Easter Photos

Since Drupal hates me and I can’t upload photos, I’ll let facebook deal with it.

Here’s some photos of the [pregame](http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=13308&id=1627995706&l=30251d2b87), courtesy of Santa Monica farmer’s market.

Na Pascha Arriva – Final Menu

Easter 2009 is just around the corner, and with vendors lined up, we move forward with the menu as follows (not much has changed):

>Pani Pasquali
Easter Breads and Pies

This year, our guest of honor is making *Casatiello,* a traditional Neapolitan savory bread. I am making a *Triccia ai Racine Secche*, a braided egg bread that straddles sweet and salty, like so much Sicilian food. And a *Pizza Chena*, or “Ham Pie” in the cilentano style, with fresh basket cheese and smoked ham. Plus, time permitting, I will make Mrs La Puma’s pepper and anise seed rolls… mmmmmmmmmmm.

>Ravioli di Fave
Fava Ravioli with Sheep’s Milk Ricotta

A little departure from the Sicilian method here to something a little more mainstream, but sheep’s milk ricotta is really something else.

>Gamba D’agnello Cacio e Uova
Leg of Lamb with Eggs and Cheese

Just like we had [last year](http://omnivorousfish.com/node/311). Good, but no goat.

>Pastiera Napoletana
Neapolitan Easter Grain Pie

Again, from Anna, who will show me what-for in the grain pie department.

>Granita di Limone
Eureka Lemon Granita

But what lemons… thank you Robin!

>Agnellini Pasquali
Marzipan Easter Lambs

On the fence about this, but I’m going to take a stab at a couple of simple ones. Work my way up to making my own plaster molds…

It takes a village to make ravioli

Today I was up in Sicily-like Simi Valley, visiting Robin and Terry and Stella and Lola and Frodo. Relax, Frodo is a chao-corgi mix. Lola is a very stately older retriever mix and Stella is my doll: a bright, peppy young Blue Heeler. (Robin and Terry are Homo Sapiens.)

We dug around in the garden for a while looking for dinner. Since we decided on making Swiss chard ravioli, we had to dig up the makings of [caponata](http://omnivorousfish.com/node/66), so we had something to snack on.

But the boogie prize goes to the six and a half pounds of gorgeous favas that we thinned out of Robin’s winter cover crop. A close second are the bowls full of softball-sized lemons and red, succulent *morri*, Sicilian blood oranges.

Robin’s garden is a little bit mad scientist, with rows this way and that, but also patches of this here and a thatch of that there, making it nearly impossible to step anywhere without killing a seedling, but coming up with a beautiful, biodiverse garden that is the envy of… well, of me, at least.

One step closer to fava ravioli…

Ancora La Pasqua

Well, another year has passed, and it’s easter time in the OF kitchen again.

Here’s the scrawl for the menu so far:

Pizza Chena: still recreating Ham Pie memories from childhood
Casatiello: Neapolitan easter bread, contributed by none other than La Mamma di Mamme, Anna
Pane Pasquali: still on the fence about whether 2 easter breads- this one Sicilian- are necessary… but we are going to be 20.

Ravioli di Fave: This year I am foregoing tradition in lieu of savor. There is a missing link with the Tuma Cheese ravioli that I am still working on, so I’m going to go with more favas in the filling, and less cheese, and the cheese will be ricotta- hopefully sheep’s milk… but that’s a tough grab in socal…

Capretto: I think we are really going to get a goat this year, and I am so excited. I don’t know how I’ll cook it, and I don’t want to jinx it, but I see jerusalem artichikes in my future. One of the most fun italian words to say, ever: topinamburo.

Pastiera Napoletana: Anna will be showing me up with the pastiera this year. I think my pastiera last year was presentable, but lacking in refinement.

Granita di Limone: Lemon ice. Who doesn’t like Lemon ice?

Agnellini Pasquali: I bought lamb moulds, so we’ll see. I am making them out of Pasta Reali- sicilian marzipan. Here goes nothing…

Thoughts?