microwave it!. It'll become too melty and ruin the recipe. If it's too soft return it back to the fridge for a few minutes for it to harden. What happens when th eggs and butter clump instead of blending smoothly? Just keep mixing them on a medium speed. Eventually everything will come together in a lump free , smooth dough. What about if the dough is too thick or too thin? If it's too thick then add any liquid like milk or water to it. You could also add some melted butter too.If the dough is too thin or runny then add about a tablespoon or two of flour to thicken it.What happens when you accidentally leave them in the oven and the bottoms burn? You can scrape off the char  along with frosting this part.

Cooking that holiday ham or turkey should be a snap , right? Yet even these can wind up with a host of problems. Ham can easily go dry if you overcook it. Use chicken broth instead of water to moisten it. This will also give it more flavor. It's just simmering the cooked cut in the broth for about six minutes with eac side being in the borht for three minutes each.The ham is still pretty tasty if it burns. They're may even be fights for the crispy blackened parts. Suppose your turkey dries out when cooking? Slice it and ladle the slices with gravy to give them moisture.If the bird gets burned, just remove the singed meat and skin with a knife and serve with gravy. This also applies to the charred parts if you don;t wanrt to throw anything away. The classic green bean casserole could turn out to be a nightmare too. Using frozen string beans can cause the dish to be too runny or soupy. If that's the case make a quick roux or even add starch to thicken it. Sweet potatoes are always a great side but if thye're overcooked they can dry out and lose their nutrients. Pour melted butter over them to ge the flesh creamy and moist again.

Don;t worry if there's a holiday baking ro cooking disaster. You can fix it. The end result is a tasty cookie or meal that will be memorable.

Lidl For The Holidays

 If you're looking to save this holiday season, then look no further than Lidl. This store is a godsend when to comes to holiday foods and goodies. 

Lidl has definitely become my new favorite.It has a wide array of foods from all over the globe. I know for sure I will buy their chocolate crema panettone and Pandoro. These are two classics of the Itatalina Christmas season. Another must buy are their meringue wreaths. These even are sprinkled with red and green sugar for the holidays. They also have a wide variety of baking goods at very good prices. Bakers should take advantage of their big flour sale. You can buy ten thirty-two ounce bags of flour for ten dollars!!!!! This is a true steal. They also have other ingredients like baking cocoa, sugar and confectioner's sugar at low prices. It's also true for their milk, eggs and butter, also vital for baking. If you don't want to bake , then go for their box of German assorted cookies for only $5.96 (this is the route that I'm taking. One the cookies are delicious and varied in style and flavor and two I just don't  have the time to bake this wide a variety of sweets).Keep in mind Lidl also has a good selection of toys, fun clothes and interesting gifts along with wrapping papper and gift cards.

Another must are their hams. They look absolutely delicious, in fact much better than what other grocery stores arte offering right now. LIDL is even selling veal cutlets for as low as $14.99 a package (around two dollars cheaper than other grocery stores right now.)Also if you spend $500 or more between now and CHristmas you're entitled to either a free spiral cut ham ro turkey. Looking for appetizers and hors d'ouvres for you holiday or New Year's Eve party? Lidl has frozen escargot (snail ) cups imported from France  along with French imported quiches. There are also a wide array of chicken wings, samosas and pigs in blankets for a hot appetizer platter. Keep in mind the store also has very good cold cuts and imported cheese along with always freshly baked French and Italian breads for a special charcuterie. Add some of their Greek imported olives as well as their Italian artichoke hearts. As far as something to drink, Lidl has an excellent selection there. A bottle of their Asti Spumante is only eight dollars and they also have port and Cabernet Sauvignon. for around the same price too. I love their diet cola which is more flavorful than the national brands.

Make Lidl your go to holiday store this Christmas and New Year's. It has good food at good bargains. That's a gift in itself.

A Picnic Of Leftovers

 With Easter comes leftovers. Everyone right now is inundated with ham and hardboiled eggs , not to mention Spring potatoes and soem kind fo veggie side. What to do? Use them on an Easter week picnic. Everything cna be repurposed in a tasty outdoors dish.

Of course there is ham and with it comes all sort of leftover ideas. The best for a picnic is slices on a good sourdough or baguette. You can layer it with slices of Gruyere along with either mustard or mayo.A ham salad is also a smart repurpose. This is a mix of cubed ham, mayo and chopped celery. Some add a  tablespoon of chopped dill o sweet pickle for tang and bite. That's up to you as is the addition of mustard. The best seasoning for this is simply  freshly ground pepper (skip the salt because th e ham has it). You could add celery seed which gives it a fresh green undertaste.Devilled ham is another picnic food you can easily make wth the leftover meat.Blend chopped ham with any oil or mayo. You could add celery for color or carraway seeds for a more robust flavor. Some add Worcester sauce to get that unique  Underwood Devlled ham flavor.Again it's up to you tastewise. Devilled ham is great on Hawaiian rolls but would also be good on thin slices of Italian bread too.

All those Easter eggs can  be repurposed too. A plain one with some salt is a nice simple appetizer in any picnic basket. You could also turn them into devilled eggs by peeling them and then cutting thm in half. Mash the yolk with some mayo and ketchup (or mustard ) and then refill the whites . Add a dash of paprika for some color. How to transport? You can use a silicon muffin tray or even an ice cube tray . Make sure they're at the top fo the cooler or have some kind of solid lid so they're not squashed. What's a picnic without egg salad sandwiches? This is a simple make with just the hard boiled eggs and mayo. As with ham salad you can add other ingredients like chopped green onions or mustard if you want. You can make the sandwiches at home or bring a container and rolls and wait until you hit the park or the beach. Those left ove veggies can also be turned into yummy salads too.Add a vinaigrette to those green beans or broccoli florets , mix and pop into a carry all container Slice leftover Spring or new potatoes, add some mayo and chopped celery and you have another tasty picnic dish.

It's the week for sunny picnic and good food. REpurpose those Easter leftovers into a tasty out door lunch. It's a fun way to njoy that ham and Easter eggs a second time.

Relying On Tradition

 The holidays teach us one thing - to rely on tradition.It's what guides us through celebrations and holy days. This also includes time homored recipes used in many an Easter or Passover meal.

This was on my mind as I bought spaetzle and risotto at Aldi's today. It's a Swabian German custom to have noodles and eggs on Good Friday, one of the holiest and most somber days of the Christian calendar. I'm taking a family tradition and updating it by subbing in the spaeztle for egg noodles. (although I suspect the original dish used them.) It's served with a side of sliced peaches as all German dishes have some kind of fruit incorporated in the dish.As for Easter it's a new tradition of risotto and fresh asparagus This replaces the old one of again the Swabian influenced ham served with beans and potato salad. I've made this every year for the past few years. Yes, I'll bake the Easter lamb cake  , following in my Mom's step. I'll mix in the Dream Whip  as she did for a denser, richer cake, but add my own spins. There willbe Just Egg instead of real eggs, almond milk instead of cow's. The icing will have vegetable shortening like hers in it to give it the perfect texture for the crumb coat and rosettes.I may give it a dash of either lemon or grapefruit juice just to zing it up.

Others are also relying on family recipes. Many will be observing Passover starting April 5th. There will be variations on moms' and grandmothers' brisket recipes.  Home chefs may add cayenne pepper for some spike and heat.Others will try a brown sugar rub that gives the surface a crackly crust.. Tzimmes, the carrot and stewed prune side dish is always served  but the family recipe will get some new ingredients.It could be lemon or lime juice to cut all that sweetness or maybe star anise .Kugel that Passover staple may be savory on a few tables this year.It's suually a sweet dish but there are several savory ones that feature spinach and mushrooms. Easter is usually ham or lamb. A few home chefs are eager to try Eric Kim's pineapple ham featured in Wednesday's New York Times Food section. This is like a retro dish from the Fifties, complete with golden pineapple rings. The glaze is made with Dijon mustard ,brown sugar and fresh juice from both pineapples and lemons. Some may use their granny's recipe and add a ginger ale based glaze on it. as for th elamb, it's usually baked with rosemary sprigs.and fresh lemon juice. There will be updating with an olive oil rub or the addition of red wine vinegar.

Tradition guides us.it guides our cooking.It gives the template for traditionak dishes that can be given new spins and updates.

Watch Party Fare

 Watch parties are as popular as ever. Whether it's watching March Madness or the premier of episode of Sanditon,Season Three there's nothing like gathering a group together for a fun times of bites, drinks and shared interests.

Watch parties are slightly different from regular parties because of the size. Watch parties can be big like an Oscars watch party however they're usually small. There are ten people at the most because of the narrowed interest of the party subject. Many a March Madness watch party consists of a small group of students or alumni. A specific TV program has may be  four or five diehard fans and it's usually for the series' grand finale. That's w hy watch parties are actually easy to plan for. You roast a London Broil or a  small turkey and set them out , already carved Here you can serve a bowl of homemade or jarred gravy along with bread or rolls for a hot sandwich. You can also go extra casual and create a fajita or taco bar with all the fixings. Slice up peppers and onions along with having a variety of shredded cheeses and homemade guacamole. Another idea is serving indvidiual pizzas. You can buy the dough already made like Boboli or create your own.It's a simple mix of olive oil, sugar, flour , water and yeast. Again since it's a small party the pies can be customized to  people's tastes.

Consider having a  themed watch party of Sanditon or the next season of Bridgerton. A English high tea can be copied for any time of day. This is light fare consisting of scones . finger sandwiches and an array of cookies and small cakes or fairy cakes. Scones are an easy bake and are usuaally made with a heavy cream or heavy whipped cream for a rich taste. Any sort of flavor , from cinnamon to raisins can be added for extra flavor.  Serve with clotted cream which you can buy on Amazon  or Myers of Keswick if you're in lower Manhattan.As for sandwiches use a good sandwich white like Pepperidge Farms.Cut in triangles filled with either deviled ham or chicken, watercress or  an egg salad. If you want a truly British treat to snack on then think fairy cakes. These are small cupcakes with the middles hollowed out and filled with whipped cream and raspberry jam. The top of the cupcake that was hollowed out is cut in two and placed like fairy's wings on top of the cakes. Cookies can be delicate bites of shortbread or spritz cookies.

A watch party is a great way to celebrate a favorite sport or show. They're easy to create and fun to throw. Have one and enjoy good food and good company.

Themed Christmases Part One

Are you dreading a boring Christmas dinner? Then think beyond the usual fare. Have a themed holidsy dinner with different foods from around the world. It's a fun chamge up that's even more exciting than those Christmas gifts.

Most people would choose an English style holiday meal thanks to Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol". The 1843 ghost and redemption story hints at a great feast of turkey and steamed pudding and it can easily be replicated here. In fact their holiday meal was probably the basic for our Thanksgiving. Along with the bird there is stuffing, gravy , brussels srpouts and cranberry sauce. You could give it a Northern English falvro by subbing in Yorkshire pudding a savory whole pan popover for the stuffing. You could also serve a great joint of roast beef too instead of the turkey. The steamed pudding which is actually a cake is really the star of the whole meal. This dessert is really a steamed cake made with the usual batter ingredients of eggs, flour milk and sugar along with vanilla for flavoring. It;s poured in a large parchment paper line bowl which itself is placed into a sauce pan halfway filled with water. It's then steamed for two hours , Afterwards its' inverted upside down and is covered with brandy and a sprig of holly.The pudding is set afire and served flaming to the table. Custard or ice cream is usually served with it.

Another idea  and this depends where you are is the Australian Christmas barbecue. The Aussies go wild with the grill  since the holiday falls at the beigninng of summer Down Under. It's bring out the burgers and dogs along with chicken kebobs and shrimp. Cold oysters are another treat if you want to be authentic. They also make a potato gratin or scalloped potatoes,This dish is good even with any kind of Christmas main course. It's layering sliced potatoes with butter, cheese and cream and topping it off with crunchy bread crumbs or even crushed potato chips. WHat to finish off a big summer meal ? A fruit trifle is a popular choice.It's layers of any kind of fruit, gelatin or custard and fresh whipped cream. If you're really ambitious try the Pavlova, named for the early Twentieth Century Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova.  This layered cake of meringue, again fresh whipped and usually strawberries is a light and airy showstopper. Another warm weather Christmas meal is a Jamaican one. The main course is ham while the sides are a fun baked mac and cheese along with a fresh salad. Dessert is a yummy sweet potato pudding which is the crustless version of the pie.

These are just the beginning of an iinternational Christmas. Pick one and run with it. You can have fun with a traditional meal or a summery barbecue. Go wild. It's Christmas.

Simple Lunches

 Lunch is often t he meal t hat's overlooked,especially if you're working from home. It's either a smoothie or a cup of yogurt and a drink of some sort to wash it down. Yet' that's not a meal.  A simple lunch can get you through the afternoon.It's a tasty mid day break that's both filling and tasty.

Cold days deserve a hot meal. A simple lunch is an easy canned soup. Gardein and Campbell's Well Yes are perfect for this. Gardfein's has a variety of plant based ones along with chili for a satisfying good for you middday meal. Their  version of Italian wedding soup is just as flavorful as Progresso's which is made wirh beef meatballs and chicken broth. The company also has a really good gumbo too along with beef and chik'n ones that are also loaded with veggies rice or noodles Well yes is going in this vegan vein too. They introduced their version of plant based chicken noodle and rice soups. A true plus about Well Yes is that  they have indiviual  microwavable cups of  soup. This is perfect if you're eating by yourself . For those who want classic then think about Campbell's tomato soup. or chicken noodle Both make for  a fun lunch . especially with a big stack of Saltines. A homemade soup is easy too. Heat smaller sized pasta like orzo or pastina in any kind of broth. Within half an hour there's a delicious hot meal that's soothing and filling.

An easily made hot sandwich is always a good lunch. You couldgo with a simple grilled cheese or the fancier Croque Monsieur. white bread is used but you can also go with whole wheat or even brioche bread. This is buttered liberally on one side. You could use mayo as many home chefs swear by this. as for the cheese most go for the good old fashioned American but if you want some zing then use a sharp, zingy Vermont cheddar.It's then frying it ona griddle or fryer for a few minutes on both sides. For a lusher lunch try the French bistro classic the croque monsieur. This is a yummy  amped up version of grilled cheese complete with an easy Bechamel sauce. Don''t be fooled by the name. The sauce is an easy cook on the stove top, using milk butter and flour. Dijon  mustard and nut meg are added at the end and whisked in. (Keep in mind that the sauce can be made in advance and also the extra is good over any kind of veggie). It's slathered on toasted white bread followed by a layer of ham and shredded Gruyere cheese.  The sandwich is then cooked for about five minutes in a 425 Farenheit degree oven. You can make an air fryer version of this and add the bechamel sauce later.

An easy lunch is easy to make. A hot soup or sandwich fills the bill. They make for a rewarding mid day meal.

Help!! What Do I Cook?

 Every chef and home chef hits it - the culinary wall. What happens when you run out of ideas for what to cook? Ot when you haven't gone to the store to pick up supplies?Ingenuity helps.

We all have hit that wall.We look into the fridge and think "What am I going to make?" You read about those food writers and chefs who can whip up a hot tasty meal using just polenta, cheese and spices. This does work if you happen to have polenta in your pantry. What happens of you don't? What you can do is sub in rice or a small pasta like orzo or ditalini and cook in any kind of broth. After it's done, toss in some butter and top with cheese for a warm filling lunch or Sinday night supper. Keep a container of either beef, chicken or vegetable broth handy. They're great for cooking up pastas but also for whipping up a quick soup. Add veggies and even leftover chicken or beef and you have a quick minestrone. If you have bread and cheese you have a meal. You can easily grill the combo in the toaster oven or air fryer . Fry it  in butter and you have a croque monsiur without the bechamel sauce. Try to have slices of American or cheddar cheese or a good wedge of Brie or Gruyere in the fridge. These are also great on just plain Saltines too and these make for a light but satisfying lunch too. Add little squares of ham for mini sandwiches.

A loaf of French or Italian bread is a plus. Any of them can be used in a variety of different recipes. One of my new favorites is sliced Italian ro french bread cut in rounds  and slathered with layers of Melt plant based butter, Parma vegan cheese and garlic powder. The rounds are put into the air fryer for five minutes at 370 dgree Farenheit. These crisp, buttery cheesy bites were perfect with a premixed salad that I bought at Stop & Shop.It was a no brainer dinner but it was delicious and filling. I plan on making the rounds again with pasta . In the summer the loaves can be torn up and mixed with tomatoes , onions , olive oil and red wine vinegar for a panzella salad. This is just a great lunch but also a good side with barbecued chicken or beef.Take your leftovers and stuff them inside a loaf of French or Italian and you have a hero. Another multi tasker is the tomato. It can be made into hot or cold recipes. Slice them , top with bread crumbs and saute in a mix of olive oil and butter and you have tomatoes Provencale. Get the bigger tomatoes , scoop out the inside and fill with tuna salad for a refreshing mid day meal. Tomatoes are also perfect in a sandwich with toasted bread and mayonnaise.

Every hoime chef and eve chef has hit that culinary wall. what to do? Climb over it with using some basics creatively.

All Those Easter Leftovers

 The day after Easter means ones thing -- leftovers. what do you do with all that ham, lambs and sides? What about that extra candy and sweets? Get creative ? THere's a ton of new recipes you can try with all that food.

Ham can be turned into tasty hot Croque Monsiurs or a cold, refreshing salad. For the French classic, you can cut the ham extra thick for a heartier sandwich.It would also go well in a grilled cheese too.As for a ham salad, prepare it like you would  a tuna salad. Add mayo along with chopped celery and onions. For added flavor serve on Hawaiian rolls. Their sweetness will offset the ham's saltiness. You can also turn it into a main meal by combining it with rotelli or elbow macaroni. Add peas, chopped carrots and broccoli florets to round it out. As for the dressing you can stick with just mayonnaise or create an Italian dressing to pour over it. What to do with that leftover lamb? Shepherd's pie is a nice way of repurposing it. You can even use those leftover mashed potatoes as the crust. Fill it with chopped carrots and onions along with celery and thyme. A lamb curry is also a great recipe for what's left of that roast leg. It's a great time to experiment that garam masala and curry powder. Serve with warmed naan and yogurt for a different spin on dinner.

You probably also have all that leftover candy too. it may sound strange but you can add chopped jelly beans to a cookie recipe. You could also incorporate them into a fudge if you like a super sweet bite. What about those other super sweet Easter treats - Peeps. A really neat idea is Peeps popcorn balls. This is melting down those chicks and adding plain salted popcorn. To make them even more fun, put  a lollipop stick in them and have a new kind of treat. What about Peeps s'mores? Use that leftover chocolate along with the Peeps on a skewer(think rotisserie Peeps, heated to gooiness over a stove top. Serve on either plain or chocolate Graham crackers. You could also heat just the bottoms and place on cupcakes for a different kind of topping. if those bunnies and eggs  haven't been completely devoured, break them into little bits and serve over anything and everything. They're fun mixed in with hot oatmeal or cold cereal. A layer of them is an extra kick in an ice cream parfait or sundae.

Those holiday leftovers can be repurposed into new and exciting meals and desserts. it's a fun way to reuse them and enjoy them a second time.  Try them  to still celebrate the holiday in a new way.

Pizza Rustica This Weekend

 Tonight , being Holy Thursday is the start of the Easter weekend. It's a time to think of traditions and the recipes that come with it. One is the Southern Italian dish of pizza rustica. It is a dish that can be made for Easter but also for the days around it.

Regular contributor Melissa Clark wrote about this classic in her A Good Appetite Column in yesterday's New York Times Food review.It;'s sort of like a cross between a quiche and maybe a calzone. It symbolizes  the end of Lent and the return of eggs, meat and cheese to the diet after Lenten restrictions of them. It goes by a variety of different names from torta rustica or rustic cake to pizza di Pasqua and pizza gaina. It is much beloved in Southern Italy where there are many different variations.Nowadays all Italians  bake it and not just for Easter.Ms/ Clark's Roman friend Sophie Minchelli spent the Covid 19 locdown baking all sorts of them. She tried ones with puff pastry and tweaking the filling to what she had on hand. Her Spring  time version forgoes meat and has plenty of seasonal greens like chard. Ms. CLark combines greens and ham in her version, instead of using the traditional and stronger tasting salame and prosciutto.As for the crust she opts for a pasta frolla or sweet crust (!) fragranced with lemon zest. Giving the pie a sweet crust offsets the filling's savoriness.

She provides the recipe which is easy to replicate. Again her pasta frolla crust , taken from Nancy Harmon Jenkins Cucina Del Sole (William Morrow COokbooks ) uses two tablespoons of granulated sugar to provide the sweetness along with three to four tablespoons of a dry white wine (You can sub in white wine vinegar mixed with ice water for this)Th e rest is basically a typical pie crust blend of flour , water and butter. Adding one egg enriches it and gives it color. The filling is a mix of whole milk ricotta and a choice of Pecorino, Romano or Parmesan cheeses.Use half a cup of chopped ham.There are also five cups of s baby spinach or chard cooked for two minutes in olive oil and garlic. It's cooked until wilted but not soaked in the oil. Drain off any liquid . You don;t want that in the pie because it will create a watery texture.It's then making the custardy filling by pureeing the eggs and drained ricotta with the spinach , ham, cheese and spices.Add red pepper flakes for zing. Set aside while you roll out the dough. It's then assembling in a pie pan. Save some dough for creating the traditional lattice top crust.Use an egg wash Cook for fifty to sixty minutes in a preheated 375 degree Farenheit oven.

Pizza rustica is the perfect Easter pie to make for the holiday dinner. It is also perfect for the Easter Monday picnics and Spring parties. Try this Italian classic for a nice warm weather treat.