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Happy Easter from the Kitchen!
As many prepare for Easter this Sunday, I've been wondering what people around the world do for Easter celebrations. I talked with a few friends who gave me their ideas of Easter dinner and traditions.
In an Italian home, there was a lot of food. Lamb, sausages, Pizza Rustica, Pasticcera dessert and Panettone on Easter Sunday. Also, there were church services, egg hunts and candy.
In a German home, they had rabbit, stuffing balls and veggies and Black Forest cake for dessert.
In Hungary, the Hungarians serve ham, rabbit, braided loaves, bean soup, dumplings and eggs. Some attend mass before celebrating together around the table as a family.
What do you do on Easter? I can recall a big Sunday dinner of ham, filling, mashed potatoes, sweet corn and baked beans and then Easter baskets with goodies. No church or sunrise services. Religion was not a big part of our lives then.
A book I refer to often for recipe ideas and information is called "The Frugal Gourmet On Our Immigrant Ancestors" by Jeff Smith. I recommend reading it. He traveled around the country eating meals at the tables of many different ethnic traditions. It is amazing how people from all over the world came here with recipes and seeds from their homeland. We are experiencing the foods they created. Italian, Armenian, German, Chinese, Indian. The list goes on and on.
When I was in Italy, I experienced the culture, religion and foods in ways I shall never forget. There are no recipes this week, but I am sharing a few pictures of foods I enjoyed while in Italy. Wishing you all a blessed and relaxing Easter Sunday, however you choose to celebrate. Eat well my friends.
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Bev Kauffman, of Lewistown, operated a catering business in Juniata County for nearly 20 years. She has authored the cookbook, "Preserving the Past: In the Kitchen with Bev Kauffman" in 2013 and is currently working on a second cookbook.