European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - April 17, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                European easter feasts from staff and wire reports an italian proverb suggests a Christmas with family and easter with whomever you  that s especially appropriate for italians living abroad who can to get Home for this Joyful Holiday. Italian chefs and restaurateurs often try to recreate some aspect of traditional easter observances by preparing foods typical of their Home regions for their friends and patrons. Nicola Marzovilla is a new yorker from Bari in Southern Italy where Baccala salted codfish is prepared daily throughout this Hoty week preceding easter. The Baccala is served in soup or with pasta Fried or baked with potatoes. Quot we love it but by easter sunday we All Are ready for something different Quot said Marzovilla. The italians Are by no Means unique in this respect. All Over Europe people Are enjoying regional easter specialities. The British observe a centuries old custom of eating hot Cross buns on Good Friday. The buns Are spiced with cinnamon Nutmeg fruit Peel and currants. The Cross markings Are made either by a knife or by placing strips of pastry on top before baking. Some say the circular shaped Bun symbolizes the Sun while the Cross Symbol which divides the Bun into four parts signifies the four seasons of the year. Others say the tradition dates Back to when Bakers always marked bread with a Cross to Ward off evil spirits. In Greece easter surpasses Christmas As the biggest Holiday of the year. Eggs dyed red to symbolize Christ a blood Are the first thing people eat after Midnight resurrection service on holy saturday. Sunday is a time for families to be together for drinking wine and eating Lamb roasted Over a spit outdoors. Bread takes on a religious significance during easter season with a traditional favorite being Tsourekis Rich in eggs and Sweet butter sprinkled with sesame seeds and decorated with Reg eggs. In Russia easter eve begins with a lavish Buffet of traditional foods arrayed on a White Tablecloth chilled Vodka Takuski traditional russian appetizers such As red caviar cucumbers in sour Cream pickled mushrooms spicy sausages and smoked fish and three kinds of roasted meats symbolizing the holy Trinity Ham wrapped in Rye or cheese Flavoured dough or roast suckling pig Turkey Lamb or . Essential on every russian easter Buffet table Are Kulich the tall cylindrical yeast raised cakes frosted with White icing and Pasha a dessert made from soft White cheese Cream eggs butter and sugar Flavoured with almonds raisins and candied fruit. For the Markov Silas of new York the italian easter feast begins with pasta and Ragu the traditional meat and Tomato sauce. The main course is always Lamb often stewed in a casserole with eggs new peas and Pecorino a sheep s milk cheese. For dessert there Are Taralli Dipasqua sugar glazed ring cookies made with Many eggs. The cookies Are Large and meant to be broken and shared the pieces dipped in Marsala or Coffee. Eggs As symbols of Fertility and rebirth play an important role in easter celebrations in Italy As in other countries Roberto Donna who owns two popular restaurants in Washington d.c., serves Tantra a Rich egg cheese and onion flan from Piedmont in Northwestern Italy As an appetizer. Next comes Agnoletti a kind of Ravioli filled with chopped roasted veal pork and cabbage the last ingredient a special touch from the Turin area. The pasta is sauced with melted butter and Sage. Dessert is Colomba a Sweet Dove shaped bread. Finally everyone samples chocolate easter eggs. Elaborately decorated the eggs usually contain a Small toy or game though romantic adults often use them to present More precious gifts to a loved one new York chefs Theo Schoenegger and Andreas Hellrigl Are originally from the mountainous Alto adige Region of Northern Italy which Borders Austria. Kid rather than Lamb is preferred in the Alto adige for easter dinner and Hellrigl recalls carrying the meat and the Days bread to the local Church to receive the priest s Blessing. The roasted fresh kid was a Welcome treat after the salted and smoked hams and sausages of Winter. Kid is eaten often by people from countries like Greece Portugal and Haiti. In areas where it is hard to find Lamb usually can be substituted. Hellrigl said he was eager to introduce sceptics to roast kid. Quot it is very underrated Quot he said Quot but very  fresh horseradish comes into season around easter time and it is used in Many seasonal dishes though not just for its Peppery taste. Schoenegger said local superstition holds that horseradish can deter negative forces and even prevent snakebite. For a Lively Spring salad he combines horseradish with Yogurt and Olive Oil and serves the dressing Over tender watercress and boiled new potatoes. For easter dessert Hellrigl serves a layer cake made with buckwheat flour and filled with lightly sweetened cranberries or blueberries the finishing touch is a Topping of Flavoured whipped Cream with Pine nuts and raisins Given the name Fiordi Latte in the Alto adige. To an italian Pasquella or Little easter As the Day after easter is called May be an even More festive Holiday than easter Day. Quot it s like the fourth of july and the first Day of Spring rolled into one a Marzovilla said. Quot everyone takes the Day  picnics and barbecues Are the order of the Day and families pack baskets with bread wine and leftovers from the easter feast though Dora Marzovilla recalls setting aside big pans of baked pasta and other foods to take to the picnic site. Tony May another new York chef is originally from Torre Del Greco near Naples. For his family the picnic site was Likely to be the slopes of mount Vesuvius overlooking the City and the Bay of Naples. A it was Beautiful there not so built up As it is now Quot he said. Quot you could put a Blanket Down and have a picnic Quot later everyone played soccer or volleyball the picnic Basket was Likely to contain pastie a a Ricotta cheesecake made with grains of wheal spices and Orange Flower water As Well As Casat Iella a round lard bread decorated with coloured  style Pasha russian easter cheese cake cup aaa Tass dark raisins a cup Al sly chopped candles Citron a cup finely chopped candles Orange Peel a cup Brandy 1 Pound Cream cheese 1 Pound Ricotta cheese 1 cup unsalted butter 4 egg polka 2 cups confectioner s sugar sifted 2 Teaspoons Vanilla extract 1 cup sour Cream i cup finely chopped toasted blanched almonds 1 Tablespoon Lemon juice grated Peel of 1 Lemon decorations raisins whole unbranched almonds glac6ed fruits whole fresh strawberries. In a Small bowl Combine the candied Citron candied Orange Peel and Brandy. Soak for several hours or overnight stirring occasionally. Prepare the Mold by rinsing out a clean two quart unglazed earthenware pot six inches wide and six inches High with a drainage Hole in the Bottom. If this is the first time you have used the pot for a Pasha Mold soak it in cold water for an hour and let it dry to remove any Aroma of raw Clay let the Cream cheese Ricotta cheese and butter come to room temperature. Press the Cream cheese and Ricotta through a Sieve into a medium size bowl. Stir to mix Well. Set aside. In a medium size bowl beat the butter with an electric mixer on medium Speed until it s smooth. In a Large bowl beat the egg Yolk and sugar on High Speed until the mixture is Light and Fluffy about four minutes. Add butter then the Ricotta Cream cheese mixture one cup at a time and the Vanilla. Beat until All ingredients Are Well blended and the mixture is smooth. With a Large wooden spoon stir in the sour Cream. Add raisins and candied Peel with any Brandy remaining in the bowl chopped toasted almonds Lemon juice and grated Lemon Peel. Stir until Well mixed. Line the pot with a double layer of dampened cheese cloth or a single layer of dampened Muslin. The cloth should hang Over the Edge about three inches. Spoon the cheese mixture into the pot and fold the cloth Over the top. Place a Small Saucer on top of the cloth and set one or two heavy cans on top of the Saucer to weigh Down the cheese mixture and Force any liquid out the Hole in the Bottom of the pot. Set the Pasha on a Small rack with a plate underneath to catch the draining liquid. Refrigerate for 24 hours or until no More liquid drains out. To untold the Pasha remove the weights and unfold the cloth then place an inverted serving Platter on top of the pot. Holding the pot and serving Platter together quickly invert them remove the pot and the cloth. Decorate the Pasha any Way you like with the suggested items. Pasha can be kept in the refrigerator for up to one week keep it covered with dampened cheesecloth and plastic wrap serve in  style Apu mag Ritsa mock mag Ritsa the traditional greek mag Ritsa recipe Calls for Lamb tripe lungs and heart. The following simplified version substitutes More readily available ingredients. 3 pounds whole Lamb shoulder 2 pounds Lamb Bones 2 stalks Merory 1 Carrot scraped 2 Small onions peeled Salt and 8 whole Peppercorns 3 quarters water 6 Scal Llna finely minced 1 cup finely minced Dill 1/2 cup raw converted Rice ago Lemon sauce 4 eggs 6 Tablespoons fresh Lemon juice simmer meat and Bones celery Carrot onions and Salt and Peppercorns in 3 quarts of water for 2 hours. Strain and skim Broth and Reserve. Remove meat from Bones and . Add meat scallions Dill and Rice to Broth and simmer for 20 minutes or until Rice is tender. Strain Broth again and use to prepare ago Lemon sauce. In a blender or food processor beat eggs thoroughly. Slowly add Lemon juice and hot Broth and continue beating. If there is More liquid than the blender will hold empty half of egg mixture into a sauce pan and continue beating in the blender slowly adding the rest of the liquid. Mix ail the sauce together in the Saucepan add the meat and gently  style easter roast Lamb lower Saxony style for the marinade 2 onions 1 Carrot 3 Bay leaves 1 tbsp. Black Pepper 4 cloves 7 Juniper berries 5 Pimento kernels 1 Sage Leaf a tsp thyme v4 cup dry red wine St cup vinegar 2 pounds Lamb roast preferably Back of Lamb Salt and Pepper to taste 2 tbsp butter 1 i cups fresh Button mushrooms butter for frying 1 cup Creme Fra Che or sour Cream 1 tsp. Sugar v4 cup dry red wine continued on Page 16 Page 14 the stars and stripes Friday april 17, 1992 the stars and stripes Page 15