The Movable Feast of the Resurrection.

Easter is celebrated on the first Sunday following the first ecclesiastical full moon (the "Paschal Full Moon") that occurs on or after March 21 (the fixed spring equinox). This date is determined by lunar and solar cycles rather than a fixed calendar date, so Easter Sunday always falls between March 22 and April 25, and is considered a “movable feast”.

Easter is a major Christian holiday based on the resurrection of Jesus Christ three days after his crucifixion.  The primary source of historical information of this event is biblical, the New Testament, written by Christ’s apostles, Matthew, Mark, Luke, John.  There are other documents that mention the event, but not as highly written about than in the New Testament.   Early Christians celebrated the resurrection weekly; it was not until 325 ADE that an annual festival was formalized by the Council of Nicaea.  The name, Easter, came from Eostre (or Ostara), an Anglo-Saxon Pagan goddess of spring and fertility celebrated in April.  As Christianity spread, pagan traditions were incorporated to enable a smoother transition for the newly indoctrinated.

Two symbols of the pagan celebration are eggs and rabbits, definitely signifying fertility.  Painting eggs red symbolized the blood of Christ, with the shell representing the tomb. Rabbits, however, ended up becoming stew meat.  It was not until the 17^th century that German immigrants brought the tradition of the "Osterhase" (Easter Hare from German Protestant folklore) to America, a creature that laid eggs for well-behaved children to find in nests.

But, before the spread of Christianity, what did the followers of Christ, after his resurrection, serve at the weekly feasts? 

Roasted Lamb: The central dish, symbolizing Jesus's sacrifice, and his being the "Lamb of God" who takes away the sins of the world.

Baked Goods: Hot cross buns, often eaten on Good Friday, represent the crucifixion.

Bitter Herbs and Charoset: Reflecting the Passover roots of the celebration, these include herbs like horseradish, and a fruit/nut paste.

Stewed Beans/Legumes: A traditional, slow-cooked dish like cholent (bean stew).

Fish: Commonly eaten as part of the post-resurrection tradition.

Olives, Figs, and Herbs: Common staple foods of the region.

Eggs: As mentioned above.  The decorated types did not come about until the Easter Hare came to America.

 

Globally, foods used for the celebration changed due to what was available in the area.  Basically, though, it involves the slow-cooking of beef or lamb, with local vegetables, herbs, and, depending on the region, ingredients like red wine, beer, and/or spices.  The recipe I will share is one traditionally served in those earlier years, Cholent.

Cholent is a traditional, slow-cooked savory stew originating from Ashkenazi Jewish cuisine, designed to simmer overnight for 12–18 hours.  It features ingredients of either beef or lamb, potatoes, beans, barley, and onions, resulting in a rich, comforting flavor.

 

Cholent

Ingredients:

2 pounds medium red potatoes, peeled and halved  

2 small onions, chopped

3 lbs. beef roast, or lamb, cut into 2-inch pieces

1 cup dried chickpeas, soak for one hour in warm water, rinse

1/2 cup pearl barley, soak with chickpeas  

2 Tbsp. minced garlic

1-quart low sodium beef broth

2 cups water

1 Tbsp. kosher salt

1/2 tsp. ground black pepper 

1 and 1/2 tsps. paprika

1 and 1/2 tsps. turmeric

1 tsp. cumin

1 kishke - optional

Notes of Interest:

What is kishke? Kishke (or kishka) is a traditional Ashkenazi Jewish dish, often called "stuffed derma", consisting of beef or fowl intestines stuffed with a mixture of matzo meal, schmaltz (chicken fat), onion, celery, carrots, and seasonings.  

Is Jewish kishke and Scottish haggis the same?  While similar in concept and texture, they differ in ingredients: kishke typically uses flour/matzo meal and schmaltz, while traditional haggis uses sheep’s organ meat and oats.

Preparation:

In a 6-quart crock pot, begin layering the ingredients – potatoes, onions, meat, chickpeas/barley mix.  In a large bowl, mix together the garlic, beef broth, water and seasonings; pour evenly over ingredients in the crock pot.

Cover crock pot, set on low and let cook for 12-16 hours.

Optional cooking method: To cook this recipe in the oven, layer the ingredients in a large heavy -duty 8-quart Dutch oven. Make sure liquid just covers all ingredients. Cover with lid and cook at 200F for 12-16 hours.

Makes 12 servings.

 

 

While many families have the addition of Easter bread (bread braid with colored, hard-boiled eggs inserted where bread crosses) at their table, hot cross buns have a place of importance.  Hot cross buns, traditionally eaten on Good Friday, mark the end of Lent, with the cross representing the Crucifixion of Jesus. The spices symbolize those used to embalm Christ, while their history blends Christian symbolism with older pagan traditions honoring spring, rebirth, and fertility.

Religious Symbolism: The cross on top represents the cross on which Jesus died, and the spices represent the spices used in his burial. 

End of Lent: Traditionally, these buns were eaten to mark the end of the fasting season, as they were often made without dairy (before modern recipes).

Pagan Origins: The tradition predates Christianity, with Saxons baking buns marked with a cross to honor the goddess of spring, Eostre, representing the 4 seasons, or the rebirth of the world.

Folklore and Superstition: It was believed that hot cross buns baked on Good Friday would not mold for a year, would protect against fire (when hung in the kitchen), and bring good luck to sailors.

So, this year, while your family probably has its traditions, think about going back in time and prepare what might have been served during the Resurrection celebration then.  Think of it as a culinary education on what was eaten at that time, and why.

Mary Cokenour 

Feeling Welcomed at Iron Horse Pizza.

Iron Horse Pizza

400 S. Camino Del Rio, Unit B
Durango, CO, 81301

(970) 259-9089

Website: http://www.ironhorsepizza.com/

When we first entered Iron Horse, we were welcomed by Ryan; a very friendly and personable man. We later learned that he originally came from Florida, lived in a primarily Greek area and brought many of the recipes and cooking techniques with him to Iron Horse.

Iron Horse looks like a typical small restaurant, but while red or green diamond patterned tablecloths remind you of a Italian pizzeria, the murals on the wall speak of the Southwest. There is a patio area for outside seating, but what we noticed inside and out was that everyone was laughing, talking and having a good time. The atmosphere at Iron Horse emits good feeling and no one was fighting it.

The menu contains items such as Subs, Gyros, Stromboli, Calzones, Pasta and most especially, Pizza - Neapolitan (round) and Sicilian (square). There is also an extensive salad bar which you can order slices of pizzas with or without, or as a side. I wished I had read the menu a bit more carefully before ordering, as I would have certainly gotten the Sicilian, but we ended up ordering Gyros.

The Greek Gyro is loaded...loaded with thin slices of a beef and lamb mixture, freshly diced tomatoes, sliced onions, delicious gobs of feta cheese and a fabulous tzatziki sauce. Make sure to have plenty of napkins for the sauce runneth over, but is oh so yummy...fresh and delicious are the key words for this and....

the Chicken Gyro. The same ingredients as the Greek Gyro except for large slices of tender and juicy chicken. Oh, and the pita bread for both were warm and tender; delicious bread pillows indeed!

Definitely hit up Iron Horse Pizza if traveling through Durango, Colorado and can't decide where to eat; you will not regret the decision!

They do have specials and the current one we saw advertised was called "Four Corners Family Pizza Special", $35 for 6 sourdough knots, large bowl of salad, 14 inch pizza up to 4 toppings, 4 soft drinks or a 2 liter bottle - take out or dine in.  Save $15 off regular prices.

Mary Cokenour

Anticipating a new adventure with a wild creature.

Tomorrow, for the first time, I will be cooking and eating Elk.  I did attempt deer (venison) once, but it was a disaster.  The person who had given me the deer meat did not give me any instruction on preparing it.   In my ignorance, I killed the poor beast once again.  I expect this new attempt at serving a wild animal to come out much better.  The gentleman, an avid hunter, who had given me the Elk meat, gave me very good instructions on preparing the meat.  I just happen to have a mushroom and onion gravy recipe that I’ll pair with the steaks; making it, of course, in the same pan the steaks are cooked in.

So Charlie, thank you so much for giving me the tools (Elk meat) to jump into this new adventure, and I hope I do you proud.  Of course I’ll be writing about the results in another blog post; that way everyone will know how I did.

Actually, I’m not surprised that I’m going to attempt this; let’s face the truth, I’m a carnivore for the most part.  Vegetables are side dishes that are way off to the side, but I do love potatoes: mashed, boiled, roasted, fried, baked, and any other way they can be cooked up.   Yeppers, a real meat and potatoes woman am I.

One of my favorite meals is either Shepherd’s Pie or Cottage Pie.  Now you may have heard of Shepherd’s Pie which is made with ground lamb, but did you know that its counterpart is actually made with ground beef, so called Cottage Pie?  I have made, and enjoyed both, and can say I do not prefer one over the other.  The origin for both is vague; the Irish, Scottish and English all say they came up with it first, and that is one debate I intend to stay out of.

Traditionally, either pie is made with white or Yukon Gold potatoes, but sweet potatoes can give the dish an entirely different flavor.  No matter which kind of potato is used, Shepherd’s and Cottage Pies will be the quintessential comfort food.

Traditional Shepherd’s Pie/Cottage Pie

Shepherd’s Pie is made with lamb, while Cottage Pie is made with beef; all the remaining ingredients are the same for both.

Ingredients:

The filling:

2 ½ lbs. ground lamb or beef (depending on which pie is being made)

1 large onion, diced

1-4 oz can mushrooms, diced

2 Tbsp tomato sauce or ketchup

2 Tbsp. Worcester sauce

1-16 oz bag frozen peas and carrots

1 Tbsp each crushed dry thyme and marjoram

1 tsp pepper

2 Tbsp. flour

1 cup beef stock

The topping:

6 large potatoes, peeled and cut up

4Tbsp butter

1/2 cup milk
6 Tbsp grated parmesan cheese

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

Paprika 

Preparation:

In a large skillet, high heat, brown the meat and drain excess oil.  Add the onion and mushrooms, letting cook till the onion softens.  Add tomato and Worcester sauces, frozen vegetables, herbs, pepper, flour and beef stock; mix thoroughly and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to low and let simmer for 15 minutes.

While meat mixture is simmering, boil the potatoes in salted water until tender.  Drain and mash the potatoes, add butter, milk, grated cheese and pepper to the potatoes.

Preheat oven to 375F.  In a 3 quart rectangular baking dish, spread 1/2 potatoes on bottom of baking dish; spread out the meat mixture; top with the other 1/2 of potatoes; sprinkle paprika over top.  Bake for 30-40minutes; potatoes should be lightly browned, and the pie heated thoughout.

Makes 8 – 10 servings.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ and now for something completely different~~~~~~~~~

Sweet Potato Shepherd’s Pie

This recipe was chosen and featured in the Better Homes and Gardens Magazine, March 1999 issue.  It also appeared in the Better Homes and Gardens “Annual Recipes” cookbook, 1999.

Ingredients:

2 lbs sweet potatoes

¼ cup milk

½ tsp each salt, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg

2 lbs lean ground lamb

1 cup sliced mushrooms

1 cup chopped red onion

1/3 cup dry red wine

1 Tbsp snipped fresh savory

1 tsp finely shredded orange peel

½ tsp ground cinnamon  

Preparation:

Peel and cut up sweet potatoes.  Cook in a small amount of boiling water, just enough to cover, for 20-25 minutes, or until tender; drain.  Mash potatoes; add milk, salt, ½ tsp cinnamon and nutmeg; set aside.

Preheat oven to 350F.  In a large skillet, cook lamb, mushrooms and onion together until there is no longer any pink to the lamb meat; drain excess fat.  Stir in wine and savory; cook for 1 additional minute and remove from heat.

Spray a 2 quart casserole dish with nonstick spray.  Spread 2/3 of the mashed sweet potatoes over the bottom and up the sides of the dish.  Fill center with lamb mixture; top with remaining 1/3 of potatoes, spreading evenly over filling and to edges of dish.  Bake for 20 minutes; sprinkle orange peel and remaining ½ tsp cinnamon over top; bake an additional 15 minutes.

Makes 6-8 servings.

Mary Cokenour     December 9, 1995