Easter Eats

The Easter season is always a time to remember, creating new traditions while honoring the old ones. I’ve collected three Easter recipes for your family gathering this year. Wish I could find a photo of an Easter at my sister-in laws. No recipe, just the photo.

It’s what every hostess dreads. All things considered, it actually all worked. Let me explain. We always spend Easter with my husband Dan’s family. My sister-in-law, our hostess, sticks to her go-to recipes when serving the Easter crowd. Staples include ham, lasagna, green beans with brown butter sauce and scalloped potatoes.

Planning a large party is easier when you prepare your signature dishes, that is until the lasagna takes a tumble out of the oven. Dinner disaster salvage plan 101. The lasagna slid out of the pan onto the open door of the oven. The oven door was clean and one can’t very well put the lasagna back into the pan and pretend it didn’t happen. I suggested a trifle bowl and guests were none the wiser. There was so much food on the table and everyone is always happy to see pasta that no one gave the presentation a second thought. That’s the photo I wish I had.

When I think of the Easter foods of my youth I remember the Tsoureki, Greek Sweet bread. I recently spent time in Vasso Papavasilion’s kitchen, a stand holder at the Lancaster Central Market. She makes an amazing Tsoureki and she shared her recipe and memories with me. http://www.phoebespurefood.com/kitchen-vasso/ I also remember the deeply red dyed eggs, signifying the blood of Christ. Then there was the egg tapping game, tsougrisma. One holds a hard-boiled egg and taps their opponent's egg with the intent of cracking the other’s egg and not their own. The one with the last whole egg is the lucky winner!

I met a rather wonderful gal who loves to cook. Susan Goodwin, a Mohnton resident, sources her recipes from family and a faithful cookbook collection. Everything she makes is amazing. Susan excels at serving great dishes by preparing meals she has mastered. One of those preparations is her grandmother’s nut roll recipe, Kolacki. Aunt Helen, her father’s sister, raised three boys and made batches of loaves five at a time. Those boys could eat!

Susan admires her aunt, who at 78 heads to the gym three to four times a week (she puts me to shame, quite honestly). Aunt Helen still prepares baked goods, sending them to her boys for their families to enjoy. “She cooked ‘simple’ meals, but can still bake and make our ‘Slovak' foods,” says Susan. Aunt Helen is cooking for one since the loss of her husband, but she still enjoys it. I’ve never met her but I’m wondering . . . is there a spare nut roll in Aunt Helen’s freezer right now? I think so!

This recipe may be a bit intensive for a beginning baker, but worth the effort. If you just prefer to pick-up handmade nut rolls, mark your calendar for the April 12th and 13th Egg and Art Show at LaSalle Academy, an extension of Susan’s church. The event runs from 11am to 4pm at LaSalle Academy, 440 Holland St., Shillington. In addition to nut rolls, you will find more cultural savories and sweets.

http://www.eggandartshow.com

“The smell of cabbage is in the air at La Salle Academy! Homemade Haluski, loaded with handmade dough, chopped cabbage and other secret ingredients. Pierogies by the dozens! Cabbage rolls, stuffed with the finest ground meat, rice and spices, smothered in a rich tomato sauce. Authentically made Italian wedding soup… hot, steamy and ready to go. Homemade Polish Sauerkraut with all the traditional ingredients. Locally made Polish Kielbasa, smoked to perfection. Traditional Nut rolls made to perfection and offered in various flavors. Traditional, authentic food at its best!” - LaSalle Academy

Nut Roll (Kolacki)

makes 5 loaves

Ingredients for the dough:

- 1 ounce yeast cake

- 1 pint warm milk

- 1 cup plus 1 Tablespoon sugar

- 8 cups flour

- 1 cup softened butter

- 4 eggs, creamed

Ingredients for the nut filling:

- milk and 1 small jar of honey

- 5 pounds ground nuts

- 1 1/2 cups sugar

- 4 egg whites, beaten to peaks

Ingredients for the poppy filling:

- 1/2 pound poppy seed

- 1 lemon, juiced and rind

- 1/2 cup sugar

- milk and 1 small jar of honey

Prepare the dough:

1. Crumble the yeast cake into a bowl and add warmed milk. Add 1 cup flour and sugar, whisking to combine. Set aside for about 1 hour to rise.

1. To the milk mixture combine butter, remaining cup of sugar and 4 creamed eggs. Combine the remaining 7 cups of flour.

1. Knead for 30 minutes or until dough stands away from the hand/is not sticky. Add more flour if needed. Set aside until the batter doubles in size, a good hour.

Prepare the filling and rolls:

1. Combine equal parts milk and honey until it is of the consistency to spread. Mix all nut filling ingredients and divide into five equal portions.

1. Divide the dough into five equal portions.

1. Roll dough out and spread on filling, roll up and place on cookie sheet.

1. Repeat with four remaining portions.

1. Brush the tops of each loaf with a beaten egg.

1. Place rolls in a warm place to rest 15 minutes prior to baking. It will add a bit of “fluff.”

1. Bake for 30 minutes in a 350-degree preheated oven.

If freezing rolls for later, allow to cool, wrap in plastic wrap and freeze.

It should not go without saying the mystery spice pack, requiring only water, offered with your Easter ham should probably never be used. Insert drum roll for a simple and must-have sauce to serve with your Easter ham . . . a 15-minute Raisin Sauce. This recipe comes straight from the Easter family table of Robyn Jones, publisher of Berks County Living. Robyn says, “Easter just wouldn’t be the same in my family without raisin sauce for the ham. It is delicious!” If you know Robyn, you know this is a must-try. I trust her food judgment and not so much the “just add water” sauce.