Easter Week, at home or travelling?

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Margi Cintrano

Washing Up
Joined
Jan 29, 2012
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3,424
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Both in Italy and Spain
Good morning everybody,

Well ... we are getting together at the condo in Italy and we are all geared up. My younger daughter is driving down from Zürich with the 3 boys, and we are flying to Bari.

Of course, we are leaving the Friday before the Monday in which the spring break starts, and we have to do a spring cleaning as everything is covered ... SO it is not all play and no work !

It is very common to do a roast lamb in our region ... with a baked pasta
and of course, veggies and antipasti ... appetisers or mezze ...

We are in between the Marches known for their lamb and shepherd´s culture and Basilicata, which is known for their baked pastas and eggplant. Bari, Puglia is the Adriatic sea front ... and of course, shellfish and fish are plentiful being a peninsula at the heel ...

margi.

Regards.
Margi
 
At home.

Easter is my favorite holiday. We usually have the extended family in town, so I get to cook for a dozen or more. Dinner is always Lamb and Ham. If it were up to me, it would only be lamb, but there are a couple of picky eaters in the family that simply don't know what's good. ;)

I cook the leg of lamb in the kettle grill over a wood fire, adding in a few of the pruned cuttings from my grape vines. They create a nice smoke. In my humble opinion, there is simply nothing better tasting on this earth than lamb cooked this way.
 
At home.

Easter is my favorite holiday. We usually have the extended family in town, so I get to cook for a dozen or more. Dinner is always Lamb and Ham. If it were up to me, it would only be lamb, but there are a couple of picky eaters in the family that simply don't know what's good. ;)

I cook the leg of lamb in the kettle grill over a wood fire, adding in a few of the pruned cuttings from my grape vines. They create a nice smoke. In my humble opinion, there is simply nothing better tasting on this earth than lamb cooked this way.

Gee Steve, I don't know if I want to spend Easter with you or Margi. I love roasted lamb. I love lamb anything. For years my kids wouldn't come near lamb. Then someone talked my daughter into taking one bite. She is a convert. Her husband has always loved lamb. But she wouldn't have it in the house. I would make shoulder lamb chops for him all the time. Or lamb and barley stew. Now her kids are gone also, so her and hubby are going out to dinner. Even my three boys love lamb now.

When my youngest was in grade school, people would ask what was he going to study in H.S. I answered he wanted to be a shepherd. I always got some strange looks. After all, we lived in the middle of a city and the only grass around was outside the library. I would tell them he wanted to commune with the ewes. They had no idea what an ewe was. And if it wasn't for Christmas, they wouldn't know what a shepherd was either. I love playing with folks' minds.
 
When my youngest was in grade school, people would ask what was he going to study in H.S. I answered he wanted to be a shepherd. I always got some strange looks. After all, we lived in the middle of a city and the only grass around was outside the library. I would tell them he wanted to commune with the ewes. They had no idea what an ewe was. And if it wasn't for Christmas, they wouldn't know what a shepherd was either. I love playing with folks' minds.
Too funny! :LOL:
 
At home, we don't travel on the holidays, not enough time. I will be doing ham, scalloped potatoes and roasted asparagus. Lemon Cake for dessert.
 
Hrmm, i didn't realize Easter was a travel weekend. . .

I wish I could do some beverages, I would get sauced and hide my own eggs. As that is NOT the case, will lay low, and enjoy everyone else being out making the most out of it.
 
At home, we don't travel on the holidays, not enough time. I will be doing ham, scalloped potatoes and roasted asparagus. Lemon Cake for dessert.
James and I will be going to PF's and Shrek's for Easter dinner. :D

*Sigh* Don't I wish! We will probably spend Easter with our best friends, but if not we will probably go out to eat.

Growing up, we had Easter Dinner either at our house or my aunt's and uncle's house. We always had ham, mashed potatoes, green beans, and other sides.
 
@ Steve & Addie: Shepherds & Flocks of Sheep

Saturday 11am

Good Morning,

Firstly, I wish to say thanks for your entertaining witty anecdote about the Shepherd and informative posts.

A) Steve & Addie: in La Rioja, Spain, red wine country in north central Spain, it is very common for native Riojans in rural regions to roast their lambs in the traditional way, on grape vines in special ovens. It is wonderful. The 2 Restaurants El Portal and Echaurren in the Hotel Echaurren have a wonderful take on traditional grape vine roasted lamb.

This method provides the phenomenal taste. Spaniards traditionally do not spice their lamb much. The recipe is quite simple and they rely on the best lambs under 45 days old: water, salt, olive oil or manteca de cerdo which is pork lard, red wine and garlic in slit-form.

However, in Abruzzi and Molise, Italy´s lamb provinces, sheepherding is the most important part of life and thus, in the Gran Sasso d´Italia mountain range in Abruzzi, they prepare lamb as follows:

lamb, salt, dry red wine, herbs: savoury, oregano, parsley, thyme and a bit of rosemary, lemon juice and lemon zest and rub with olive oil extra virgin. Agnello Arrosto is roasted lamb in Italian.

Addie: Let´s go visit Steve and then, both of you and I shall go to Abruzzi and see the legacies of real shepherds, and have a tasting too of course ! Loved the anecdote on your son who wanted to become a Shepherd ...

I do have to say, Marcello Spadone, a well known restaurateur and shepherd in Abruzzi, is a wonderful man and his herb roasted lamb is to die for and go to heaven ... He had shown me how to prepare it on a trip through the region. We go at least once a year, to visit his Trattoria in the Pescara Mountains, La Bandiera

I use a 1/3 cup of the following fresh herbs and marinate: oregano, rosemary ( a pinch or 2 ), thyme, parsley, savoury ( winter or summer ), dry red wine of Abruzzi or Spanish La Rioja, and rub with extra virgin olive oil in Italy ... However, in Spain, the pork lard, gives it that stunner crispy exterior --- both are wonderful. Roast lamb is divine ...

Thanks.
Margi.
 
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Roast Lamb Recipe - By: Chef June in Lamb Section

Steve and Addie,

Take a look at Chef June´s Roast Lamb Recipe ... very similar to the Mediterranean style too ...

Oh yes, in Spain as well as Italia, they have special ovens for roasting lamb and suckling piglet ( cochinillo ) and baby kid too ...

Steve, the word kettle is quite British --- what do u mean actually ? What type of roasting pan do u employ for the grapevine roasted lamb ?

I use earthenware clay --- as we are urban apartment people ... so a BBQ or outdoor grill is impossible here in Madrid Capital. In Puglia ( Apulia ), our vacation apartment, we have thought of a small BBQ --- however, we have to see our professional agendas & would it be worth it -- just for summer vacation --- and holidays ...

Are you located near Lake Huron ?

Have nice wkend.
Margi
 
James and I will be going to PF's and Shrek's for Easter dinner. :D
Wait a minute, I reserved a trip on the Mothership to MT for Easter...I am getting picked up at 5:19 a.m. Where do you and James plan on sleeping? I have dibs on the couch (with the purple sleeping bag). :D
 
The week before Easter is spring break for me. I'll be spending some time in the Outer Banks and the rest in DC. Easter Sunday, the family will get together for supper at Dad's. He's in an independent living facility (has his own condo-like place) and the kitchen there will cater. No one has to cook!
 
we'll be home for easter week. dw wanted to travel, but i objected and we just finished battling over it.
i figure how many easter dinners will i have left to be with my parents?
so to compromise, we're going shark and tarpon fishing in florida a coupla weeks later. yay!!!
 
Wait a minute, I reserved a trip on the Mothership to MT for Easter...I am getting picked up at 5:19 a.m. Where do you and James plan on sleeping? I have dibs on the couch (with the purple sleeping bag). :D
I don't care where we sleep, as long as we have a kitty nearby! :D
 
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