What does "Easter" mean/ menu

Pasta sanza vino e come il cuore sanza amore 

Pasta without wine is like a heart without love

What does "Easter" mean?

The origins of the word "Easter" I am not certain, but probably derive from Estre, an Anglo-Saxon goddess of Spring. The German word Ostern has the same derivation, but most other languages follow the Greek term used by the early Christians: pascha, from the Hebrew pesach (Passover).In Latin, Easter is Festa Paschalia , which became the basis for the FrenchPâques, the Italian Pasqua, and the Spanish Pascua. Also related are the Scottish Pask, the Dutch Paschen, the Danish Paaske, and the Swedish Pask

The Easter festival, the oldest and most important festival in the Christian calendar, culminates in the celebration that is Easter Sunday, which today is a time when most of us get together with our families, share a meal and - of course - eat lots of chocolate! Most people know that it was on this day that Jesus was said to come to life after being crucified, visiting his friends and followers once more, but aside from that our knowledge of Easter can be patchy.

Some of the most common foods of Easter are :

Hard boiled eggs 

Hot Cross Buns

Pretzels

Roast Lamb

Maple  Ham

Cheese Cake

And of course chocolates

Hard Boiled Eggs 

Although coloured hare probably theoiled eggs  first Easter food to come to mind,

You don't have to spend a small fortune to buy supplies to colour your hard boiled eggs, you can use items you probably already have in your kitchen.

Food Colouring

Vinegar

Water

Method In a cup, mix together a 125 ml of water at room temperature, 15 ml. of vinegar, and several drops of food coloring. use about 20 drops of each colour, but you can adjust this however you like. Prepare several different colours in this manner.

Carefully place one egg in each cup of food coloring. Watch the eggs carefully and remove them when they reach the desired shade. Use a spoon to remove the egg and place it in an egg holder or on a paper towel to dry.

Hot cross buns are an Easter favourite in many areas. The tradition allegedly is derived from ancient Anglo-Saxons who baked small wheat cakes in honour of the springtime goddess, Eostre.  

Countries around the world serve sweet cakes in the same vein, such as Czech babobka and Polish baba. The Greeks and Portugese serve round, flat loaves marked with a cross and decorated with Easter eggs. Syrian and Jordanian Christians have honey pastries. 

Ingredients  ( make 12 to 15 )

350 ml milk,

50 g butter

500g strong bread flour

5 ml. salt

75g   sugar

15 ml. sunflower oil

7g fast-action

1 egg, beaten

75 g sultanas

50 g mixed peel zest 1 orange

1 apple, peeled, cored and finely chopped

 15 ml ground cinnamon

For the cross

75 g plain flour, plus extra for dusting

25 ml. water

For the glaze

50 ml. apricot jam

Method

1. Bring the milk to the boil, then remove from the heat and add the butter. Leave to cool until it reaches hand temperature. Put the flour, salt, sugar and yeast into a bowl. Make a well in the centre. Pour in the warm milk and butter mixture, then  add the egg. Using a wooden spoon, mix well, then bring everything together with your hands until you have a sticky dough.

2. Tip on to a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic. Put the dough in a lightly oiled bowl. Cover with oiled cling film and leave to rise in a warm place for 1 hr or until doubled in size and a finger pressed into it leaves a dent.

3. With the dough still in the bowl, tip in the sultanas, mixed peel, orange zest, apple and cinnamon. Knead into the dough, making sure everything is well distributed. Leave to rise for 1 hr more, or until doubled in size, again covered by some well-oiled cling film to stop the dough getting a crust.

4. Divide the dough into 15 even pieces (about 75 g per piece roll each piece into a smooth ball on a lightly floured work surface. Arrange the buns on one or two baking trays lined with parchment, leaving enough space for the dough to expand. Cover (but don’t wrap) with more oiled cling film, or a clean tea towel, then set aside to prove for 1 hr more.

5. Heat oven to 200C/220C 

6 .Mix the flour with about 25 ml. water to make the paste for the cross – add the water 5 ml. at a time, so you add just enough for a thick paste.

7. Spoon into a piping bag with a small nozzle. Pipe a line along each row of buns, then repeat in the other direction to create cross.  Bake for 20 min. until golden brown.

8. Gently heat the apricot jam to melt,  then sieve to get rid of any chunks. While the jam is still warm, brush over the top of the warm buns and leave to cool.

Pretzels

1 1/2package active dry yeast
1kg unbleached flour
350 ml. warm  water 1 large egg, beaten
5 ml. salt
1 dash coarse salt
5 ml. sugar

Method

1.Dissolve yeast in warm water.

2. Add salt and sugar to yeast mixture.

3. Blend in flour and knead dough until smooth, about 7 to 8 minutes.

4. Cover and let dough rise until double in bulk.

5. Punch down.

6. Cut dough into small pieces and roll into ropes.

7. Twist ropes into pretzel shapes and place on greased cookie sheet.

8. Using a pastry brush, brush pretzels with egg and sprinkle with coarse salt.

9. Allow pretzels to rise until almost double in bulk.

10. Bake at 195 C.

11. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until browned.

12. Best if eaten immediately.

13. if not, store in airtight container.

Baked Maple Syrup Ham (serves 6 to 8)

3 kg. Fully cooked bone in ham

125 ml Maple Syrup

50 ml. red wine vinegar

60 ml. Dijon mustard

40 ml. dry mustard

1. Preheat the oven to 165 degrees C.Trim excess fat off the ham and score in a diamond pattern with a sharp knife, making shallow cuts about 2 cm. Place in a roasting pan.

2. Roast for 30 minutes in the preheated oven. In a small bowl, mix together the maple syrup, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard and mustard powder.

3. When the 30 minutes are up, brush 1/3 of the glaze over the ham. Bake 20 minutes, and repeat twice with remaining glaze. Let the ham stand for 10 to 15 minutes before carving.

Rack of Lamb with Fresh Herbs and Garlic

Ingredients

10 garlic cloves, peeled

125 ml fresh mint leaves

125 ml fresh parsley leaves

75 fresh rosemary leaves (pulled from sprigs)

10 ml. coarsely ground black pepper

10 ml. herbs de Provence*

75 ml olive oil

3 - 600 to 750 gr well-trimmed racks of lamb (each with 8 bones)

Method

1. Combine first 6 ingredients in food processor. Blend until garlic is finely chopped. Add 50 ml. oil and blend until coarse paste forms. Sprinkle each lamb rack generously with salt. Transfer half of herb paste to small bowl and reserve. Spread remaining half of herb paste over lamb racks. Arrange lamb on rimmed baking sheet. Let stand at room temperature 2 hours.

2. Preheat oven to 210 C. Heat remaining oil in skillet over high heat. Place 1 lamb rack, meat side down, in skillet. Sear until golden, about 2 minutes; return to baking sheet, meat side up. Repeat with remaining lamb racks. Roast lamb until, about 20 minutes.

3. Transfer lamb to platter. Let stand 15 minutes. Mix any pan juices into reserved herb paste. Cut lamb between bones into individual chops. Serve with herb sauce.

True Canadian dessert for Easter OREO Cheesecake

INGREDIENTS

24 Oreo Cookies, divided

3 50 ml. butter, melted

750 gr   cream cheese, softened

200  gr  sugar

5 ml. vanilla

3 eggs

Method

1. Heat oven to 175 C.

2. Crush 16 cookies into fine crumbs; place in medium bowl. Add butter; mix well. Press onto bottom of 25 cm.springform pan.

3. Beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla in large bowl with mixer until well blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating after each just until blended. Chop or crush remaining cookies. Gently stir half the chopped cookies into cream cheese batter; pour over crust. Sprinkle with remaining chopped cookies.

4. Bake 45 min. or until centre is almost set. Run knife around rim of pan to loosen cake; cool before removing rim. Refrigerate cheesecake 4 hours.