We almost always remember the holidays celebrated with our nearest and dearest...
"Oh, right, that was the year that [fill in your happiest/most frightening family story!]..."
Here are two of This Old Chef's Easter memories... with recipes!
A Comforting Post-Surgical Southern Easter 2016
(That was the year Charlie had his hip replaced...)
He was home from the hospital... safely... using a walker, but home!
And it was Good Friday.
So I thought, for Sunday, it would be kind to do a vaguely Southern Comfort Easter Dinner. We had:
A hickory-smoked Carando ham - our favorite grocery store ham - just ditch the packet of glaze...
http://carando.com/recipes/glazed-spiral-ham
After taking the ham out to rest, I deglazed the roasting pan with a splash of white wine. This is less a gravy and more of a "moistener." Be aware: because it's ham, this sauce is very, very salty, so use just a bit... Or, if you want a lot, you'll need to add some unsalted chicken stock, or water, or even cream... Just be aware of the salt level!
Also, some delicious, long-simmered (in chicken stock with onions and smoked salt) lima beans...
Gratin of potatoes and Gruyère...
https://thisoldchef.com/blogs/blog-recipes/posts/happy-easter-ham-potatoes-au-gratin-and-asparagus
Harriet's cornbread...
He still couldn't drink, so we had sparkling cider, compliments of our former neighbors Cindy and Bruce...
And feeling very grateful that he arose from the hospital bed!!!
(Originally posted May 3, 3016)
Easter 2015! The Original Hamapalooza!
(That was the year I decided to see how many luscious ham-inspired dishes I could create from one Easter ham...)
Wow! The votes are in and you, Dear Readers, seem to be craving Ham! Happy Hamapalooza!
In Yonkers, it was a gorgeous Easter Sunday. And for us, a long weekend...
Then, of course, there's the dinner!
We had our luscious go-to ham: Carandos Hickory Smoked Spiral-Sliced Ham!
http://carando.com/recipes/glazed-spiral-ham
And a gratin of potatoes and Gruyère...
https://thisoldchef.com/blogs/blog-recipes/posts/happy-easter-ham-potatoes-au-gratin-and-asparagus
And a lovely garlick-y EVOO-y pile of sautéed Broccoli di Rape. First, trim the ends off a bunch of broccoli rabe, then chop the stalks small, and the leafy ends a bit larger. Put it all in a pot with a bit of EVOO and a bit of water. Add chopped garlic, some salt, and a pinch of red pepper flakes. To balance the broccoli rabe's spectacular, natural bitterness, you can also add a handful of chopped raisins, currants or, as we did for Easter this year, chopped dried cranberries! Steam/sauté until just barely tender. Serve immediately.
With a dinner like that, there was no need for dessert!
Happy Hamapalooza!
(Originally Posted April 15, 2015)