Easter is a time of celebration, family gatherings, and delicious food. And what better way to celebrate this joyous occasion than with a classic Roast Lamb? This mouthwatering dish has been a favorite among families for generations and is the perfect centerpiece for your Easter dinner. Not only is it a traditional Easter food, but it’s also easy to make and requires only a handful of ingredients. So, if you’re looking for a delicious and impressive Easter meal, look no further than this Roast Lamb recipe. Get ready to wow your guests and make lasting memories with this old family recipe.
To make this Roast Lamb recipe, you’ll need:
Ingredients:
1 bone-in leg of lamb (around 4-5 lbs)
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp. fresh rosemary, chopped
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. salt
1 tsp. black pepper
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
In a small bowl, mix together the minced garlic, chopped rosemary, olive oil, salt, and black pepper.
Rub the mixture all over the lamb leg, making sure to get into all the nooks and crannies.
Place the lamb leg on a roasting pan or a baking dish, and roast for about 1 hour and 30 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 145°F for medium-rare or 160°F for medium.
Remove the lamb leg from the oven and let it rest for at least 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
This Roast Lamb recipe is perfect for Easter dinner and is sure to impress your guests. You can buy a bone-in leg of lamb from your local butcher or online grocery delivery services like ButcherBox, Amazon Fresh, or Instacart. Williams Sonoma is a great place to find roasting pans and other essential tools for making Roast Lamb. If you’re looking for more Easter meal ideas, Food Network, Martha Stewart, Allrecipes, Epicurious, Bon Appetit, and Taste of Home are great resources to explore.
This old family recipe is a classic dish that has been enjoyed for generations, making it the ideal way to celebrate the holiday with your loved ones. This traditional Easter food symbolizes the sacrifice of Jesus and is easy to make with only a handful of ingredients. Impress your guests and make lasting memories with this delicious and easy recipe that’s perfect for family gatherings. With a bone-in leg of lamb as the star of the show, this Roast Lamb recipe is sure to become a new family favorite for years to come.
Spaghetti pie is a dish made of spaghetti and cheese. The spaghetti is usually boiled and then mixed with eggs, cheese, and sometimes other ingredients before being put into a pie crust. The dish is popular in the United States, where it was first created in the early 1900s. There are many variations of spaghetti pie, but all involve boiled spaghetti mixed with eggs and cheese. In this blog post, we will discuss the history of spaghetti pie and provide a recipe on how to make it!
spaghetti pie was first created in the early 1900s in the United States. The dish gained popularity due to its simple ingredients and easy-to-follow recipe. spaghetti pie quickly became a popular dish among Americans, as it was easy to make and could be served for any meal. Today, spaghetti pie is still a popular dish in the United States and can be found in many restaurants. The dish has also gained popularity in other countries, such as Italy and Canada. spaghetti pie is a simple dish that can be made by anyone.
The dish is made of spaghetti, cheese, eggs, and sometimes other ingredients. The spaghetti is usually boiled and then mixed with the other ingredients before being put into a pie crust. spaghetti pie can be served for any meal, making it a versatile dish. spaghetti pie is a popular dish that has been around for over 100 years. The dish is made of simple ingredients and can be easily made by anyone. Whether you are looking for a quick and easy meal or something to impress your guests, spaghetti pie is the perfect dish! Thanks for reading and we hope you enjoy our blog post on the history of spaghetti pie and our recipe on how to make it. Bon appetit!
If you’re looking for other dishes like spaghetti pie, here are five similar recipes:
– Spaghetti carbonara: This dish is made with spaghetti, eggs, bacon, and cheese.
– spaghetti alla amatriciana: This dish is made with spaghetti, tomatoes, bacon, and onions.
– spaghetti alla puttanesca: This dish is made with spaghetti, tomatoes, olives, capers, and garlic.
– spaghetti alle vongole: This dish is made with spaghetti, clams, garlic, and olive oil.
– spaghetti with meat sauce: This dish is made with spaghetti, ground beef, tomatoes, and onions.
Spaghetti Pie Recipe
Ingredients:
– spaghetti
– eggs
– cheese
– butter
– salt
– pepper
Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Butter a 9 inch pie dish.
2. Cook spaghetti in boiling water following the package directions. Drain spaghetti and rinse with cold water.
3. In a large bowl, mix spaghetti with eggs, cheese, and butter until well combined. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Pour mixture into the prepared pie dish.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes or until golden brown and cheese is melted. Serve immediately. Enjoy!
Thanks for reading! We hope you enjoy our blog post on the history of spaghetti pie and our recipe on how to make it. Bon appetit!
If you’re a fan of Food Network, then you’re probably familiar with the name Jamika Pessoa. Jamika is a classically-trained chef who has made a name for herself as a television host. She first rose to fame as a contestant on Next Food Network Star, and has since gone on to appear on a number of popular shows, including Good Morning America, The Wendy Williams Show, and the Tamron Hall Show.
In recent years, Jamika has been a regular co-host on Dr. Oz’s “The Dish” segment. And starting January 17th, she’ll be starring alongside Daphne Oz and Gail Simmons on their new daytime TV show, The Good Dish.
So what can you expect from The Good Dish? Well, according to Jamika, the show will be all about “elevating everyday recipes, sharing celebrity scoop, and much more.” In other words, it’ll be the perfect destination for foodies who are looking for some inspiration in the kitchen.
Chef Jamika is known for her creative and innovative dishes.
One of the things that sets her apart from other chefs is her willingness to experiment with different flavors and ingredients. She’s also a master of improvisation, which means that she’s always able to come up with a dish on the fly, no matter what the situation.
Jamika has said that her goal is to make cooking more fun and accessible for everyone. And judging by the popularity of her shows, it seems like she’s been pretty successful in achieving that goal.
If you’re excited to check out The Good Dish, be sure to tune in on January 17th! In the meantime, be sure to check out Jamika’s website for some delicious recipes.
Still a culinary mystery to many, the foods of Africa are as diverse. Just like many of its exotic destinations. When you initially think of African cuisine, you don’t necessarily think of the word gourmet. Surprisingly, the most popular foods eaten in Africa today are fruits and vegetables. Spice also playing a critical role in African cooking.
Diversity…Thy Name is Africa
As the oldest inhabited continent on earth, Africa has always been a source of mystery, curiosity, and cultural diversity.
For example, just the number alone of languages spoken on the continent is estimated somewhere between 1,250 – 2,100.
Mind boggling when you apply that simple statistic to the potential variety of African dishes available. Through the centuries, African cuisine has evolved through migratory and nomadic influences and practices with animal husbandry and certain plant cultivation activities dating back to 6,000 B.C.
In the 17th century, Arabs from the northwestern part of the continent were the first to introduce rice and spices that included saffron, cinnamon, ginger and cloves to African cuisine.
5 geographic regions for food
According to the UN Statistics Division, Africa is subdivided into 5 geographic regions.
Each region has its own characteristic food profile with distinct flavors and preferences. And the use of exotic spices permeates throughout all five.
Think couscous, olives and olive oil, saffron, nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger and cloves, –tomatoes, zucchini, potatoes and chili peppers- define North African cuisine.
Primary food source is grains and vegetables; you will find ugali –a starchy corn based paste similar to polenta- served with soups and stews everywhere. Arab influences, particularly at the coast, exist in their use of saffron, cloves and cinnamon, or their preference for spiced steamed rice and pomegranate juice. The Portugues and Spanish influence brought oranges, lemon, limes, chili peppers, corn, tomatoes, pineapple, and pork meat during the colonization period. And the British and Indian settlers introduced curries, lentil dishes, chapattis and pickles to the region.
Land locked and remote, Central Africa has remained quite true to its traditional food, with limited exposure to external influences until the 19th century. Their current staple food crops of peanuts, chili peppers, and cassava were introduced by the New World. Plantain and cassava are the main ingredients in the diet. Animals in the forest provide for their meat selections which may include crocodile, monkey, antelope, warthog, as well as beef and chicken.
A typical West African meal is usually loaded with starchy foods such as Fufu, very light on the meat, and well dipped in fat. West Africans love hot spices -including chili peppers, a western influence, and grains of paradise, or Guinea pepper, their own native hot seasoning. Thanks to trade with the Arab countries, the use of cinnamon, cloves and mint is also incorporated in their cooking. Seafood is a popular staple and is usually mixed liberally with meat, usually chicken. Goat meat is the dominant red meat.
Southern African cuisine reflects the influences of European colonial imperialism at its height. European contributions from Portuguese, Dutch, British settlers as well as from Malay and Indian cultures provide a broad, multi-cultural backdrop for the diverse cuisine meat, seafood, fruit and vegetable selections of southern Africa.
Ever thought about hosting an “expensive” Thanksgiving dinner, costing… say about $181,000? The last time it was offered was in 2019 at the Old Homestead Steak House in New York City.
The most expensive Thanksgiving dinner is evidently representative of the decadent side of human nature…or is it?
It’s safe to say that, most likely, it will not be offered during this pandemic year.
But one never knows…does one…
Well, what does an expensive Thanksgiving dinner look like in the first place?
Old Homestead Steak House Shopping List
Let’s take a peek at some of the ingredients on Homestead’s grocery list, so to speak:
Ingredients
Cost
20 lb Free Range Turkey
$5,800
Edible Gold Flakes
$2,000
Exotic Middle Easter Spices
$4,000
Louis XIII Cognac
$3,650/bottle
12 Loaves of Bread
$125/ea
Caspian Sea Caviar
$1,800/oz
Taylor Fladgale 40 yr. Tawny Port
$460/bottle
Spanish Bacon
$1,200/lb
Imported Truffles
$1,050/oz
United Kingdom White Cheddar
$300/lb
Japanese Wagyu Beef Bacon
$480/lb
Pappy Van Winkle Bourbon
$3,800/bottle
Cristal Champagne
$300 – $18,800/bottle
Dom Perignon
$292 – $49,000
The menu also included a seafood stuffing consisting primarily of Maine Lobster, Alaska King Crab, and Otoro Tuna.
A panoply of veggies – whipped potatoes, candied sweet potatoes, roasted butternut squash and white asparagus- rounded out this dining extravaganza.
And this super elegant dinner came with its own special perks:
Seven day SeaDream Yacht Club Cruise for 2 – $50,000
A Hudson Yards luxury shopping spree – $20,000
Four Super Bowl tickets, first class flights, and 5 star accommodations – $30,000
His and Her iPhones – latest version
Bottle of Special Reserve Cristal
Tickets to The Voice and Macy’s Day Parade
And finally, a Bentley Bentayga SUV Guided Tour of New York City
Whew, That’s An Expensive Turkey Dinner!
Well, once you review the menu and laugh hysterically at your empty bank account, then, ideally, it does sound like a delicious, romantic adventure.
If given the assignment, how would you put together an expensive, delectable Thanksgiving dinner to be enjoyed by close family and friends?
And while you’re thinking about that, I wonder what a poor man’s turkey dinner would really look like today?
First cultivated in Greece, the spice saffron originates from the Saffron Crocus flower. Lovers of the Spanish dish paella know that saffron is a key ingredient in this delectable dish. Its bitter taste and hay-like fragrance contains the carotenoid dye, crocin, that gives food a rich golden-yellow hue.
The Price of Saffron
Saffron whole and retail prices can range from US $500/pound to US $5,000/pound.
In Western countries, the average retail price is $1,000/pound.
And between 70,000 and 200,000 saffron threads comprise a pound!
As expected, saffron cultivators grow a variety of threads ranging in flavors from Spain’s mellow, Italy’s robust, to the intense quality grown in Macedonian Greek, Iranian, and Kashmiri Indian regions.
Currently, the U.S. bans saffron from Iran and India bans the export of saffron from Kashmir, both highly desired and, clearly, hard to get.
So, all you paella lovers can order 2 grams (.07oz) of Spanish saffron on Amazon at $11.95 ($169.50 / Ounce).
In India and China, saffron is also used as a fabric dye.
A Little About Saffron’s Past
An exotic spice, saffron has a long ancient multicultural history dating back to the Stone Age.
Over the course of time, the value of saffron cooking and medicinal properties spread throughout the Mediterranean, moving slowly into Eurasia, North African and North America.
Saffron cultivation was introduced to Spain, France and Italy by the Moorish civilization.
And the Europeans eventually brought saffron to the Americas.
Once in America, the Pennsylvania Dutch became the prime curators of the saffron spice.
Its medicinal qualities and subsequent trading history, like so many other rare spices, accounts for the popularity of saffron. Saffron has prices reaching levels analogous to that of the price of gold.
Today, saffron’s unusual taste and food coloring properties contribute to its wide and diverse use in Arab, Central Asian, European, Indian, Iranian, Moroccan and Cornish cuisines including sweets and liquors.
The saffron crocus thrives in Mediterrean like climates, growing best in strong direct sunlight.
The harvest window for saffron can be very short – lasting anywhere from 2 to 29 days a year, depending on the climate of the growth region.
Like many other ancient spices, saffron was also used as a medicinal, treating approximately 90 illnesses. As a powerful antioxidant, saffron research is on-going today on the influence of its medicinal properties. Illnesses like cancer, MS, and Alzheimers and the primary focus.
When it comes to flavoring dried beans, legumes, rice, and/or vegetables, salt pork does not necessarily pop into the mind of the average cook.
Just Exactly What is Salt Pork?
Salt pork is salt cured pork, prepared from either pork belly or fatback, in the same family as lardons, pancetta, and bacon i.e. a pig product.
It’s a super inexpensive cut of pork fat used as a seasoning that’s salted and not smoked like bacon.
You can find meatier versions of salt pork, known as “streak o’ lean” which can also be fried and eaten like bacon.
The salt curing of pork and other meats is a very old food preservation tradition.
Today, a staple food in many regions of the world, salt pork rations have fed many a sailor, explorers and armies throughout the centuries.
Salt pork is a key ingredient in the stews of the Caribbean, Portugal, and Spain.
It’s also a favorite seasoning ingredient among many traditional cooks in the southern part of the United States as well as with Northeast clam chowder lovers.
Best Used As…
Salt pork was a food staple for slaves prior to and during the Civil War, one of the primary harbingers of the “soul food” culture.
Used as a seasoning, salt pork adds to the flavor of any dried bean cooked in water and/or chicken, beef, vegetable and/or turkey stock.
Dress it up with a few seasonings of your choice like bay leaf, garlic/onion powder, garam marsala, white pepper and red pepper flakes and you have the makings of some good eating.
Adding salt is not necessary.
You can also eat salt pork as a breakfast food in place of bacon. You have to fry it well in order to really enjoy it.
Think of it as eating another version of succulent pork belly. Salt is a very popular item on American menus these days.
Also use salt pork for cooking vegetables as well.
Render a few slices of salt pork in a hot skillet, and then add your vegetables, seasonings, and cooking liquid.
Another flavor bomb sensation, that is if you like cooking with pork fat.
Although perceived as not the healthiest cooking fat available since it is in the lard family. Used sparingly, salt pork can add a delicious flavor to any bland bean, legume, and/or vegetable.
Although I only eat it about once or twice a year, I love Spam. Why, you may wonder? Processed meat is a no-no on most healthy food lists. And my particular dietary needs dictate minimizing processed foods.
However, when I do have my favorite pumpernickel, mayonnaise and Spam sandwich, it engenders such comfort and satisfaction!
Brings back warm childhood memories, when Spam and government cheese was all our family could afford at the time.
Why people put Spam on the worst food list is really beyond my comprehension!
Today, sold in 44 countries around the world, Spam is beloved in Hawaii and South Korea.
History of Spam
Spam’s history as a necessary food staple is quite long and extraordinarily interesting.
Spam was created by the Hormel Corporation in 1937. Spam consists of processed pork shoulder, water, salt, potato starch, sugar, and sodium nitrate.
Its delectable birth began in 1891 in Austin, Minnesota, aka, “Spamtown” when George A. Hormel established a slaughterhouse and meat packing facility after years of working in similar facilities in Chicago.
During the course of its evolution, various derivatives of Spam known as deli pork luncheon meat evolved.
And so, in 1937, Spam, as we know it today, was born.
According to Jay Hormel, George’s son, the name Spam was the creation of a Hormel VP’s brother, Kenneth Daigneau. Kenneth responding to a New Year’s Eve party product naming contest, spat out the word “Spam”.
Several Spam acronyms have evolved through the years –
“Scientifically Processed Animal Matter”
“Spice and Ham
“Should of Pork and Ham” and so on.
American housewives were slow to accept canned meat as a household staple.
It was, however, the advent of World War II that created the high demand for canned meat products.
Over 100 million pounds of Spam alone was sent to American as well as Allied troops.
Although not very popular among the troops, having canned meat that had a long shelf life and was climate friendly. Spam proved to be extremely beneficial to the overall war effort.
Post WWII Spam
After WWII, while most of America shifted its focus of Spam as a main course to that of a side dish. Folks in Hawaii and the Asia Pacific region fell in love with it.
At that time, America’s Spam influence had more appeal internationally than it did stateside.
At the end of WWII, residents in Korea and Japan were on the brink of starvation. America’s canned Spam to the rescue.
Spam gained an even stronger foothold with the residents in Korea during the Korean War.
Today, Korea is the second largest consumer of Spam in the world where it’s also revered as a luxury food item.
Interestingly enough, Spam’s popularity in Hawaii was a direct result of the U.S. government’s severe restrictions of deep sea fishing. This restriction was because of Hawaiian Japanese fishermen during WWII.
And as a result, Spam became a primary protein source for the residents of the Hawaiian Islands.
Who eats the most Spam today – why, of course the U.S.
The culinary world’s love/hate relationship with Spam continues to ebb and flow.
Its enormous popularity, however, in places like Hawaii, Korea, Japan, and the Philippines makes you really wonder why “some people” find it so distasteful.
The intense negative feeling about Spam is not necessarily shared by other canned meats like tuna, chicken, salmon, ham, Vienna sausage and so on.
After all, Spam is just seasoned canned pork shoulder…and pork of all types is a favorite of barbecue lovers all across America.
Once considered as having aphrodisiacal properties, almost anything truffle is usually held in high esteem throughout the culinary world. Particularly if it originates from France or Italy. Truffles are used primarily to flavor a dish and/or you can use a derivative such as – truffle oil, truffle salt, and truffle butter to accomplish a similar goal.
In culinary speak, a truffle is an edible genus tuber – a member of the fungi family.
So does that mean that it’s just a mushroom?
It’s a mushroom species of sorts – an edible, expensive one, usually costing thousands of dollars per pound.
What is the exact distinct difference between a mushroom and a truffle. Truffles grow underground near the roots of specific trees.
Whereas mushrooms usually grow above ground, anywhere and everywhere, depending on the environmental conditions.
Like mushrooms, not all truffles are edible.
Edible truffles, for the most part, resemble lumpy potatoes, with a unique appearance, smell, and taste.
The truffle has a singular taste profile described as earthy, ranging from mild to pungent.
Rich in a wide range of nutrients, they’re also a good source of carbs, protein, fiber. Truffle are high in antioxidants and contain both unsaturated and saturated fatty acids.
The most common truffles are black and white. The black truffle aka Perigord thrives in the Perigord region in France.
The white truffle aka tuber magnatum pico are found in southern European. In particular the Piedmont and Tuscany regions of Italy.
Although truffles are grown around the world including the U.S., the actual cultivation process for authentic truffles is extremely sensitive to climate and soil conditions.
From planting to harvesting truffles and securing a good crop generally takes anywhere from 5-10 years.
The search and find techniques involving the use of trained dogs to find these precious commodities as well as the cultivation process itself contributes enormously to their status as a very expensive delicacy.
So who actually discovered the truffle?
Like most everything else in the culinary world, truffle discovery can be traced back to ancient, ancient times.
Inscriptions of the Neo-Sumerians in the 4th century B.C. describe the eating habits of their enemy, the Amorites which, of course, included truffles.
Scientific analysis has traced truffle origins back more than 280 million years.
Once a secret ingredient used only by peasants to flavor food during the Middle Ages. Truffles eventually began to grace the tables of the European elite and rulers including the Papacy.
Today, France and Italy remain the world’s truffle kingdoms.
Successful production of truffles also has been achieved in parts of Australia, New Zealand, and Croatia.
In the United States, there are truffles farms in Oregon, North Carolina, California, Arizona, and Tennessee. Although ever popular around the world, truffle reproduction is still a very challenging agricultural process subject to the vicissitudes of climate change, harvest experience, and the commodities market.
Have you ever heard of Scrapple? Go to any diner across the U.S. and you’ll find yourself in protein heaven. Between the bacon, sausage links and patties, ham, canadian bacon, corn beef hash, linguica, lox, steak, pork chops, turkey bacon/sausage, the choices can be mind boggling!
And then there’s scrapple.
Scrapple is a 100% pork product consisting of cooked pig parts, inside and out, cornmeal, buckwheat flour, and assorted spices.
This Mid-Atlantic region breakfast favorite is formed into loaves, usually pan-fried and served with eggs, potatoes, and a variety of sweet or savory condiments including maple syrup.
Some Scrapple History
German settlers during the 17th & 18th century introduced their version of scrapple, Panhass, to Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, and lower New York.
There is some debate as to the origin of the word scrapple. Some believe that it originated from the German word Panhaskröppe – translation “a slice of pan rabbit”.
Go figure…sounds like pork scraps is a better derivation to me!
Panhaas was a German meat pudding consisting of pork odds and ends, mixed with buckwheat and spices like sage and savory.
The addition of cornmeal to “scrapple” was, in fact, the Americanization of Panhaas.
Made from pork meat including the head, heart, and liver, scrapple is boiled until falling apart. It is finely minced, and combined with cornmeal and flour into a slurry.
Spices including sage, black pepper, thyme, and savory are added, and the mixture then congeals into loaves. Next allow it to cool until set and you have a nice loaf.
It’s usually cut into half-inch slices and fried in butter until golden brown.
In 1863, the Habersett Pork Products in Middletown Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania was the first U.S. company to mass produce scrapple.
More Scrapple Lore
Now, as unappetizing as that may sound to some, scrapple does have a tremendously large fan base. Particularly in the Middle Atlantic states and Pennsylvania Dutch country.
Many claim that scrapple is hearty as well as nutritious, an excellent source of vitamins and minerals.
Americans, however, are not typically fans of any type of organ meat, never mind pork offal.
But the next time you find yourself in the Middle Atlantic region and/or specifically in Pennsylvania Dutch country. Be adventurous and try a scrapple breakfast.
You might even surprise yourself and really enjoy the experience!
