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Good Friday, Good Grief

It's Good Friday, which has monumental significance for Christians. But since you know all about that already, I'll just keep talking about food.

Both daughters will be coming home this weekend—actually, one is already here—and when the house is full, I tend to cook. There are reasons for that: I like to cook, sometimes Daughter No. 1 likes to help cook, and when someone says "what's here to eat?," I want to have an answer.

So, this morning I'll be making a batch of cocoa nibs cookies and two loaves of French bread. For the Europeans, what we really mean by that is longish, thin loaves of yeast bread. They may not resemble anything the French ever make, but that has no bearing on what we call them.

Because Sunday will be busy, and No. 1 may go back to school early that day, we'll have our big dinner on Saturday, and I have just finished with the menu and the resulting grocery list. I'll start with open-face cucumber sandwiches using today's bread and make deviled eggs topped with caviar. Then we'll have baked spicy ham, roasted asparagus, and white chocolate/strawberry parfaits. I'm not sure about the second side, though. It will either be a veggie orzo or scalloped potatoes, but I can't decide which. Potatoes or orzo • potatoes or orzo • potatoes or orzo, I keep saying to myself.

Which would you prefer? Potatoes or orzo? Do you do anything special for Easter dinner? And another question—would you still give your kids Easter baskets if they were in college?

Comments

dive said…
Hee hee, Robyn, what a wonderful post title.
Gosh, I wish I were eating at your house this weekend, that sounds delicious!
Happy Easter to you and the family.
10:08 AM
Scout said…
And to you, Dive. But you didn't answer my question, potatoes or orzo?
10:29 AM
kyle@sift said…
I am making a beef tenderloin in puff pastry, asparagus with horseradish, cheddar popovers, a gratin of thinly sliced new potatoes with smoked provolone, creamed spinach and artichoke hearts in sherry sauce. I take advantage of holidays and cook more decadent food!
Orzo, go with the orzo. Happy Easter, friend.
11:25 AM
kyle@sift said…
Oh, yes on the baskets. Fill them with things they might need like soap and shampoo, stamps, coffee or tea and maybe a new copy of their favorite childhood book.
12:06 PM
dive said…
Both, please. I'm a peeeg!
12:58 PM
Scout said…
Kyle, beef tenderloin in puff pastry is always yummy. Maybe I'll add popovers to the menu.

Dive, sorry, we've settled on potatoes.
1:09 PM
Neponset River Bridge Dig said…
Potatoes are good for me and what time should I show up?

I stopped giving my kids Easter baskets once they became teens.
1:52 PM
Cheltenhamdailyphoto said…
Oh yes! I've sent two of my boys Thorntons chocs at uni. The other one, with me has a large egg awaiting for Sunday. His girlfriend has a Lucy Lamb egg (her name's Lucy). I shall never stop sending them eggs and chocs!

I'd like to help, but what's Orzo?

On Good Friday it's traditional to have fish so today we had fish in parsley sauce with fresh, new potatoes, carrots and brussel sprouts. Tomorrow is a normal day but for Easter Sunday I cook a roast usually. Haven't decided which meat yet and will shop for it tomorrow. In addition, I will bake an Easter cake, a cheesecake and a trifle.

When the boys were small I would make an egg treasure hunt. Hide them all over the house and garden and give them little baskets to go searching with. Great fun. The Easter Bunny would leave them larger eggs to be found on the Sunday.

I'm not overly religious as you probably know, though believe He is out there somewhere in some form. I don't therefore go to church, though I may wander into the Abbey at some point over the weekend and say a few words. I'm not one who believes God only listens if you turn up on a Sunday morning to sing in his house. :)
3:22 PM
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