A CORONAVIRUS EASTER

At Christmas and Easter, our home traditions are celebrated with family especially at the table.

The marathon during the Easter period, starts with dinner on Holy Thursday, usually with stuffed artichokes and a pot of mussels and clams.

 

Stuffed baby artichokes

Mussels and clams with broth

Following dinner on Holy Saturday

Lamb stew

Braised peas

and finally a delicious Easter dinner. In short, these days there is nothing more than food. However, after all the liturgies to honor the sacred Resurrection, we sit at the table to consume delicious dishes that are made even better thanks to the company of loved ones.

Home-made Lasagna

Oven roasted leg of lamb with potatoes

Thanks to the 'silent enemy' coronavirus, we are going to have to change things up a bit this year.  Because that's life right now.  But despite the pandemic, celebrating Christ's death and Resurrection are still on the agenda. With social distancing, including stay-at-home orders and self-isolation, we will be observing Easter church services virtually.

There's been a lot of adjustment for everyone over the past few weeks.  And while we might be a little bit sad that we cannot celebrate Easter weekend in person with our loved ones, we encouraged our family to embrace the new.  Because what we are celebrating is the same, regardless of how we celebrate.

We may not share a table with loved ones this Easter weekend but we can surely share our traditional Easter desserts.

Fiadone

Pizza dolce

Pastoni

And we're quite sure … this Easter will be one to remember.

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Fiadoncini (Pastoni) Abruzzesi

Although far from our homeland, during the holidays, our kitchen speaks absolutely Abruzzo! 
 

Around this time last year, I blogged about our Easter traditions and our tasty, cheesy traditional Easter desserts called fiadoncini or pastoni. 

At the request of blog followers, here is the recipe for fiadoncini.

Fiadoncini or Pastoni

All photo Copyright - ©2012 - La Casa e Il Giardino – picasaweb

Ingredients

For the Dough

1 lb. of unbleached flour
2 eggs
½ cup white wine
½ cup of olive oil
1 pinch of salt

Filling

Salty

1 1/2 lb. basket cheese or ricotta
3 eggs
1/2 cup pecorino

1/2 cup parmigiano

Salt and black pepper

Sweet

Omit salt and black pepper and add 1/2 cup of sugar to the cheeses.

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For the dough

At the center of the fountain of flour add the oil, the wine, the eggs, salt, sugar and beat lightly with a fork.

Mix well until the dough is soft and elastic. 
Let the dough rest for at least 1 \ 2 hour.

For the filling.  Mix well the eggs with the cheese.   Add either sugar for sweet or salt and black pepper for salty.

Roll out the dough to 1/4 inch thick.  Using a 6 inch cookie cutter cut pastry.
Put a tablespoon of filling in the center of each pastry, moisten edges with water or egg and close to half moon.  Seal well.

With the tip of the scissors make two cuts on the top of each one. 
 
Brush with egg yolk diluted with a little milk and bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees until golden brown around 20 to 25 minutes.

 
They can be frozen!