Easter plans?

I'll probably end up doing Chinese red-cooked chicken for Easter this year.

-Paul W.

Friday, I'll bake our traditional Easter pies - one, a sweet pie made with cooked wheat, the other, a pizza rustica containing chopped up salame and ricotta chesses. Those are traditional, and eaten not so much on Easter but around it.

I'm making what John is making. I've got the wheat soaking for the wheat pie. And I'll be making pizza chiena (pizza rustica) on Saturday.

I had to mail order the soft spring wheat from an organic farm in Washington as Whole Foods around here doesnt carry it (like they do in MA).

1. Sleep in.
2. Get a chance to see wife for a change (she's a CPA).
3. Might bake a ham.
4. Edit a ms written by and about a bipolar disorder person.
5. Hopefully, drink wine and/or other adult beverages.

I had a different idea for this year:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7305522.stm

Tough to eat M&Ms with the holes in my hands, though.

Well I guess it would make sense to practice good hygiene and get tetanus shots before crucifying oneself.


Big event for our weekend is the older daughter getting baptized, confirmed, and first communion Saturday night. Haven't really thought about what we'll do on Sunday.

For those of you cooking/baking for Easter, what are you planning on making? Are you going to try anything new this year or will you be sticking with tradition? Any interesting wine with your meal?

Prime rib with a crushed pepper/garlic/thyme crust
Yorkshire pudding
grilled asparagus
glazed carrots
tossed salad (field greens, dried cranberries, grape tomatoes, bleu cheese, slivered almonds)

will probably have either a Malbec or Grenache, but haven't decided for certain (leaning Malbec). Will talk to the wine expert at the store for her input.

I'm working most of the day and the menu isn't completely set. But, I'm thinking about a rack of lamb (maybe the rosemary-scallion crusted version) and spaetzle with asparagus and mushrooms.

Big event for our weekend is the older daughter getting baptized, confirmed, and first communion Saturday night.

Mike,

Congrats to you and your family! It is nice to hear about people still doing that kind of stuff these days.

Hopefully your daughter will fare better than I did when it comes to first communion gifts. My gift was a heavy brown scratchy wool hand-knit cardigan from my Grandmother. It had "DAVID" embroidered on the breast and suede patches on the elbows. One sleeve was approximately two inches longer than the other sleeve and the buttons did not align up with the button holes.

I only learned later in life that one of her hobbies was knitting. Knitting while drinking Gin.

Big event for our weekend is the older daughter getting baptized, confirmed, and first communion Saturday night.

Mike,

Congrats to you and your family! It is nice to hear about people still doing that kind of stuff these days.

Hopefully your daughter will fare better than I did when it comes to first communion gifts. My gift was a heavy brown scratchy wool hand-knit cardigan from my Grandmother. It had "DAVID" embroidered on the breast and suede patches on the elbows. One sleeve was approximately two inches longer than the other sleeve and the buttons did not align up with the button holes.

I only learned later in life that one of her hobbies was knitting. Knitting while drinking Gin.

Thanks, Dave! This is all something that she decided to do on her own. Hard for me to understand as I was never much for church-related stuff at her age, but it's a good chance to get family together and such.

For those of you cooking/baking for Easter, what are you planning on making? Are you going to try anything new this year or will you be sticking with tradition? Any interesting wine with your meal?

Prime rib with a crushed pepper/garlic/thyme crust
Yorkshire pudding
grilled asparagus
glazed carrots
tossed salad (field greens, dried cranberries, grape tomatoes, bleu cheese, slivered almonds)

will probably have either a Malbec or Grenache, but haven't decided for certain (leaning Malbec). Will talk to the wine expert at the store for her input.

On the recommendation of the wine expert am going with La Crema Pinot Noir (2005 Sonoma Coast) with my prime rib

I'm going to get Neil to shoot an Easter bunny.

Yup, bunny seems to suit the occasion - maybe with double risen rolls...

I bagged a bunny intended for the pot last year in my garden, but as I was standing there holding the miscreant by the ears, a small voice from next door cried out "Oh look Mommy, that man found Fluffy" and I couldn't figure out how not to hand the varmint over. Damn - figured I'd have got 4 keychain fobs out of it, all lucky!

Plans have changed. Neil's not keen on shooting the bunnies, not that any of them are named 'Fluffy'.
So it's now rack of lamb with mushroom risotto.

For those of you cooking/baking for Easter, what are you planning on making? Are you going to try anything new this year or will you be sticking with tradition? Any interesting wine with your meal?

I'm going to get Neil to shoot an Easter bunny.
I saw this program, 'The Wild Gourmets', with Thomasina Miers (winner of Master Chef in the UK). She shot her bunny, then hung it, then just ripped the loin fillets out and cooked them (but I can't remember how).
Seeing we have rabbits running rampant at the moment, it seems a good way to deal with one of then. That is, if Neil agrees.
Not sure what wine will go will Easter bunny. Depends how it is cooked. Will have to experiment.

Sue,

After seeing pictures of birds in your backyard, and noting how different they are from what is in mine, I would love to see what a NZ bunny looks like. I am thinking it might have purple fur with yellow ears.

After seeing pictures of birds in your backyard, and noting how different they are from what is in mine, I would love to see what a NZ bunny looks like. I am thinking it might have purple fur with yellow ears.

Nothing as exciting as that, Bob. The wild rabbits are the European rabbit.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Rabbit

There is a NZ white rabbit, but it was 'bred' and doesn't run wild unless it escapes from its cage. It is quite likely to have a name like 'Fluffy'.

Sue, can you eat your wild rabbits ? I'd be afraid of the myxomatosis.

For those of you cooking/baking for Easter, what are you planning on making? Are you going to try anything new this year or will you be sticking with tradition? Any interesting wine with your meal?

Prime rib with a crushed pepper/garlic/thyme crust
Yorkshire pudding
grilled asparagus
glazed carrots
tossed salad (field greens, dried cranberries, grape tomatoes, bleu cheese, slivered almonds)

will probably have either a Malbec or Grenache, but haven't decided for certain (leaning Malbec). Will talk to the wine expert at the store for her input.

Yum! I'm a prime rib freak. Your menu looks so good, I was wondering if we could switch Edies for the day.

Sue, can you eat your wild rabbits ? I'd be afraid of the myxomatosis.

I've never heard of myxomatosis being a problem here.
But just thought I better check, regardless.
Evidently it was introduced here in 1952 to try and control the problem, but the virus didn't have a vector and didn't take off. Bunnies are now the second biggest pests, after possums. They are a big problem in the South Island.

Sue, can you eat your wild rabbits ? I'd be afraid of the myxomatosis.

Celia,

I'm pretty sure that you'd only have reason to worry if you were a rabbit.

Here in NM, you'd worry about the plague. In fact, our state has an informal motto: Home of the flea; Land of the plague.

Yum! I'm a prime rib freak. Your menu looks so good, I was wondering if we could switch Edies for the day.

Do you know an Edie? I've only met 1 or 2 others in my 52 years.

Sue, can you eat your wild rabbits ? I'd be afraid of the myxomatosis.

Celia,

I'm pretty sure that you'd only have reason to worry if you were a rabbit.

Thanks, that's good to know ! And welcome to the forum, by the way !

Celia

Thanks Celia!