215 replies to this topic

[Pille]

Here's what you'll find at one Easter table in faraway Estonia:
* pasha/pashka (a must-have. We'll probably have two different ones, as both myself and my bf are keen to show off their own version )
* kulitcha (have never made it before, but keen to try. Has anyone got the best recipe? Ludja? Alinka?)
* small curd cheese and orange buns
* the Greek Easter bread tsoureki, as I've made it for two years already and I really love it (it uses mastic and mechlepe, which make it really special)
* soft-boiled quail's eggs with whitefish roe
* lots of eggs: some dyed with onion skins, some with beetroot juice. These will mostly end up either in a egg salad or stuffed eggs in the days after the festivities..
(luckily, there won't be (m)any chocolate eggs, however, as these are not popular here - I still haven't spotted any prominent displays of chocolate eggs in the supermarkets yet, for instance)
* something fishy - possibly kedgeree, as I miss British food a little
We're still discussing some other dishes to make, but basically the whole meal is focused on eggs and curd cheese and sweet pastries.

Edited by Pille, 03 April 2007 - 06:40 AM.

[rich]

Actually making two dinners - Holy Saturday and Easter Sunday.

This isn't complete, but so far:

Lemon, Poppy Seed Waffles served with Smoked Salmon, Capers and Onions.
Fried Calamari with Anchovy Mayo
Green Olives stuffed with Piquillo Peppers and Anchovies with Orange Zest
Roasted Baby Red Potatoes with Sour Cream and Salmon Roe
Eggs Diana
Wild Mushroom Turnovers
Panini
Roasted Red Pepper and Almond Crostini
Roasted Marinated Lamb Loin
Pork Loin with Mushroom Fricasse
Steamed Asparagus with Miso Butter
Roasted Cauliflower with Onions & Fennel
Mashed Yukon Gold Potatoes with Roasted Garlic


Chocolate Mousse
Homemade Ice Cream (haven't decided on the flavors, though one will proably be espresso).

Looking at an Imperial of 2002 Amarone Valpolicella
2004 Windsor Vineyards Gerwurztraminer
1978 Chateau Margeaux (with the Lamb Loin)

I will probably add another vegetable and two-three more apps. Still looking for something different to do with Shrimp. Considering the Shrimp in Brik Pastry from last week's NY Times. We'll see.

Edited by rich, 03 April 2007 - 07:04 AM.

[hummingbirdkiss]

hummingbirdkiss--would you post your recipe for Persian Lamb?

of course!! here you go..... the sour cherry rice is to die for with this if you like I can write that one out as well?

this is not an exact recipe and I do vary the amts of the spices and toast them a bit before I grind them up


1 leg of lamb (I am trying a boneless this year because I got a fantactic deal from the butcher ..but I am going to miss that bone for stock later!)


in the food processor make a rub/paste with the following:

1 piece of ginger about 2inches long
6 cloves of garlic
1 tsp of freshly ground cardamom
1 tsp freshly ground cloves
1 tsp of freshly ground cinamon
1 tsp turmeric powder
2 tsp of freshly ground cumin seeds
1 tsp ground red chile
1 tbl kosher salt
1 tbl fresh cracked pepper
juice of 2 lemons
1/3 cup of yogurt
1/4 cup of honey
rub this all over the meat wrap it up tightly in plastic and put in a big pan in the fridg at least 24hrs ...and because this is not really a runny rub you can plan to turn it when you think of it
to roast the lamb
put the lamb on a rack in a roasting pan ..cover with foil and roast at 350 for about 90 min until the lamb is about 160 degrees inside .. Remove from the oven and raise the temp of the oven to about 450 and baste it well with juices if there are any ..then put back in the oven for about 30 min until the outside is browned

take the lamb out of the oven and let it rest for at least 20 min prior to slicing

[dockhl]

[
of course!! here you go.....  the sour cherry rice is to die for with this if you like I can write that one out as well?

Please give us the rice recipe , too. This sounds delicious!

[hummingbirdkiss]

Here you go ..rather than try to write mine out this is almost exactly what I do ..the one thing I change is because I can not fond those cherries in my area I go to Trader Joes and buy them dried ..rehydrate and make my own syrupy cherries ...other than that this is pretty much it

the roasted tomatoes with this rice and lamb!!!! yum...then you serve some plates with fresh herbs I love to use chives, parsley and mint ....sliced sweet onions ...lavash bread, olives and Greek yogurt with the mean ...

this is an awesome meal ..I am getting excited about this now!

olive shopping day is tomorrow!!!


http://seattletimes....cherries15.html

Edited by hummingbirdkiss, 03 April 2007 - 08:30 AM.

[dockhl]

I must be blind but I don't see a recipe or link to one....

ETA:

didn't look far enough ! Thanks !

Edited by dockhl, 03 April 2007 - 08:32 AM.

[hummingbirdkiss]

sorry I forgot to add it then had to add it ..so you did not see it the first time dork that I am!!

this rice is stunning ..deep dark bing cherry and garnishes so beautifully on a platter...everyone i have ever made this for ..loves it...and the flavor and aroma are just spectacular ..it is by far my favorite rice to make especially for a holiday ...

I am making an extra platter for work ..they are going to be thrilled i have not made it for over a year for them!

Edited by hummingbirdkiss, 03 April 2007 - 09:49 AM.

[GreekCook]

hummingbirdkiss--would you post your recipe for Persian Lamb?

of course!! here you go..... the sour cherry rice is to die for with this if you like I can write that one out as well?

this is not an exact recipe and I do vary the amts of the spices and toast them a bit before I grind them up


1 leg of lamb (I am trying a boneless this year because I got a fantactic deal from the butcher ..but I am going to miss that bone for stock later!)


in the food processor make a rub/paste with the following:

1 piece of ginger about 2inches long
6 cloves of garlic
1 tsp of freshly ground cardamom
1 tsp freshly ground cloves
1 tsp of freshly ground cinamon
1 tsp turmeric powder
2 tsp of freshly ground cumin seeds
1 tsp ground red chile
1 tbl kosher salt
1 tbl fresh cracked pepper
juice of 2 lemons
1/3 cup of yogurt
1/4 cup of honey
rub this all over the meat wrap it up tightly in plastic and put in a big pan in the fridg at least 24hrs ...and because this is not really a runny rub you can plan to turn it when you think of it
to roast the lamb
put the lamb on a rack in a roasting pan ..cover with foil and roast at 350 for about 90 min until the lamb is about 160 degrees inside .. Remove from the oven and raise the temp of the oven to about 450 and baste it well with juices if there are any ..then put back in the oven for about 30 min until the outside is browned

take the lamb out of the oven and let it rest for at least 20 min prior to slicing

This sounds absolutely mouth watering, I can't wait to try it, but after Easter coz I'll be lynched if I deviate from the "tradtional" Easter lamb
Thanks for the recipe

[GreekCook]

the Greek Easter bread tsoureki, as I've made it for two years already and I really love it (it uses mastic and mechlepe, which make it really special)
*

I made a tsoureki today and it was nice but I can't seem to get the texture to be slightly stringy and chewy as opposed to the uniform texture I keep getting.
I'm curious How does yours come out? Any advice?

I was never very good at baking and this was my second attempt at tsourekia, it looks great, tastes divine but when I compare it to the bakery's, it lacks the chewiness....Mine tastes better though

Edited by GreekCook, 03 April 2007 - 02:40 PM.

[Pille]

the Greek Easter bread tsoureki, as I've made it for two years already and I really love it (it uses mastic and mechlepe, which make it really special)

I made a tsoureki today and it was nice but I can't seem to get the texture to be slightly stringy and chewy as opposed to the uniform texture I keep getting.
I'm curious How does yours come out? Any advice?

I haven't had tsoureki in Greece , but my Greek friends in Edinburgh were really pleased with my efforts and ate all of it in no time whatsoever (two days in a row as well). Apparently it tasted just like grandmother's, said one. Maybe he was just trying to be nice to me In any case, the tsoureki wasn't too fluffy or light, if I remember correctly, but I wouldn't describe it stringy either (chewy, maybe)..

[BarbaraY]

BarbarY--which Silver Palate?  I am thinking about boneless LOL also.  There was a good recipe in Fine Cooking within the past 2 years for stuffed bonelss LOL using mint, raisins, pine nuts and breadcrumbs and the seam side was on top so the stuffing poked out the top and got nicely crunchy.  I think it was served with a red onion/balsamic jam.  I like the combinations but am always looking for other ideas.

It's from the original Silver Palate printed in 1979, Roast Lamb with Peppercorn Crust. It's marinated in raspberry vinegar and red wine with, rosemary, mint, and lots of garlic. Then it is rubbed with mustard and mixed peppercorns.

[Chufi]

I'm still thinking about dinner (for 4, on easter Sunday) but I know that dessert will be Mille Crepes cake with lemoncurd.

For starter, probably shrimp with orange/shallot sauce and radicchio, from Paula Wolferts Slow Meditteranean, and the green herb jam with crackers from the same book.

The main course better have no citrus

[Ktepi]

My Easter plans haven't been formulated yet, but I'm definitely making lamb ham, because it's already curing in the fridge: a bone-in leg of lamb cut, cured with curing salt, turbinado sugar, and Old Bay. (I have no idea if turbinado is good for curing with or not, I had just forgotten to buy white sugar.)

I took the little nobby end from the cut and made a lamb broth with it, and I'm going to use that for red-eye gravy.

If I'm cooking Easter dinner myself, or if I'm going somewhere where I'm not doing any of the cooking and wind up having this on a different day, I'll serve it with white grits and petits pois from Trader Joe's. Otherwise, since I'm with the northern half of my family and red-eye gravy and grits won't go over as well with them as with the Tennessee-Alabama half, I may make the Persian sour cherry rice mentioned above.

[arriba!]

Thanks to both who replied with recipes/sources for lamb. They both sound great and the sour cherry rice divine!! Such decisions--only one lamb leg!! I definitely want to use both so we will probably be eating lots of lamb!!

[SheenaGreena]

I don't celebrate easter, but I will be eating lots of cadbury cream eggs and I will also be making cochinita pibil.

[deltadoc]

I plan on taking a personal holiday on Good Friday, because they don't give us religious holidays anymore (even Xmas is Holiday Season).

I plan on "drinking Christ's blood" straight through till Easter and see if I can actually arise out of my hangover on Sunday! :0)

doc

[NYC Mike]

I plan on taking a personal holiday on Good Friday, because they don't give us religious holidays anymore (even Xmas is Holiday Season).

I plan on "drinking Christ's blood" straight through till Easter and see if I can actually arise out of my hangover on Sunday!  :0)

doc

You are my new idol doc.

[ludja]

I'm still fiddlng around with my menu but here is what I'm thinking:

Stuffed Eggs with Horseradish (my new favorite stuffed egg variation)
Easter Kielbasa with mustard
Sweet Butter with Minced Radishes and Lemon on thin brown bread
Tarmosalata Spread with French Bread

Cream of Cauliflower Soup

Fresh Fava Bean Salad with Salami, Mint and Manchego Cheese
(A recipe I've been wanting to try from the Zuni Cookbook.)

Baked Ham
New Potatoes with butter and parsley
Fennel Gratin
Ragout of Peas, Asparagus Tips and Fava Beans

Pink Grapefruit Supremes with Port and Mint Granita (Pierre Herme Desserts)

Cream Biscuits filled with Crème Fraiche and served with a warm Cointreau syrup with Strawberries and Mangoes

I guess the minor theme this year will be fava beans (raw and cooked), mint and cream...

Edited by ludja, 06 April 2007 - 01:05 AM.

[Chufi]

Ludja, I also have fava beans on my mind, and wanted to do a little fava bean/mint spread on bread as an appetizer.

And I'm also thinking of doing cauliflower soup, with a polonaise topping (butterfried breadcrumbs, parsley, hardboiled egg).


and then the salmon rillettes from Cooking of Southwest France.
Then braised vealshanks with honey, orange and rosemary from Molly Stevens' All about Braising.
And I'm also thinking of fennel gratin as a side dish for the main course
salad

Mille crepes cake with lemon curd and raspberries

Edited by Chufi, 06 April 2007 - 06:47 AM.

[GreekCook]

Hi All
Happy Easter to those who celebrate.

Reading all these wonderful fava recipes inspired me to make "Greek Fava"

For some reason in Greece "Fava" is a dip made with yellow fava lentils (yellow split peas)
The broad beans are known as "Koukia" here

Anyway I thought I'd share the Greek version I found it on a site but it's basically the way I make it and it's easier to copy paste rather than type

fava dip
INGREDIENTS
- 1 cup of fava to 2 - 2 1/2 cups water approx
- 1 1/2 small onion
- extra olive oil,
- 1/2 a lemon, salt

the making
- wash the fava lentils well
- set to boil in a large non-stick cooking pot, (medium
heat) adding enough water to create a thick paste.
- keep checking in case the fava has dried out
- half way though cooking time add a roughly chopped
small onion & 2 tablespoons of olive oil (optional)
- salt to taste
- when the fava is cooked, remove from fire & allow to cool
- blend or mash the mixture well
- scoop the amount you want into a serving dish & place
the remainder of the mix in the fridge to use later
- SERVE with an extra lashing of olive oil, half a squeezed
fresh lemon & 1/2 a roughly chopped onion to dress
** Fava dip can be served warm or cold

Enjoy
Greg

Edited to add

This is usually served as a starter, in the same way as you would serve Tztaziki, Taramosalata etc

Edited by GreekCook, 06 April 2007 - 07:32 AM.

[hummingbirdkiss]

wow that just solved my appetizer issue!!! ...a fava dip Greg ..absolutely wonderful!!! thanks so much for the recipe!!!
I am starting my lavash dough and making the syrup for the cherry rice today ...finding all my table clothes and more spring like dishes ..picking flowers.....I love cooking/planning and sprucing things up for anything and after all this rain we have had a spring holiday is the best!!! ..we do kind of an Easter/Passover/bunny day thing ..we are just too mixed up in my family to settle for any one holiday!!!

Edited by hummingbirdkiss, 06 April 2007 - 07:53 AM.

[Sugarshoc]

Here's my menu:

Braised Beef Brisket
Jerk Chicken
Roasted Asparagus w/ Garlic
Roasted Potatoes (Fingerling or Red Bliss)
Green Salad w/ Raspberry Dijon Dressing
I haven't decided on dessert yet.

I'm going to Fairway now to get my stuff.

[ludja]

Ludja, I also have fava beans on my mind, and wanted to do a little fava bean/mint spread on bread as an appetizer.

And I'm also thinking of doing cauliflower soup, with a polonaise topping (butterfried breadcrumbs, parsley, hardboiled egg).  


and then the salmon rillettes from Cooking of Southwest France.
Then braised vealshanks with honey, orange and rosemary from Molly Stevens' All about Braising.
And I'm also thinking of fennel gratin as a side dish for the main course 
salad

Mille crepes cake with lemon curd and raspberries

We're on the same wavelength across the miles! Your earlier post made me check out the shrimp/orange/radicchio first course dish in Wolfert's "Slow Mediterranean"; I'll keep that in mind for another time. Thanks also for the Polanaise topping idea. Since I"m serving the stuffed eggs I'll probably just use the buttered croutons and parsley this time; but the full garnish sounds nice. I like to collect soup garnishes to add to my repertoire. Fennel does go nicely with ham or lamb.

I'm loving all the menus posted so far; such a nice range of styles and dishes. It always a pleasurable dilemma to decide on the Easter menu for me--lamb or ham. And then there's figuring out how to include asparagus, artichokes, fava beans, peas, mint, fennel, etc. One constant is that I almost always serve boiled new potatoes in their skin with parsley and butter; so simple but so delicious.

Thanks for sharing the dried fava bean dip, greekcook! Maybe I'll make that for the bookclub meeting I'm hosting next week.

Edited by ludja, 06 April 2007 - 04:30 PM.

[paul o' vendange]

Pille, tere tere!

From a Gaul married to an Estonian-blooded one, thanks for this...I will pass these goodies on to her clan!

Here's what you'll find at one Easter table in faraway Estonia:
* pasha/pashka (a must-have. We'll probably have two different ones, as both myself and my bf are keen to show off their own version )
* kulitcha (have never made it before, but keen to try. Has anyone got the best recipe? Ludja? Alinka?)
* small curd cheese and orange buns
* the Greek Easter bread tsoureki, as I've made it for two years already and I really love it (it uses mastic and mechlepe, which make it really special)
* soft-boiled quail's eggs with whitefish roe
* lots of eggs: some dyed with onion skins, some with beetroot juice. These will mostly end up either in a egg salad or stuffed eggs in the days after the festivities..
(luckily, there won't be (m)any chocolate eggs, however, as these are not popular here - I still haven't spotted any prominent displays of chocolate eggs in the supermarkets yet, for instance)
* something fishy - possibly kedgeree, as I miss British food a little 
We're still discussing some other dishes to make, but basically the whole meal is focused on eggs and curd cheese and sweet pastries.

[ludja]

I have to work on Easter but am trying to get my kids off and over the Saturday instead ...what a logistical nightmare gathering adult children!!! argh!

My menu is very simple and very casual ..but wonderful I think and it totally defines spring to me

one traditional thing is the herbs I use in all the dishes..because this time of year my herb garden is starting to burst and it is so fun to try to get them into everything for the first spring meal gathering!

I also put plates of fresh herbs all over the table so everyone can add more if they want ...

for a starter I usually have some kind of seafood like crab or prawns (what ever looks the best) dipped in clarified garlic chive and parsley butter

the main dish is a whole fresh fish... hopefully a
wild caught salmon stuffed with herbs and cooked on the grill

asparagus bundles tied with chives and dressed with Hollandaise

rice pilaf (made of course with fresh herbs)

spring green salad with home made Green Goddess dressing (more herbs)

orange rolls with herb butter

I serve fruit spritzers, wine and beer to drink

for dessert (NO HERBS!!! LOL unless my mint sprouts before then I will of course use that for the whipping cream!) 

Caribbean black cake and brownies with whipped cream
coffee

This menu is so nice, hummingbirdkiss. I like the idea of the seafood appetizer and the main course fish. Instead of the fava bean/manchego cheese/salami appetizer I was thinking of making a poached salmon salad that I've made before. It's dressed with cucumber/wine vinegar vinaigrette and also includes fava beans, asparagus tips, peas, green onions, etc. The other appetizer won out this time because I haven't tried it yet and the flavors sound interesting to me.

I've always wanted to make a homemade Green Goddess dressing (Chez Panisse Menu Cookbook has what looks like a great version). Fresh wonderful herbs are also a great harbinger of spring and renewal.

Also how wonderful to have the rolls! I was thinking of making buttery, tender Parker House rolls this Easter but I don't think I'll be able to fit them in. Have you made the orange rolls before? What are they like and how is the orange flavor incorporated?

The Caribbean Black Cake is the most interesting; I wouldn't think of it at Easter but I think you mentioned in another thread that it's a family tradition; pretty cool.

[KateinChicago]

Sausage stuffed Mushrooms
Crostini di fegatini

Spinach, roasted red pepper & feta stuffed leg of lamb with Pinot Noir reduction sauce
Asparagus and parmesan flan
Herbed gnocchi (from Keller's Bouchon) with brown butter and lemon
Rosemary & onion focaccia

Pecan crusted ice cream and lemon meringue pie (the one on the cover of April's Bon Appetite)

Made the lamb stock for the Pinot Noir Sauce and partially reduced earlier today. Put the pie together (without the meringue) also today. I'm making the fegatini tonight because it tastes better after a day or two of melded flavors. The gnocchi was made a while back and frozen. I picked up the lamb today so that I could season it. I made the mistake of ordering it from not my usual butcher as I was house/dog sitting for a friend in the suburbs. UGH! The butcher is a not so good butcher. Lots of holes, left on lots of silver skin. This leg is going to require LOTS of twine.

Tomorrow I'll start the focaccia and stuff the mushrooms. I'm not usually this far ahead of the game before a holiday but I anticipate trouble with stuffing and rolling the lamb.

Happy Holidays!

Kate

[percyn]

I usually make brunch on easter Sunday, with the typical fare of :

Deviled eggs
Boiled eggs w/caviar
Crab Eggs Benedict
Omelets
Quiche (can you tell I like eggs?)

Ham
Sausages
Smoked Salmon

Hash browns
Pastries
etc

Oh and lots of champagne, mimosas, bloody marys and other cocktails

[GreekCook]

I usually make brunch on easter Sunday, with the typical fare of :

Deviled eggs
Boiled eggs w/caviar
Crab Eggs Benedict
Omelets
Quiche (can you tell I like eggs?)

Ham
Sausages
Smoked Salmon

Hash browns
Pastries
etc

Oh and lots of champagne, mimosas, bloody marys and other cocktails

LMAO Percyn I have never seen so many egg dishes in one meal...you seem to have covered every possible cooking variation

Happy Easter
Greg

Edited by GreekCook, 07 April 2007 - 08:21 AM.

[hummingbirdkiss]

I am sorry I did not see this ..my entire menu changed except the use of tons of herbs and the black cake!

to make orange rolls you add 1/4 cup of orange juice and heaping tsp of finely grated fresh orange rind 1/3 cup sugar ...to any good butter/egg yeast dinner roll recipe ..then before the final rise I roll them out into fat snakes cut them in about 6 inch sections and tie them in a knot ..let them rise ..brush with milk before and once during baking ...these make the house smell wonderful!!!

I have to work on Easter but am trying to get my kids off and over the Saturday instead ...what a logistical nightmare gathering adult children!!! argh!

My menu is very simple and very casual ..but wonderful I think and it totally defines spring to me

one traditional thing is the herbs I use in all the dishes..because this time of year my herb garden is starting to burst and it is so fun to try to get them into everything for the first spring meal gathering!

I also put plates of fresh herbs all over the table so everyone can add more if they want ...

for a starter I usually have some kind of seafood like crab or prawns (what ever looks the best) dipped in clarified garlic chive and parsley butter

the main dish is a whole fresh fish... hopefully a
wild caught salmon stuffed with herbs and cooked on the grill

asparagus bundles tied with chives and dressed with Hollandaise

rice pilaf (made of course with fresh herbs)

spring green salad with home made Green Goddess dressing (more herbs)

orange rolls with herb butter

I serve fruit spritzers, wine and beer to drink

for dessert (NO HERBS!!! LOL unless my mint sprouts before then I will of course use that for the whipping cream!) 

Caribbean black cake and brownies with whipped cream
coffee

This menu is so nice, hummingbirdkiss. I like the idea of the seafood appetizer and the main course fish. Instead of the fava bean/manchego cheese/salami appetizer I was thinking of making a poached salmon salad that I've made before. It's dressed with cucumber/wine vinegar vinaigrette and also includes fava beans, asparagus tips, peas, green onions, etc. The other appetizer won out this time because I haven't tried it yet and the flavors sound interesting to me.

I've always wanted to make a homemade Green Goddess dressing (Chez Panisse Menu Cookbook has what looks like a great version). Fresh wonderful herbs are also a great harbinger of spring and renewal.

Also how wonderful to have the rolls! I was thinking of making buttery, tender Parker House rolls this Easter but I don't think I'll be able to fit them in. Have you made the orange rolls before? What are they like and how is the orange flavor incorporated?

The Caribbean Black Cake is the most interesting; I wouldn't think of it at Easter but I think you mentioned in another thread that it's a family tradition; pretty cool.

Edited by hummingbirdkiss, 07 April 2007 - 10:40 AM.

[rooftop1000]

OK
Lasagna is made, sausage and meatballs are simmering away, house is almost clean. Should go and cut the celary and hold in cold water. Borrowed enough chairs, tables and tablecloths...purchased the brown and serve dinner rolls (oh the shame) lamb is defrosting (SLOWLEY) ....had chili dogs for dinner on the way to pick up the borrowed tables
dog is glaring at me because I vaccumed his couch and wont let him back on it


tracey