GRANPA PLANNING EASTER DINNER 2017

The lamb roast is marinating and will be cooked later in the day.

I am making a ragu/meat sauce to use with my homemade egg noodles- spaghetti. A small ham with pineapples spears. Vegetables will include broccoli, mushrooms sauteed in oil with garlic, rosemary potatoes roasted in the oven, red peppers, brussel sprouts, peas and carrots.
Barb makes the appetizers- veggies and dip, olives and pickles, cheese and crackers and fruit platter for the dessert table. The girls bring the remainder of the dessert- cookies and cupcakes.
The little grandchildren have their Easter egg hunt before dinner. Everyone has their favourite beverage.

                                                              Images of past dinners.

A little slice of my Canascione with dessert is a must too. I might just have some for breakfast.
#lamb#canascione#easterdinner#ragusauce#pasta#rosemarypotatoes

LOTS OF GOOD EATING FOR THE COOK

Easter weekend was a feast of eating. Easter Sunday had a great menu. For a starter, appetizers by Barb- Veggies and dip, cheese and crackers, drinks while one daughter brought rice balls and dip. I spent Friday making the lasagna, leaving it in the fridge to cook fresh on Sunday. I made two extras for my girls to take home and cook another day. This cook made a lamb roast as well as lamb chops; ham with pineapple; sausage; chicken thighs with roast potatoes as well as mashed; broccoli; peas; brussel sprouts and fresh buns from Grande Cheese. Dessert was Easter chocolate cake, cake pops for the kids brought by my other daughter, chocolates and vanilla ice cream. Beer and Sangria for those who love a little drink with dinner. Espresso or regular coffee.

Barb made some freezer meals with the leftovers so all the hard work cooking could be appreciated another day.
Since the cook does get tired, Barb and I went to our favourite little hole in the wall Fish and Chip place- Allencourt Plaza Restaurant Friday night. No cooking or cleanup. Great way to start the weekend. Granpa loves to cook but also to have a break.

LAMB AND LASAGNA FOR EASTER DINNER-WITH CANASCIONE FOR A TREAT

Barb suggested I make the cooking for Easter dinner easy with an expected crowd of 15! A simple pasta with sauce she said for the first dish.  I chose to be more complicated. So yesterday I decided to make lasagna. Put it in the freezer after completing it to cook it fresh on Sunday. My mother always made a lasagna for Easter so I thought I would  keep the tradition alive. Bedsides all my grandchildren, children, guests, Barb and I like it too!

So it was a busy day with Barb away at a conference. I even had to clean up all the pots and pans as my sous chef was not available.
My family like a variety of meat. But for me lamb is a must. So I bought a lamb roast and chops that I will make with some oven roasted potatoes with rosemary as the seasoning. With the Canadians in the crowd a ham to eat with pineapple slices as well as some chicken breasts and Italian sausages. Remember there is a lot of meat in the sauce I used for the lasagna so if some of the kids do not eat the meat dish they had some in the pasta.

If time I may try to make my canascione treat- a favourite from the Ciociaria region where I was born. A egg noodle shell with an egg, cheese and sausage mixture inside which gets baked in the oven.  Easter a time for good eating. Of course everyone will bring an appetizer and dessert surprise. The kids will enjoy the Easter egg hunt that must occur before dinner. I have not finalised all the vegetables but I will make- peas, rapini for sure though.

Barb likes to make prosciutto on a bread stick as an appetizer for the guys. The kids just like the bread sticks.
For those that are new to this blog- I did write a post on making the lasagna March 2012 and making canascione- April 2012. You can find in in the listings.  For those that read regularly you know how to find the recipes I have written. Happy Easter everyone- remember to thank all the cooks in your family!

#lasangabyadolph#homemadelasagna#canascoinebyadolph#canascionefromlazio#canascioneisaciocariadish#porsciuttoonbreadsticks#lambandpotatoesforeaster#easterisagoodmealwithlamblasagnacanscione#granpalovestocook#adolphdimambro

ITALIANS LOVE LAMB-CANADIANS LOVE HAM AND TURKEY-EASTER EATING

The Easter meal will have a variety of dishes this year. My daughter wanted turkey as well as the other dishes made at Easter. So Barb will make her bread stuffing. I am marinating the traditional lamb roast that Italians like to eat. Rosemary is the main herb to put on it. Since we are having Barb's niece and family I am cooking a ham with pineapple slices. But my son-in-law Andrew loves the ham! My other son-in-law Domi eats everything! No pasta dish as with the variety of veggies would be too much. I bought a focaccia-tomato pizza-  from Grande Cheese to include on the appetizer table. So a little pasta like item!!  Before dinner of course the kids do a little Easter egg hunt at Granpa's house. Nana has told me that I can not eat the eggs that are easily found. The girls will bring desserts so just some sweets in the house. Barb still has a dessert wine to finish from our Niagara trip last summer to round out the desserts. Oh my sister-in-law Marilee is visiting so like old times with her at the Easter dinner. Hopefully Barb will take some photos to show the great dishes or just tasty-food does not have to be great! So Happy Easter everyone! Buona Pasqua!
#lamb#breadstuffing#turkey#veggies#focacciatomatopizza#GrandeCheese#appetizer#pasta#Niagaradessertwine#Easterdinner#BuonaPasqua

ROSMARINO-ROSEMARY- THAT WONDERFUL LITTLE MEDITERRANEAN HERB

Rosemary is a wonderful herb I learnt to use in my cooking from my mother. It can be added to many dishes. Now I grow fresh rosemary in my garden but it can be bought dried in any store food section that sells spices and herbs.
With a little internet research, I discovered some history of the herb. Apparently when the Virgin Mary spread her blue cloak over a white rosemary bush, the flowers turned to blue so from that time it became known as the "Rose of Mary". It is supposed to have some medicinal purposes. For me, I just like the taste on my food.
It brings back memories of my childhood in Italy- Cassino area. We used to grow it all along our driveway.

I use it on a variety of meat.

Lamb with potatoes roasted in the oven is a popular dish for our family. That little Ciociaria lady keeps popping up everywhere!

One of our Sunday favourites growing up, was chicken and potatoes with rosemary cooked in the oven. It is an easy dish- chicken legs and thighs or breasts with potoato wedges covered in rosemary- bake in 400 F about one hour and check when ready.
A small pork roast will benefit from additions of rosemary. Barb tells me she just loves the aroma in the house when any food is being cooked with rosemary!

Pan Fried potatoe slices- the way I like them or you can make wedges cooked in vegetable oil  with garlic and rosemary in a pan on the stove. It is another welcome addition to any meal. I make this dish with a summer barbecue. It can be greasy so I like to dab the oil off the potatoes before eating.