Hoppy

Easter!

 

This is one of those special days that I find difficult to deal with, and please know I am strictly speaking of food and the secular aspects here, I know it has significant religious meaning for many people.  To me, Easter represents a time of awakening and renewal for the coming season when things begin to grow again, beginning another cycle of life.  So things tend to focus on friends, family, and generations rather than food.  Again, food helps, but it’s not really the point.  Leave that for Thanksgiving and New Years.  And no wonder..  I don’t know what you grew up with, but at the Feeders home in Michigan (after I would find the Paas dyed eggs in green plastic grass basket and (BRACH’S!! Jelly Bean trails)) we would sit down to dinner and have a ham slice adorned with pineapple rings and maraschino cherries, maybe a nice pyrex dish of sweet potatoes and marshmallows, and those cooked to death (canned) green beans with soggy bacon.  It is just what you did, and Mom (are you looking down?) worked hard and was proud to put it before us and we all loved it.  Other than nostalgia, that menu might not be too popular in these days of enlightened culinary tastes..

So what is the poor conscientious cook to do?  Not too much can be done to a ham.  It’s a ham.  Ham.  Not a lot to work with.  A good alternative in the spirit of the season might be a nice leg of lamb, which offers much more latitude in preparation and options for sauces and such.  Maybe a good approach would be to modify my mantra on wine (DWTHYL) to: E(at) Whatever the Heck You Like!  In fact one of my friends is doing a Surf and Turf (Steak and Lobster).   Good on them.

Now that I am feeling good enough to get out a little, I made a quick trip to the farmer’s market south of town this morning.  I wanted to get some more meat from the WAG meat guy, and check out whatever else there was.  Not much was the answer.. greens not quite there yet (or at least present today) and the meat selection was a bit slim (got two packs of chops and some ground beef).  There were a fair amount of folks including families, not too many vendors, but there were also a few unique visitors.  They were there for petting purposes, not culinary supplies..Awwww

 

Anyway, hope you have a good day tomorrow, and as for the food, the point might be that it is a time to be with friends and family, remember and honor those who are not with us anymore or are in faraway places, and perhaps just enjoy a good meal.  (Sorry Mom, no pineapple).  And, I think it would be appropriate to

DFD