Slashfood

Feast Your Eyes: Orthodox Easter eggs

Marisa McClellan — 2008-05-07T08:04:00+00:00

Filed under: Eggs, Easter, Feast Your Eyes

Easter, both the mainstream and Orthodox ones have come and gone, leaving behind honest-to-God Spring (at least where I am. I hear tell that it's already Summer in some places). However, when I spotted this picture in the Slashfood Flickr pool, the colors and patterns caught my attention and spoke to me.

When I was growing up, my mom had a bowl of wooden eggs that were carved and painted. I loved to play with them, but wasn't allowed particularly often, as they were old and the paint was a bit flaky. They looked just like these Easter eggs.

Thanks Andreea, for adding your image to the pool and for giving me a brief trip in my childhood memories.

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Seitan Roulade

Ellen Slattery — 2008-03-29T15:30:00+00:00

Filed under: Vegetables, Recipes, Raves & Reviews, On the Blogs, Vegetarian/Vegan, Easter

Who ever said Easter feasts required big, slow-roasted birds? The creative folks behind What the hell does a vegan eat, anyway? featured a gorgeous seitan roulade for their holiday entree.

Like good vegans, they made their own seitan, the old-fashioned way - no store-bought stuff for them! If you're feeling ambitious (and have some time on your hands), the seitan recipe is here.

After making and rolling out the seitan, it was filled with mushrooms and kale, rolled up, and baked for 25 minutes at 350 degrees F. The best part? Instead of twine, they used these cute reusable silicone ties to secure the roulade while it baked. They added some mushroom gravy at the end, which looked great, but I'm sure it tastes delicious plain, as well. Although if you're not gonna eat gravy with Easter dinner, when are you gonna eat gravy? Just sayin', is all.

My dream is that these lovely people will welcome me into their home and adopt me and offer to cook for me every night. But until that happens, I'll just keep featuring their awesome recipes.

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Prosciutto-wrapped and roasted - I'll never eat asparagus another way

Sarah J. Gim — 2008-03-25T18:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Vegetables, Pork, How To, Meat, Easter

Speaking of asparagus...Most often, asparagus makes its springtime appearance in The Delicious household simply steamed with a little bit of salt and occasionally, in an omelet or frittata.

However, I will never go back to simple steaming of asparagus, nor to hiding them inside a mask of eggs after having them wrapped in slices of prosciutto and roasted. I realize, of course, that this is not a wildly innovative technique, but it is the first time I've done it and tasted it.

Now different recipes call for slightly different methods -- blanching the asparagus first, tossing them with olive oil, etc. -- but there is no need. Just trim the woody ends, wrap 3-4 stems in prosciutto, and roast in a 400 degree oven for about 15 minutes. There's no need for oil since the prosciutto's fat will render onto the baking tray, and the salty meat is enough with the asparagus.

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Grilled Lamb and Asparagus Pitas with Tzatziki

Sarah J. Gim — 2008-03-25T16:30:00+00:00

Filed under: Vegetables, Dairy, Recipes, How To, Meat, Easter

There are several standard ways I use up leftovers: an omelet the next morning, fried rice, and of course, just re-heating whatever it was, and eating it as is.

Another thing to do is make a sandwich, and if you have leftover lamb and asparagus from Easter Sunday, throwing them together with a little bit of yogurt-turned-tzatziki makes a great pita-bread-based sandwich. Of course, in my house, we didn't actually have lamb (we didn't have a traditional ham either), and asparagus on the table gets eaten before the salad is served.

Without the leftovers to make the pitas, the only other thing to do is -- gasp! -- actually cook the meal! The California Asparagus Commission has put together a recipe (after the jump), along with a whole list of recipes for asparagus on their website.

Continue reading Grilled Lamb and Asparagus Pitas with Tzatziki

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Angelled Eggs for those leftover Easter eggs

Sarah J. Gim — 2008-03-25T13:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Eggs, Easter

If you peeled your colored Easter eggs and stored them in the refrigerator in cold water, they're probably still good to eat, but how many hard boiled eggs can one eat?!?!

I can eat a lot. I love eggs, particularly hard-boiled ones, which I could pop all day long at my desk. Unfortunately, while eggs aren't bad for me, like everything else, too much of those luscious yolks isn't a good thing. Sunday afternoon, we transformed our hard-boiled eggs into "angelled" eggs, like devilled eggs, but not as, uh, evil. Instead of the usual mayonnaise/yolk filling (double does of fat!) we filled half of them with avocado (basically a guacamole minus the cilantro and chopped onions) and the other half with the usual devilled egg mixture, replacing the mayonnaise with fat-free plain yogurt.

Yes, we probably ate two dozen eggs that way.

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Asparagus for Easter

Marisa McClellan — 2008-03-24T12:01:00+00:00

Filed under: Vegetables, Real Kitchens, Easter

Last week, I hinted at my love of asparagus. This weekend I finally got to indulge myself and eat this springtime veggie until I was sated (at least for the time-being). It was on sale at a local grocery stores for $1.48 a pound and I bought three big bunches. Trimming off the woody ends, I tossed the stalks with olive oil, salt, pepper and lots of chopped garlic and roasted it in a 400 degree oven until they were tender. I ate one piece as soon as I pulled the pan out of the oven, standing over the stove, burning my fingers as blew on the tip, trying to cool it down enough to ingest.

The rest got piled into a loaf pan for easy transportation to the home of friends for an Easter lunch. Lucky for me, there were some leftovers, so late last night, I ate the rest straight out of the pan, at room temperature. I went to bed smelling of garlic but feeling totally satisfied with the amount of asparagus I had consumed.

Roasting is by far my favorite way to prepare asparagus. What's your preferred method for cooking this spring-y vegetable?

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Got leftover Easter eggs? Try these recipes

Emily Matchar — 2008-03-24T09:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Recipes, On the Blogs, Eggs, Easter

Heidi over at 101 Cookbooks has thoughtfully rounded up some of her favorite egg recipes, just in case you have any left over from Easter weekend dying projects. Recipes include: a potato onion frittata with cilantro chile sauce; curried egg salad with yogurt, curry powder, pecans, and chopped apples; baked eggs with cherry tomatoes, garlic and olive oil; and poached eggs with chard over rice.

One of my favorite egg dishes is strata, a casserole of egg, chunks of slightly stale bread, cheese, and any vegetables you like (I favor artichoke hearts and roasted red peppers). Here's a recipe for an easy spinach and cheese strata, which will take up nine of your leftover eggs. Any egg favorites of your own?

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Food Porn Daily: Hot cross buns

Marisa McClellan — 2008-03-24T08:01:00+00:00

Filed under: Food Porn, On the Blogs, Easter

Now, I know that Easter is over, but I'm a sucker for vintage recipes, so this image of hot cross buns taken with the old cookbook in the back caught my eye. I've never thought of taking a picture of a finished food product in front of the recipe, but having seen this, I'm definitely going to give it a shot. This image comes to us from Flickr user You Can Count on Me, and you can find the recipe over at her blog, Everybody Likes Sandwiches.

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Easter traditions demystified

Shayna Glick — 2008-03-23T10:52:00+00:00

Filed under: Eggs, Holidays, Easter

I can't believe it's Easter already. Time is just flying. Did you get the eggs decorated and hidden? Did the Easter Bunny leave a basket for all the kids? I remember as a kid that my favorite part of the holiday was the Easter egg hunt in the back yard. My dad would hide them all several times so we could have multiple hunts, and boy did he ever find some creative hiding places!

We have all of these traditions for Easter, but do you know where they came from? I surely could not answer that question until recently. I came across this really neat web page that explains the origins of several Easter traditions, such as where the Easter Bunny came from and why we decorate eggs. If you're interested in finding out the why's and wherefores of our Easter activities, you should check this out!

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Need some ideas on what to drink with your Easter chocolates?

Shayna Glick — 2008-03-22T16:01:00+00:00

Filed under: Wine, Beer, Chocolate, Cocktails, Newspapers, Easter

Are you going to have chocolate, lots and lots of delicious chocolate, on Easter? Not everyone does, and that's ok. But if you are, what are you planning on drinking with it? Obviously the kids won't be indulging, but I say what's wrong with an Easter cocktail.

The only problem with that is sometimes its hard to pair chocolate with beverages other than wine. Wine does generally go superbly with most chocolates, but you'd be surprised to find out that beer can be a great pairing as well. Maybe a nice brandy with that chocolate bunny might be nice. You'd probably have to play around with pairings, but I suggest you do that before Easter Sunday. However, here is something that might help. This article on pairing chocolate with different beverages offers a short list of sure fire matches.

Perhaps you're not planning on gourmet chocolates this year, but it's something to think about all the same. After the kids have crashed from the sugar high and been sent to bed, you may be planning on helping them get rid of the candy. A nice glass of wine, or beer, might be the perfect companion for those chocolate eggs!

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Easter bunny cake for a weekend project

Shayna Glick — 2008-03-22T12:01:00+00:00

Filed under: Dessert, Baking, On the Blogs, Holidays, Easter

Well, tomorrow is Easter already. I know that the grocery stores are full to overflowing with candy and baked goods for the holiday. That's nice, but wouldn't it be fun to make your own Easter cake, especially if you have young children around?

Victoria over at Candy Addict remembered making this cake in a Home Economics class and thought it would be nice to share. It was very nice of her to share: thanks Victoria! She goes through the process step by step, with lots of pictures, and even provides a shopping list.

If you have kids running around, or you just have a fondness for really cute cakes, this might be a fun project for the holiday weekend. If not, hopefully you'll get a smile out of it.

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Food Porn Daily: Jumbo eggs

Marisa McClellan — 2008-03-21T08:02:00+00:00

Filed under: Food Porn, Eggs, Easter

Ah, pastel tinged egg salads and deviled eggs, how freakish and lovely they are! As you may know, we are thick in the middle of Easter egg dyeing season and so I thought I'd post a fun, vibrant and appealing image of how one person chose to present her eggs a couple of years ago. I didn't actually think that I would be dyeing eggs this year, but I got an email just yesterday afternoon from some friends, inviting us over on Sunday afternoon to have dinner and tint some hardboiled eggs. I'm really looking forward to it!

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The Philadelphia Inquirer in 60 seconds: Easter, tuna and fancy chocolate

Marisa McClellan — 2008-03-20T17:02:00+00:00

Filed under: Newspapers, Eggs, in sixty seconds, Easter

Tweak your Easter meal into a meaningful celebration of spring, rebirth and renewal with these recipes for Parsi Deviled Eggs, Fall-Apart Lamb Shanks With Almond-Chocolate Picada, Chopped Greens, Carrot and Dill Salad with Yogurt Dressing, Smashed Greek Potatoes and Chocolate Malted Pudding With Marshmallows and Coconut.
The food section editors take on a canned tuna taste test, in order to determine what is the best flavor bang for your buck.
Columnist Rick Nichols offers a particularly lovely column about finding a replace for the beloved wooden bowl he broke during a kitchen remodel.
The Rush Hour Gourmet throws together a Moroccan Vegetable Ragout in a hurry.
Local restaurants struggle with rising food costs, the Market Basket is full of sweets and spring-y products and Table Talk is chock full of local restaurant gossip.

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Food Porn Daily: Easter cookie perspective

Marisa McClellan — 2008-03-19T13:02:00+00:00

Filed under: Food Porn, Candy, Easter

Oh, the sugar frenzy of Easter. There's nothing better than the gluttonous orgy of sweets and baked goods that happens around this time of year. I know that other holidays also worth at the foot of the sugar god, but I feel like every year, Easter is first in line to pay its respects. I feel like the cookies in this image (by Flickr user ebachetti) are a great example of the this lovely seasonal indulgence.

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Fat foodies, Easter baking, camel milk cheese: The New York Time Dining & Wine section in 60 seconds

Emily Matchar — 2008-03-19T08:30:00+00:00

Filed under: East Coast, Restaurants, Recipes, Newspapers, America, in sixty seconds, Easter

After years of appreciative eating, culinary writers, chefs and other professional foodies get...fat. How do you lose 50 pounds when eating (pork belly, crème brûlée, Camembert) is your job?

Frank Bruni wraps up his tour of his favorite new American restaurants with Ubuntu in Napa and O Ya in Boston.

A roundup of European Easter baked goods: Swiss custard tarts, Finnish rye and wheat bread, current-studded English cakes, Italian pizza al formaggio and more.

Leftover tom yum soup inspires the invention of a coconut fish stew.

Wine critic Eric Asimov discusses Chinon reds from the Loire Valley.

The Minimalist does apple cake soaked in bourbon.

Cow, sheep, goat...camel? Try Caravane, a Brie-like camel milk cheese made in Mauritania

Looking for holiday dinner ideas? A selection of Easter recipes, new and old.

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Make your own egg dyes

Ellen Slattery — 2008-03-18T17:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Recipes, How To, Easter

This month, Plenty Magazine offered a recipe for a Do-It-Yourself egg dye for all of you who are worried about the chemicals in those Paas packs. But Paas are overrated anyway, right? I mean, the little stickers never change, and does anyone really use those colored shrink wraps?

Natural dye (makes four cups of dye per color):

Mix the following in a pot:

-1 Tbsp. spice or herbal tea, or four cups of chopped fruit or veggies (see below for specific colors)
-4 cups water
-2 Tbsp. white vinegar

Bring to a boil, then simmer for at least 15 minutes (leave longer for a darker shade).
Then, dip your eggs!

To get those pretty colors:

Pink/red: pomegranate juice, red onion skins, beets, rhubarb, cranberries, raspberries
Orange: yellow onion skins, paprika, saffron
Yellow: orange or lemon peels, carrot tops or skins, celery seed, ground cumin or turmeric
Green: spinach
Blue: red cabbage, canned blueberries or blueberry juice, blackberries, grape juice

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AOL Food demystifies chocolate Easter bunnies

Marisa McClellan — 2008-03-18T15:06:00+00:00

Filed under: Chocolate, Candy, Easter

Chocolate Easter bunnies are a tough call. They look cute peeking out over the edge of an Easter basket, but they aren't always made with the best chocolate and sometimes they are full of creme, caramel or marshmallow fluff. Which one to buy?

The editors over at AOL Food have devised a way to help you out of your bunny conundrum. They've lopped the ears off of dozens of chocolate bunnies (which all cost $10 or less), searching for the best and worst of the confectionary menagerie. Head over to their slideshow to see more!

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Food Porn Daily: Fond 'o fondant

Marisa McClellan — 2008-03-18T08:05:00+00:00

Filed under: Food Porn, Candy, Easter

This next Sunday is Easter and no holiday basket is complete without a Cadbury Creme Egg or two rounding out the assortment of jelly beans, malted eggs and gummy treats. With so many formerly seasonal foods and candies now available year round, there is something special and appealing about a treat, no matter how sickeningly sweet, that is only available for a few weeks a year. My sister and I used to be allowed to have only one of these a year and we would make them last for days, nibbling at the chocolate and lapping at the fondant before sealing them up in plastic containers to save for the following day's snack time.

This picture comes to us from Flickr user Fuzuoko and is a delicious representation of the classic Easter candy. Makes me want to run out to the drugstore for one right now!

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Easter cake blog event

Shayna Glick — 2008-03-14T11:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Baking, On the Blogs, Easter

Well, Easter is almost here. Sure it's a little early this year, but everyone seems to be getting into the spirit of things. If you're into cakes and decorating you may be planning on doing an Easter themed cake. Well you can put that cake to good use and enter it into a blog event this month for just such confections.

A Slice of Cherry pie is collecting entries for Easter cakes. Just make your cake, post about it, and send the info to the host by March 31 at 9AM. You can get all the details here.

They'll do a nice Easter-y round up and choose a winner. So make up your most creative Easter cakes and share!

[Via Is My Blog Burning]

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Celebrate Easter with Lidia Bastianich

Ellen Slattery — 2008-03-13T18:35:00+00:00

Filed under: Dinner, Recipes, On the Blogs, Comfort Food, Braising, Holidays, Celebrities, Easter

Lidia Bastianich has long been one of my favorite chefs. This may seem strange, given my ardent vegetarianism (and gradual shift toward veganism) and her propensity for meat dishes, but I believe that a good chef is more than just the dishes they create. Presence, skills, and love of food are what separate a good chef from a great one.

Bastianich has the presence and authority of an accomplished chef, while still managing to maintain that grandmotherly charm. She's a strong woman (mother, breast-cancer survivor) who has taught people of the likes of Mario Batali, yet she is never boastful or arrogant - just confident and knowledgeable.

My favorite of her tv episodes are the ones where she makes her own pasta, expertly making little nests with the dough, dropping the egg into the center, and kneading until she winds up with a fresh, doughy ball of goodness. Watching her make gnocchi is great fun - she gently twists tiny pieces of dough into the perfect shapes, all while chatting to the camera.

So, obviously, I was thrilled to find Epicurious's "Easter with Ease" section, featuring what Bastianich does best: traditional Italian food with a fresh twist. From braised artichokes with pecorino for the veggies to braised lamb shoulder for the carnivores (and a decadent-sounding Limoncello tiramisu for dessert with a whopping pound of mascarpone cheese), she's got it all covered.

But you don't have to celebrate Easter to enjoy this food - make these recipes anytime!

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