Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This page may contain affiliate links, which means I may receive a commission if you click a link and purchase something that I have recommended. There is no additional cost to you whatsoever.
One of my strongest childhood recollections is the celebration of the Easter season. For my household, it lasted from Ash Wednesday by way of Lent and ended on Easter Sunday.
My favourite a part of the vacation was Grandma’s cooking and baking. She made mouthwatering selfmade pasta and dried it on the beds on high of linen tablecloths earlier than it was cooked. (And woe to anybody going close to the beds when her pasta was drying to seize some to nibble on!)
But first, we had Lent, a interval of fasting and inward-looking that lasted 40 days. As a baby, it appeared to final without end, notably since I’d surrender a meals I appreciated for Lent, like sweets! We additionally had meat-free meals on Wednesdays and Fridays throughout the Lenten “quick.”
When it was time to interrupt the quick, our meal featured Grandma’s Pizza Rustica. It’s a scrumptious stuffed pizza product of chilly cuts and cheese baked in a crust. A conventional Italian dish for breaking the Lenten quick, I think it comes from the times when folks had solely a little bit of preserved meat left within the larder after the lengthy winter, so this was an ideal approach to make use of it up.
In addition to her selfmade pasta, Grandma at all times made Italian Easter bread. She scented this easy candy bread with citrus zest and a splash of orange juice, twisted it right into a circle, and topped it with colourful sprinkles. Served heat with butter, it was just a little style of heaven.
These Easter meals traditions, from giving up meals for Lent to consuming conventional Italian dishes, helped me be taught to concentrate to the meals I eat. Just by listening to what we eat, we will change into extra conscious of meals waste, which is step one towards reducing food waste. And lowering our consumption of sure meals, equivalent to our meat-free Wednesdays and Fridays of Lent, is better for the planet, a apply to proceed all year long.
This article was initially printed on April 8, 2020.
