Food at Easter
What you should be cooking over Easter…
Well, my answer to the above would be ‘anything you like!’ Happy Easter to you all and if you celebrate it in the true tradition then I hope your weekend is an enjoyable one.
I am not religeous so I avoid jumping on the bandwagon for something which, for many the meaning is lost on them. As a boy I remember Easter being quite an occasion both at home and at school and I do believe I enjoyed it. As time goes on it has become, I am sad to say not much more than an inconvinience, a busy weekend at work when everyone including all of your suppliers shut down except for you and a weekend of traffic jams and more often than not, lousy weather.
It has made me think about the role which food has to play in the Easter celebrations and the origins of some of our best loved Easter treats. The famous hot cross bun for example is typical of a food which has a real Christian meaning to its creation but rarely viewed as such in the modern world.
The hot cross bun is one of my favourite Easter treats, sticky, fruity and spicy with its pastry cross to represent the crucifixtion they are delicious toasted, buttered and served with a pot of tea. We used to eat them in school and there is a children’s song based upon the glorious bun which, along with the bun itself is no longer seen in many schools in England for fear of upsetting non Christians.
Simnel cake is another old English favourite eaten at Easter, similar to a Christmas cake it is made of dried fruits, marzipan, almond paste and spices with eleven marzipan balls to represent the apostles (Judas couldn’t have his cake!) served on top. Traditionally eaten on Mothering Sunday it dates back to Medieval times and is well worth a try.
Most famous of all has to be the decorated hard-boiled egg which, as legend would have it dates back to the Phoenecians who believed that night rather than day was the begining of everything and from the night came an egg which created love and the human race. As Easter approaches, the sun reaches the Equator so ending the long nights, the Phoenecians (are you still awake?) believed this symbolised the cracking of the primeval egg and the rebirth of mankind and the original idea behind Mork and Mindy!
I hope you have read this properly as there may be a test later. Whatever you do and eat this weekend I hope it’s a good one.
Miles,
We’ve had some decent and some very doughy hot cross buns over the years…. is there anyone who makes their own any more? I don’t seem to have enough marzipan for the cake and the apostles which is a hanging offence in this house… so looks like I’ll have to get more. Even at my advanced age, my father still buys me a chocolate egg… common sense dictates that it’s an overpriced sweetie but there’s something about the Easter treats that are so appealing. The chocolate shops in Belgium must be a picture at this time of year.
Cid
p.s. did the Phoenicians invent blinds?
March 21, 2008 @ 12:52 pm
Cid,
Good on your Father, mine’s too tight!!
Great to see you making a traditional cake and yes, the Phoenicians did indeed invent the blind, or they would have done if they knew how mankind would turn out
Miles
March 21, 2008 @ 4:07 pm
Miles,
I agree with you that one should eat whatever one wants to at Easter. My leanings tend to be towards either roast lamb or roast chicken. It seems to feel more ‘Easterish’.
We used to have wonderfully coloured eggs that were rubbed with a fatty bacon rind for an extra sheen.
Oh, those wonderful childhood days when one believed in easter bunnies and father christmas ~ ~
Elsie
March 21, 2008 @ 5:03 pm
Cid,
I have been to Brussels during Easter time, unbelievable. I took photographs just of the shop windows. Needless to say that the real belgian chocolates were very different to the ones we get here. Perhaps we should have a blog club outing in the name of research. Miles could be the cockrel and we the scatty hens - all in the seasonal spirit, you understand.
A friend of mine used to make hot cross buns and treat us to some. She always said that they took some making and has sadly stopped doing them.
On the Continent they bake cakes in bunny tins.
Elsie
March 21, 2008 @ 5:11 pm
2.6% fat sausages and couscous this end !
Happy Easter
Rod
March 21, 2008 @ 7:15 pm
Miles,
Easter to me means a holiday, toasted hot cross buns, a good roast dinner and plenty of good eggs.
Happy Easter to you and everyone.
Christine
March 21, 2008 @ 8:04 pm
All,
Some good points, thanks! whatever you eat I hope you enjoy it and if you live in England make sure it’s something warming!
Miles
March 21, 2008 @ 10:32 pm
Elsie,
On the run up to next Easter we should go to Brussels. There really should be a web site dedicated to confectionery shop windows during this time… I visited one in Holland last year and the image will be forever emblazoned across my mind
Cid
March 22, 2008 @ 11:30 am
Miles,
Wishing you and your happy band of followers, even disciples, a
VERY HAPPY EASTER
with wonderful food and colourful eggs, of course.
Elsie
March 23, 2008 @ 10:14 am