EASTER CELEBRATION

…a tough winter
Springtime, at last! What a tough winter we all have endured. Definitely the most snow and winter-like conditions that I can remember in a very long time. Our fine old Fisher wood burning stove got quite a workout. We enjoyed a nice fire quite often, and the wood cutting and splitting didn’t hurt me a bit, of course. Still, the warmer temperatures and early blooming bulbs seem particularly welcome this spring.

…twelve thousand eggs!
Early spring means Easter celebrations of all kinds, ranging from the devout gathering for religious expression to the traditional family feasts, usually on Easter Sunday afternoon. Even the President of the United States, on the Monday after Easter, holds an annual Easter Egg Roll on the White House Lawn for young children. Walter Scheib, who was Executive White House Chef from 1994 to 2005, recalls that at his first such event they hard-boiled and dyed approximately twelve thousand eggs!

...one of the more dicey challenges
For many of us, Easter brought new clothes, the delight of egg decoration, egg hunts and a truly grand meal with the extended family. As I recall, one of the more dicey challenges was to keep the new duds clean while still enjoying the egg hunts, although our eggs numbered a few dozen, not twelve thousand.

…children were usually seated at their own table
Almost always, the menu featured ham, deviled eggs and luscious desserts. Our table was always set with the most beautiful settings, some of which seemed only to appear for this particular occasion. Younger children were usually seated at their own table, which was probably more fun anyway.

…we sort of “Tom Sawyer” family and friends
This year our own family celebration will center on our annual garden planting party. This is an event where we sort of “Tom Sawyer” family and friends to help us jump start our garden preparations and hopefully enjoy fine spring weather. (We are planting all heirloom varieties this year and will let you know how it goes.) This will be a very informal event for us, quite unlike the dressy Easters of my youth.

…at least a little creativity
Therefore in planning a menu this year, I still wanted to reflect tradition, but also to prepare foods with at least a little creativity using some of the great Avanti Savoia products. Here’s our plan…and all of the recipes are available on our Avanti Savoia Website.

Easter Menu 2010

Lemon-Pineapple “Champagne” Punch

Curried Deviled Eggs with Peach Chutney

Yukon Gold Potato Salad with Smoked Bacon

Wild Cherry Wood Smoked Ham with a Cherry/Jack Daniel’s Whiskey Glaze

Strawberry Tiramisu

…beautiful and really, really delicious
OK, we’ve got bright spring colors, the required Deviled Eggs, Potato Salad, Glazed Ham with a regional touch and a recent creation, Strawberry Tiramisu. The Tiramisu is hardly the traditional version, but it is beautiful and really, really delicious. There will be a lace tablecloth made by my Grandmother, my Mother’s crystal, a 1940’s era Deviled Egg Dish and loving memories of Easters past. Best of all will be the gathering of family and friends sharing this springtime ritual, yet once again. We hope your holiday is as bright and bubbly as a cup of Champagne Punch.

Bon Appetit Y’all!