What's cooking, for Easter?

[Tormato]

Me, I'm half Polish.

Traditionally, for my family it means...

kielbasa, ham, kielbasa, asparagus, kielbasa, hard cooked eggs, kielbasa, mashed potatoes, kielbasa, babka, kielbasa, cheese cake, kielbasa, and to reflect on the instructions to have love for one another.

[pondgardener]

I think you don't have enough kielbasa...

[karstopography]

Fried Turkey, seasoned pinto beans, dirty rice, various other snacks, cheese dips, unknown desserts. 26 people are coming and we are the host home. No Polish, but plenty of Germans, a Cajun, a Bohemian or two, a Mexican or two, someone from Indiana, some other assorted mixed ethnicities, Italians, Irish, Scots, and a 6’5” former pro Rugby Bloke straight from Yorkshire, England. Somehow the Cajun has always picked the main course and it’s always fried turkey.

[pondgardener]

I'm half Slovak...

So traditionally in my family we have ham, klobasa, sauerkraut, Cirak(Slovak Easter Cheese) and poppyseed roll.

[Tormato]

I'm half Slovak...

So traditionally in my family we have ham, klobasa, sauerkraut, Cirak(Slovak Easter Cheese) and poppyseed roll.

The local ethnic market, largely Polish & Ukrainian, but other foods from that general area, has lots of poppy seed rolls at this time of year. I think that I'll ask the workers who traditionally buys them. The several Polish markets in this area have the same theme, a small store, many tall shelves, extremely narrow aisles, and the week before Easter they have lots of sardines, otherwise known as the customers packed tightly in.

[Tormato]

Fried Turkey, seasoned pinto beans, dirty rice, various other snacks, cheese dips, unknown desserts. 26 people are coming and we are the host home. No Polish, but plenty of Germans, a Cajun, a Bohemian or two, a Mexican or two, someone from Indiana, some other assorted mixed ethnicities, Italians, Irish, Scots, and a 6’5” former pro Rugby Bloke straight from Yorkshire, England. Somehow the Cajun has always picked the main course and it’s always fried turkey.

As in deep fried turkey in peanut oil?

[karstopography]

10-4, whole turkey, hot peanut oil. I’ve got the propane burner for it, a 200,000 BTU Concord banjo burner.

[Tormato]

I think you don't have enough kielbasa...

You're correct. I edited the post, by inserting kielbasa prior to ham.

[worth1]

Okay this premature thread had me thinking it was this coming Sunday.
Oh hell no it's the Sunday after this coming Sunday.
Sunday week some would say.
Didn't even bother to look and went out and bought everything for this coming Sunday.
It was hotdogs hamburgers and fried chicken.

[GoDawgs]

So far it's ham, fresh asparagus from the garden and whatever else we think of between now and then. Maybe some of last year's sweet garden peas that are stashed in the freezer. Just a few bags left. And, come to think about it, maybe some of the sweet potatoes dug last fall. Yep, it's sounding better all the time.

[Tormato]

The hams are surprisingly inexpensive, here, .79/lb shanks, .89/lb butts, .99/lb spiral cut butts. As for the kielbasa(s), each about 2 pounds, I've never spent $11 dollars on one before. This year, $15.50 was the price.

I forgot about pineapple and the ham "glaze' in my above post. The glaze is more of a sauce, simply some pineapple and a small jar of maraschino cherries run through a blender. It is not thin, like a traditional glaze. I don't always make the sauce. After the ham is almost fully heated, I sample a small piece. If it is very salty, I'll make the sauce to counter that saltiness. If it isn't very salty, I don't make the sauce, leaving more pineapple as a side.

[bower]

It won't be a family affair for us this year, so I may or may not make anything special. If the weather is good, it might be plowman's lunch (bread and cheese). If the weather is bad, I might cook something nice if I am in the mood, or I might just bite the heads off some chocolate bunnies.
When Dad was alive we often had turkey, just because he liked turkey and Easter dinner was a good excuse. My Mom OTOH never lost an opportunity to point out that turkey was not a traditional food. (They had no turkeys when she was growing up.) I don't think ham was traditional either, since we rarely had that, and I don't recall ever on Easter. And Easter is just a bit early for a Jiggs dinner, no turnip greens yet.
I sure do have fond memories of chocolate eggs, bunnies... insanely large blocks of chocolate for a child. Traditions of commerce, I guess.

[karstopography]

A crown roast of lamb was something we did many years ago. Sure looks pretty. Not enough lamb lovers in the house these days.

[worth1]

My fondest memory is being with 4 of my girlfriends dying boiled eggs for the kids on Saturday the day before Easter Sunday and smoking copious amounts of Marijuana and drinking beer.
I was the only guy in the house.
Of these 4 young ladies one was the richest girl in town and the others were from regular working class.
Two drove dump trucks one worked her mother's bar and the rich girl did all sorts stuff including cleaning my apartment and driving a truck for her half brother.
This was about 6 months before I met my future wife and she went to school with them.
What can I say?
Easter dinner might be a spicy crispy fried chicken sandwich including all the fixings like fried okra for a side.
Homemade of course but in the Popeyes fashion.
Might even gorge on some salted chocolate things from HEB.
I'll be honest with y'all I'm not of a particular religion but celebrate as many as I can due to respect for others of said religions and beliefs.

[Tormato]

It won't be a family affair for us this year, so I may or may not make anything special. If the weather is good, it might be plowman's lunch (bread and cheese). If the weather is bad, I might cook something nice if I am in the mood, or I might just bite the heads off some chocolate bunnies.
When Dad was alive we often had turkey, just because he liked turkey and Easter dinner was a good excuse. My Mom OTOH never lost an opportunity to point out that turkey was not a traditional food. (They had no turkeys when she was growing up.) I don't think ham was traditional either, since we rarely had that, and I don't recall ever on Easter. And Easter is just a bit early for a Jiggs dinner, no turnip greens yet.
I sure do have fond memories of chocolate eggs, bunnies... insanely large blocks of chocolate for a child. Traditions of commerce, I guess.

My (slight) disappointment was getting that first giant chocolate Easter bunny as a child, taking a big bite, and finding out that it was hollow. I look back on that moment and think to myself that enough of this world is like that, as certain things put on an appearance of being better than they really are.

[worth1]

By unanimous decision the committee voted for pork ribs hotlinks green beans and tater salad.
Two giant racks of pork ribs for a pretty good price too.
They'll be cooked in the offset smoker tomorrow.

[GoDawgs]

So far it's ham, fresh asparagus from the garden and whatever else we think of between now and then. Maybe some of last year's sweet garden peas that are stashed in the freezer. Just a few bags left. And, come to think about it, maybe some of the sweet potatoes dug last fall. Yep, it's sounding better all the time.

Slight revision. There's not a lot of asparagus left out in the garden to hold its own as a side dish but there are plenty of leeks so it will be creamed leeks with what asparagus there is tossed in for good measure. And a definite yes to the sweet potatoes.

[brownrexx]

I got a free spiral ham with grocery points so we will be having that with my first picking of fresh asparagus. Deviled eggs are a tradition for me so I will make those and I plan on making some scalloped potatoes for the first time.

This meal is home made and home grown. I grew the asparagus and the potatoes and our hens laid the eggs.

Hopefully hubby will surprise me with a chocolate bunny. I bought 2 home made coconut cream eggs for him.

Easter candy is definitely a tradition with me and something I will never outgrow.

[karstopography]

No lamb eaters for Easter? I thought I could enjoy someone’s crown roast vicariously. HEB really increased there stockpile of lamb the other day. Someone must be eating lamb for Easter.

[Tormato]

Many a semi-boneless leg of lamb in the stores, here.

Compared to the amount of hams, though, I'd estimate about 1 in 20 have lamb, 19 out of 20 have ham. That's just for the ham/lamb crowd. I have no idea what people outside of that crowd do for a special feast. There is no indication of any large increase in the supply of any other meats, other than kielbasa.